SYH Blog

Jan 2, Happy New Year!

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:10:27 GMT

I know I'm a little late with that! I deer hunted from before sun-up till after sun-down yesterday. I started to write about it here, but it got too long. I made a page out of it: "Stay Positive".

Jan 2, Stay Positive

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:00:43 GMT

Sometimes it's hard to stay positive when nothing seems to work.

Dec 31, Hunting Harvest

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:38:24 GMT

After a hunting harvest of your first deer; then what?

Dec 31, NOTHING!

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:51:07 GMT

The wind direction changed yesterday. I spent most of the day sitting in a canyon. At an intersection of numerous trails where I've seen deer before. NOTHING! This is the first season, I've "completely" stuck with the bow. Hunting on the ground, still hunting or stalking, and the results are: NOTHING! I'm writing this SYH stuff, like I know something, and I'm close to getting "skunked" this season. Which kinda-sort-a-proves "authentic hunting" is not easy. It's not over yet, but I'll admit that late season has always been tough for me. I have usually collected a deer or two, and don't hunt as much, or as hard late in the season. I have never harvested a deer in January. I need to change that! If I could only hunt all 15 days...

Dec 27, Turkey Feathers!

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 17:04:03 GMT

You just can't trust deer to keep appointments. After seeing so many deer on a super windy day Dec. 15 I went yesterday with enthusiasm. I hunted almost all day and only glimpsed one whitetail in heavy timber for half-a-second. They must have been hunkered down yesterday... I still enjoyed the time. I slipped through the staging area and saw movement through the brush 30 yards ahead. I carefully moved for a better view and saw dust flying. A turkey was taking a dust bath! Two hens and a gobbler were moving away from me. I circled way-around and got about half-drawn on him before he ran. An hour later I had forgotten the turkey. I was using a ditch to stay out of sight, except when I peaked over the edge. At the end I took a careful look around before exiting the ditch. To my surprise a hen turkey was 20 yards to my right. Her head went up, and I froze, all she could see was the top of my camouflaged head. She went back to feeding. I saw the other hen, and the gobbler. They were the same turkeys. About to slide back down the bank, I managed to get traction, and move up in a better position on one knee. They were moving to my left and when they got in a little space between trees I planed to take him. As he moved behind a tree I started to draw. He stopped behind the tree, and one of the hens saw me! I switched to her and released instantly, the arrow looked really good, but she just trotted off. My arrow had a small feather stuck in the broad head, but no blood anywhere. I think it went through feathers and missed the bird. Note: I can legally take a hen or gobbler during archery deer season.

Dec 24, Field Dressing Deer

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 13:09:13 GMT

Field dressing deer, I like to hang them with the head up if possible.

Dec 21, What's Happening?

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:48:37 GMT

The overall visits to SYH are down slightly this month, but the "Clothing" page is up somewhat? Oh! Yea! It's almost Christmas! I didn't even go hunting yesterday... We're all busy trying to figure out what to buy the wife, or how to pay for it; especially this year. If we don't meet again here for a while, let me wish you my best,
and say Merry Christmas!

Dec 15, hunter stages

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:07:48 GMT

Hunter stages are normal for the development of an authentic hunter.

Dec 14, Good! Hard! Wind?

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 15:09:47 GMT

Yesterday we had 40-50 mph. winds. If someone asked me about hunting on such a day; I would have said: DONT! The deer will be jittery, bedded deep in thickets, canyons... not moving... I wanted to get out so I half-heartedly went anyway. I planned to walk, stalk, still-hunt, but I thought it would be a scouting trip mostly. WOW! Was I wrong! I saw more deer than I've seen in the entire season: Two young bucks, jumped one unknown, a group of at least ten mostly does, two does, another group of six; all does. Some were where I expected, sheltered from the wind, but some were evidently following a more normal routine. Nothing to get a trophy hunter excited, but fun for me. Walking carefully I had deer around me a big part of the day. I got about half drawn on a young buck. I was almost in the open with him looking right at me. (I will take a lesser buck, or a doe at this point in the season.) The deer seemed confused, like they didn't know what to do when they saw me. I sat in the "staging area" at sunset. Two does with their four offspring milled around me at twenty to thirty yards for at least ten minutes. They were coming straight for me, but I had huddled up to a little cedar tree and they knew something looked wrong. One doe circled downwind finally at about thirty yards; she still couldn't smell me for a while. What do I 'know' about deer hunting? Go when you can! Use what you think you know, but expect the unexpected, sometimes.

