Short and Sweet

by Nathan Sullivan

Short and sweet…that pretty much sums up my Mule Deer hunt this year. As any Mule Deer fanatic can attest to, it’s not often that you are able to put your tag on a buck on the very first stalk of the year. But, as I have learned the last couple of years while using Heads Up Decoys and hearing stories from others who have also, opportunities can be created when conditions are less than ideal.

This hunt began at first light checking some areas that have held big bucks in the past. We were hoping to turn up one of the shooter bucks that my hunting buddy Justin had recently found. Shortly after sunrise we spotted a small buck running a doe about a mile away and drove around on another road to get a better look and to see if any other deer were nearby. While glassing the smaller buck and doe from a closer vantage point we looked up just as a big buck was coming over the hill. It was immediately obvious that this buck was a shooter as he headed down the hill looking for a hot doe.  By now we realized we had come a little too close to the action as the small buck was now pushing the doe within 200 yards of us and we could not get in a better position to make a move on the shooter buck that was now closing fast. As luck would have it, the doe wasn’t hot and the young buck quickly lost interest and they parted ways. As the big buck dropped into the draw he watched the smaller buck leaving and heading down the valley just below our position.

The stage was now set for deployment of the Mule Deer doe decoy. When the big buck briefly disappeared in some thick weeds I quickly popped the decoy into the bow mount and used what little cover was available to crawl down the hillside to get to the bottom of the draw. When I reached the bottom I quickly realized that the weeds were much taller than I had anticipated and was worried that I would not be able to get a shot even if the buck did come within bow range. At this point I had nothing to lose and held the doe decoy up high enough for the buck to see it above the weeds. By the time I realized the buck had spotted the decoy and was coming my way he had already closed the gap by fifty yards. The next 20-30 seconds were some of the most exciting moments of my 20-plus year bowhunting career. I knew he would have to be close to get a shot in the tall weeds but I had one open lane out to about 15 yards if he would only choose the right path.

As what usually happens he was not going to come through the opening and was staying in the thickest cover as evidenced by his towering rack pushing through the five foot tall weeds. By now I was well aware that things were about to get very intense as he was closing fast and his current heading would have him stepping into the open at a mere 4 steps. Not wanting to get pinned down at full draw without a shot, I waited as long as I thought I could to draw my bow. Finally, with the bruiser buck at less than 10 yards, I knew I had to make my move. As he went behind an especially thick clump of vegetation I knew it was now or never and quickly came to full draw. As a testament to the keen senses of a mature buck, even when fully convinced that there is a doe to check out, the buck caught just enough movement to momentarily spook him. As he bounded out of the weed patch I stood up and grunted loudly with my mouth to stop him. He still wasn’t sure what he had seen and only trotted a short distance before stopping to look back and try to locate the doe that he thought was there. By this time my pin was already settling on his vitals. I immediately knew the 35 yard shot was perfect on the slightly quartering-away buck and that he would not go far. In fact, he only made it about 40 yards before tipping over in plain sight. Justin was able to see the shot from his vantage point and we both were almost in shock at what had just happened. We estimated it had only been about 6-8 minutes since we first spotted the buck coming over the hill and now we were standing over him admiring his huge back forks, heavy mass and long main beams.

This was a perfect scenario to use the doe decoy—the target buck was alone and looking for does and he watched the young buck heading in my direction and wasn’t about to let him potentially steal a hot doe. It was also a case where we would not have attempted a stalk on this buck in his present location without the decoy. There was very little wind that morning to cover sound and movement and we already were too close to back out and wait for the buck to present a better opportunity. But instead of watching the buck and wandering how we could attempt a stalk, we were able to make the buck come to us.

As bowhunters we have to enjoy every part of a long season full of close calls and what-ifs, but every once in a while it’s nice to have a hunt that is short and sweet. I owe all the credit for this hunt to a great friend who was willing to let me try my crazy plan and to Heads Up Decoy.

2013....Bitter and Sweet

I'm pretty sure there wasn't a more challenging year than 2013 for Heads Up Decoy. I entered the year literally full of my self...confident, cocky, and optimistic for the months ahead. Despite the planning and the projecting...things don't always go as planned.

It was apparent my torn up ankle was going to need major repair. High school and college athletics along with multiple sprains while in the field took it's toll and I no longer had a stable foundation to do the things I enjoy...bowhunting and playing with my kids. If things went well, I'd be out of the boot by mid April and hunt the first part in the boot.

