Marshall and Vicki are "movin' on up" like George and Weezie

It looks like we might be moving BBHE to Marshall and Vicki's place next year. The construction of the palace is underway. It looks like they even have a covered latrine like we do, although theirs looks a little more substantial. Maybe that is a storage shed. Who really knows. I'll bet that fancy place don't leak hardly any when it rains.

That looks like hot AND cold running water to me. Shoooo-weee! A Frigidaire, a fancy stove with a built-in clock - prolly self cleaning too so you don't have to do nothing but cook in it.

Check out the game camera photos!!!!! Now, we have no way of knowing that these photos actually came from a camera that Marshall owns. We will just have to take his word on it.

Yes, you saw it right; pig, turkey and deer - the hunting trifecta. And now for the pièce de résistance

You just try to knock that one over while you're in it. You can't do it. That sucker will withstand any hunter. Throw in a heater and a reclining chair and you could sit that blind until nightfall.

Marshall and Vicki, we are all super happy for you guys and your new land, and toys. I assume there are a couple of 4 wheelers in the mix.

While you are hunting in posh luxury, just remember your friends who are doing it the old fashion way - no feeders, no heated blinds. We are just relying on our hunting prowess, instincts, and primitive blind technology (sitting on the ground) to bring back trophy bucks (sometimes).

Sure you have a fancy, warm place to sleep. Yeah you have running water, hot and cold. It's true that you will see more deer, bring home bigger bucks, haul them back in a fancy gas powered 4 wheeler. Yeah you have all that good stuff, but we have....... well.......we have a beautiful 6 hour drive to the camp. Oh, and we have glow sticks to tell you if somebody is on the turlet. We have other stuff too. I just can't think of them right now.

I dropped my rifle in the grass....

This year I only came home with a button buck that I thought was a doe. I did, however, see this buck.

After a minute or two of staring through my scope, I dropped my rifle in the grass, fell to my knees, and thanked God for this amazing creature. I just couldn't pull the trigger.

Video, Trophy Board, and the Master of the Game page is Updated

Hello everybody. If you look to the right you will see that I have posted the BBHE 2015 video. It turned out fantastic this year. Click on the trophy board tab above and you will see that I have updated the trophy board as well. Finally, I added Sterling's photo to the Master of the Game tab above.

Time to Prep for the Hunt

Rob has rung the bell again with another GREAT letter to his kids, Victoria and Sterling. I am sharing it on the blog because some of the information pertains to Marshall and Vicki as well.

Here is some more information about deer camp.  It’s coming up soon!

Do Ahead of Time:

•                    Check the weather forecast and plan accordingly

•                    Acquire whatever clothing, gear, snacks and drinks you will need

•                    If possible, wash hunting clothes in scent-killer detergent and dry with unscented dryer sheets

•                    Watch videos on accurate rifle shooting

•                    Practice looking through rifle scope, working the rifle safety, and appropriate breathing/trigger squeeze

•                    Watch videos on proper shot placement

•                    Pack

•                    Load car

Bring Hunting Gear:

•                    Camo outer clothing -- maybe camo is not strictly required – but it probably improves your chances!

•                    Layers -- such as t-shirts, long underwear, sweats, fleece, shirts, pants

•                    Undies

•                    Warm socks

•                    Boots or sturdy outdoor footwear

•                    Hats – suggest beanie and ball cap types

•                    Gloves – for temps down to about 35 degrees, cheap camo or green or brown cotton gardening gloves will probably work (I can show you how to cut a slit in a glove for your shooting finger)

•                    Camo face netting -- maybe camo not strictly required – but it probably improves your chances

•                    Sunglasses

•                    Rain gear – I used to use a cheap vinyl camo poncho probably less than $10.  You can probably get a cheap rain suit (with pants and coat) for less than $25.  (You can probably return for refund if not used.)

•                    Backpack – for carrying water bottle, snacks, rain gear, extra layers, toilet paper, misc.

