Little something about me.

  Two inches and counting - it'slooking like another waterlogged spring here in the Dakotas.

  The snow is receding from the prairie and us Northern Plains bowhunters' have one thing on our minds, turkeys! With season merely weeks away, I figured I would show some shot placement pics on full strut turkeys and how deceiving a tom at full strut can be.

           Courtesy of N.B.E.F

  Notice how much of the bird is actually feathers and not actual tissue? Take this into consideration the next time you are at full draw on a  strutting gobbler.

  Winter is in full swing; short days filled with little sunlight and plenty of snow or rain are of popular recurrence.  Unfortunately, bowhunting and archery are the least of our concerns. We all have a life to live and other priorities that come first such as jobs, school, family, etc.  Does that mean we should completely forget about archery/bowhunting? No sir!

  Last year I blogged about how wonderful 3d and 300 leagues were for keeping that winter rust from settling in on our bodies. It's a proven fact, the more you practice during the off-season the better prepared you will be come season. If you don't believe me take a look at my past year. Not to chest thump but, all that practice truly paid off!

  So, you are a bit of a procrastinator? You have yet to get the bowhunter in your family a gift for x-mas.  Your in luck! Here's two products your bowhunter will be happy to see under the tree.

"The Modern Bowhunter: Geared Up!" by Kurt Wells

 Happy turkey day bowcasters!

With November in full swing, there is no better way to go into a hunt but by remembering this quote.

If you find yourself  warming up in the truck because it's just to cold or it's just to windy, remember, it doesn't come easy.

  Enough about November, because if I keep talking about it I probably won't get my lab report done for Tuesday's Ecology Lab. I have some success to report. Remember my first bear I took on my good friend John Brooks place? Well I struck black hide again! I smacked a young boar around 200lbs with an absolute gorgeous coat. I actually had two bears come in at the same time.  This stand site was awesome!  A flowing creek in some thick aspen, oak and basswood to my right and a corn field to my left. I mean, this was a bear hot spot! There was a trail into the brush that honest to goodness was 2 feet in width! This path was like a bear interstate, with rest stops and gas stations included. 

   "Confidence is the most important single factor in this game, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work" - Jack Nicklaus

  I read that quote and I think of the dilapidated Morrel broadhead target I blasted a gaping hole in this past summer. Hundreds maybe even thousands of arrows hitting it almost every morning before work. I read that quote and I think of all the time I put into my bow rig; sighting in, fletching/wrapping arrows, spin testing arrows, simply shooting it,  etc.

 Hey Bowcasters', hope September is treating you well, it has me. Anyways, just a little update.

 These past three weeks have been extremely busy and very rewarding. I've had some great success. Proof that practice and hard work, not to mention listening to Bowcast and tuning into the forums, makes "you" a better bowhunter!

Where to start?

  First of all, I owe so many people a big thank you for making this hunt a possibility. My first shout out goes to John and Barb. John and Barb have been good friends of my family and I now for many years and when it comes to hunting and outdoor activities we share a big passion. Thanks again to John for calling me up and inviting me out to harvest such an awesome bear and thanks Barb for supplying the delicious home cooked meals.

 This past weekend I attended a 3d shoot in western N.D.'s badlands.I figured this trip would be a great opportunity to get some good practice in, as well as some scouting.

I heard some things about this particular shoot being a difficult one, and indeed it was challenging. Here's a couple of pics to give you an idea of how the course panned out.

  Hope everybody has a safe trip to this years premier 3d event/bowhunter get together/ preseason training camp/party/adventure/ awesomeness! Those who are attending are bound to have a good time and those of us who are not attending (like me), well, there is always next year.

  However, for those who are not attending  don't  hit the couch and throw your weekend away! Jump in your ride and do some serious scouting or, you could be like me and have your own little 3d event.

  The formula is simple.  Scouting + game like shooting = success  in the field. There is no ifs or buts about it. 

  With no quarry to kill, all the practice is pointless. If you are serious about bowhunting and wish to be successful at it, scouting is a must. Whether it be trail cameras or time spent on the hoof and behind the glass. Scouting is what makes the difference between D.I.Y. bowhunters who kill pope & young animals every other year and D.I.Y.  bowhunters who kill pope & young animals every year.