The turkey season was a full of miscues, debacles, and mother nature not letting go of winter. The snow and cold was ridiculous and relentless. We had some bad hunts...and some not so bad hunts. I was unable to wrap a tag around a bird...something I didn't think possible with our history of proficiency with the Heads Up Turkey Decoy. However, I was witness to a great hunt with Prostaffer David Gillan. We called and decoyed a tom in from several hundred yards. He came on a "dead" run.

The late spring and summer brought a renewed optimism. Even though things with the company were challenging, bowhunting or thinking about bowhunting always makes things seem better...or less of a hassle.

The ankle was feeling okay and exercising regimes seemed to be working as I prepared for a 2013 Colorado elk hunt. With mother nature still being unfriendly, I bailed on my own hunt. I left Colorado in a rainy haze that resembled my confidence as a big game bowhunting, person, friend, husband, dad, and business owner. The question was, Am I washed up? Were my best days as a bowhunter gone...not that they were that great?

So many people write about redemption this or redemption that after a bad hunt, there was no redemption for me...I just wanted to start getting close to animals...then kill them. A feeling I don't get often. I enjoy the hunt. The kill is anti-climatic...but this industry can sometimes cloud the simple enjoyments of the things that started in the heart of a young bowhunter. Course, I wasn't getting close to anything...so my frustrations were mounting.

November was quickly upon me, family obligations, and limited time was adding to the pressure. Remember...I did not shoot a buck in 2012 or a turkey in the spring. I must be washed up. My shooting was way off...so far off...I changed bows in mid season. I could not go afield with confidence with my "old" bow. I was able to get a loner from our local dealer...which I now will have to purchase. A bow that fits me better and one that is way more comfortable. AND, one that seemed to hit everything I aimed at.

On the 10th of November, I was cruising a route on my way to town to meet up with my older brother who had decided McDonald's sounded better than hunting. I was not going to give up precious time afield so I took my time glassing historic haunts of great bucks...and what in my wandering eyes should appear...a GREAT buck in a perfect spot.

The plan was on...shoot that buck with the buck decoy in my bow mount with a Hoyt Spider I have shot 30 times...maybe...with a 15 mph wind. What was I thinking?...I wasn't. A confident bowhunter knew it just might work if I can get into position. When my pin stuck to the buck's vitals...it was over in an instance and confidence and belief in my ability restored. Even when things start out so bad...perseverance, family, friends, and a great product can see you through. I am blessed. Be Mobile...Stay Mobile. F.A.B.

A Successful September...

   My 2013 archery season started earlier than ever this year when I headed to south central Colorado on August 30th for my first elk hunt. Two of my best friends volunteered their services and we set out on a short hunt for the first five days of the season. A quick scouting trip was made in early August and we received some tips from a few local friends, but for the most part we were going in complete virgins. No elk were harmed or hardly even put in harm's way that week, but I'm not sure we could have had a better hunt. Of course a kill would have been miraculously special. However, in the 5 days on the mountain we had some very exciting moments. Everything from a 20 yard bear encounter, to some great action in a wild thunderstorm, and eventually a very close call with a bull we were on for 3 days, accumulated to make one hell of an inaugural elk hunt for three rookie flatlanders. I'll be back as soon as life permits...

   Fast forward three weeks to September 20th and I found myself rolling west again, for what I've stated on the blog before as my favorite weekend of the entire year, Kansas antelope season. This year was extremely special as my uncle Keith accepted my invitation to join me. Keith is the very reason I am a bowhunter and has allowed me some opportunities not many kids get growing up as aspiring hunters. For that I am incredibly grateful and I hoped this hunt was somewhat of a repayment, however small it might be compared to what I owe.

   We met the evening before opening day to do a quick scouting session and set up a ground blind. The plan was for Keith to sit water for the good part of three days while I employed my usual attack, whatever in the heck seems like it will work at any given time! For those who aren't aware, Kansas pronghorn are few and far between. Thus success rates are quite low. Couple that with increased hunting pressure and unusually heavy rains in August/September for parts of western Kansas, it didn't take long to figure out that water probably wasn't our best bet.

   I spent much of the first day and a half dogging a big buck I'd been after for three consecutive seasons now. This year it was apparent "Spyro", as we came to call him due to a broken horn that healed and regrew in a spiral pointing straight up, had passed his prime and had little interest in the ongoing rut or any other antelope whatsoever. I would split time when Spyro wasn't hanging in an ideal location with a couple other nearby groups that had mature herd bucks and sizable harems of does.

