The "Long Shot" Buck

It was a cold and windy morning, and I could make out snow still lying in the shady spots of the laurel as the reddish sun began to illuminate the landscape.  I picked a chestnut oak tree on the edge of a laurel thicket and open area where the deer like to travel.  I figured I may get a crack at a cruising buck this time of year.

Near 7:30am I catch movement of a buck to my rear.  I get up and turn to face the tree and spot a 6 point nosing around about twenty couple yards away.  It is heading slowly uphill and away and I knew I would probably not have another opportunity to shoot before long.  I had to lean out and shoot with the bow completely vertical because of the tree and when I released I watched my white arrow strike in the hind quarter.  Oh NO!

The buck blasted downhill and by me on the right side.  I watched as the protruding arrow with little penetration struck brush and broke with a crack.  I thought I had better try for another arrow and quickly had another on the string.  Making the necessary lead I released.  The buck just kept going as I missed high as he was busting brush.

I watched him run a 180 degree arc around from my first shot and stop at the edge of the laurel row quartering downhill and away.  I had another arrow on the string at this point, but I only had a small window to shoot and he was soooo far away.  There were over handing branches that would likely deflect the arrow as well.  I thought to myself that I owe it to try since I already had one poorly placed arrow in it.  I bore down and concentrated hard.   I can remember the arrow leaving and almost no movement from me……just silence as I waited for that arcing arrow to crack off deadfall.  I heard nothing and the buck immediately exploded.  I knew I had to be close the way he lit out of there, but I thought no way in hell I hit him. 

I decided it best if I give it lots of time before I start trailing. 

Around 11am I decided to start slowly trailing the buck.   I found my broken white arrow and followed kicked up leaves, tracks, and small sporadic blood until I found the spot he was standing on the long shot.  I looked up to 40 yards short, and 40 yards over, but there was no sign of my arrow.  I slowly continued to follow very sparse spoor, losing it and then regaining it several times.   Eventually it led me to a bed with this big bubbly clot and lots of blood. 

The trail heading out was a heavy blood trail and the tracking went a lot quicker from there.  He just kept going though.  Through the hollow bowl, up over the rocky ridge, over and behind off the property . 

Suddenly the trail took a turn uphill into some thick laurel and we found him. That red arrow that made the lethal wound was shot from 83 steps away when I went back to collect my stand and paced it off.  The arrow entered about the last rib and exited under the right armpit.  That initial hit only struck into the ham and was a non-lethal flesh wound.

This is how we found him.

Practicing the long shot and my speed shooting and proficiency with the back quiver for that follow up shot, definitely helped collect this buck.......along with a good helping of lady luck and a good friend to share it all with.

Hunting with the Back Quiver

HUNTING THE BACK QUIVER by Greg Ragan

Chances are good that if you ask someone the image they have in their head of a “vintage traditional archery hunter”, most will describe a person equipped with a back quiver and longbow.  Howard Hill, Bob Swinehart, Ben Pearson, John Schulz and other bow hunting legends preferred the back quiver for hunting despite the fact that the popular bow quiver was available in their times.  Many archers like a back quiver for roving, or the 3D range, but dislike them for hunting.  Their excuses are many: My arrows rattle around and make noise. My heads get dull from banging together. When I bend over my arrows fall out. Withdrawing an arrow flags game.  My exposed arrows catch on every twig and branch.  The area I hunt is too thick to go through the woods quietly.  I am not flexible enough to remove my arrows.  Perhaps you can think of more?

All of these issues can be overcome with a properly constructed, designed, and broken in quiver along with the time to become proficient in the use of the device.  In fact, the back quiver provides many advantages once one is skilled in its use and it becomes as an extension of the archer like the bow itself.   

The Advantages of a Back Quiver

The most noticeable advantage of the back quiver is to remove the quiver from the bow.  Longbows are especially very light and delicate in the hand.  A bow quiver adds weight, and does so lopsidedly ruining the balance that the bowyer intended.   Besides, if a bow quiver was more conducive to accuracy Olympic archers would have them on their bows right?  This imbalance can be a detriment to accurate shooting and the proper feel of the longbow.  In my opinion, the fewer things you have hanging off your bow for hunting the better. 

