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"Hunters Poem" By Heather Hundley 'Twas the night before hunting and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, in fear of being shot. The rifles were snug in their case by the door. With all of the gear piled ceiling to floor. The hunters were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of venison danced in their heads. Ma and PA in their long johns and blaze orange hats. Had just snuggled down for a brief winter's nap. When out in the kitchen arose such a clatter, Pa yelled, "If that was the cat, she's gonna get splattered!"
Away to the kitchen I flew like a flash, to rescue my kitty from Pa's great lash. The harvest moon shone on the new fallen snow. Gave promise of deer meat; from experience, I know. We head out the door; gear and guns on our hands, Wishing to take a nice deer from our stands. The hope of a big buck bedded below our stand in a tree-top covered with snow. Quick, like a rat's, my heart starts to pound, as a ten pointer stops and paws at the ground. Stopping broadside he offers me just the right shot. Cross hairs on shoulder, BANG,to the ground! To the truck I must drag, to the butcher's I go, I offer a blessing: he gave me his soul. Heather Annette Hundley December 10, 1999
NAHC Member Heather Hundley well, i got my first deer! we were all freezing our butts off. soaked to the bone and shivering in 30 degree weather (plus windchill). if it wasn't for the fact that Bob pushed this doe to me when he was coming my way, the day would have totally sucked. but i got a perfect lung shot at about 60 yards.(all the practice at the range really paid off.) she ran about 200 yards. Bob tracked her while i got out of my treestand, and we walked to her. I couldn't believe how big she was. the 2 deer bob got barely equalled mine in weight. He talked me through field dressing it, and also helped quite a bit. my hands were freezing and we were afraid i'd cut myself bc i couldn't even feel the knife in my hand. bob drug her, there was no way i could have done it. he told me to not even try.(like i was gonna argue!) bob said field dressed ,she weighed about 170 lbs. or so. he figures live weight to be right at 200lbs. gotta love those PA corn fed deer!!! Just have to mention that most hunters start out by taking a few squirrels. but not me. never got a shot at a squirrel in the last few months. NOPE! my first kill was a 200 lb. doe! kinda cool huh? anyway, i cut the tail off and will be tanning it, along with the hide from the deer bob shot early monday. can't wait to hang them on the wall. they'll be beautiful! btw, i got mine at about 9am tuesday Dec. 14!! can't wait till next year!!! Heather
NAHC Member Randy Rhodes...................... To those of you that don't already know. I bagged a nice cow elk, ten minutes after Colorado's 2nd rifle season opened up. She weighed 271 Lbs carcass weight. (Head, legs, hide & entrails removed) She netted me 146 Lbs of boneless meat. She was an estimated 7-8 years old. She was taken at approximately 60 yards with a 230 grain Winchester Failsafe .338 caliber bullet, from a Winchester model 70 Classic Sporter with BOSS. The best part is "the story", of course: It was just now legal shooting hours. I was almost to the point near the top of the basin that I had planned to sit for the impending sunrise. I had to stop myself from breathing to hear the sound of clashing antlers ahead, and above me. As the elk rut was over and the deer rut was two weeks away, I guessed that two bucks were sparring up ahead. I felt the jolt of an adrenaline rush in my veins, my pulse quickened, and I knew I had to "get calm". I slowly and stealthily crept over the crest of the hill. I immediately spotted two glorious bull elk in the predawn light. They were looking right at me! I knew that I could only be visible from the chest up, and became a statue. One bull was a "very nice" 5x5 and the other was a thin horned 4x4. The smaller bull stared at me intensely, while the bigger bull took several steps to the left and stopped. Then he moved back to the right and repeated the routine again. He was trying to get me to move and I was simply enjoying the sight of his hot breath vaporizing around him. I only wished that my buddy from Alaska, Chuck Hansen, was here with me, as he held the only bull tag in our group. After an "eternity" of maybe 3-5 minutes, both bulls looked over their shoulders and I spotted a line of elk coming into view. The first elk was HUGE, I figured it was another bull for sure. (An elk bachelor party.) As it walked to where the sky was behind it's head, I clearly saw no antlers. I quietly clicked my safety forward, opened the scope covers, and slowly raised my gun to my shoulder. The elk were more concerned about each other at this point and my movement went unnoticed. I used my scope to verify that she had no antlers and moved the crosshairs to her chest. I didn't even take notice of the other elk walking behind her. She just needed to take a few more steps to be totally broadside and be clear of the two bulls between us. Not only did she take those steps, but she stopped and looked right at me. Almost as I squeezed the trigger, I could see her body shudder. She seemed unaffected and turned to walk back the way she came. I can recall the sound of hooves all around me as the herd scattered. She started to pick up her pace as well. I had already chambered another round and brought the gun up and centered the crosshairs on her neck. I swung a little ahead of her and squeezed the trigger again. She simply ran over the rise.
