Building an Archery Range.....In My Back Yard

  My first archery range at my house was a small hay bail in the front yard that I hid behind my wooden fence that was about 20 yards.  Then I graduated to a block target when my new Mathews Reezen started to punch through that hail bail on a consistent basis and would slam into my concrete wall. For some reason concrete walls and Easton St. Axis arrows don't play well together. So as I started to move around the house I was able to get out to 35 yards if I set the targets in the corner of my property and then shot from the other side of the yard.  I don't think my neighbors knew what was going on and if they did I am sure they would not have liked it very much. Fast forward to the present day and my new home in the mountains.

I went from a 1/4 acre rental to my current spread of 4 1/2 acres. By no means huge, but it works for me and my family.  I have toyed with all sorts of lay outs for a range, a traditional firing line and then a walk around course.  But, with the possibility of the SoCal Bowhunter and the Strother Archery Rep coming up for a visit and field shoot I had to make some changes.  Then it donned on me, I did not have a good place for my Kids to shoot either. And given my last post , I Almost Gave Up Hunting, it was fitting that I made some adjustments for the others shooters in my family.

So Que the A-Team theme music, get the Honda quad and my kids in tow.

After a quick dismantling of the current setup I went to a new format of range.  A firing line-Course mixed layout. Both kids helps gather the course markets, hay bails, block targets and were cutting pads and building platforms in the new areas.  They were really keen to help, though I just think they wanted to ride atop the hay bails on the quad, and in an hours time we had ourselves an new range with positions set up at 10, 20, 30, 40, 45, 50, 65, 80 and really on out to your wildest reaches if you shot over the corral. A "Please don't shoot the Goats" sign will need to be put up though.


Best part of the day was the very end where my son and I were able to have a great father-son shoot.  And though his bow is not the greatest, do yourself a favor never by the Bear Archery Kids bows, we had a great time working and teaching the kids how to set up the range for shooting.  After the chaos subsided I was able to sight in my new HHA Optimizer XL5510, but that is for another post.

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Pig hunting drought ends with my bow

I have been dogging in on public land for pigs for I don't know HOW LONG now and with all the MILES, stories and unluck that I have had recently with the bacon mobiles I was feeling a little down.  So when my boss asked me if I wanted to run to his cabin that had some pigs running around it I jumped at the chance.  We motored up there Monday afternoon and we were going to get out Tuesday morning early.  Well as most things go that did not happen, but for a good reason.

Monday upon arrival I geared up and hit the trail looking for Bear, Deer, and or Pigs.  I found bear (tracks), Deer (does), Pig (track) and a crap load of turkey.  Cool thing about it was that I was able get in so close to the deer and turkeys.  I had a whole mess of does and turkeys within 30 yards it was pretty awesome, except that it was not turkey season and you can't shoot does in this area.  But as the night closed in I decided to call it good enough and head into the cabin.  [Commence sleeping and general tom-foolery as most grown men do when alone.]

Tuesday 5am came way to early, but that is the way it is when your having fun.  My plan was to check one of the ponds and then run the fire trails checking the clearings as I walked to the lower property where pigs go from the open fields to the safety of the gnarliest scrub oak known to man.  I got around to the lower section and sat up, of all places, under a tree stand.  Stand had not been tended to in a while and was a little over grown. But that dirt never bothered me anyway.

 After realizing this hunt was going to end like all the rest, I just ranged around to see where things were at.  On my last click I hit a log at 40 yards and not 10 seconds later, from the same direction of the log, I heard a noise.  And not just any noise, pigs!  Like a tornado coming out of no where the pigs stormed up the ravine like locus on the Egyptians.  The first pig that walked through the shooting window was a nice 150lbs pig. That is good enough for me. As she walked behind a tree, I drew. She walked onto the exact spot I ranged I let my arrow fly.  The Easton St. Axis 340 w/ blazers tipped with my MX-4 Muzzy met together with her in a mixture of squealing and blood loss.  She mowed through the undergrowth that is a tangled as a Tom Clancy novel and I heard her pile up and thrash around.  I took a breath, waited a few minutes and then started to track her down. 

Arrow was bloody and did not smell, nice.
Blood at the impact spot, great.
Bloody trail that I could land a 747 on, priceless

I took is slow and quite, which is really easy with the Crooked Horn's Safari Sneakers. No joke you can reduce your noise by 80% when walking in the nasty oak riddles under growth. I know I work for them, blah, blah, blah, paid spokes hole but I am not joking they are the most important things I own. No more taking off your boots and hiking in socks.  So as I followed the Red-Oak-Leaf-Road, I would step, sit and move.  Step, sit and move. Shower rinse and repeat.  After about 50 yards of that I came up on my first pig with a bow.  It seemed like an eternity to get it done, but I was pretty amazing to say the least.  I took a few photos, pulled her hind end out of the under growth and then boned miss piggy out.

