An Outdoorsman's Journal

A Unique Bow Hunt

Hello friends,

   I have been writing this column for 36 years and one of the most important things that I have learned is that it is not whether I harvest fish or game as it all adds up with time, but how hard I try and that I am still enjoying this way of life that I created back in 1989. I think you will find this week's rapid paced column unique and fun.

   Wednesday, November 5th
   High 54, low 26

   I have been home for 48 hours from a hardcore trip where I lived in the Montana mountains with my daughter Selina for 10 days. No elk or deer were harvested, I am worn out and headed to the Tiffany Bottoms which is a vast river bottom, wetland area that runs from about Durand to the Mississippi River. My goal, shoot deer with my compound bow, no cares on age, size or sex. I have tags and freezers to fill.
   I was here in September and passed up several does that would have been fun to whack and tasty to eat. I passed because I had a bear tag, an elk tag, and plenty of deer hunts on the horizon. My plan for this hunt, no tent, sleep in the marsh, roll up in a tarp and hunt literally from my canoe where I noticed deer following a very wet trail that has no trees. On the shoreline it is all tag alders, very poor visibility and I feel just too tight to the trails to sit.
   First I made my camp, then I paddled to the wetland, marshy trail where I would hide my canoe, but hunt in it. I have to admit; I was very excited. A little sidebar story, I am worn to a frazzle from 7 months of running about as hard as a buck in rut, but my ez season starts in December.
   First hunt, I checked out the trail where it leads to the flooded tag alders and it was amazingly beat to heck, I figure I will canoe back to camp with a load of deer. I sat for 4 hours and watched 2 bald eagles building a nest which is quite the project, long flight to a select oak tree, back to nest with a branch, repeat process. At dark no deer had been spotted. I canoed back to my tarp, drank a beer and there was a solid frost on my tarp before I finished my PBR.

   Thursday, November 6th
   High 52, low 25

   My tarp was not the perfect home. I paddled in the dark to deer paradise, was attacked by the local flock of beaver and saw no deer as I sat in my canoe till noon and watched the nest builders. At that point I moved to the area where I passed up the deer in September and prepared to make "lots of meat.” I did not see a deer and paddled my butt to my truck as I literally had another trip to go on.

   Monday, November 17th
   High 43, low 32

   Lots has happened in the last 12 days. I became pretty sick, lost more weight but had a heck of a lot of fun for being sick (stomach, body pain, weak as a kitten). I am back with my trusty compound bow and confident I will make hundreds of pounds of venison. When I get home, I have 2 days and I head to Red Brush Gang Paradise, "deer camp.” I would have an afternoon and morning hunt for this experience. First hunt and this is on land. I watched the eagles, still building paradise.
   I saw no deer but sure felt I should have. I did not bring a beer on this adventure, and it rained much of the night which turned to a wet snow. Oo yeah here is a sidebar story. I foolishly let my canoe get away from me when I put it in the water, I was wearing cowboy boots and had to get wet. Next, I put on knee boots, I started loading in the water and realized that both of them leaked. I put on my chest waders, waded in and both of them leaked.
   Back in the early 90’s more than one outdoor tv show spoke with me about hosting their program. I knew I was too "Redneck" and it went nowhere. I made it clear, I was not giving up this column.
   Long story short, I seem to be on a dry spell when it comes to whacking game. Long story real. Just before the dry spell, my buddy Moll and I won a very fun musky tournament and I am well aware that meat making is on the horizon.

   Still love this way of life!

   Sunset