Another advantage the back quiver gets the nod on is speed and capacity. Once an individual is proficient in its use, a second arrow can be smoothly and fluidly back on the string and ready for action without looking.   I have had follow on shots at game even before I exclusively went to the back quiver, and I was never able to get that second arrow out and on the string as easily or as fast as with the back quiver.  The proper use as described by John Schulz in Hitting‘em Like Howard Hill with nocking above, allows a very fast knocking and shooting without having to look away from the game.  I also like to occasionally shoot at deer when squirrel hunting, so carrying more than a dozen mixed blunts and broadhead arrows is no problem for the back quiver.  The quiver equipped with a single strap can also be easily rotated around the body and under the arm while going through thick brush.  When the density does not require crawling or ducking, a skilled user will automatically pass through the brush sideways to protect the protruding arrows with bow arm and foot forward.  This automatically places the hunter at a better shooting position should game appear…with the shoulders parallel and the feet perpendicular to the direction of the game. 

Besides, what other quiver can you put a squirrel, rabbit, or your lunch into?

Choosing and Breaking in Your Quiver

One of the most successful hunters was Howard Hill, and he utilized and perfected a style of backquiver that now carries his namesake.  The “Hill Style” quiver has many aspects that aid the hunter and this is the style and technique I will describe as I feel it is superior in that endeavor. 

 

The single thick strap allows the sliding and rotation of the quiver as I described previously.  The quiver is equipped with a very wide mouth.  This is not only to hold many arrows, but also in order to make withdrawing of an arrow easier.  Once the nock is secured in such a quiver, the arrow can almost immediately be withdrawn and steadily angled away from the quiver limiting movement and maximizing speed.  If the tube was long and skinny, one would have to extract the arrow straight upwards until almost the very end of the arrow before coming forward with it.  The oval bottom helps facilitate collapsing the leather at mid quiver.  As I will discuss this is what holds the arrows and prevents them from “banging together”.  The quiver leather also advances this end with a medium-heavy thickness which gives weight and friction potential to the quiver when collapsed. Do yourself a favor and get a good Hill style quiver.  There are some folks (including Howard Hill Archery) that still know how to build these beauties.  A stiff quiver that will not collapse with large pockets, fancy embossing, and 3 chest straps may seem really cool, but the equipment is putting your hunting at a disadvantage.   Leather costs are high and these quivers are not cheap, but keep in mind that if you treat it well this durable piece of equipment should last a lifetime of hunting.

Once you get yourself a quality quiver it will need to be broken in.  The quiver should eventually conform to your back, the tube collapsing on itself.  This holds the arrows still and securely.  Several products can be used to help this conditioning.  Montana Pitch Blend, mink oil, or even canola or olive oil can be used to soften and condition the leather.  During the summer months put the quiver out on your deck or atop your car and let it heat up really well.  It will readily take the oil or treatment in this way.  It is also a good idea to retreat the quiver thoroughly once a year to help prevent dry rot and preserve the life of the device.  On a new quiver I will fold the top down to meet the bottom and sit on it as I commute to work back and forth every day, some folks put it under their couch cushions but I try to stay away from the couch.  Fold, bend, and re-treat until the quiver readily collapses flat under its own weight around your back.  The arrows should be lying in the quiver at an angle, not straight up and down, gravity helping things to stay put.

 

If the quiver is broken in and adjusted properly you can bend over and almost completely invert the quiver without any arrows sliding out.

 

Using the Quiver

The quiver should be adjusted so the strap is fairly snug, but able to be rotated freely, and as viewed from the front goes from your neck on the opening side to around above the level of your nipple and under the arm of your bow hand.  This places the arrows around the level of the top of your shoulder or a little below. 

If you can touch the top of your shoulder you should be flexible enough to get an arrow out.  To make this easier you can bump the bottom of the quiver with the elbow of your bow arm while at the same time reaching back with the drawing hand.  Once you have the arrow nock you can pull the arrow around your body and the wide mouth of the quiver will help facilitate this.  Trap the string between your thumb and forefinger, guide the string into the nock groove, and slide the nock down the string to your nocking point (nocking above).  Angling the upper bow tip up slightly will assist this “trap and slide” procedure.  Next, guide the arrow to the rest and rotate your hand around the string until you are again in a position to shoot.  With practice this can all be done in a matter of a few seconds and without looking.

