Just to give you a better picture of what your bow is going thru... After school he's outside with the bow and his dog shooting until we make him come in or it gets dark. Then sometimes he gets candles and tries to put them out at night. Often his family is asked to throw cans and other things as aerial targets. He's working on Aspirin tablets now. This is Oregon's rainy season, so your bow and my son have been soaked almost daily for the past three months. Thanks, Anthony...
"Thursday afternoon, my brother and I were up on a butte and glassed a herd of elk that were starting to graze. We went down toward a spot that we thought they were headed. Before we got to where we wanted to be, we spotted a cow at about 100 yards. They were feeding up out of small draw and coming right toward us. We saw several spikes, and cows and the 5 X 5. The conditions were perfect, breeze in my face, they were feeding directly to me. As they got to about 60 yards, I moved up another 15 yards from my brother to another tree. I was a little too far in back of the tree, so I needed to move to the right side. As usual it is hard to get all the different sets of eyes all looking the other way at once, but I managed to find that instant. The bull and another cow came to me and at about 30 yards the bull was head on and threw his head up and looked around like something wasn't exactly right. But after a few minutes he turned broadside and began feeding. I knew I needed to take a shot soon and at that moment I spotted a cow to my left coming from behind a tree at about 10 yards. So I knew I was about 5 seconds from being busted. I had tree branches up to my chest and branches over head, so I canted my bow almost horizontal and took a quick instinctive shot. The arrow hit and he flinched a little and turned and walked about 10 yards. He was a little wobbly then and I thought that he might fold right there. However, he and the other elk meandered off in the other direction. We watched the bull until dark and I thought I saw him lay down. It was dark by then, so we decided to go back to camp and get the lanterns and equipment and wait a couple hours. After we went to camp, we returned to where we left and found the blood trail. It was getting pretty sparse and then ran out. He was laying not far away. So it ended well. So we did all the hard work and broke camp and went home."
"OL, Your bow performed flawlessly again. I managed to bag another pig last Saturday. I couldn't seem to connect the first weekend, but that was remedied last weekend. My friend and I went to our usual place and glassed until we about went cross eyed. Then we walked to a little place that has lots of pockets and benches. We found them about 11:00 in the morning. They were grazing with some cattle, and the cattle in this area are wilder than deer, so we had to be super sneaky. It looked like the pigs were moving from the bench with the cattle across a rock ridge to another bench. So we snuck from the upper bench toward the pigs. When we got close, Mike went to the left of this rock point and I went right. I got as close as possible without the cows seeing me and waited. I could see the pigs near the cows and there was a pig about 25 yards from me off the side of the rock point and I thought it would be perfect for Mike. As I was waiting a pig came from behind a rock about 15 feet from me. It went behind another rock and I had an arrow nocked already, however it had fallen off the string. So I fumbled to get it back on and shift my foot position for a shot. I got lucky and managed to do all that without being heard. The pig came from behind the rock at about 12 feet and went toward a cactus. When it's head went behind the cactus I drew and made a perfect double lung shot. She went about 25 or 30 yards and dropped. It was the biggest pig I had killed so far, I suppose it field dressed near 40 pounds."