All said and done, I shot her at 7:20 am and had her on ice and was leaving at 11:30am.  Not too bad, if you count all the filming we had to do and the dirty work of cutting it up.  When its all said and done it was a great hunt and a phenomenal way to finally end the pork drought in my freezer.  

There you have it & Cheers

Tony

The Bearded Boar

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Pigs, Turkeys and Redlining

Monday 3pm
I call the ranch management to tell them I'm coming out to pig hunt on a property to which the said they were cooling off the property for two weeks. Okay, no big deal there is a turkey property near by I can hunt that also has pigs. So I thought I can arrow a Thunder Chicken and scout for pigs at the same time. Mind you I have never been to this ranch.

530 pm
Work is over and I'm heading out, try to tell the wife where I'm going but cell reception drops. Ah no problem, just turkey hunting. First mistake.

615 pm
Unlock the gate to the ranch and camo up and strap on my snake guards. Spend the next hour glassing, calling and going over the map, oh wait I forgot to download Cabelas Recon to my new phone. Second mistake.

630pm
So armed with a map that was given to me by the ranch which looks to have been copied 10,000 times I ventured forth. No pigs or turks in sight or in each shot.

730pm
On the "High Def" map I did have I spotted an area that looked to have been some what clear and open with nice rolling hills so I trekked over there and found myself getting further and further back in the ranch and on roads the my little 2x4 was working harder and harder to keep going on. Third Mistake.

815pm
The above picture was taken just before all hell broke loose, the calm before the storm as it were. On the map I had it showed a road going back to the gate and it was the shorter than going back the way I came. I gave it a gamble and started down the trail, my nice road a low rider could drive on turned into a 4x4 trail from hell in one crest of a hill. By the time I figured this out and hit the breaks to reverse it was too late, I was committed and skidding down the trail. Fourth Mistake.

820pm
It's now getting dark and as I crest another hill the earth falls out just ahead of me. The trail now turns sharp left and runs about 24" from the cliff, I'm now stuck, can't go forward, reverse is now my only option. 50 yards in reverse with brush scratching my truck, a cliff to the passenger side and impenetrable brush to the driver. Mirrors are useless all I could do it use my back up camera and over the shoulder. I finally got to a place to turn around notice my road I was trying to find had a small road closed sign on it. So my only choice was turn around and head back the way I came in. Up a trail I barely made it down.

830pm
First attempt was unsuccessful despite flooring it ands when I was backing down it I started to slide of the trail again. Finally I was at a spot where I could take another run and just put some good ole Mountain Man determination in it and dropped the pedal to the floor. Stuff was flying all over my truck, dust, rocks and branches out the back. My truck redlined for the first time, but I got out of there.

So all being said it was a good time scouting and I pushed the limits of my truck. So now when I go back there on Thursday, I know which roads to stay away from.

The Bearded Boar

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The Reason to have a quality Bow

  Yesterday I was up in Bakersfield, CA running some errands when I decided to go into the local bow shop to see what was going on and to introduce myself (Remember local shops are the lifeblood to our sport, see My local bow shop is closing and its our fault ).  Upon walking in first I was blown away. If you wanted a Matthews Helium they had it in your size and in whatever color you wanted, same went for Hoyt, Bowtech, Elite, G5 and more.  That was impressive to say the least.  I spoke with owners mother who was running things behind the counter and the uncle who was helping a young guy with in (XXXXXXX) bow, sorry don't want to give any details til I know more about what happens next.  Good shop and I was just cruising looking at photos and product thinking up what I need to waste more money one, beside the Matthews Helium of course.
 
  As I was talking to Mom, the had put the guys bow in the press and changed his draw length of his brand new bow that he had purchased a few days before.  First shot you here a noise, that was weird. Second time a round....this is the point where everyone is holding their breath and thinking of arrows going through hands, strings flying around and cutting faces and arms and general mayhem unleashing.  Well you are right, as the young guy got about half way through his draw snap! Strings and cams everywhere, arrow goes flying in my direction and I am ready to apply pressure till paramedics arrive. Luckily no one was hurt, only the bow.  The bracket that held the upper cam in place had completely sheared off and caused a train wreck. Needless to say that was exciting.

  So long story longer the Unnamed company wanted the bow back for testing and the young guy is being sent a new bow today.  I will say, good customer service, but I don't think I will be buying a bow from the company anytime soon.