 

When loading your arrows do not just stuff them all down the opening at once in a jumble.  Place each arrow one atop the other carefully, laying them in, so that the shafts do not cross deep in the quiver bottom.  This will also help the shafts lay flat sandwiched between the two layers of leather.  This goes a long way to keeping the fletching from twisting together and making noise.  Thusly there does not need to be anything in the bottom of the quiver to keep arrows from “rattling around”.  You do not need to embed them in foam, fill the bottom with oats or anything else, or need sheep shearling around the opening.  The quiver collapses and holds the arrows fast, preventing the broadhead edges from grinding together and your arrows from making noise.  The only thing I put in the bottom of my quiver is a piece of scrap carpeting cut to match the bottom shape in order to dampen the thump of thick leather against arrow when one drops in. 

 

The final thing you need to do with your new quiver is use it!  Knowing how to navigate through brush, knowing by feel where those arrows are in relation to that overhanging branch, not having to look back to smoothly draw and nock an arrow all take time and practice.  The more you hunt the back quiver the more its redeeming qualities become apparent.  Try it exclusively for at least a year of hunting before you discount it.

Similar to the traditional bow itself, the back quiver takes some time and practice to get proficient with, but once you do it will pay dividends.  Plus they just look classically cool. After all, Howard Hill knew what he was doing.

 

Tail Tapering Wood Arrows

This is how I do it…..

I built my simple jigs out of a scrap piece of 2x4 lumber and a couple scrap pieces of angle iron.  Use some wing nuts and bolts and glue on a couple strips of 1 inch sanding belts to the inside surfaces.  I drilled a hole for a “stop” about 12 inches back on each.

I use my 5/16^th inch drill bit to size the stop end and use the shaft itself to set the entrance gaps.

The process is simple.  Chuck the shaft into your drill and spin it through the gap in the angle iron.  I made a jig for rough sanding with course paper, and one for finish sanding with fine/medium paper.

 

 

If you order your shafts 1 inch longer you can cut off the compressed part that was chucked in the drill…..but you end up tapering them anyway which usually takes care of the damaged area. 

I went through 18 shafts in my 1 hour lunch break which included making this video.

Anyway, it is another method and I feel spinning the shaft helps to get a good even taper and avoid oblong or misshapen areas.

 Watch the video here:

https://vimeo.com/88277568 

It is a pretty quick operation.

The American Semi-Long

 

 

The American Semi-long

 

Light as a feather in the hand to carry

Elegant and graceful lines make merry

Whisper quiet and deadly with empty string

Solid and strong, it packs quite a sting

Deep and narrow, limbs that are trapped

Throwing an arrow with precision untapped

Effective, stable, accurate and simple

Slender, robust, long and nimble

No gadgets, no rests, no bow quiver to clutter

Drawing smooth and steady, soft as warm butter

With mystical records of hunting prowess and lore

Howard Hill after all…. need I say more

Close Enough To Touch!

Saturday morning found me nestled amongst some deadfall brambles and leaning back against a pair of maple tree trunks.   The wind was swirling and biting through my layers of wool as I cooled from the hike up the mountain.  A beautiful sunrise emerged from behind me as the reds of an unsettled morning illuminated the trees and landscape to my front. 

 

As I was taking it all in, the silence was shattered by the crunch, crunch, crunch of a deer approaching me from behind.  I rose from my stool and turned to greet the sounds as they approached.  Then I saw a flash, and a large doe bounded up the hill toward the refuge of the mountain laurel snorting belligerently over and over as she went.  I thought she must have caught my movement or my scent from the shifty winds.  Well, it turns out I found  later Brent was hunting not too far away and the deer walked between us.  As Brent turned to face the doe his upper recurve limb shook the deadfall branches of the large clump of brambles he was sitting inside and alerted the doe.  She never knew I was there.