Bring Camp Clothes and Gear:

•                    Camp clothes -- jeans, shirts, hoodie, fleece, coat, underwear, socks

•                    Camp shoes -- slip ons are convenient for tent life -- but tennis shoes work too

•                    Toiletries – but no perfumed soap, scented deodorant, aftershave, or anything else that is highly scented

•                    Flashlight

•                    Headlamp

Bring Sleeping Gear and Clothes:

•                    Sleeping bag

•                    Sleeping pad and/or extra blanket for padding/warmth

•                    Clothes for sleeping in – such as sweats, shirt, beanie

•                    Pillows

Bring Other Stuff (If Needed/Desired):

•                    Drinks

•                    Snacks

•                    Glasses / contacts

•                    Phone

•                    Phone charger

•                    Camera

•                    Glow sticks

•                    Prescriptions

•                    Refillable water bottle

•                    Binoculars

•                    Cooler

•                    Camp chairs

Chris & Victoria:

•                    If you have your own tent, bring it and a ground cloth.

•                    We will have hammer for driving stakes.

•                    If you don’t have your own tent, let us know and we’ll bring a 2-person tent for you.

What to Expect:

•                    Kit and I will serve as your "guides" to show you the ropes of deer hunting – where, when, how, etc.

•                    We will provide all food.  Breakfast usually means helping yourself to sweet rolls, granola bars, pop tarts, fruit, etc.  Hot water for coffee, tea or hot chocolate is usually available at breakfast.  Lunch usually means making your own sandwich.  Dinner is usually a sit-down meal around the fire.  Snacks are available in deer camp.

•                    We will provide water, and some beer, wine and soft drinks.  If you have other (or greater) beverage needs, please BYOB.

•                    Everyone is responsible for cleaning his or her own plates and eating utensils immediately after each meal (unless we use disposables). 

•                    Electricity in deer camp is available at night and sometimes during the day – but is limited to essentials such as phone charging and subject to the reach of extension cords).  You will probably want to use battery operated devices and/or your own car chargers. The electricity in the camp comes from Kit's car battery and the adapter has limited throughput, so we have to be careful not to over tax the system (blow a fuse in the power inverter) with non essentials.

•                    There are no showers, sinks, or running water.  We will have some water jugs that can be used for washing dishes, washing hands, brushing your teeth, washing your face, and even a sponge bath if desired.

•                    We pee and poop in the woods.  This year, we plan to have a latrine for the weekend crowd, outfitted with a toilet seat, a privacy screen, and TP of course.    

•                    It gets dark early.  Headlamps and flashlights are mandatory.

•                    We wake up early and usually go to bed early.

•                    Before going to bed, you will want to have all of your next day’s clothes and gear planned and ready in order to minimize the prep time the next morning.

•                    Morning hunts involve waking up before dawn, dressing in the tent, having a quick breakfast, and driving and walking to a deer stand well before first light. Then, it involves trying to sit still and quietly for several hours (unless a deer is shot sooner).

•                    We usually return to camp during mid-day -- maybe from about 11 to 2 for lunch, possibly naps, maybe a trip to town, etc. Special note to Marshall and Vicki: Since you will be in a hotel, I will make my cot available to you if either one of you needs a nap during the day - but no hanky panky. 

•                    The afternoon hunts involve more of the same, from about 2 pm until dark (unless a deer is shot sooner).

•                    If you have a suitable vehicle, we can use it to drive to near the area where you will hunt.

•                    Walking is usually 1/2 mile to 1 mile at a time.  If vehicles are limited, all stands are within walking distance of the camp.

•                    Hunting from a stand involves a lot of sitting still and trying not to move or make any sound – even if it is hot, cold, raining, windy, etc.  Most stands are exposed to the elements.

•                    All deer need to be field-dressed as soon as recovered.  (This involves removing the internal organs.)

•                    If a deer is shot on a morning hunt, there will usually be a trip to town at lunchtime to drop the deer off at the processor.

•                    If a deer is shot on an afternoon hunt, we usually skin and quarter the deer at camp, pack it on ice overnight, and then take it to the processor the next day. If it is cold enough, we will simply hang the deer at camp and take the whole deer to the processor the next day.

•                    Because of your limited time in deer camp, if you shoot a deer, you will probably need to drive back to Arkansas to pick it up in a few weeks (assuming you want the meat to eat). If you bring an extra cooler big enough then you can take a quartered deer to a processor in your area to keep from having to return to Arkansas.