"It was like the elk I shot, a perfect fluid instinctive shot. I didn't have time to think about the shot, I just saw the spot I wanted to hit and the arrow was there. I don't consciously remember drawing and anchoring, all of a sudden the pig ran off with an arrow through the lungs. By the way I did switch to using a tab instead of a glove. Seemed to work well this time, so I think I will stay with it. Take care, Don"
"OL, just wanted to let you know that little bow will kill pigs too. This boar was about 170 lbs. I was stalking some hardwoods swamps on public land in S.C. I did not have time to hit full draw and had to take a shot from a forward angle but at 12 yards I knew I could get to the goodies through the front shoulder area. He went 45 yards and we watched him fall. I also shot him while wearing a backpack and climbing treestand being the reason for the short draw. Thanks again for building me a great bow. - James"
A couple of days before the season opened, I went into a spot where I've caught bulls hanging out in the past and set a small stool just off the intersection of a couple of trails where I've had close encounters before. Opening day, I went up another draw to watch a wallow, on the way in, in the dark I busted about 20 head out of there, ticks me off when that happens! Had a couple of cows and a calf pass by later, at about 35 yds, way too far for me with a longbow and that's about all I saw the first day. Second day, went to the same spot, about 9 am, spotted a spike rubbing a tree 3 or 4 hundred yards up the opposite hillside, I cow called a couple of times, he looked my way and here he comes. He came off the hill and turned up my way, now don't laugh, I missed him broadside at 18 yds! Totally lost concentration, didn't pick a spot and flat over shot him! Didn't see much the rest of the day except a hunter, Labor Day weekend you know. The third morning I decided since there were a few hunters moving around to go sit on the stool in my "secret" spot, waited until daylight to go in so as not to bust any as I did the first morning. Got to my spot about 7 am, laid my bow down, took my pack off, sat down, nocked an arrow, unzipped my daypack to get some cow scent when I heard brush moving to my right. I laid the scent down, picked up my bow and here comes an UGLY bull down the trail. He stopped about 15 yds out, looks around a second, and comes on down the trail, I started drawing as his shoulder entered my shooting lane hoping he would freeze for a moment, he never saw me, never stopped so I followed through as I shot,.....at 5 yds! I was slightly down hill of the trail, sitting on a low stool, at 5 yds, he looked like a horse! He whirled and ran back the way he had come from, which was also toward camp. I had been sitting on my stool all of 2 min! I waited about 45 min. and started trailing. He went down about 400 yds straight above camp!
I went to camp for help and 2 of us was able to grab a horn and try to steer and stay out of his way down to camp. Easiest one I've ever got out of the woods and the first one in one piece! That was Sunday, let him hang and cool over night then quartered him up and hauled him home Monday morning. Went back up Thursday with a neighbors 16 year old Grandson who had drawn a tag. Didn't see anything that morning so we went up another draw that afternoon. Got into some elk but he couldn't get a shot. Had a close encounter with a bear that was not happy with our presence going in. On the way out, close to dark, same bear I'm sure, standing in the trail and didn't not want to move! Thought I was going to have to bounce an arrow off his noggin when even after yelling at him, he stood his ground. He finally decided to move aside when we got about 40 yards from him. Bear season was not open.
The next morning the young feller went one place and I went another, not far from the previous evenings bear encounter, I was going to watch a spring seep hoping for a mule deer. I was sitting about 15 yds from the spring seep and about 9 am, a bear (different one) came in, got a drink and played around in the water as I watched in amusement. Finally he started up the hill straight toward me and at 10 yds decided that was close enough! I said in a low voice, "get outa here bear", he looked up at me and took off. Well, that was fun! Went back to camp for lunch and went back to the same seep about 3pm. About 3:30, had 6 elk come in, one beautiful 5 by 5 bull with huge bases, had him broadside at 10 yards. He never had a clue I was there. Finally one of the cows busted me as they were all feeding, down wind, 10 to 15 yds away. About 6 pm, I heard brush crashing up on the opposite hill. I could tell it was deer running but couldn't figure out what had spooked them since there shouldn't have been any hunters up there. In, in just a moment, I found out. A mountain lion hit the bottom of the draw about 40 yds up and headed for the seep. Can't shoot this thing either, season isn't open! It gets a drink behind some brush at about 15 yds.
I dug a disposable camera out of my pocket, pushed the flash button since it was overcast and getting late. After several minuets, the cat is finished getting a drink and I'm following it in the view finder waiting for it to step into the open and it turned up the hill toward me just like the bear had that morning! At 10 yds, I pushed the shutter, the darned flash didn't go off since I had waited too long. The cat froze and stared at me with those predator eyes as I slowly put the camera down and got my fingers back on the bow string and thought, "OK kitty, next move is yours!" It slowly turned and went back the way it came from, glancing back my direction every couple of steps as if wondering if I was edible. Of course the darned picture didn't come out since the flash didn't go off! Even had I not got my elk, it was a pretty good hunt!
Hello OL, I am still working on the moose meat...I imagine I will be doing so for some time. I took three whitetails with your bow this fall, one buck. I am still on a high about my moose, we got it on video coming in as well as the shot. My next goal is an elk. I have come close in Idaho which I have hunted 2 times. I have taken 7 bear with a longbow though, as well as lots of deer. I will try to give you a brief account of the moose hunt.
