Best Hunts
SuperCore Bags a Buck
Sometimes, deer hunting is not about getting the biggest rack. Sometimes it isn’t about anything more than making it out and making it back. If you can buy that, then SuperCore was my hero yesterday. I was hunting Midway. The food plots out there have finally filled out a bit. The deer are liking whatever it is I planted out in the Garden of Stone. There are five different mixes out there, but they all look the same. I’d hunted since first light and seen absolutely nothing. I heard one shot that sounded fairly close about 0815. That turned out … More . . .
Foxtrot Charlie Nails Another Ram
Foxtrot Charlie is back from British Columbia, this time with a stone sheep. Here’s the whole story and lots of pics: The Scoop on the Stone Sheep This post has already been read 3807 times!Views: 6 Related posts: Foxtrot Charlie Nails a Ram Deer Opener 2017 The Shaman Bags an 8-Pointer in KY Rifle Evolution of a Hunter Mister Natural and the Incident at Broken Corners Funnels and Deer Signs On the use of Turkey Decoys and Going Old School The Role of Personal Ethics in Hunting
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PODCAST: A Banded Bird at Dead Skunk
I’m now tagged out in 2025. This morning, I went out to Dead Skunk Hollow and set up in some cedars overlooking pasture at the head of the draw. Yesterday, Foxtrot Charlie had gone there in the afternoon, and worked a bird for a couple of hours before coming back to camp. While he was in the cabin, stowing his gear, I went out to the Thoughtful Spot. The bird that had given him fits had finaly showed up and was parading out in front of the blind and gobbling his head off. When Foxtrot Charlie came out we got … More . . .
Foxtrot Charlie Nails a Ram
I was on my way back to town the other day when our very own Foxtrot Charlie called me to tell me he was back from his sheep hunt in British Columbia. For the next hour FC detailed the hunt. He was still going strong when I pulled up in the driveway at home and the spell was broken. I realized I had navigated most of the 60 miles back to town in a trance. The story was that good. Although Foxtrot Charlie’s later account on the 24HourCampfire.com is excellent, getting it firsthand over the phone from a guy still … More . . .
Shaman Gets His Bird
It was a little over a year ago that I trudged out with a bird. The Cancer was back. I was starting Chemo in a few weeks. That might have been my last hunt. Here it is, a year later. The Cancer is gone. I’m still a little rocky from all the poison they shot in my veins, but I was determined to take a bird. Normally, going out to the Honey Hole, I’d have a tag or two filled by the end of April. Usually, I’d have at least one bagged the first week. This year? 16 days of … More . . .
PODCAST: T-Minus One Week at the Honey Hole
It was a bit windy, but I made it out to the Honey Hole. I was surrounded by gobblers and hens. At one point, the nearest gob flew down from his roost about 50 yards from me and made a beeline over to some rowdy hens. When I left them, there was love in the air. So here is the Podcast. I hope you enjoy it. Podcast — T-Minus 1Week Just click on the link above to listen In other doings, Angus and Moose are down for the weekend getting chores done. I gave Moose a pop-up blind for Christmas. … More . . .
Angus Scores in Turkey Opener
The 2022 Kentucky Spring Gobbler Season started about as well as any. It rained overnight but stayed in the mid-fifties. The last shower evaporated a few miles from us just as we were heading out. It looked like things were going well. They did, just not for me. Angus and Moose had a tremendous morning. I was out at the Honey Hole, due south of the cabin. There was gobbling, but nothing close. I ventured out of the blind after 0800 and put up my new experiment. I got the idea a few years ago, watching gobblers in the pre-season … More . . .
The Savage Speaks Again
It has been since 2014, but my Savage 99 kept its promise this morning. I’ve been carrying it up into the stand for The Rifle Opener since 2003. The Savage 99 in 308 WIN has only been shot at the biggest bucks. I always put it away after filling my buck tag. This morning, the Savage spoke again. You have to understand this was a pretty big thing. I was dealing with existential problems back over the summer. I even got to ask the surgeon that question you don’t want to ask: Will I be able to be in my … More . . .
Moose Nails a Whopper
Moose and Remnar went out to the new blind at Dead Skunk this morning. I went out to the Honey Hole. This was Remnar’s first turkey hunt. He had expressed interest in hunting the birds over the winter, but work intervened. I was sitting in my blind at 0738, having a very mediocre morning. All of a sudden a blast came from behind me, followed by a lot of whooping and cheering. What had happened is that Moose had bagged a big one at 25 yards in rather spectacular style. The way it was told to me, they were working … More . . .
The End of the Garbage Pit Bandit
I do not usually miss a turkey. Missing two the first week is unheard of in my long career. However, this morning was saw my second since the Opener. The first was due to taking a shot without being properly situated. The one this morning has me scratching my head. The gobblers were already sounding off a good half-hour before legal hunting this morning. It was warmer than it had been, about 48F when I sat down. That probably had a lot to do with it. I had gobs sounding off all up and down on both sides of me. … More . . .
SuperCore Scores on Opener
SuperCore continued his record of Opening Day successes with a fat 8-pointer taken as he came out from behind Broken Corners and heading into Dead Skunk Hollow. SuperCore made a brilliant neck shot and brought the bruiser down about 120 yards from his vantage at Jagendehutte. I was out at Campground and noted his shot as the 14th of the morning, occurring at 0710 ET, about 20 minutes into season. My action was far less substantial but rather humbling. about 0900 I saw one of the local hatracks come through, chasing a doe in earnest. I had heard several from … More . . .
