Blog Entries from the WeHuntSC.com blogging crew
If you read my blog "Shed Crazy" you would have seen a shed that we found this past year of a buck that we later named the Brow Tine Buck. This deer had unusually long brow tines that measured approximately 9 inches. For that reason, this deer was on the top of the hit list for the 2011 season. Fast forward to October 29th.
When the alarm clock sounded at 5:30 a.m. on October 29th the sound of rain was tapping steady on the window by my bed. Without much thought I quickly turned it off and drifted back into oblivion. What only seemed like a minute later, alarm number two sounded off on my Timex Ironman watch. It was now 6:30 a.m. As I lay there for a few seconds a couple thoughts drifted through my mind. The first was the rain and the second was the rut. After a few more seconds went by I figured that I better get up and check the weather. After checking weatherchannel.com and taking a peek outside I decided that my thoughts of the rut outweighed the rain that seemed to be on its way out of town. It was time to go hunting.
One thing I've enjoyed about this season has been using the Mckenzie Scent Fan Duffle. It has allowed me to store all of my gear in one spot and has kept my Crossover Camo suit ready at a moments notice. Because I was running a little behind on this morning it was important that I have all of my gear ready to go in order to get ready quicker and get in the stand faster. Did I mention that it's nice not to have to worry about cover scents. The bag takes care of all that for me. There's nothing like a good mixture of fresh earth and pine.
As I made my way to my stand I thought that with the storm moving out the deer should be on the move. I had a good wind as I walked in and I had a good feeling about the hunt. Since I was late walking in I didn't have to sit long before the sky started to lighten up. At about 7:30 a.m. I caught a glimpse of a deer moving through the cotton field. I quickly turned to get my rifle ready. The first deer was a doe. I knew this could get good quick. The doe was moving at a steady pace through the field so I scanned back across the field and there he was. My first thought was what the heck is that. I immediately knew the deer had a big body, but his rack was very unusual. As the deer moved through the field I knew my window was closing fast. I had to make a decision quick. The deer then stopped and looked my direction. That's when it hit me. This was the Brow Tine Buck. I quickly clicked off the safety and put the crosshairs behind his shoulder. A loud crack and the buck jolted out of sight. I couldn't see him crash but I could tell he didn't go too far. What a feeling! The Brow Tine Buck was down!
As I sat in my stand after making the shot I thought to myself this must be the Year of the Brow Tine. First we found his shed antler in March. Then I picked up an awesome knife from CRKT. Coincidently the knife is called the Kommer "Brow Tine". And then it all comes together on October 29th with the "Brow Tine Buck" on the ground. Awesome!
The buck was definitely a good one to get out of the herd. He ended up being a 187 # 7 point and a trophy in my book. This year his brow tines measured close to 12 inches. Crazy is all I can say!
Due to the rain I left my video camera at the house, but once the buck was on the ground a made the quick trip back to the house and got the camera. Check out some of the footage.
"We're going to get one tonight" JD whispered as we settled in for the evening hunt. I was a little more skeptical because as I cut a thread on the burlap surrounding the stand with my CRKT "Brow Tine" knife a bead of sweat dripped from my forehead. It was a very warm October 15th. The double stand that we have set up faces west and with little shade the bright sun had JD and I squirming for any available shade.
The deer seemed to have similar thoughts as well. Just as the shooting lane filled with shade the deer started to ease in for an evening snack. With a little less than an hour of shooting light and deer already starting to move into the food plot I started to believe in what JD told me earlier.
The first two deer that entered the food plot were a doe and her fawn. We watched these two for a few minutes when the doe shook her head and then darted through the food plot as if to signal that something had her on edge. As the fawn followed the doe out of the food plot I whispered to JD, "There might be a buck behind them." Before I could barely finish that statement a buck entered the food plot. "There's a buck!"
