Predator

No, this is not a movie review of Predator starring Arnold Schwhatshisname.   This is a short story about a recent hunt of mine that ended, well, unexpectedly.

I was in the stand about 4:30ish.  Maybe some people will get on to me and be like "be in the stand earlier!" Don't care.  I've got it down to where I know deer appear around 6 in the early season and 5:15 in the late season.  So I'm there a while before the deer are.  After about an hour and a half, right at 6, I look right and there is a 6 point buck, he just kind of appeared, I never heard him walk up, but ok then.  Not big enough to shoot (maybe half the size of the 8 point I got last year) , I decided to let him pass, a doe came out.  I stood up slowly when the deer weren't looking, but I never got a shot on the doe.  They simply walked off into the woods at my 2 o'clock.  Still standing after about 5 or so minutes, I look to my left into the woods at my 9 o'clock.  I see 4 legs walking through the brush, but I notice it's not a deer...this is a coyote.  Now I beg for him to turn right, towards my stand, so that I could have a shot.  Sure enough, he does.  I wait till his head goes behind a tree to draw, and hold on my anchor point and aim.  The coyote, after coming from behind the tree, is still hidden by briars grown up next to the tree.  I hold the bow back for another 10 or 15 seconds (forgive me for inaccurate time, it seemed like I held the bow forever when it was probably just a few moments), and finally I get a shot.  20 yards, WHAP!  The sound of an arrow hitting its mark.  The coyote did not make it a few feet before it fell, the Muzzy Mx-4 having done it's work.  After giving it a few minutes to expire, I got down from the stand to see my first coyote kill.

Sorry for the blurry selfie

Now to attempt at a deer!  Keep hunting and stay safe! 

Summer Pictures

Been a while since I've done one of these!  I honestly haven't had my camera out very much this year, so I don't have a ton of pictures, but heres a few I have gotten recently:

Most of the coyotes in my area have been trapped by neighbors, but looks like at least one got away...

I saw these bucks hanging out with each other, or another deer, a lot.  During the summer, it is interesting to note that while bucks are normally solitary animals (with the exception of the rut), during the summer they will group up together in "bachelor groups".  Sometimes these groups will contain up to 4 or 5 animals (possibly more!)

Ooh, nice little 8 point

And I believe this is him again

I know it's a very short post, but I hope you enjoy the pictures!

NC State Parks: Hanging Rock

A few weeks ago (I am very behind!) I was able to go to Hanging Rock State Park in NC.  I would highly recommend this park, and here is why:
1.Great hiking trails.  Trails surround the park lake, go to an observation point, and of course lead to the hanging rock, the main attraction.
2.Fishing.  While I didn't catch anything, sadly, I still had fun in the parks lake.  I tried fly fishing and regular spinning rod.  Fly fishing wasn't easy because you could only do it in select spots and the fish weren't biting flies or regular lures (timing may have played a part, it was mid afternoon). Oh well.  And, there is also more fishing in the Dan River, which borders the park.  Which brings me to my next attraction.
3. Boating.  More specifically, kayaking or canoeing.  You can rent a boat for the lake, but you are free to bring your own boats for the Dan River section of the park.
4. Swimming.  In the summer, swimming is open in the park lake.

5. Opportunity for pictures.  Great scenery, especially from the top of the mountain or observation tower (even the visitor center!), provide great places to take pictures.

You gotta try it sometime.

Spring Season

Since the last post, I haven't been up to too much, yet that doesn't mean I've done nothing!

Back in April, I went to Cabela's and shopped around for some fly fishing gear.  I had to be careful looking around because, given enough time, I would buy the store!

After I got the fly fishing lures at Cabela's, which were poppers, the family and I decided a week later that it would be a great day to kayak.  I took my fly rod, of course.  And I brought an ultralight, which I let my siblings use.  I started using a small frog popper and had a lot of luck, if you consider bites and not set hooks luck.  The panfish were just too small to get their mouths around the hook.  I was ready to try a smaller popper when I realized, I had left my tackle bag on shore with my siblings.  So, I continued fishing.  Eventually, I got lucky and a small bass bit the lure and didn't let go.  Yay!

Also in April, the mount of the 8 point I shot back in November was finished!  I got him back and he is now on my wall.  Shout out to Jeff Poston of Living Image Taxidermy for doing a great job!  I would definitely recommend him!

The picture does not do it justice!

That's all for now!

The End of a Season

On January 2nd, the 2016-2017 deer season ended in North Carolina.  With that, I had a few thoughts looking back on it.  Not to mention personal records :) Always have to have those.

• Record: I harvested my biggest buck to date, a nice 8 point.  You can see details here
• Record: I harvested two does in one night, one may have been my biggest ever.
• Record: All three of the deer I shot this season were during Thanksgiving week, does on Tuesday, buck on Saturday.
• Lesson: I learned that you should never shoot from a position your not comfortable with.  I should have already known that, but I know now.  I was crouching in a weird way, not sure exactly how I was positioned.  It cost me another doe, whom I missed...twice.  I was 3 for 3 before that night, now I hit 3 of 5 shots...ouch.
• Lesson: Never give up.  The buck I got is the first big one I got after six years of hunting.  Six years!  You will get one if you hunt long enough and try hard enough.  
• LIFE TIP!! I should also mention that prayer helps tremendously.  I prayed for that buck that evening, and he came.  No, not every single one of my prayers are answered, but without prayer, I don't think I could have shot that deer.  Why, you ask?  I had never seen that deer before, in person or on camera.  It was a gift from God Himself.  When He gives you a gift (whatever it may be, even a deer), thank Him for it.

Hope you all enjoyed this, and enjoy what's left of the North Carolina snow!