  Every other day when I take the four-wheeler to check the cows I have these eye appealing landmarks to view. Now, to somebody who does not hunt or think about hunting quite often, these old wooden fence post would be just that, old wooden fence post. But of course they are more than just that. They are constant reminders to people like you and me, that season is right around the corner and that it is never to early to do a little scouting.

  We are nearing the end of spring (yes, technically it is still spring) and residents and nonresidents alike are finding out whether their precious investments in applications have been fulfilled. For those lucky tag holders many actions weigh heavy on their minds. Where am I going to hunt in this unit? When am I going to find time to scout? How I can get maps for this area? Who are the landowners in the area?  Well, now is the time. Now is the time to invest your attention to your hunting season's blueprint.

  As a farmer and rancher's son I know what it's like for a landowner to view out of state hunters or hunters in general. Sometimes they are a pain in the butt and sometimes they are the nicest well mannered gentleman you'll ever meet. To help in leaning that landowner's judgments towards you (the bowhunter) as a well mannered gentleman consider this, call them now. Survey the area you plan on hunting and if the land you plan on hunting borders that rancher's private land make note of it on your map.

  It was the first week in May and I was doing my nightly routine of cramming and studying, something I'm sure all former students know about. It was getting late around 12:00 a.m. when I decided to perhaps wined down. My roomate was in bed which made things worse. When he went to bed the urge for me to jump in my own loft was heightened. But I knew, I simply had to finish up skimming over this last chapter in my Biology textbook. However something other than an  important final was hindering my consciousness.

 Back in mid April, the draw results for N.D. s big three (big horn sheep, elk, and moose) were suppose to be available via the game and fish's online lottery/preference points results. I had been checking that web page at least three times a week in anticipation of the results. Week after week and still nothing. The page that would supposedly reveal the dreams of only a select few hunters simply read "no preference points or results available". So I accepted fate's cruel hand and told myself perhaps next year.

My fellow bowcasters, it's been awhile but It turns out I'm still alive.  Hope everyone is enjoying spring and all the bowhunting opportunities' it brings. While my bowhunting opportunities have been slim I have been able to escape a few hours out of the week. But first, my results from the all city shoot I took part in.

It was an interesting course but really fun. I didn't shoot to my potential and was a bit disappointed yet I still had a blast. Feel free to check out the results at www.redriverarchers.com.  I really can't express enough how beneficial these shoots are. I've said it before,  if you have an outdoor or indoor 3d or 300 shoot near you hit it up; you have nothing to lose but plenty to gain.

  Hey everybody, just an update in my neck of the woods. This week at the local archery club is their all city championship 3d shoot. It is what all of us here at Red River Archers have shot and practiced for all winter long. It will be a  good evening  filled with some drama and excitement.

That's right, spot and stalk gobblers.  Some of you may be thinking, "this just doesn't sound possible". Well, it is difficult but why do we bowhunters' take on game with archery tackle when we could just kill with a rifle or in this case a shotgun. It's all about the challenge right?

  After early morning upon early morning and deer after deer, I finally found myself in the perfect situation. A gorgeous four by three mule deer buck had presented himself. Busy with browsing and pawing he was for at least 6 to 8 inches of fresh snow lay upon the prairie floor. It was the best situation any bowhunter could ask for. With the frigid wind blowing from the north west and the buck grazing under a north facing slope little planning was needed for the stalk. However, would I dare take on the cheek biting wind and half mile hike between me and the buck?

    After glassing him and the surrounding territory for a few minutes (for sitting on the ridge with no protection from the -35 wind chill for an hour was simply unwise) I decided to try and come at him straight from the north. Traversing a frozen creek bottom and ridge seemed effortless. The adrenaline was flowing like Niagara Falls. It was the last ridge between me and him. I peeked over the crest and there he was foraging on the local creeping juniper. After a few moments he had moved behind a whopper of a cedar. He simply disappeared from there. Glassing through the thick tree was tough, but it was obvious he had bedded down. It was clear to me now, I had to come around, up, and over him and make the steep shot.