JD and I had hunted several times during the week and had seen a good number of deer on those hunts. On those hunts we really put our Mckenzie Scent Fan Duffle bag and Atsko scent products to the test as a front moving in off the coast had the wind blowing at our backs. On each hunt we had deer in close and not one time did a deer wind us. On this hunt though we had the wind in our favor and with plenty of daylight left I thought to myself, "We are going to get one tonight".
For this to be true though I knew that we were going to need the buck to close the distance before I would give JD the green light. The buck entered the food plot a good two hundred yards out and would need to get within a hundred yards for a comfortable shot. The buck seemed to be torn between the doe and the oats and turnips we had planted. He would drop his head and chase the doe but soon lose focus and start to eat again. With this patterning continuing it seemed likely that he would soon be within range. As the buck made his way closer JD filled my ear with questions. "How much do you think he weighs?" "How far away is he?" "What do you think?"
As I watched the deer move down the food plot, my words to JD were, "I think he would be a great first deer." JD took a deep breath and I could tell he was starting to get really excited. The buck finally had made his way to the bottom of the hill and now he stood at one hundred yards. I whispered to JD to get ready and ease the safety off. I told him when the deer took a step forward to put the cross hairs right behind the front shoulder and squeeze the trigger. As the buck took that step forward my heart was pounding because I knew this was the moment we had been waiting for. Without hesitation JD squeezed the trigger and the buck dropped. As I watched through my camera's viewfinder I could tell that the buck was down but I quickly told JD to load another cartridge. To my surprise the buck jumped up. JD fired another shot just over the bucks back. The buck turned and sat on the right edge of the food plot. "Load another round!", I exclaimed. It was at that point I thought the first shot might have hit him high. The buck staggered up again and headed for the cutover. JD fired another shot and the buck disappeared.
Every deer hunter knows that feeling that overwhelms you after you shoot a deer. I think JD and I both were shaking like a leaf as we tried to plan our next move. I replayed the video and JD's first shot looked like it hit high and back some. We waited about thirty minutes and then walked through the food plot to mark the spot of where the deer entered the cutover. We found a little bit of blood where the buck had sat down but as we searched the edge of the cutover there were no signs of blood. If any of you have ever searched for a deer in a cutover you know how hard it is to navigate the briars and thick brush. With the darkness set in and no sign of a blood trail, I thought it would be good to go to plan B. We went back to my house and reviewed the footage over and over again. With the shot being high I thought it would be better to give the deer time instead of pushing him out and eliminating our chance of recovery. We decided to wait until daylight and get some help from my neighbor.
My neighbor had always told me that if we couldn't find a deer to call him and he would get his Labrador Retriever to help. So I called him the next day, and in a moments notice he had Haley ready to "Hunt Dead". I picked JD up and we headed over to the food plot. Haley got on the trail quick but we couldn't keep up so we decided to start over. This time my neighbor stayed right on Haley's tail and within a few minutes we recovered the deer. A sigh of relief from me and big "Woooo!" from JD echoed through the thicket.
JD had just harvested his first deer. A four point, 120 pound buck! The buck had three points on his left side and a cowhorn on its right side. Definitely a great first deer! I couldn't have been happier and I think JD feels the same.
Words can't really describe the feelings of sharing this experience with my cousin JD. I think this will be something that he will always cherish and I know I will. I was really impressed with his patience during our hunts and I think he is officially a deer hunter. He has learned so much not only through the things I've tried to teach him but also from all of the others who have helped us along the way. And I can't thank everyone enough.
JD, you did a great job and I can't be more proud! I think you got a pretty cool birthday present this year buddy! Check out the video below of the hunt.
Do you remember your first deer rifle? If you're like me you probably can remember just about everything about your first rifle. My first deer rifle was a Remington Semi-Auto .243 that my Dad bought at a local gun shop. It was a heavy gun and because of that we traded it for a Remington Model 700 .270 the next year. It was with the .270 that I killed my first deer.