   On day one a three hour stalk ended with a long miss after the Heads Up buck pulled one of them to 60 yards as he tried to keep track of his 18 ladies. Day two began with a very close call and another swing and miss at Spyro after he bedded in a yucca filled piece of pasture in his small home area. Quite disappointed, just as I was the year prior after chasing Spyro for a day and a half only to watch him chase a doe onto a neighboring property and be held there by other hunters, I headed to a spot I'd had good luck getting close to a herd that routinely lived near some standing corn. Once again this same group would spend most of their days on the north side of a strip of corn normally sheltering them from a stiff south breeze and passersby on the nearby county road. This setup actually allowed me to take a buck in 2012 after I had missed the same buck using the same tactic the year prior. Hoping that it would work as in years past I headed down the edge and quickly made it to 85 yards on the closest does. I figured it was only a matter of time before the buck circled his harem and allowed for a shot. After a couple hours, rising temperatures, and a stiffening wind began to dry me out the group had moved a little farther from the edge and appeared to be bedding up for the afternoon siesta. I decided to retreat to grab some lunch and wait for them to get back on their feet. As I began my move out of the chest high corn I took a couple looks back towards the herd just to make sure I wasn't being picked off. Between two of my checks the buck had apparently decided I was a young buck and closed the distance between the herd and myself in a matter of seconds. I fumbled around to nock an arrow as he had closed to under 30 yards, but had to watch him spin, collect his does, and move off a half mile or so just as quickly as he'd charged. The does were never alerted to my presence though and it was obvious this buck was a prime candidate for a decoy.

   I returned to my uncle's blind to find him ready for something a little more action packed. We took a tour of the surrounding area and made it back to our primary location after a few hours. Just as I had expected the does from the same group I was on earlier had moseyed back towards the corn in the midst of a hot windy September afternoon. The buck was standing guard nearby. In no time the two of us were within 200 yards of the group and my uncle was hanging the Heads Up out of the edge of the corn. Some of the herd picked up the intruder after a couple minutes and the buck was soon to spot us as well. He went into a stiff legged walk with his head held high and hair standing straight. Instantly he broke into a dead sprint and in no time stood broadside at 60 yards. I had come to full draw as he hit top speed and settled my pin on him while he decided whether to continue his charge or replay his escape from a few hours earlier. As he was deciding on the safe choice I let my arrow fly. In the stiff south Kansas breeze it caught the buck solid, and allowed for closing arrow in the corn a short while after his final charge.

    Calling this hunt special would be an understatement. It will be one of those few moments in life I can replay in my mind as clearly as it happened for years and years to come. Having my uncle running the decoy and seeing the enjoyment he expressed only adds to that memory. I know it may seem like it gets overplayed, but taking a kid hunting may be the greatest gift a hunter could ever give. It has been for me.

Kaleb

Doing the Right Thing

Contributed by Prostaffer Dennis Howell

There was a news flash today about some college football boys that went into a store, they thought was open. The door was unlocked and the lights where on. They waited for someone to show up, but no one did. They got what they needed and flashed the money to the camera and walked out. It made the national headline news. THEY DID THE RIGHT THING! The boys did right when no one was looking. They got rewarded for their honesty, as they should have. I hope some young kids look at their actions and follow what they saw.

We, as hunters are always out there by ourselves with no one watching. We think!  We are always trying to do right. When no one is around is when our ethics will show who we are as a person. I have always thought that,” Do as you would want someone to do to you”.

On my Utah mule deer hunt, I went up early Friday with my two mules and myself and packed into my favorite basin for mule deer. I got my camp all set up and then started to get my hunting pack ready for the morning opener. I went to get in my pack and then I realized that I had left my deer tag in my folder on my desk at home. Wow 3 hours from home with no tag what a good way to start a hunt. I went down  the mountain to get some cell phone coverage and called my wife. She said she would start driving and save me over two hours of windshield time.  What would we do without our best friends, our spouse's!
I met up with her and turned around and drove 2 hours back to the trailhead only to climb another 2 hours to my camp. It was 11.30pm before I got to bed. I did the right thing by making the effort to be legal and having my tag with me. I talked to several people that said they would have just hunted. I figured that if I did not have a tag in my pocket then the deer I killed would have been illegal. So I was good! I DID THE RIGHT THING!