•                    The deer in these parts do not have huge trophy antlers (says Rob, the guy with two trophy deer from BBHE), and we don’t have the heads or antlers mounted.  But there is a taxidermist next to the deer processor, where you can get the hide tanned (for about $100) or the head mounted (for about $350).    

I can't wait to spend time with you soon.

Extended Forecast - Rudy, Arkansas

Hello fellow hunters, and friends of hunters. We are close enough now to the hunting dates that our time at BBHE is starting to appear in the weather forecasts. Click on the image below to see an EXTENDED forecast. Of course, anything could happen between now and then, but this should give you a pretty good idea of the temperatures so you can bring the right gear. I always end up bringing all of my gear anyway, plus backups, so it doesn't really matter, but it is still fun to see what the weather is supposed to be like. For the weekend hunters, it looks like it will be a perfect weekend to be outdoors.

Hunting Fun Facts

This one came from Vicki Jeffus. If you can't see the graphic very well then you can check it out at this site:

http://camoisthenewblack.com/2015/10/16/new-findings-about-hunters-and-the-upcoming-season/

ABS - Always Be Scanning

This is a funny photo sent to me by Marshall Jeffus but it makes an important point. When you are in a blind (ABS always be scanning) scanning your hunting area, don't only focus your attention where YOU think the deer will pass. Often they will pass where you think they will, but sometimes they come from areas you least expect. By training your eyes to focus through the trees instead of only in the open areas you will be in a position to see them WAY before they make it to the clearing, giving you plenty of time to position your gun and be ready.

Funny Deer Hunting Photos

Rob's Hunting Advice for the New Hunter

As most of you know by now, Rob is bringing his daughter, daughter's boyfriend, and son hunting this year (Victoria, Chris, and Sterling). While sterling has one season under his belt, Victoria and Chris are brand new to the sport - none of them have ever harvested a deer. Rob is doing a textbook job of educating the kiddos on gun safety and general hunting education. I am not exactly sure but I think that Marshall and Vicki are in the same boat as it related to deer hunting. So, I have decided to share Rob's communication to his kiddos with the group. It is good stuff. I will add some of my comments in RED.

For all of the experienced hunters, take a look at some of these links. I have learned a lot during this exercise.

As you probably know, successful deer hunting involves:

• Gun safety
• Being in the right spot at the right time
• Not spooking the deer by sight, sound or scent
• Accurate shooting with the right shot placement
• Proper retrieval techniques for a shot deer

Gun Safety

I already sent a few links regarding gun safety.  This is really important!  A fun hunting weekend can turn into a real family tragedy in an instant.  It happens every year.

Being at the right spot at the right time

Kit and I will try to get you in the right place at the right time.  Lots of luck is involved.  For example, last year, Sterling and I hunted the same spot on Saturday morning, Saturday evening, and Sunday morning, and did not see a single deer.  On Sunday evening (just about half an hour after Sterling left to drive back to Tulsa), I got a (very nice 8 point buck) deer in the exact same place we had been hunting that weekend.  It was the only deer I saw for the first 4 or 5 days of the hunt.

Spooking deer by sight

Not spooking the deer by sight involves:

• Wearing camo if possible (but you don’t have to go overboard because the blind will help disguise you and we will be hunting with rifles which have a MUCH longer range than bow and arrow). 
• Hunting from a blind
• Sitting still in the blind (deer are excellent at seeing movement)
• Making slow movements if necessary

While hunting in an exposed blind such as a tree stand, even if a deer doesn't see you move it will probably notice that you weren't there the last time it passed by your location. In these situations a deer will stare at you  without blinking. It is looking for anything that will indicate you are a danger rather than part of the tree or landscape. if this happens, DON'T MOVE! If you are wearing a cap (which I recommend) then slowly lower your head so that the bill of the cap covers most of your eyes. A set of blinking eyes is a dead giveaway to a deer. I always squint my eyes in order to cover up most of the white and the shape of my eyes. Squinting your eyes also helps you to not blinks as much because it slows down evaporation of your eye's moisture. Then, as difficult as it can be when you see a deer, control your breathing. I can always feel my heart start to race when I see a deer, but the last thing you want is a giant cloud of steam escaping from your mouth as you breath. But don't stop breathing either because eventually you will have to breath and if you hold your breath, you will eventually have to breath, and breath harder after holding your breath. Instead, you should try to intentionally breath slowly and try to direct your steam downward. It is hard to do sometimes.