I stood there for a moment wondering how I could have missed her, then remembering the "shudder" and the incredible amount of bullet shock an elk can take. I then heard the unmistakable sound of a large beast hitting the ground. As I slowly walked up the hill to the place she stood when I fired that first round, I turned to look back down the draw. The two bulls were there watching me, several cows wandered around all within rifle range. I had shot the big boss (lead) cow and they weren't sure what to do and where to go without her guidance. I chased the bulls over to where I knew Chuck was hunting and called him on my walkie talkie. I told him to watch for a pair of bulls heading his way. I told him to stay put, I would take care of my animal for now. I just wanted him to keep hunting. I wanted those bulls to walk in front of his sights. My elk was right where I guessed, and, after taking some pictures with my camera's self-timer, I prepared to start "working" on her. I looked up to see the two bulls making their way back up toward me (her). Now their antlers were in the sunrise, shining splendidly. I enjoyed watching them for a while and imagined how easy it would be to use the cow as a rest and take the big one out. Alas... "Not today, maybe next year!" I shouted to them. Clods of earth began to fly as the mighty wapiti made a mad dash to the nearest trees. As I looked down upon my harvest, and stroked her soft mane. I felt her spirit leaving and again I apologized to her and thanked her for the nourishment she would provide for me and my family. I assured her that someday my own ashes would nourish the ground and bring forth food for her offspring........ ----- Okay, Okay, I know. I get so melodramatic. I just HAD to share! Attached is a picture of me with the elk.
NAHC Memeber Jack Diehl
Well the second one is getting freezer ready. She was a good-sized doe taken
at 2:45 PM on 1/10/2000.
I came home at 7:30 AM after working my twelve-hour shift. I fixed my wife
and myself breakfast, as she came in 15 minutes behind me. I played around on
the computer for a half-hour or so and the wife retired, as she works again
tonight.
I dressed in my primitive attire, gathered my rifle and accoutrements and
headed for the woods to start off the last week of the Pennsylvania
Muzzleloader Season. I am still trying to fill my antlerless tags since I
harvested a buck with my flintlock earlier.
After still-hunting through two driving rainstorms and about 2-3 miles,
and having a small branch scratch my eyeball, I decided to drive home for dry
clothes and lunch. Being ill with the flu for 7 days made this decision seem
proper. While driving the route home, I glanced to my left, north, toward the
Keystone State Park tree line boundary, some 600 +/- yards away and spotted a
couple of deer, so I thought. I pulled into the parking area 75 yards ahead,
which is used buy hunters along this road; got out of the truck and glassed
the edges of the tree line. Ah ha, my failing eyesight ain't all that bad
yet. There WERE two doe feeding the edge of the brush along the treeline. I
regeared myself, grabbed Lorraine (my .54 Early Lancaster and headed, north,
up an access road used by the local gas company and into the State Park. I
have an excellent knowledge of the area, which would serve me well. I primed
Lorraine and set up some 60 yards inside the edges with a view of a small
pond, which was about 230 yards east of the doe. I waited 30-40 minutes and
when they were NO-SHOWS, I went another 200 yards north, along a small
stream, crossed it heading west and up about 180 yards of 70 degree slope and
west across the top, another 200 yards or so. I thought this should put me
200-250 yards north of my quarry.
Being that it rained most of the night and several times that morning,
helped to soften the ground cover, so moving stealthily was no problem. Very
slowly and cautiously I moved south scanning all I could see with every step
or two. The wind was blowing in my face at 15-25 MPH, which helped muffle any
twig that might snap. As I breached the edge of the flat, which starts to
slope down at about 50 degrees. I noticed what appeared to be a floating
cylinder at the brush edge. As it turned out, it was my quarry right where I
figured they should be. But not being able to definitely identify her, I
waited. Just then a small doe stepped into view behind the cylindrical form,
bobbing its' head from side to side, trying to figure me out. Then, as if on
cue, the larger doe, most probably the mother of the smaller one looked back
at the young deer and instinct took over. She stepped back and turned, facing
me, to check out what bothered the young deer, putting herself inline with it
and myself. Having already shouldered Lorraine, I set the trigger, placed the
sight line on the white bib of the neck, squeezed the trigger, and Lorraine
was true. The doe dropped in her tracks, instantly dispatched while the other
speed off instinctively. I reloaded, reprimed and then cautiously approached
my downed quarry, verifying the instant and humane harvest of my quarry. I
then discharged my load into the bank rendering my weapon safe. Then, as I
have done over the past 16 years when using my flintlocks, I knelt, placed my
hand on the deer's body and looking skyward utter words of thanks. I made a
special request that this does spirit be given a special place, for she
sacrificed herself in defense of her young. Also I asked that the young deer
find its way safely through to the spring should it not be harvested by weeks
end.
The inner feelings derived from a successful hunt, whether you harvest or
not, can be told by anyone, but can only be felt by the hunters themselves. I
think everyone who's ever harvested a game animal understands this statement.
NAHC Member Rich Moxley Well I went to North Carolina to hunt whitetails in Peanut fields and corn fields. Got skunked there. I went to Maine's great northern woods to hunt BIG whitetails, got skunked there too. Been hunting here in Salem CT for 5 years heavy and never saw anything like this before! I took this great 8 pointer at 0900 am. It took me 3 hours to haul it out of the woods. It weighs 160 lbs dressed, with outside measurements on the antlers at 19 inches, longest tines 7 inches, and the main beams are 19 inches long from base to tip. One shot with the .300 Weatherby Magnum using the Leopold scope. The shot was about 70 yards, and he ran only about 70 yards. I didn't spoil any meat with the shot, nor did I spoil the mount. He is going to the Taxidermists for a mount. Just think, this was practically in my backyard!!!
Rich and his oldest son with their Deer.
Not only did Rich get his deer, but he and his wife got their caribou too.
Rich and his wife with their Caribou:1999
Caribou isn't the end of it. Bear is another thing Rich has gotten.
Rich and his youngest son with Rich's bear:1997