Choosing a rifle is one of the most important things you do when preparing a young hunter for their first season. Confidence in your rifle is very important and with a young hunter it is imperative that you build that confidence by choosing the correct rifle. We often hear debates about what is the best caliber but to me it more about confidence than caliber. You can build that confidence by finding a rifle that fits.
I think JD has found the rifle that fits him. JD bought a Remington Model 700 Youth .308 from Sportsman Inc. located in Newport, SC over the weekend. I wasn't able to tag along when he bought it but based on what JD told me it sounded like an awesome experience. The staff at Sportsman Inc. went above and beyond to make sure JD had everything he needed for his first rifle. On Saturday we packed up and headed to my friend Rick's house to get the scope mounted and sighted in.
As we arrived at Rick's house and stepped from the car a cool breeze signaled that deer season was just around the corner. I couldn't have been more excited about watching JD shoot his first rifle. It didn't take long and Rick had JD's scope which is a Nikon 3x9x50 mounted and ready for the shooting range. We set up a bench at 25 yards and got everything ready. We took some time to give JD some safety instructions and get him comfortable with his set up. Again safety and getting familiar with the rifle goes along with building that confidence that is so important.
We had a minor hiccup before JD made his first shot. The mount screw for the scope was a hair too long and wasn't allowing the bolt to close. Rick was on top of it and within minutes he had the screw filed down and the gun ready again. JD got set up and made his first shot at 25 yards. I was eager to see the recoil from the rifle because that is definitely something you want to manage when starting a youngster out shooting. To help with this JD bought Remington's managed recoil ammunition. On the box it stated that it reduces recoil by 50% and I was sold after watching JD make a few shots. We shot about three rounds at 25 yards and then backed up to 50 yards. After making a few more shots we finally backed up to 100 yards. JD shot about nine rounds down range and with each shot you could see his confidence rise.
It was a fun day of shooting and I can't thank Rick enough for his help. We got to teach JD a few things about safety and shooting and we watched JD start to build a bond with his rifle. He's a pretty darn good shot! Now it's time to go hunting!
What do you remember about shooting your first rifle? Check out JD's first shots in the video below.
When I was twelve years old my Dad gave me my first knife. If I close my eyes I can still picture that day and remember thinking how cool it was to have my own knife. It wasn't much to brag about but you couldn't tell me that at the time. I spent many hours whittling on sticks in the woods with that knife. It was a small black folding knife that to this day I have tucked away in a special place.
With this being JD's first deer season I thought it would be special if I could get him a knife that he could not only use but cherish for the rest of his life. I knew JD was no stranger to knives because he often had one on his side or in his pocket when we would go on fishing trips over the summer. With that being said I wanted to make sure the knife he got for his first hunting season was special in every way.
About ten years ago I bought a "Pikes Peak" pocket knife from CRKT - Columbia River Knife and Tool. I was always looking for a good pocket knife and when I bought that knife I hit the jackpot. The knife has held strong since I bought it ten years ago. The only hiccup was about two years after I bought the knife when the clip that attaches with three Torx screws came off in my pocket and I lost one of the screws. The next day I called CRKT and within the week I had a new clip and three new screws. The representative I talked to was very helpful and gave me a tip of putting Loctite on the screws before I reassembled. From that point forward that knife has been rock solid.
Based on prior history, I knew that CRKT was the company I wanted to use to find JD a knife for his first season. With their help, we found the perfect knife in the Russ Kommer Brow Tine. When the box came in the mail I could hardly stand it. When I opened the box and pulled the knife from its tooled leather sheath I was pumped. The stag antler handle fit perfectly in my hand and I could see my reflection in the stainless steel mirror finished blade. As a hunter this was a dream knife and I couldn't wait to give it to JD.