Dec 8, No-Venison

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:04:38 GMT

My nephew got a nice seven point last weekend with a rifle. I have stuck with the bow this year, that's why no-venison. But it ain't over yet! (Sometimes my red-neck comes out.) Saturday, after being indecisive, back-an-forth between things to do, I finally realized I was wasting valuable time, and went hunting. I sat on the trails in the canyons from early afternoon till dark. I saw several does, one at about ten yards. She kept looking at me (I'm on the ground remember) but couldn't figure me out. When I had to move a little, she moved a lot... out of there. I had three turkeys walk behind me, but when I tried to turn slowly for a shot they were gone... put...put...put...

Dec 7, deer rubs and scrapes

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:40:43 GMT

Deer rubs actually begin to show up pre-rut as soon as the antlers harden.

Dec 1, Missed! - Not what you think.

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:54:38 GMT

What I missed was going hunting during my Thanksgiving Break. I was just too busy coughing, sneezing, wheezing, and generally being miserable. I thought I would get a lot done on SYH, and I did get a couple of new pages up, but I didn't feel like doing much. I'm thankful I don't get sick for long periods of time like I once did. My determination to stick with the bow until I get one
is beginning to weaken.

Nov 30, Whitetail Scouting

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:57:16 GMT

Whitetail scouting is key to successful hunting.

Nov 27, Thanksgiving

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:06:54 GMT

Being with family, I'm thankful, and thoughtful. One family member politely told me that I was fighting a loosing battle trying to raise the standards of hunting. I know he is probably right, but I'm going to keep trying anyway. Gun season is open, but I'm sticking with the bow. Yesterday as I entered a road on our property I met a pickup with two hunters trespassing. I was very unhappy with them, but after expressing myself, I let them go. These guys always claim to be gaining access to the public hunting land adjacent to our property, or they think they are on the public land. A few are probably telling the truth. I have a del-ma; I want to support hunters, I know some have trouble finding a place to hunt. BUT! I don't want to drive fifty miles with limited time for me to hunt, and then end up hunting behind someone else on our land. I never know where they have been, or what they really did while they were there. That started my hunt with a lot of negative, and I didn't see anything. Still, I am thankful that I have a place to hunt, and for much more.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Nov 23, canned hunt

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 02:23:23 GMT

A canned hunt is a generally considered a trophy hunt where the animals have been raised, somewhat confined, or completely confined.

Nov 21, Clothing

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:29:10 GMT

If you support the authentic hunting ideas of score-your-hunting; you may like wearing clothing which says so.

Nov 19, A little behind here, been busy.

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:17:16 GMT

I went bow-hunting Saturday. The wind out of the north again, so I hunted the same place as the week before. The chance of seeing the same buck were extremely unlikely, but still... I almost took a shot at a big doe, but she was at the edge of my range, and after the week before... A small doe with a young four point in tow played around me for a few minutes. Gun season starting next Saturday, but I'm not ready to give up with the bow yet.