Once you have been spotted as a mysterious shape by a deer, a deer will sometimes look down and pretend to eat. Don't be fooled by this tactic because sometimes, in a flash, the deer will look right back at you to see if you have moved. Bucks will sometimes look right at you and stomp their front hoof on the ground in an attempt scare you into making a movement. Be patient because they will eventually become comfortable with your presence and resume walking and eating. That is when you MAY be safe to raise your gun for the shot.

When is it OK to raise your gun? The following quote comes from this website: 

http://www.outdoorhub.com/stories/2013/12/02/whitetail-vision-shedding-light-deer-eyesight/

"With the head stationary, a deer can see a 300-degree band around him. A slight turn of the head either way reveals the other 60 degrees! Compare that to the small point of focus you have in your 120-degree field of view.

But there are some trade-offs. The visual acuity of the whitetail is surprisingly poor. In fact, they have about 20/40 vision. Plus, deer only have depth perception for that 60-degree area where their vision from both eyes overlaps in the front of them. While they may be terrific at picking up your movement anywhere around them, they can’t really focus on you unless their nose is pointed at you so they can see you with both eyes."

This means that you have to wait for a deer to be looking the other way before you can raise your rifle. Several times I have watched a deer enter my field of vision and leave without ever raising my rifle. However, if you are patient and if there is plenty of food for it to eat (corn that we will throw down) then it will wander around your area eating and eventually look away. THAT is when you can safely raise your gun. Sometimes you have to wait for its head to pass behind a small tree or shrub. Take advantage of every chance you get to raise your rifle because you may not get another one.

Spooking deer by scent

Not spooking deer by scent involves:

• Not washing hunting clothes in scented laundry detergent or drying with scented dryer sheets (Wal-Mart and hunting stores sell unscented laundry detergent for hunters – it can’t hurt)
• Not using scented soap, shampoo, perfume, body spray, aftershave, etc. the day you arrive at camp and while in camp
• Not having B.O.
• Some hunters (like me) try not to wear hunting clothes in camp where they might pick up aromas of food or campfire
• We will have a hunter’s deodorizer spray in camp for all to use on their outer layer before each hunt.

Spooking deer by sound

Not spooking by sound involves:

• Not wearing noisy clothes
• Parking far from the blind
• Walking quietly to the blind
• Sitting quietly in the blind
• When a deer is spotted, getting into shooting position quietly
• Clicking the safety off quietly

Spooking the hunter by sound? Yes. The area we will be hunting will be covered with leaves and THICK. In this environment, squirrels sound A LOT like deer. ABS - You should Always Be Scanning the area by moving your head left to right, moving your eyes instead of your head when you can. But sometimes your head may be turned to the far left and you hear a noise to the far right. There is a tendency to want to quickly turn your head when you hear a noise in the woods. DON'T DO IT! In time you will learn to fight that temptation and complete your scan until you slowly return to where you heard the sound. If it was a deer that you heard then it will most likely still be there when you complete you scan, and you moved slowly to reduce detection. If it wasn't a deer, then by jerking your head quickly to check out the sound you may have given your position away to an actual deer that you haven't yet seen. If you are detected, sometimes they will snort and run. In this case you will be saddened to hear it go. Other times they will simply walk in the other direction never to be seen again, and you will wonder why you didn't see any deer that day.

Also, after hours of sitting in a blind, you may begin to believe that you can accurately distinguish between a squirrel sound and a deer sound. Until you have eyes on the squirrel, don't kid yourself. Sometimes you will NEVER hear the deer, even when you are looking right at it. Sometime they sound just like squirrels, making the same sound as their hooves move through the dried leaves. Other time they sound like bulldozers crashing through the leaves. You should never assume that a sound is anything but a deer, unless you have eyes on the squirrel.