Recently, I called one of my buddies. I said, “What are you doing” he said “I am skinning my deer out.” I said” So you got your Utah deer.” No I got my Colorado deer. I said “ That is great but the season does not start till Saturday. He  said “ No it starts on the 28th. I said  “OK but I think you are wrong. Well, a long story short, while we are on the phone he looks up his tag. The phone goes quite then I hear. O my God! Dennis I made a bad mistake!  So we start talking. He decides he is going to talk to his wife and then decide what to do. He asked me what I would do and I said 'no deer is worth getting in trouble over'. I would call and turn my self in. I told him to make a good example of himself and not a bad one. He is a pro staffer for several companies and he had a lot to lose if he DID NOT DO THE RIGHT THING! So this morning I get a call and he said he was going to turn him self in. I said “Great”.

I was glad that he had decided to call and turn himself in. As ethical hunters, we need to know that it is way better to confess than to hide our mistake. The fines and the embarrassment are way easier to deal with than the guilt a person would face trying to hide a violation.

He meet the officer at the state line and the officer told him that if he would not have turned himself in they could have taken his truck, and his weapon. They could have fined him a 2000.00 dollar fine, and 750 dollar trophy fee. Ultimately, they confiscated his animal and fined him a small amount.

The point I am making here is for us hunters to DO THE RIGHT THING! We need to set a good example if we do wrong. Our young people are watching every move we make. We need to set the bar high for our youth, and our peers that admire what DIY hunters do. We are the directors of the show that we are producing, so let us win an Emmy for our performance in the field of ethics and moral performances.

Good luck this season. I hope to see you at some of the shows this year. Grab your decoy and get out and hunt!!

First Blood by Tony Dopita

Courtesy of Tony Dopita

November 18, 2012.

As any typical morning hunt starts off we are faced with decisions. Where am I going to hunt, what tactics am I going to use. After my alarm went off, my wife said "I had a dream you got your deer!" Of course my response was "where at?" and "how big was he?" She wasn't much help in that department...

My typical morning drive to any of my deer hunting sites is about 30 minutes, just enough time to finalize my game plan for the hunt. I had been using my H.U.D whitetail buck and doe decoys in combinations, setting them up about 15-25 yards downwind of my tree stand. With rut in full affect and bucks more interested in breeding, rather than fighting, I wasn't having much success. So on this particular morning I decided to setup just my H.U.D. Whitetail doe decoy.

The location I was going to hunt was on a field edge, with a very strong line of active field edge scrapes. Before climbing into my tree stand I setup the decoy clipped to a barb wire fence downwind from my tree stand and the last active scrape in the line. As the sky was turning orange, I started glassing all around. Right there, about 150 yards south was the split G2 buck I was looking at pictures of the night before. I started bleating, only to see him chase the real thing.. Luckily that doe must not have been hot. I kept bleating, all of a sudden he turned and started coming in. I slowed down and softened the bleat call as he disappeared in the tree line. I kept glassing for him, as he emerged from the wooded background he instantly locked eyes with my H.U.D. doe decoy. 75 yards quickly closed to 30, where he made the fatal mistake to stop. My shot wasn't the best, but my setup was PERFECT!! This day was the shortest time I had ever sat in a tree stand. My split G2 buck was down in the dirt a few minutes before sunrise. Thanks Heads Up Decoy for making a great light weight decoy! I don't think he would of came closer than 75 yards without the decoy!!

This is Tony's first bow kill.

2012 P&Y Quebec Labrador Caribou

Contributed by Prostaffer Gary Martin

On Sept 18th 2012 I was finally successful in shooting my record P&Y Quebec Labrador caribou. It's funny how things can go in full circle. Twenty seven years ago I hunted Quebec Labrador caribou with Jack Hume's Adventures. On my last day I killed two caribou one cow and one bull. I was told the bull wouldn't make P&Y book so we cut the horns in half.  We were wrong! Five caribou hunts and twenty seven years later I was back with Jack Hume's Adventures and his son Richard and his wonderful wife Amanda were running the operation. They have an awesome outfit but, it's all about caribou. The Canadian caribou outfitters have had a rough go the last ten years or so with the caribou migration and herd populations. Many outfitters had hard times and some went out of business. The migration patterns had changed and disease impacted the caribou population. Herd numbers had exceeded one million and now were estimated at 400,000. I lost my full cost of hunt to Tuttulik  outfitters when they went out of business. Jack Hume's adjusted his business practices to remain in the game. He increased prices to purchase more camps and offer to move hunters to another camp if caribou weren't in the camp you were dropped off at.