So all in all, don't buy a XXXXXXX and head over to The Archery Shop if you are ever in Bakersfield, CA. They have a great selection of Hunting, Bowfishing and Camo products.  Plus they are good people too.

  On a side note they did have a bow from the movie Scorpion King staring The Rock, I didn't expect that when I went in there.



Talk to you later all,

The Bearded Boar

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Good News, MY LOCAL BOW SHOP HAS BEEN SAVED!

Yes sir, my local bow shop, Archery Sports USA, has been save on the brink of extension.  From the depths of despair and destruction they have been pulled out of the muck and mire to be place on a street corner with a new location and new vigor. Out of no where a local propertry owner and businessman came in and wanted to help run the buisness and expand the shop.  So not only is the shop staying open, they are growing! It is American Capitalism at its finest.  With him injecting some money into the shop it helps them stay open and even expand to have 15 indoor shooting lanes.  Not a bad deal!
 
  And the best part about it is, the owner of the shop asked me if I would think about guiding for his Outfitting business in Montana a few months a year for Elk, Deer, Bear and Antelope.  Umm....let me think about it.  Sure if I have to spend some time there and hang out with guys who love to hunt. So all around a good time if you ask me, I keep my local shop, they expand and I might be headed to Montana to guide and hunt. Not bad.

Man I love the free market and entrepreneurship, it made and still makes America great.

Later All,

The Bearded Board

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Waiting on a Pig.... Part 2

  So day two was not much better in terms of success, but what is lacked in meat on the ground it was assurance that my spot and stalk and planning skills were up to par.  The night before I had met a gentleman in the campground who had only seen one doe and because I have become the "Doe Whisperer" I told him to come with me and we'll make it happen for him and I hopefully.

  The set up was great, a open field where deer and pigs are feeding, their beds where they take the mid morning siestas, and us in between the two.  As we walked in I realized that I did not judge the walk in properly, and I paid for it.  I must have missed a large pig by 5 to 10 minutes by the smell of him.  As I realized the sun was starting to come up I broke out into a good trot to try and get to my pinch point.  The day before I have found a hole in the fence of the "Spray Field" that the deer, elk and pigs use to easily move back and forth.  As I stopped to glass the field I was relieved to still see a few pigs in the field, but they were headed out of the field right where I should have been.  And further more, one was staring me down.

  I thought I was far enough into the trees and up the hill so that they could not see me, but I guess I was wrong.  I think what busted me was the wind that was starting to swirl, which ended up being the bane of my existence the rest of the day. He say me, I saw him we both booked it towards where I thought we would meet. Except his 80lbsish frame was slightly faster than mine and he lived to fight another day.  I did meet up with another hunter that was up the hill a ways and he did say that about 5 pigs ran by him in a hurry that morning. So well morning sit was over before it started.  It was another day of learning for me.

  The rest of the day was a mix of stalking deer and elk, but no pigs.  I got within 50yrds of two bull 5x5 elk and a 5x6 bull.  To this day nothing gets my heart racing like an elk.  I have been in bow range of a lot of animals, but it is elk that move and shake me.  Bears or Pigs are a close second though.  I was able to get 15 yards of two doe about lunch time by stalking and playing the wind.  Those ladies near knew I was there or they knew that I wasn't able to shoot them either.  Man I hate being an ethical and honest hunter sometimes, okay I don't I actually love it.

  I walked and walked and walked and when I was done with that I walked some more. I finally decided to do the whitetail thing and just set my self for a spell.  I looked at the lay of the land, found some natural areas where I thought the pigs would enter the field from and there I stayed.  Not much action for a few hours, I did see a guy put a failed stalk on a few deer.  He shot three times and missed three times  Poor guy, I think he lost all his arrows too.  Not the best way to end a hunt, humbled by missing and by not having anymore arrows to shoot.  Funniest thing is that when the deer eventually bumped they come over towards me and I was able to get within bow range of them too.

  So I was in the "Kill Zone" aka 5pm to 730pm, in my spot, camo'd up, nocked up, ready to rock.  When I hear him.  Quiet at first, but I picked up faint sound in the tall grass.  A squirrel in the distance alerted me to him.  And as I positioned myself to shoot, my Bobby the cat peeks his head out.  Man oh man.  Here I am, I'll take that shot, but then I remember I did not buy my bobcat tags this year.  Once again, just one step shy of sealing the deal, but hey it was a beautiful day and a awesome trip.  I am sure the next time I go there hunting deer and elk, all I will see is pigs and be just as frustrated.  Good times and great weekend.