Final note on this topic. Don't assume that because you made a lot of noise getting to your blind, climbing a tree, etc, that there couldn't possibly be a deer nearby. Last year I stomped through the leaves to find a place to put my stool and hunt. I didn't like my first location so I picked everything up and moved over about 15 yards in order to have better shooting lanes. After making all that noise of locating two times I sat quietly and waited. In less than 5 minutes (more like two minutes) I heard what I thought was a squirrel. So I readied my rifle just in case, and sure enough a buck walked out of the bushes. It couldn't see or smell me, and the moise I was making wasn't enough to spook it. When I quieted down a bit, the deer continued his trek into my shooting lane.

Accurate shooting with the right shot placement

Accurate rifle shooting is a skill that can be developed and practiced.  We will have a rifle for you to use, and we will sight it in before you arrive, but you will not have an opportunity to practice with it before the Saturday morning hunt.  At lunch on Saturday, you will probably have an opportunity to practice rifle shooting with a .22 rifle with scope.  Sterling was very accurate with the .22 last year.  Chris may benefit from some rifle practice before coming to deer camp.  Most shooting ranges rent rifles.  There are probably videos online about accurate rifle shooting techniques – mostly involving proper gun positioning and grip, proper support, proper breathing, and proper squeezing of the trigger hand.

Accurate shooting is an important part of the equation – and so is shot placement, i.e. where exactly to shoot a deer.  For beginner hunters, it is always best to not try to shoot a moving target.  The deer we will see (hopefully) will usually be walking or grazing.  If the deer is walking, wait for the deer to stop in order to get an accurate shot.  Sometimes, a low whistle or grunt will get the deer to stop walking – but it will probably look right at you!  If the deer is grazing, you may have to wait for the deer to lift its head out of the way (or if the head is not in the way, you may have to wait for the deer to resume grazing so it will not see you move).  The recommended shots are when the deer is broadside, or quartering away or quartering toward.  These videos and web sites describe shot placement for these various scenarios:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcDmsECHDiU

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/whitetail-deer-hunting/193947-where-do-you-exactly-shoot-deer-pictures-show-you-where.html

http://hunting.about.com/od/deerbiggame/a/shotplacement.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7Xb01plsYQ

There is a slightly different shot placement for rifle hunters versus bow hunters (because bow hunters want to avoid hitting bone).  If you watch any bow hunting videos, take that into consideration.

I LOVED that last video. I learned a lot.

Who gets a black eye hunting? I have. While you are practicing your shooting skills you will notice that there is a point where your eye is the perfect distance away from the scope and you can see the entire circle within the scope. This is called the sight picture. If your eyes is too far away from the scope, then the sight picture shrinks and starts to move around as you move your head. See the graphic below.

Being too close to the scope can be misleading because you will get almost a full sight picture, though the edges may be blurry.  If you are too close to the scope, especially with a 30-06, you will likely return from that hunt with a nice new shiner. In teh video below, though the girl doesn't have her eye too close to the scope, because she didn't have the rifle positioned properly (and her idiot dad stood behind her to keep her body from moving away from the scope) she got popped by the scope.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8PEHNsZFCA

Take it from somebody who has enjoyed two black eyes from a scope, it hurts A LOT. This is something that you don't learn from shooting a .22 because it doesn't kick. 

Just remember, even if your eyes is the proper distance from teh scope, if you don't have the gun properly seated against your shoulder, not only will the kick hurt your shoulder, but the scope can damage your eye.

Proper retrieval techniques for a shot deer

Even if you do everything else right, it is possible to “lose” a deer by not correctly retrieving it.  If you are lucky, the deer will fall down and die within sight.  But this has not been my experience -- even with heart/lung shots.  A wounded deer will get the hell out of there, by taking off at breakneck speed through the brush.  The brush where we are hunting is very, very thick.

If all is quiet and still after a shot, a seriously-wounded deer will likely bed down after it has run out of danger -- IF it feels like it is NOT being pursued.  Because of this natural tendency, the best practice is to wait at least 30 minutes after a shot to give the deer a chance to bleed out wherever it may be.  But, if the deer feels like it is being pursued before it bleeds out, it may run a long, long way before dying.  It is amazing how effectively a deer (even a dead deer) blends into the surroundings.  If the deer runs more than 100 yards in this brushy area, your odds of finding it substantially decrease. 