The weather had been unusually warm all week of my ten day hunt. We had some responses to our calling, but no bulls would come within 200 yards in the bush. On the fifth day, the weather dropped and we had our first frost. That evening the conditions were perfect, very calm and cool. The calls really echoed across the Get Lost Lake. The next morning was the same, cold and calm. After the second series of calls, a bull responded immediately to my left. I had to leave my post and get to the left of my guide. I had no shooting lanes cut on that side, though it was somewhat open being on the muskeg. The bull was coming in hard, grunting on every step, my heart was pounding as I then heard him swimming across a small channel. I knew he was getting close, and then I saw his huge rack above the brush. He started to circle the decoy and stopped about 30 yards facing me. He then proceeded to walk along the decoy and stopped broadside about 25 yards away. The shot was a bit farther then I wanted however I could feel the wind shifting to him, I slowly stood up and drew my bow and then released. The shot made a very loud crack as it entered through his liver and into the back part of the opposite lung. He swung around and ran in the water about 75 yards out. He went down a couple of minutes after that. My dream of taking a moose with my longbow had finally come true after 5 hunts. When we got to him, I was amazed at his size. Then the hard work really began. His rack was just icing on the cake. He is being measured now and should score well above Pope and Young.
Best to you OL and thanks, Kevin
I shot this cow at ~25 yards quartering away. If you look close you can see the arrow nock barely sticking out of her chest. She ran ~40 yards and was down in less than a minute. The arrow was broke off about 10 inches above the BH. It went completely thru the off side right at the shoulder. I couldn't find the rest of the arrow with the BH. She weighed 1010 pounds. Pretty amazing what a 55lb@27" ACS longbow can do! Them moose had better beware!
One funny note: Another guy was there to shoot one with a 45-70. It took two shots and about 3-4 minutes to put it down.
O.L. had found a tank last January while we were hunting deer. It is actually on Forest Service land, but blocked by private land. O.L. had access through the private land to hunt up there for us, and secured it again for us this year. It is a honey hole for bears this time of the year! It's a natural spring fed stock tank, probably 400 gallons at all times. Surrounded by an eight foot wood fence with a gate open at one end, and several 2x6 boards missing where we figured the critters were entering to get to the tank. We went up there and checked it out last week to see where we would want to set up the blind. Found the most likely spot to set the blind and left. There wasn't much sign there, but it had just rained the night before and the whole area is full of matted down grass. I went up Wed the 14th and set the blind up where we had decided the best place was. About a quarter to two, I looked over and there was a little 100 pound bear standing in the corner of the fence, rubbed up and down both sides (called him the "Mohawk" bear from then on ). He went back out the way he had come in and circled around to the back side of the tank and drank from a little trickle of water that was flowing out of the fenced in area. He was maybe 5 yards from me, but I had a board from the fence blocking his vitals. He drank his fill (sounded like a darn dog drinking from a dog dish!), then left. I figured that was my season.
About 5:00 I actually hear: SNIFF-SNIFF-SNIFF and look to my left out the window of my Double Bull and see a bears nose! 4 feet from me! He then proceeds to sniff up and down the blind and actually stick his nose right in my little viewing window up to the bridge of his nose, 18" from my face! It was that same little Mohawk bear, and he just backed out and walked away. I believe that could be a record for being as close to a bear as anyone has ever been without getting a shot! Anyway, now I'm trying to figure out a way to shoot that way, and watching for him to come back. And out of the corner of my eye I catch movement to my right, and a little cinnamon bear (about the same size as the little Mohawk bear) comes in and sits down on a rock facing me at about 20 yards. After about 10 minutes the Cinnamon bear does a backflip and runs out of there. I figured there must be another bear coming in to the tank, because it obviously smelled me and didn't seem to care for the 10 minutes prior. Out of the corner of my eye I see the Mohawk bear walking up the fenceline right to me. So I kneel down and get ready for a 1-2 yard shot through the boards in the fence. I come to full draw and I see his nose step into the window at 3 yards and he stops looks past the blind back to the same corner that he was in when I first saw him earlier in the afternoon, and does a backflip and runs out of there. All I said, in my head, is there has to be another bear over there. So without turning around I just glance over my shoulder and see a big old boar walking past the corner of the fence (300 pound if he was an ounce! Big blocky head, tiny ears, and an a$$ that was about three foot wide!) You know a big bear when you see it! So I figure he is headed to that little trickle of water where the Mohawk bear tanked up earlier, and he will be big enough to have his vitals over that board that was blocking the little bears vitals. So I turn around to that other window and am ready to draw as soon as I see his nose come into the window. Waiting...Waiting......Waiting......then I see his shadow on the back wall of the blind! He didn't go into the little trickle of water he wants to come into the fence right were my blind is! I'm cussing myself out in my head, and look over my shoulder to the window I was just at full draw on for the Mohawk bear and this 300+ pound brute's vitals are the only thing I can see, at 2 yards! So I think to myself, I might as well try and get turned around and put an arrow into him if he will let me. I got about half way around and he goes "Whooomph!" and starts running away. I catch him running and he goes about 30 yards and turns around and starts jumping up and down on his front feet, and blow/Whoomphing at me. He didn't know what he was mad at, but he was mad! About 20 or so minutes later he finally left. I packed up and left also.