Nov 9, Good Hunt - Went Bad

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:09:16 GMT

Wind direction forced a change yesterday, I hunted a canyon where I hadn't been in years. The edge of a bedding area. Stalking slowly a short distance up the canyon edge, I knew this area was used, but when I saw what appeared to be a traffic intersection; I decided to sit. I found a shadowed nook back in the cedar trees where the two canyons merge. I simply sat down on the slope, back in shadows, where a deer wouldn't see until he was in front of me. I had high hopes for the canyon/trail coming from my left; the best shot for a right-handed archer. It was 1:41 and I'd sat about an hour, uncomfortable, I carefully laid back on the sloping ground. Two seconds later a good buck bounded down the trail exactly where I'd predicted; ten yards form me! It all happened so fast I don't remember every detail! So fast, instead of making my usual deer-like sound; I yelled HEY! It took him a couple of bounds to stop, luckily he was behind a cedar when he did. I don't remember getting up, but I was standing, and moved a couple of steps to my right. He took a couple of cautious steps, and was broadside looking at me at about fifteen yards. My timing was perfect, I started my draw (recurved bow) as he stepped into view, he did not react until the arrow hit him. Everything was perfect except my arrow looked a little high. He took off, arrow well imbedded, and in three bounds was out of sight. I heard him go into the brush on the other canyon, and did not see him exit anywhere. I didn't like the look of the shot, I didn't hear a crash, but I thought he might be just across the canyon from me. I waited an eternity, half an hour. No blood anywhere. I found tracks and other sign, but could not be sure it was his. I went round and round ever expanding my search from where I last saw him. It's tough walking, scrub-brush, up and down uneven terrain. Four hours later, sundown, disappointed, frustrated, and completely exhausted; I packed it up for home. I've gone over and over what happned. I want to feel good about my hunting instincts being "right-on", but... The arrow appeared to penetrate well, my best guess is it was above the spine, and the lungs. I hope he'll recover. I wish I'd missed, I hate not knowing, leaving a crippled deer...

Nov 8, Try, Try, Again!

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 04:55:04 GMT

I'll string my bow in a little while, and try again. The wind is supposed to be form the NW, and then swing around and come from the East by sundown. Not the best for me, but... NEW! Pictures only page for the brag book as soon as I get some.

Nov 3, Choosing Hunting Rifles

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:10:20 GMT

Choosing hunting rifles is fun, but not always simple.

Nov 2, Don't count your chickens...

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 12:42:34 GMT

"Don't count your chickens until they are hatched." That certainly applies to deer, and bow-hunting. I know that! Still after seeing so many deer come into the wheat field two weeks ago, I expected a parade of deer to come by my new ground blind yesterday. The deer canceled the parade. THAT'S HUNTING! The "Curiosity" page was inspired by pictures made on the way to the farm earlier this season. Also added another clothing page, and four pages about scoring.

Oct 30, Hunting Methods

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:35:08 GMT

Some hunting methods require more skill than others.

Oct 30, Gun or Bow

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:34:41 GMT

The range of the gun or bow greatly influences the the hunting skill needed.

Oct 30, The Other Stuff

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:28:16 GMT

Other stuff, our general feeling is that less is more, or requires more skill.

Oct 18, Curiosity

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:01:12 GMT

Curiosity can work for you, or against you; depending on the situation.

Oct 12, The Recurved Bow

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:53:28 GMT

I hardly knew what a recurved bow was In 1989, but I knew that I had more time to hunt.

Oct 11, A Stuck Truck

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:19:29 GMT

A stuck truck happens quickly! You can get anything stuck if you are careless. You can also keep from getting stuck, or rescue your own stuck vehicle;

Sep 24, Outdoor Technology

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:58:52 GMT

Outdoor technology today offers many choices, and you can choose how much to use.

Sep 21, BB Gun Memories

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 22:26:47 GMT

My first gun was a hard earned Daisy Model 25 BB gun.

Sep 14, Shooting a bow

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 14:20:54 GMT

Shooting a bow is a natural and beautiful thing when you get in the zone.

Aug 6, Bow Hunting Changed Me

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:13:19 GMT

Bow hunting changed me! It's hard to believe that I was a reluctant bow-hunter.

Jul 22, First Turkey

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:16:11 GMT

The story of my first turkey, and it was with a stick bow.

Jul 21, Early Morning Poacher

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:19:30 GMT

A poacher made this hunting trip was a little scary.

Jul 20, My First Deer (s)

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:31:00 GMT

My first deer (s) was a result of my first good plan. It turned out to be more than expected.

Jul 15, Feeders

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:25:38 GMT

Feeders are for livestock, not deer! These ugly machines are certainly taking the natural out of deer hunting.