So, after a shot, while staying still and quiet, take a mental picture of the exact place where you shot your deer, note the deer’s reaction and the exact place where the deer left your line of sight, and listen for the sounds of your deer crashing through the brush (but often this is confusing because there may be other deer in the vicinity, all scattering).  Then, wait for the deer to die before heading off to search for it.   Here are some articles that describe this process:

http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/big-buck-zone/2012/07/how-find-wounded-deer

http://www.cabelas.com/category/How-long-Should-I-Wait/486211680.uts

https://www.biggamelogic.com/ArticlesNews/tabid/136/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/212/Deer-Tracking-and-Recovery--Tracking-a-Wounded-Deer.aspx

Kit and I will have tracking tape with us.  Sometimes it is necessary to call for extra help in tracking  – especially if it starts getting dark or if it starts to rain.  Flashlights are imperative for evening hunts.

Don't assume that you are done hunting after your shoot a deer. Reload the gun and sit quietly. Another deer could be spooked into your area or the shot deer may circle around, giving you a chance for a second shot. 

2015 Menu - Updated

Look up above and to the right of Duke's head (the one with the cigar) and you will see a tab labeled 2015 Menu. Click on it to see the menu for BBHE 2015. You can click on the image to enlarge it.

Disclaimer:

Contact your doctor or seek emergency medical attention if the enlarged image is painful or lasts longer than 4 hours. A prolonged image enlargement (priapism) can damage the computer screen. Stop clicking on the image and get emergency medical help if you have sudden vision loss. Do not click on the image if you are also using a nitrate drug for chest pain or heart problems. This includes nitroglycerin, isosorbide dinitrate, and isosorbide mononitrate.

Hunter Safety

This year we will have more hunters than usual at the deer camp. Some of us will be new hunters and some of us are seasoned hunters. All of us could benefit from a short refresher course on gun safety. Rob gathered a few short gun safety videos to share with the group.

Firearm safety is everyone’s business at camp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8npKAJvjGo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIWqrFC0d9k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCAZJPUyqqw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=katoko733iw

I have added some comic relief to the set with a short video about safe storage of guns at the house. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-xc6_GhkZg

Also, I want to add to and/or clarify a few of the safety tips.

• Absolutely NO loaded guns in the car
• Absolutely NO loaded guns anywhere in the camp

Safe hunting everybody :-)

Neil Miller's B-Day

Today, October the 5th, is Neil Miller's birthday. Happy birthday from everybody at BBHE.

Deer Blind Assignments

The deer blind assignments turned out to be easier than I thought. The only hunters who will be assigned to blind locations are the double/triple hunter groups. They are:

1. Rob
2. Chris
3. Victoria

1. Sterling
2. Kit

1. Marshall
2. Vicki

The remainder of the single hunters have "hunters choice", meaning they can choose which of the available blinds they want to hunt. Click on the image to enlarge it.

We may be forced to modify this assignment list when somebody shoots a deer from a particular location. Nothing is set in stone and if team hunters want to break up into singles that is OK too.

Maps

This post goes out to all of the new hunters to BBHE this year. Due to the number of hunters that well be attending opening weekend I am going to make deer blind assignments for the Saturday and Sunday hunts. I will have those assignments for you when you get there. If any of you return hunters want to be assigned to a particular location for Saturday and Sunday, then let me know WELL before the hunt so I can put you where you want to be. Preference will be given to double hunters such as Marshall/Vicki and Chris/Victoria.

I have included several versions of a map that includes the locations of our deer blinds. Three of the blinds are permanent.

• Tripod
• Single Ladder
• Double Ladder

Others are mobile and are taken out to the location at the beginning of every season.

• Climbing Stand 1
• Climbing Stand 2
• Pill Box
• Pop Up Tent Blind

There is one additional blind site that Rob scouted and this this blind is built on site. We have the ability to do this as many times as we want to as long as a "built on site" blind is not in a shoot zone of another blind.