The place we had decided to be the best spot to place the blind was the place were the bears were entering the fence! So the next day I just moved the blind 10 yards further down the fenceline. At 2:15 this bear came up the draw to the same opposite corner in the fence, saw the blind and went Whoomph! and ran about 30 yards up the hill. Proceeded to meander around up on the opposite hillside, and back down to the corner, and around to where I had the blind set up the day before. I figured he would hop the fence right there and head for the tank. But, he wanted to check the blind out, walked to within three yards of the blind only on the other side of the fence. I'm just sitting as still as I can possibly be, with my eyes closed. He turned around and walked back to the opening where I had my blind yesterday and hopped on in. He is now 12 yards or so from me and still wants to check out the blind, proceeds to walk straight to me to about two yards and stops. Turns broadside and all I can see is his chest area. I bring the bow up and start to draw, but I think he saw the tip of the bow in the other window, and goes "Whoomph!" and runs over to the tank and stops quartering away. By then I'm at full draw and concentrating right off of his elbow, and let fly at 8 yards. At the shot he lunged forward, I could see the arrow tracking right on line with where I wanted it to go, but he was dropping and lunging at the same time. Caught him a little far back and a little high (even though the arrow went right were I wanted it to go, just he had moved by the time it got to him). He bolted right back and slammed into the fence where he had came in, then went to the corner and scaled the fence itself (like it wasn't there!), when he got to the top he just lept in full stride. When he hit the ground I started counting 1...2...3...couldn't see him anymore...4...crash, crash, crash, and about a 3 second moan, then nothing. I pulled out my watch and checked the time, 2:30. At 2:45 or so, I got out of the blind and looked to see what I had. Blood at the shot sight, and all the way to the top of the fence. Went back to the shot sight, and the arrow had passed completely through the bear and careened off one of the boards in the fence and stuck in a tree 1/4" up the middle part of the Wensel Woodsman (or about an 1 1/2" into the tree!).
Well that's the story, he went about 60 yards or so. 5-foot male that weighed 200 pounds. Took O.L. and I about 6 hours to get him out of there. I'll get the skull bleached and do something with the claws. I was using my Morrison Dakota (57# @ 29"), with 30" tapered Lodge Pole Pine shafts and Wensel Woodsman's (tw: 585 grains). But the most important piece of hunting equipment was the DoubleBull Blind, there is no way I could have gotten that close to any of them bears if it were not for that blind. This was my first bear harvest of any kind, and I've hunted for them in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Montana, and Alaska. Go figure that I actually harvest my first bear in New Mexico!? Click HERE to see other adventures by Jeff!
In a low voice I said "hey bear", he spooked and ran over and stopped at 10 yards, just as I hit my knees off my stool, he started to turn quarting away and I don't remember a thing except seeing the arrow hit perfect. He did the bear boogy for a second or two then ran 12 yards and dropped for good in sight. That Snuffer really did the trick. Thanks Troy for some great arrows! Oh, by the way, this spot is over an hour walk into, it took me about 7 hours to pack this feller out in 80+ temps. The next day, I didn't even remember that part!
I was shooting a 64" ACS 52#@30" and 640 grain POC shafts with 125 grain Snuffers.