 

As the morning wore on and I settled back in.  I again heard the same crunching footfall behind my tree.  Slower and more cautious this time.  I decided to remain standing with my back to the tree and wait for the animal to emerge before trying to move (I still did not know Brent was the cause of the other deer’s flight).  I stood frozen and waiting.  Then in my peripheral vision, I caught sight of a LARGE bodied buck approaching from the peak.  Then, behind following at about 20 yards was another twin….two large 8 pointers were coming on a line straight toward me.  I stood as a wooden indian and completely forgot about the footfalls that were behind me.  As all of my attention was focused on the twins coming down the hill I was completely surprised when a 6 point walked from behind my tree and was suddenly close enough broadside to spit on.  Instinctively our eyes met and I am sure he saw mine grow large as I do not remember moving. The buck immediately wheeled and jumped back behind my tree.  The animal was close enough I could have touched it with my longbow if I was reaching out with it by the lower limb.

 

I never moved, especially with the two twins watching.  The 6 point then calmed down seeing the other two bucks and after a few minutes cautiously walked up the hill toward the twins.  I could have easily taken a shot at the smaller 6 at this point, as he was quartering away and walking uphill.  I was suddenly a little greedy though and wanted one of the two larger bucks that were approaching.  The lead was walking down toward me still, and the rear guard was thrashing a tree and making a scrape.  The two stranger bucks mingled and exchanged some posturing before the smaller went off on a tangent up the hill and away.  The lead twin cautiously came closer but was still suspicious of the wooden indian and the way the smaller buck reacted there.  Finally he was standing facing me at 20 yards and we remained frozen for what seemed like 15 minutes, but was probably only about 3.  Finally the buck caught a wiff of something he did not like (I am guessing since I never moved) and snorted quick and jumped back.  He trotted to a position quartering away at about 30 yards and paused.  I knew it was time to shoot or watch it leave.  I had a small hole to shoot through but it was doable.  I drew and released and a loud “CRACK” followed as by broadhead smashed into a half hollow standing dead tree about 15 yards to my front. That buck hightailed it for the laurel.  The rear buck actually hung around for a while and I attempted to grunt it in, but he acted like he did not even hear me and meandered toward where the first buck exited, melting back into the laurels.

 

Oh well, A great and memorable morning with a small lesson in decision making.  The way my season has been I should have just taken the small buck when I had the chance.

 

A "Little" Bit of Success

You may have noticed I have not been around these parts recently....been hitting the woods hard.

Sit back, grab a full mug of hot coffee, and join Mike and I as we recant the tales of a fall turkey / deer hunt in the heart of Maryland’s largest contiguous public hunting area.

 

The accommodations include a brand new Davis wall tent 12x14 with all the extras.

 

The adventures will be as varied as the game we seek including turkey, deer, ruffed grouse, rabbit, squirrel, woodcock, and yote.

 

I arrived at camp just as the morning rains subsided to set up "Hill Haven" camp.

 

 

At 47,500 acres, Greenridge State Forest offers some of the best public hunting in the state for those who want to get away from the crowds. Secluded primitive campsites are located throughout the forest and we make it a habit to camp and hunt at a dead end forest road named "Howard Road".

 

Fall turkey season ends on Saturday 11/2, so I had Friday evening and all day Saturday to get the job done on a bird either sex. The population of deer and turkey has been steadily increasing in recent years in the area partly due to the recent finding of a CWD positive deer and the fact of a poor economy. We have heard stories of rifle hunters unhappy in the past firearms season because there were not enough hunters to push the deer around. This suited us just fine.

 

After camp was set up and the work done, I headed off to an area that I had scouted in the spring gobbler season. There were two huge scrapes the size of car hoods about 20 feet apart in this small shelf overlooking a steep valley. I decided to sit with the climbing stand this time and see what came by.

My chosen tree had a small white oak, now a glorious red with still attached leaves, standing right adjacent and giving me superb cover with my red tinged plaid shirt. There was no sign of fresh scrape or rub activity this time, but I was brimming with optimism.

 

It was refreshing to finally get back into the woods again.....amazing the sights one can see if they really look

 

 

The woods was eerily quiet as I eased into a slow breathing hunting mode and melding with the woodland. The, I heard a twig break somewhere behind me and I was jolted back to sharp focus. Peering through the red oak leaves of my back cover, I saw a group of hen turkey making their way across the hill behind me. I immediately knew I needed to turn around to my left side in order to be able to shoot in that direction.