Terrain Map with Labeled Blinds

Sat Map

Topo Map

I don't expect anybody to memorize these maps but it might help you get a feel for the layout. The blue line connecting the points is an old logging road that runs down the center of the property. Most of our blinds are off of that road, though we can and should scout away from that road if we are going to find the "Walters" of the deer world. Another reason we hunt close to the road is because it is easier to drag a deer to a car if it is close to the logging road. If you don't believe me, ask Neill and Rob who have both hauled big deer uphill for over 300 yards. We don't have any 4 wheelers.

Season Dates, Bag Limits, and License Info

Every hunter is responsible for studying and knowing the Arkansas laws relating to hunting. You can visit this website to learn everything that you need to know.

http://www.agfc.com/hunting/Pages/default.aspx

Here are some of the important bits of information:

Legal dates and resident bag limits

Click on the image to enlarge.

 

 What is a legal buck

Click on the image to enlarge.

 

 Hunter Education Requirements

Click on the image to enlarge.

For all of the out-of-state hunters, I encourage you to buy your license online WELL IN ADVANCE. If you will need Hunter Education, from what I understand the state of Arkansas honors the Texas program, and if you were born after 1968 then you probably will not be allowed to buy a license without it.

Here is the website to purchase a license.

http://www.agfc.com/licenses/Pages/LicensesHuntingFees.aspx

Click on the image to enlarge.

When you buy it you will need to know which dates you will be hunting. I have provided all of the information you will need on this blog site.

Cape skin, and quarter a deer without gutting it.

There are a lot of impressive things about this video.

• The star of the show cracks me up with the way he tawks.
• Look at the size of that deer. That is one fat buck. The tenderloins on this deer are bigger than the backstrap of that little doe I killed last year.
• He quarters that deer without ever gutting it.

The wind is blowing in the mic for a lot of the video but you still get the idea.

10 things to do while waiting for deer season

This is a pretty funny video.

Dates are FINAL

Hunters:

All dates are set in stone. Tickets have been purchased.

Wednesday - November 11th

Stock supplies and load trailer

Thursday - November 12th

Travel to BBHE - set up camp and scout

Friday - November 13th

Scout - Finalize stand locations - Visitors arrive

Saturday - November 14th

Opening Day Hunt - Miller Dinner Ribfest

Sunday - November 15th

Deer Hunting

Monday- November 16th

Deer Hunting

Tuesday- November 17th

Deer Hunting

Wednesday- November 18th

Pack up camp and return home

Thursday- November 19th

Martin / Rob fly home

I will send out an e-mail at a later date in order to get a headcount for each day so we can plan meals, etc.

Closer and closer

BBHE 2015 Hunting Dates

Hear ye hear ye!

We are finalizing the dates for Buzzard Bluff Hunting Extravaganza 2015.

This year the advance team (Rob, Martin, and Kit) will be converging in Dallas on November 11th to stock supplies and load the trailer.

We will depart Dallas early on the 12th for Buzzard Bluff to set up camp (our new tent).

The 13th will be spent scouting and setting up all deer blinds.

Opening day of the season is November 14th.

We will be hunting from the 14th to the 18th.

On the 19th we will break camp and return to Dallas.

Rob and Martin will fly home on the 20th.

For those of you planning on attending the hunt for a weekend only, those hunting dates are the 14th and 15th. You should probably plan on arriving on the 13th.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Sporting Clays

05/30/15
I took Madeline and Alicia to a full day course to learn how to shoot sporting clays. I thought that I would dominate the course..... until I saw first-hand how shooting is a diminishing skill. Unlike riding a bike, shooting clays is actually a skill that goes away over time. Madeline was the star of this show.

How to quarter a deer

Here is a good video about how to quarter a deer. Even if you already know how you should still watch it. I learned something new

5 Ways To Sharpen A Knife Without A Sharpener

We have all been there, out in the middle of nowhere with a dull knife. Here are some pretty cool ideas that will help you solve the problem so you can skin that deer, peel that apple, or just clean under your fingernails better.

(Sent to me by my good friend Chris Toliver)

Marshall and Vicki Jeffus - New to Buzzard Bluff

Marshall and Vicki Jeffus are planning on joining us for a weekend this year at Buzzard Bluff. They seem to be very good hunters so we had all better be on our game if there are going to be any deer left over for the rest of us to shoot.

On this hunt they had great success:

Final tally for the weekend...