Unfortunately when the knife arrived we were in the middle of about a week's worth of rain. I wanted to surprise JD with the knife, so I waited until the weather cleared up. The weather finally gave us a break last Monday so I called JD and asked if he wanted to go check on the food plots. I told JD I was going to do an update video for the blog but as we started the video I told him to look in my camo bag. As he pulled out the box I think I was about as excited as I could be. JD was totally surprised and I don't think he has stopped smiling since. Now he has an awesome hunting knife to carry on his side this year. Inscribed on the side of the knife it says field tested. Hopefully we can put those words to use this year in JD's first season.
I think JD will cherish that knife for a very long time. It is these memories that we can really hold on to and I was blessed to be able to share that moment with JD. Do you remember your first hunting knife? What memories do you have of it and your first deer season?
As I drove down an old farm road the other day I was immediately reminded that deer season is just around the corner. Velvet antlers caught my eye as a young buck stopped at the sight of the four wheeler. As the buck slipped into the thicket I sat there for a few minutes and soaked in the silence. It was then I decided to make a detour and head down to one of my favorite spots in the woods.
I entered the old oak hollow and followed a trail that lead to a spot that my Dad and I discovered some twenty years earlier. On top of a little knoll we found the perfect funnel area for deer to travel between the two adjacent crop fields. It didn't take long for Dad and I to nickname the spot "The Acorn Stand". I can still picture the first time I eased through those woods by myself when I was twelve years old. Not much has changed about the spot over the years except for that stand that Dad and I put up. It has started to look like a retired prize fighter over the past several years. Standing only a meager eight feet tall in its prime the stand seems to have shrunk and it now stands with a distinct sway to one side. I was hesitant about climbing it that day but as I reached the top it was as if I had just sat there for the first time all over again. Mother nature and time have put a beating on this stand but the stand still had that feel that made it my favorite spot from the first time I hunted it.
My detour that day to my favorite hunting spot was not only to reminisce but also in anticipation of the upcoming season. This season only a couple hundred yards away from where I made my first memories in the deer woods another young hunter will climb into a stand with the hopes of a successful hunt. The young hunter is my cousin JD. JD will be twelve this coming season and after taking him last year on a hunt I could tell that the passion that caught fire when I sat in "The Acorn Stand" twenty years ago was there for him as well.
I'm not exactly sure how the season will go but as I sat in my favorite spot that day I thought about how fun it was going to be to walk with JD on this journey of his first deer season. JD has been helping me get ready for the season and I know he's pumped. My goal is to help guide him through the ups and downs that a young hunter goes through and also to teach him as much as I can about the things I've learned over the years. Another goal is to try to capture as much of his season on video so one day JD can watch it unfold over and over again. So with all that being said wish JD luck and say a few prayers for the cameraman. I think this season will be a special one.
For as long as I can remember, I have always had a passion for fishing. This passion was instilled in me by my Dad who got me involved in the sport at a very early age. I was lucky to have a small pond located on the family farm. I can only imagine the number of times that I cast a line across that pond. Millions of memories fill my head of those days. Let me see if I can paint a picture with words of just a few of them.
The sun peeked over the horizon and transformed my bedroom walls from baby blue to bright orange. The chirping of the robins in the yard signaled that the days were getting longer and warmer. One deep breath of the spring morning air and I was up and at 'em. The one thing on my mind was getting Dad's shovel and finding a few worms to dangle in the small pond that sat within view of my bedroom window. When I think of fishing, I often think of those mornings of spring fishing fever.
Dad always found time to take me on an adventure to the family pond. In my younger days, Dad and I would grab the cane poles and dig a few worms from the pasture behind the house. Then we would set off for an hour or two of fishing. The trek to the pond was an adventure in itself. A long winding trail sliced through a thick forest of oaks and pines. One day that is etched into my memory is a day in which I persuaded Dad to let me ride on his shoulders. We headed down the path humming a tune that Dad made up and singing a song from the "Wizard of Oz"..Lions, Tigers, and Bears 'Oh My'. Well, lets just say at about the time my Dad said "Bears", a snake decided to show his head on the trail. I think my Dad hit mach two and lost his shoes. I'm not sure how I stayed on his shoulders. I never cross that spot on the trail without thinking of that day.