Hope you all enjoyed.

The Bearded Boar

PS.  I have a gear review coming up this week so get ready.

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Waiting on a Pig.... Part 1

  So my weekend started out a little early last week, Friday morning to be exact and with my truck loaded with all the essentials pig sticking supplies I headed north to Forth Hunter Ligget in Paso Robles, CA.  I was a pretty uneventful drive, except for the guy that I met in a gun shop that said he hunts Grizzly Bears in Central California....um ya how's that straight jacket fitting?  Parents still give you coloring books for Christmas?  So after the Funny Farm experience I jumped in my truck and arrived at the base.

 I checked in, gave them my registration form and proceeded to pic a place that I was not planning on hunting, but they said the pigs have been moving in the area.  So, I bit and changed all my plans and headed to town to try and get an internet connection and "scout" the area.  So, my Grande black coffee and I finally settled on a guzzle that had, at least on google, a lot of game trails that lead by it.  Plan intact I headed back to my camp site for Cajun Chicken sandwiches and a Stout.  Then rest.

  Morning came and I was the first one out into the field heading out to my spot.  I arrived at early enough, or so I though.  Still dark I walked down into my little valley and took up a vantage point, problem is that it was too high and too exposed.  I was not even sitting down when "He" strolled up the valley.  When I say he I mean a 250 to 300+lb boar who was now 130 yards below me and I am out in the open.  As he turns to walk up a saddle I tried to slowly get ahead of him and seal the deal.  No such luck, he is big and old for a reason.  I got busted and he exited stage left in a hurry.  No go for that morning hunt.

 I did move down to a better set up where my large and incharge friend was headed too.  After about 10 minutes I did have 6 does and 2 bucks roll through at 30 yards, but alas I did not have a tag for that area.  over the next 5 hours I had road hunter after road hunter drive down the road and try and jump a deer.  With no and highly pitiful results.  Side note here, I despise road hunting.  It is the underbelly of hunting if you can call sitting on your backside while you cover mile after mile of graded roads in pursuit of their targets. But this subject is for another post, the hunt is at hand.

  I did see anymore pigs that morning or afternoon so I left and switched zones to an archery only, no vehicle area.  Tranquility and peace rained through my soul.  So the evening set went well, I jumped deer after deer after deer, it was so frustrating to be spot n' stalking deer to within 15 yards and not being able to shoot.  But it was good experience for me for sure a big moral buster in may ways, I still had the skills to pay the bills.  Good thing is there were pigs sign everywhere.  Rooted up earth under every tree and the pungent smell of pig where ever I went.  That afternoon I probably hiked 6 miles that afternoon before I hit my set for the evening.  A good day a restful day, a "Man I was so close" day, but good all the same.



Well pictures are nice, but I prefer video to tell the story so here you all go.

Waiting on a Pig...

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I went hunting for deer and shot a Peacock

The day started off talking to a hunting buddy as I was about to leave and go to my spot a few hours North of my house and he replied "My wife is gone till Thursday, I've got some time lets go." I am always up for some company, so we rolled into my favorite spot where I had passed up on good 3x2 a week before. We unloaded the gear and started the stalk. Up the trail a ways there  were signs of deer and bear were in the area. 

  I crested a bend and glassed a grey shape moving along a trail then up an embankment.  My heart was racing, I brought my binos up and......A large male Peacock.  What the... Yes I said Peacocks, let me tell you how weird it was to see a Peacock about an hour and change from the nearest small town in the middle of a secluded hunting zone mind you. So we talked and decided we did not want the Peacock to sound the alarm that we were there, so at 60 yrds I let the Slim Stick do its magic. Feathers flew everywhere, bird rolls into some really thick stuff and commence us trying not to laugh too loud and scare the deer out of there.
  Upon inspection of the arrow, blood, a crap load of feathers but still no bird. My hunting partner kept looking for the bird as I walked up the trail looking for my 3x2 that I passed up on a few days before.  Let me tell you it is really hard to look in thick blackberry bushes and try to not to be too loud. Sadly both up of were struck out, no Peacock and no Deer.  As darkness grew near we headed back with vigor for we could hear Mama bear and her cub above us skirting our path. 
   At least we did not come home empty handed, as we were driving down the mountain we came across a nice rattler that was crossing the road.  We dispatched him and through him into the back of my truck.
  The next morning we did jump some deer, one was small and or too fast to see, more bear tracks and the march of death through areas even the dear avoid. But all in the name of hunting. So as it turns out so far this year Deer 3, Me 0, but Me 1, Peacocks 0.