• Pheasant - 26
• Chukar - 61
• Quail - 109

I am not sure what a Chukar is, but I am glad I am not one of them.

Texas Senate OKs proposed hunting constitutional amendment

This is pretty big news:

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The state Senate has approved a proposed constitutional amendment guaranteeing Texans' right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife.

The upper chamber, on a 27-3 vote Wednesday, sent the measure to the House. The plan could go before voters in November.

The sponsor, Conroe Republican Sen. Brandon Creighton, says the amendment seeks to "preserve the heritage and future of hunting and finishing" by solidifying it in the Texas Constitution.

Creighton says 18 other states have approved similar measures - necessary since some states have shortened hunting seasons or limited what animals can be hunted.

The amendment wouldn't affect any current laws, nor would it scrap local ordinances banning discharging guns within city limits.

Creighton says he wants to ensure that hunting and fishing remain part of the identity of Texans.

Martin's Antler Handle Hammer

Martin has finally found a way to use all of those spikes he has been harvesting. It is a hammer with an antler handle. Very cool!

Martin, I tried to do that on the deer that I shot last year and it didn't quite turn out as good as yours. The one you made looks like it is a lot easier to use.

Great work Martin. Keep up the good work.

Trial Run with "The Lodge"

Two weekends ago we did a trial run with the new tent. We'll call it "The Lodge". I wanted to make sure I know how everything worked before using it in November. Plus, I can's stand having a new toy and not playing with it. In a nutshell, it was a huge success. Here is a photo of The Lodge in action

This is definitely not the right tent for weekend camping, but it will be a beautiful thing for us during our week of hunting. The purpose of the trip was to learn how to do everything and what I needed to change, if anything. Here is what I learned.

Becket
A becket is a small piece of rope with a knot tied at each end.

If you make a loop with the becket, and pass that loop through the grommet, then drive the stake through the loop, then if the stake gets stuck in the ground you can just cut the becket and leave the stake in the ground. This was almost a problem on the trial run camping trip. I didn't bring a hammer with a claw so it was hard to pull the stakes out of the ground.

Water Tank
The stove has a water tank that hangs from the side. This allows the stove to heat up the water and provide us with hot water for whatever we need it. The spigot on the water tank is connected with a nut on the inside. I learned that the nut is not made from stainless steel like the tank is, so it started to rust after two days of use. This made the water all rusty.

 

So, I went to the hardware store and got a plastic nut. We shouldn't have to worry about rusty nuts ever again. (I can't speak for Duke's nuts. His may be rusted out completely already.)

Tent Setup
The tent setup should take less than an hour when we are all working together. I have set it up twice so far and I am getting a good routine. The actual tent setup only takes about 30 minutes. The thing that takes the longest time is driving the 44 stakes in the ground. If I bring 2-3 hammers then we all should be able to get that part done in no time.

Anticipation....It's making me wait.

At the time I am writing this, we have 232 more days until the 2015 Buzzard Bluff Hunting Extravaganza. It has only been 133 days since the 2014 BBHE. What can we do to help pass the time until November? Here are a few thoughts:

• You can take the antlers off the wall and tie them to the dog’s head (Grinch style). Then get the climbing tree stand out of the attic, climb the tree in the back yard, and follow the dog around through the rifle scope, trying to keep the reticle on the kill zone.

• For all of the archers in the group, you could print up a photo of Obama, draw on some fancy antlers (add a mustache just for giggles), then paste it to the target and perfect your head shots.

•  For those of us who survived the 2014 BBHE that want to feel nostalgic, find somebody who has restaurant with a big walk-in freezer, then ask them if you could set up your tent there for the weekend. It won’t take long for memories of the 2014 Polar Vortex to come flooding back.

• For those of you who have ever hunted with Rob, The Master of the Game, you might pass the time training for 2015 by loading up a canvas bag with about 200 lbs. of rocks, then tie a rope to it and drag it up the tallest and steepest hill you can find.

Those are some of my ideas. Maybe you can come up with some better ones. If so, post a comment here and share.

Wine Skin

You gotta love a wine skin at the campsite. This photo came after I finished the video.

Introducing the new tent.

Coming soon.......

Turn up the volume a little bit. This short teaser video has good music.