Successfully completing that maneuver I could see the lead bird making her way across the hill at about 60 yards. I knew at this point they would not head any closer to my tree so if I wanted to shoot I needed to do it quickly. The birds were about even to me in elevation on the hill, the lead bird stopped in the clear and I drew back and let fly.

I watched as my arrow flight was a perfect spinning ball of feathers directly at the point I was looking at!

Then just as it was about to impact, I saw the arrow drop slightly and the shaft hit right at her feet, causing her to jump up and back reflex. Still the birds milled about and the shot at bird had no idea what had just happened. I managed to get another arrow out and on the string but by then the group had moved farther into cover and I watched them amble out of sight and over the hill.

What a great evening! My first shot at a bird after 9 years of trying for the spring gobblers.

I headed back to camp to recount my activities to Mike over the campfire, a cup of coffee, and some ribeye steaks I fried up. Chicken soup stewed in the dutch oven for the next day.

Great stuff! Excellent first day.

Here is a view of the foliage and Potomac on the drive in:

 

 

The second morning brought renewed excitement. I headed back to the same tree on the oak flat in order to see what a new day would bring.

As darkness gave way to light, I could hear a turkey cackle and flydown from the roost not too far down the steep valley below. I slid the diaphragm call in my mouth and gave a few clucks which were greeted by an immediate answer from that direction. I knew enough to zip it at that point…I kept quiet as I began to hear footfalls in the dry leaves from the direction down the valley. A grey head popped over the ridge as the lead hen was chugging right along looking for the other turkey to beckoned it. The next hen was a little more cautious and stayed about 20 yards behind.

She was moving fast, and I slightly adjusted my position to point my shoulder toward her more. She was coming from my right side and I would not have a shot unless she passed almost in front of me. There was a large tree there I was planning to time my draw to when she went behind.

…but it was not meant to be. Those birds are sharp when they are looking hard. She stepped in the clear about 30 yards away and pinpointed me in the tree despite absolutely no movement. She putted a few times and began to back up…..still she was not sure there was harm but something was not right up that tree. She milled around a bit putting softly and they both slowly slunk back in the direction they came.

Birds with a bow are tough….sure enough!

 

A little 20 minutes after light and I had a bird within 30 yards...not too shabby.

 

Around 10am I could hear something approach from below the rise....soon enough 2 turkey pop over and head straight towards me and on my left side! The birds kept advancing to about 18 yards when I "felt" the time was right. with a large bird in the clear I drew back and released. I watched as my arrow sailed high by about a food! I REALLY need to work on this treestand shooting!. The bird immediately flew straight up in the air. It's immense body in full splendor as it backpeddled in the air and came back down very close to where it launched and very confused. Still no clue I was there. I reached back and pulled an arrow ever so slowly and quietly. I noticed it was a blunt! Oh well...they were not going to hang around while I played games. I nocked and drew again...this time the arrow barely missing the body neck junction...maybe even clipping some feathers. That was enough! She was gone.....they all were gone. But wow...what an opportunity!

The morning sun brought out the beauty of the fall colors that remained on the trees. The sun warmed my side of the mountain and I could see deer across either draw in my binos browsing in the warmth. Stuck in this tree I had no ability for a stalk on them. Finally after seeing my 5th deer I decided to get down. As I lowered by Tembo, I heard a crashing down the Hillside. Dang it! There was one approaching and my inpatientness cost me a potential opportunity. I decided then and there to return in the evening from the ground.

 

Back at camp for a quick cup of coffee, a little practice with the longbow, and warming the bones a little by the woodstove and we were heading back into the woods.

 

Life is good!

 

 

 

 

 

So after a relatively uneventful windy and drizzly evening hunt, Mike and I plotted out Sunday's activities as we hurried into the shelter and warmth of the wall tent and comforting hiss of the ol’Coleman lantern. In Maryland there is no Sunday hunting allowed on public land so we opted to try out our dusty fly rods and hit a small trout stream a good mile down the mountain.

 

The water levels were low, but we managed to find a good looking pool complete with beaver lodge. Only a couple small sunnies and a large fallfish (creek chub) were landed and returned to the waters. the scenery was well worth the walk though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the hike back to camp and a hearty dinner of venison stew I had going in the dutch oven, Mike fired up the chainsaw and we set about resupplying our firewood with some deadfall.