I call it a wash so far.
Bearded Boar

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Generational Hunting

  I am a second generation hunter and I am raising the third generation as we speak.  My son Chew has already shown the desire to hunt for over a year now and October 15th he will be accompanying me on his first hunting trip for California Valley Quail.  He is normally camo clad through out the day, wears a holster with a squirt gun inside it and is clutching a plastic bow and makeshift arrows.  Two nights ago he and I were watching Pigman Tv while I was editing a video and he jumps up, grabs a piece of paper and starts to draw an epic hunting scene.  In his world arrows were being flung, Deer, Elk and Pigs were dropping like flies.  All by his hands.  I sat there asking question about the hunt, shot placement and how he wanted to cook them. It was a great moment for me as a father to see my son, without prodding (kinda), follow my footsteps of being an outdoorsman. It was a good day.

Thanks all,

The Bearded Boar

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An Open letter to Camouflage Manufactures

Dear Sitka, Badlands, Predator, Ultimate, Redhead, Sent-loc, Under Armor, Natural, Russell and everyone else,

   I am writing this letter in an effort to try and talk some sense into you about how to manufacture hunting clothing for the hunter who does not sit in a tree stand, blind, or travel to the Arctic Tundra to harvest his monster.  I know that the majority of your target clients spent much of their hunting season in cool to snowy climates and require fleece line this and that to stay warm.  Base layers, mid-layers, side layers and wind stopping shell technology as well.  Here in the west at certain times of the year we need that too.  But not all the time, most of the time we don't require that level of warmth.  Frankly it is hot out here, from March through November and beyond. So, unless you get to higher elevations it is not necessary to look like the Michelin Man.

Here are the facts,

1. I am a bow hunter.  
2. I like to be quite when I hunt.
3. I like to blend in.
4. I like to be comfortable.
5. I cover a lot of ground on foot.  
6. It is hot in California most of the time.
7. Wearing quiet, comfortable, camo'd clothes on long hikes for the most part is really uncomfortable in California and other warm climates.

  You make top notch gear if you are only walking from your truck to a tree or a blind where you can strip down to a black base layer. But if in August I am going to hike 8 to 10 miles in 80 degree weather in silent whatever technology with a 20lb pack and maybe dragging a 100lb field dressed animal, I'm gonna get a little warm.  I am pretty sure the thermal signature I am putting off can be seen from outer space.  As of right now my options are to hunt naked (but that might be little awkward explaining my birthday suit camo to the Department of Fish and Game), wear some kind of short sleeve shirt and hope my white/redness blinds the deer or pig into a stupor and allows me to shank them with the slim stick.    

  

  My suggestion to you is to try and make a small line of clothing that is geared to the hunter who hunts in the heat, aka the south, southwest, west.  It is a win/win you sell more cloths, and my body temperature is not 1000 degrees in March through October.  [Side note: Nylon is not an acceptable option, chaffing for big guys hurts and it is highly flammable in the sun (not really, it is just really uncomfortable when it sticks to you). A blend of poly might be approved in the proper configurations.]

Here are a few quick design tips,

1. Venting- Look at some of the Fishing shirts and pants that the guys in the Florida Keys wear, mesh vents.  Airflow is always a plus.  Also UA you hit a home run with your mesh front Boxer Jock, take note others.
2. Moisture Wicking- Lets face it, I sweat like a pig in a sauna even if I'm naked in the snow (sorry not a good image I know).  I have been used as a human salt lick in Colorado as a mineral supplement for Elk and Mule Deer.  The entire shirt does not need to wick, try the underarms and back for starters.  
3. Small Pocket on the upper left arm. There is no real benefit in the heat, I just want that  to hold my calls and wind powder in.  No too big, just big enough to hold a small stack credit cards say.
4. Collars- Though not mandatory, but they have a cool factor for sure ie Miami Vice.
5. Sleeves- If you can get the lower arms to have a four way stretch I would be stoked, trying to manage your release and a cuff can be a nightmare when you are trying to adjust your strap.  Plus some straps are bulky or have big buckles.  With a buttoned sleeve you feel like you have a circus tent at the end of each arm.

That is it for now, lets just start with those five.  Once you work on those we will move on to the next requirements for the perfect warm weather bowhunting setup.  I have a plethora of ideas on how to perfect the Camo industry.  Remember trial and error, and I am willing to trial and tell you the error.  Just throwing the offer out there, take it or leave it.  

Thanks for all your time, 

The Bearded Boar

PS.  I have patent pending and marginal intellectual ability or I mean property to the above, so don't just steal the ideas without telling me you are.  I need something to brag about on this site.

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