When we arrived in camp on September 15th the guys who were there had been successful, but no animals that were P&Y class. On the second morning while we were in camp Nick saw six bulls crossing the lake right next to camp. We took after them and Nick  killed One!!!! Those were the only bulls we saw the first three days.  I was concerned after three days of minimal caribou sightings. On the fourth day Jack Hume's moved us to two other camps. The caribou were there but, it wasn't going to be a cake walk. The fifth day brought us a snow storm. It was one of those windy wet snowstorms. We were pretty bundled up with our rain suits on. My guide (Rick Drudge) and I witnessed several big bulls fighting about a 1/2 mile away. We decided to try to make a stalk on them. When we got closer I proceeded ahead on my own.
    

I was able to get within 150 yards and then I ran out of cover. I was thinking about rushing them and then I saw the group of a dozen cows standing close by and was concerned they would warn the fighting bulls. I vowed to be patient and suddenly one bull started to head in my direction. It was the smaller of the two, but I was thinking about shooting him. That quickly passed when I caught a glimpse of the bigger bull following him out of the corner of my eye. I waited for the smaller bull to walk by my hiding spot  in several small conifers. I drew on the big bull as he approached, but I was having a problem with my release because I had my rain suit hood pulled over my head. My release went off accidentally as I was trying to find my anchor point. Oh my gosh!! It shocked the bull a little but he stopped, quartering  away at a distance that was pushing the envelope on my range limitations.  I hit my anchor and released the arrow, hitting him back, but he reacted very positive from the standpoint of hitting something vital. We were able to track him with the blood on the fresh snow and before long we caught up with him. He was still alive, but we could see he was hurting because he was limping and he had bedded down several times. Once we caught up to him he was down and exhausted. I was excited but apprehensive. He was a dandy bull but I was not sure if  he would make 325 P&Y minimum.
We took a lot of pictures and then the work began. We cut, caped and quartered him. After packing him up among us we made the long hike back to camp. I slept good that night. God and my friends helped me accomplish another one of my hunting goals!

Great Friends make success even sweeter!

The next and last day of our hunt started out good. I went with Don and he was able to harvest a cow and a nice bull that day with his bow. Brian killed two nice caribou also and Nick was able to kill his second one. What a trip! We all had successfully taken one or more caribou.  Great outfitter, guides, accommodations, meal and last but not least stronger friendships. Thanks again to all. God Bless and Happy journeys. Gary

Spring Time: A Season for Shed Antlers and Longbeards

by Matt Palmquist

As hunters we all live for the fall months. September in the mountains and November pursuing rutting deer is hard to beat, but I enjoy the spring more and more. It is refreshing to get some warmer weather after enduring the cold, lack luster months bridging the gap between hunting seasons. As the days lengthen and the temperature rises it means that turkey season is approaching and exploring deer bedding areas for shed antlers is finally here. I typically avoid these areas like the plague from late summer through the fall and can’t wait for the first expedition into my core areas in search of sign left by rutting bucks and hopefully find some hard evidence that a good buck survived the deer seasons. 

I always get impatient when the warm days arrive and enter some of my areas too early. It is hard to find many antlers when you watch them all run off into the

distance. This resulted in several hikes that netted very few sheds, but it was still great to scout for sign. Several late snows kept me out for a while and allowed the deer to drop their antlers without being disturbed. I was anxious to get back a field, but the time off paid in results. Several short trips resulted in 20+ antler days, which always makes it more fun!!

 

There were still plenty of antlers left throughout the prairie, but when April finally arrived my focus was turned towards chasing love sick gobblers with my Heads Up Decoy! I was lucky enough to hunt with my brother Lucas and my nieces and nephew for the opening weekend. High winds resulted in tough hunting but we were able to use the HUD to fill a couple of tags before the weekend was over. We had to work for every opportunity we got. The birds weren’t very aggressive yet so we spent most of the time crawling towards the birds hoping to get a response. I was lucky enough to find a group of toms that were ready to challenge the encroaching turkey and arrowed my bird at 10 yards with the HUD in my bow mount. Talk about a rush!!

I still have another tag left to fill before the season is over. We are blessed in Kansas to be able to hunt until the end of May. Most years the foliage is tall and it gets hard to locate birds late in the season, but this year it has been cold and windy throughout most of April delaying spring growth close to a month. Due to Mother Nature I think the best is yet to come and I can’t wait to get back after them!! Good luck to everyone that is still out hoping to punch a tag or two!