 

Then we had some fun with the bows....Schulz, Ekin, and Miller were well represented and we were shooting pretty well I must say. Anticipation was high for Monday morning.

Mike’s “Saipan bamboo chimes” ringtone alarm on his phone had us awake to a dark and cooling tent. Firing up the Coleman brought in instant bright light as I stoked up the woodstove with 2 fresh logs and placed the already awaiting coffee pot and stew on to warm. The lows this night were down to 28 degrees but we stayed pretty darn comfy in the wall tent. We took our time putting on our wool layers and lacing up our boots with high hopes that the increasing rut activity and that good practice we had yesterday would pay off. Outside the chill was biting and the stars still shining bright. The early birds were up and we planned on getting more than just a worm.

Donning my heavy wool gray plaid hunting coat, I set out with only my lightweight walkstool slung under the backquiver. Sitting back up the hill that overlooked that oak flat I found a nice large tree trunk to lean up against complete with a little bit of multiflora back cover. I cleared away a large semicircle of leaves so I could maneuver quietly and sat down to watch as the sunrise slowly rose over the ridgeline.

By 9:30 I was getting pretty cold from staying motionless for so long and the breeze started to rustle the leaves. I thought to myself, “Well, I may as well get after them” as Hill might say. Stalking conditions were good and moving a little would help me shake off this biting chill.

I picked my way along moving with slow deliberate movements….then waiting. A few steps at a time. If I did crack a twig I would softly cluck a few times on the turkey call. It took about 20 minutes to move 15 yards and I came upon a sort of sunken road up through the woods. I had just crested my side of the bank when I caught movement up the hill to my left. There in the lane stood a small doe! She had just appeared and stopped in the open 20 yards away and she was looking up the hill away from me. I looked at a spot and began to draw……..

 

 

As I began to draw, the doe snapped her head around behind her for a split second and bounded forward….at the same instant I could hear what sounded like a tree crashing and elk hooves hitting the earth at a gallop down the hill to my right. I began to pivot in that direction with the bow still up in position as a Huge bodied buck appeared in mid-air as it leapt over a deadfall log in hot pursuit of a doe! As I was pivoting and he was in mid-air time seemed to stand still…..I could see “recognition” on the face of the buck as it must have spotted me in my pivot. I began to draw but as soon as his hooves hit the ground he was back down the ravine…..I waited for him to crest below me in the open for a shot…..but he never did.

I stood there for a moment feeling my heart pounding after nearly being run down by this buck. Regaining my composure I thought about finding a good spot to sit on the other side of this rise in order to catch another suitor that may eventually trail this hot doe. Seemed logical to me. I looked up the lane and could see the back end of that small doe going up and out of sight. I still had deer in the area.

I continued to creep forward at a snail’s pace…trying to make a blow down that could observe the slope below. As I crested the far side berm of the lane I could see down that there was a big bodied doe browsing around another deadfall about 60 yards below.

I began my stalk. Watching and moving as the deer put its head down to browse I gained another 10 yards in about 15 minutes. The big doe just continued to feed back and forth in the same area. Finally I got to a spot between two large tree trunks that gave me some back cover and the ability to shoot on either side of the front tree should the doe approach from either side. There was no other cover to continue my stalk any closer so I decided to wait her out and hope she came up my way.

After about another 12 minutes, I caught movement up the hill to my left. The small doe had crested the berm and was heading down. She would cross right in from of my broadside at 15 yards in the open. I hesitated for a moment, then decided a bird in hand was better than the possibility I may not get with the big doe. The deer put its head down to feed and I raised the bow, drew, and released. My arrow disappeared and the doe tumbled down the hillside. My shot was a little to the right and I caught her dead center of the neck close to where it meets the chest. The arrow passing completely through the hide on the far side and severing the neck. The neck was broken and the end was quick. I glanced up to see the big doe exiting the back of the valley. She was lucky this day I thought to myself.

After all the opportunities I have had so far this season I needed a little bit of confidence back.

 

At least she was easier to carry back to camp. I served Mike my victory breakfast of heart and eggs.

 

 

 

 

Life is good. Thanks for coming along.