My fishing memories of that pond are endless. These memories include the early years of chasing tadpoles and minnows to more recently watching my son catch his first fish. I used to pretend to be Hank Parker. I would set up a scenario which put me a fish down with only a few minutes remaining in the Bassmasters Classic. I seemed to always find a way to catch that fish. Whether it took me a few hours or not. As I got older, I would always try out new baits in the pond. I can remember catching two bass with one cast on a new rattletrap. I was amazed. I learned to throw a baitcaster, tie different knots, site fish, fish topwater baits, fish the carolina rig, and on and on and on.
As I look back on those memories, I understand now the impact that being outside and with my Dad had in my life. Now that I'm a Dad, I try to strive to teach my son those same things. Take a kid fishing because maybe that one memory will turn into a million.
Below is a video of my son catching a bass out of the pond I grew up fishing. Do you have a favorite spot that fills your head with memories?
This is a video of a few bass we caught several weeks ago at a pond in Chester. I'll provide a little breifing on the day but I'll keep it short and let the video speak for itself. A few friends and I decided to give the kayaks another try at this pond a few weeks ago. If you read my blog Kayaking for Lunkers you know that we landed a few big bass out of this pond back in March. Back in March the fishing was slow but the fish were big. On this day the fishing had picked up but most of the fish that we caught were what I like to refer as crumb-snatchers. We did manage to pull in a nice three pounder though. Check out the video! It was a beautiful morning and I was glad I got to spend it fishing with great friends. Hope you enjoy.
As we marched up the old road bed, the anticipation of the morning hunt filled the air. Brad Crawford spotted a couple longbeards strutting in the meadow the evening before. With that being said we had a good idea of where the birds were roosting. We planned on getting up on the ridge above the meadow for the morning hunt. Brad led the way up the road bed. Sam Poulos and Tank Johnson both armed and ready followed behind. I was pulling up the rear armed with my video camera.
Brad called out an owl hoot with a dead on response from the longbeards. We sat up on the ridge and got ready for the action. As Brad sent out a series of yelps there must have been four more birds gobbling off in the distance. It seemed that we were in prime position. With another series of calls it seemed that the gobbles echoed a little louder. Back and forth we went when all of a sudden a soft yelp from a hen could be heard in the distance. As Brad said later it was as if the hen grabbed the gobbler by the beard and said oh no you don?t. The gobbles faded into the distance. We got up and planned our next move.
We heard one gobbler move to our left off in the distance so we figured we could get down in the meadow and see if we could draw him back. As we moved down the ridge, Brad sent out a crow call and was answered by a gobble. We scurried down the hill and called briefly and realized the bird was coming. Brad stayed back on the ridge about thirty yards. Sam sat out on the main field which is where we thought the bird would pop out. Tank and I sat behind Sam about twenty yards in a little cove. Tank and Brad both called for a few minutes. I was in a good position to film Sam and any birds out in the main field but I realized I wasn?t in a good position when I saw Tank ease his gun around to my left and click off the safety. With Brad and Tank calling the birds split the difference. When the birds didn?t see anything out in the cove or meadow they got a little weary and all I could hear was a few putts that signaled the show was over. Tank had a shot but it was a Jake so he didn?t take it. Up the ridge Brad had a better vantage point and could see the longbeard in the back fanned out. Too bad he?s tagged out. Oh so close!
It was an awesome morning hunt with a lot of gobbling, awesome calling, and tons of heart pounding action at the Poulos Sportsman Club. I was glad I had some Wildlife Energy shots because I was whooped after a weekend of early morning hunts. I got a kick out of Brad saying that he doesn?t sleep in April. That?s about the truth.
Although our hunt ended without filling a tag another hunter, Mark Cody, had better luck. Mark was able to take his first bird by calling himself. He was pretty pumped when we got back to the clubhouse. I was able to snap a few pictures. 18 #, Double Beard 10 ¼ and 4 ¼, ¾ inch spurs.
Check out my recap video of the hunt! Turn up the volume and listen to some gobbling action.
SCDNR would probably have wished for a little nicer weather but my son, Riley, and I didn't let the rain put a damper on our time at the 27th Annual Palmetto Sportsmen's Classic. If you're like me these events are an adrenaline rush. I guess it's just being surrounded by things that get me fired up and this year the rain couldn't put out the fire on this event.
As noted earlier, I had Riley with me so I didn't have too much of a plan for how we would explore the event. He is 4yrs old, so I figured we would play it by ear. Just a few minutes into our journey through the vendors we came up on a pop gun that Riley had to have. I thought this was a good idea because it would keep him occupied. Well, after a few pops from this thing I was searching the vendors for a silencer! He was in heaven, so I didn't stop the popping, although we got some evil looks. Riley made sure he gave those evil eye lookers an extra pop. Oh boy!
As we made our way down the isles of vendors, I had my eyes peeled for products that not only caught my eye but ones that would make me a more efficient hunter. A few of these that I noted were as follows:
McNett Camo Form
This protective camouflage wrap caught my eye as I am always looking for ways to conceal my gun, camera, and stand. This is a stretch fabric wrap that reminded me of an ankle wrap or ace bandage. It is not tape so it doesn't leave a residue and it can be reused. I found this product at the Shooter's Choice of West Columbia stand and after the gentleman with them wrapped my arm with it I was sold.
Hammock Seat
If you've ever hunted on the ground you know that the ground is not so forgiving. Well, when I sat in the Hammock Seat I was ready for a nap. This thing was very comfortable and swiveled to allow a shot at any angle. I've killed a couple deer from the ground and I wish I would've had this seat then.
Buck Smoke
As I stopped to take a picture with Riley and a wild boar, I caught a whiff of a deer scent that put me in search mode. Man this stuff was strong. I finally found the source and it was a scent called Buck Smoke. It was a wax looking substance contained in what looked like a shoe polish container. I was intrigued because this was a no liquid and therefore no mess scent. This scent was being sold at the Big E Outfitters stand. They had some amazing animals displayed at their stand.
Mckenzie Scent Fan Duffle Bag
Scent control is a must in the deer woods and I am definitely going to try this bag out this coming season. I often find myself searching on the way to the stand for some pine or cedar to rub on my clothes before a hunt. That is definitely not an efficient way to control my scent. For me this bag is going to make it much more easy to seal my clothes up and control my scent before a hunt. Definitely a must have for me. The Mckenzie Scent Fan Duffle Bag vendor stand also was displaying the Jake Intimidator and Crossover Camo. A dangerous looking combination.
F2 Outdoors
Gator hunting has been the new rage in South Carolina the past couple years and this vendor caught my eye with the gator skull mount sitting ready to chomp. Not that talking gators could get any better but they also were displaying custom truck seat covers. This was a pretty neat looking set up that I'll have to check out this coming gator season.
A couple other vendors that caught my eye were Pin Oak Taxidermy with the Camo Skulls and Hunter's Comfort with the Rack Shack hunting houses. I was also impressed with the versatility of the Hunt Pac and the guarantee made by the X-Factor crew on their bow sound and vibration dampeners. Riley got a picture with Brad Hoover of the Carolina Panthers at the Buck Yum stand. I also picked up a Winn Tuck t-shirt and hat. Winn Tuck had a really neat set up as you will see in my video. I am also a sucker for things that are handcrafted. A couple that stood out were the longbows made by Saluda River Bows (Doug Warren (803) 924-4285) and the kayaks made by Pledger's Craft. These looked like works of art made for the great outdoors.
Overall, we had a great time. We closed the day with some cotton candy and a few more pops from the pop gun. Did anyone else get out in the rain and check out the Classic? Check out the recap video below.