PODCAST: The End of Pepe LePew
I was missing some pieces, so it took extra long to assemble the podcast from the hunt yesterday. The reason for the name is that the gobbler chased a unwilling hen about 400 yards, trying to mount her unsuccessfully. I couldn’t figure out why this gobbler was zig-zagging in and out of the pasture and the adjacent woods, until I saw the hen. His over-zealous attempts at mounting her eventually led to his demise. I’m convinced the hen came towards me, because she was trying to fob him off on a more willing female. The original recording lasted well over … More . . .
Deer Opener 2017
It was the coldest Opening Weekend ever for the Shamanic Dream Team. The temperature was hanging around 24F when the light came up, but there had been a good deal of action at my stand at Campground before that. I had heard a group of doe, probably being chased by a young buck come down through Soggy Bottom, just below my stand, but it was too dark to see. Over at the Blackberry Patch, Angus had been watching a young doe feeding just beneath his stand, and been contemplating a shot on her when a big 8-pointer came crashing out … More . . .
Report from Deer Camp– Opening Weekend 2016
In a lot of ways, this Opener started out as a replay of last year. By the time Angus pulled out on his way back to town Sunday afternoon, there were two big bucks on the pole, and neither of them were mine. For the second year in a row, the Patriarch of Deer Camp was left running a taxi service. The problem was I was that patriarch. Mind you, I’m not complaining, I’m just saying. However, by the time the walkie-talkie lit up with Supercore’s first call for assistance, I new my hunt was over. It had kind of … More . . .
PODCAST: Angus Rolls the Gob
We’re just in from Turkey Camp– end of Week #1 of KY Spring Gobbler Season.
In between doing battle with the gobblers, I’ve been trying to edit down the podcast of Angus’ last hunt as a yute. It was a challenge– a lot of wind noise in the original sound. Some of it may sound a little funky, and there were three setups before we finally got a shot at a gobbler.
Let me know what you think
PODCAST: Angus Rolls the Gob PT 1
PODCAST: Angus Rolls the Gob PT 2
PODCAST: Angus Rolls the Gob PT 3
NOTE: You may find that the links load slowly. If so, try right-clicking on them and downloading them to your system before playing
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PODCAST: The shaman scores in KY Opener 2012
I went out this morning with low expectations. Rain was due before Noon. I figured that there would be nothing particularly hot, but the opener is after all The Opener, right? Angus and SuperCore went out to Broken Corners. We are fairly convinced that gob that I caught on the Podcast a couple of weeks ago is indeed Mister Moto. That makes the third season he’s been gracing the Hundred Acre Wood. Angus and SuperCore went out to kill him. I went to the new blind Angus and I prepared halfway between Midway and the Honey Hole. Halfway to Midway. … More . . .
The Shaman Bags an 8-Pointer in KY Rifle
One last little coda in all this: when I went to retrieve the rest of my gear back at the stand, the doe that had been hanging out all weekend had bedded only about 10 yards away from the ladder. She rose up and started to run.
“Don’t worry.” I said. “You’re fine. I’ve got my business to do, and you have yours. I’ll get on to mine, and you go have a nice day.” I guess she had decided to figure out exactly what had been chattering at her from the stand all weekend, and camped out there determined to have an answer. Fully satisfied, she took my admonition to heart and walked off.
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The Savage Speaks Again
10 November, 2007 (Opening Day in Kentucky) 1600 EST It’s getting on past 4 PM. I just sent the rest of the family off. KYHillChick and Moose are heading back to the campground, Angus and Junior are on their way to the Jagendehutte. I’m staying at camp. I’m spent, but it’s a wonderful day out. The leaves are still on the trees—close to a month behind where they should be. It’s the sort of day you pray to God for Opening Day. My hunt is probably done for the year. I still have one tag, but I do not think … More . . .
The Savage Spoke and the Monarch of the Forest Fell
He froze. My right eye was blinded in the muzzle flash through the scope, but my left could follow him as he leapt once and then turned towards the bottom of the gully. I heard three bounds, a crash of brush, and then silence. It was 0650 on opening day. Twenty years of work had come to fruition, and a great buck had finally fallen to my hand.
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Mister Natural and the Incident at Broken Corners
As I came over the rise at the first barn, there was Mister Natural. He was blocking my way. I honked the horn, and he stood his ground. I backed down over the rise, put it in 4WD, took a deep breath and gunned it.
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Turkey Camp, 2002
Log of the Hole 19 April, 2002 1300 EDT Weather: 82F Rain predicted. Five days of Spring gobbler hunting will make any man humble. Tack on my load of 20 years of self-inflicted bad luck and Friday morning saw a man stripped of all delusions crawl out of bed and catch my reflection in the kitchen window. The forecast promised rain by 11. The kids were coming for the weekend. It had to be this morning, or probably another week, or quite possibly another season. I checked the doppler radar out of Cincinnati, and there was rain one county over. … More . . .
Spike the Wonder Buck
2001 was my first year shooting reloads. I’ve got a new farm, a new stand, I’ve got my new loads too. I’d worked all the way from January to September getting it just right. Prior to finding the farm, I’d been thinking about a combination deer/boar trip out to the Texas Hill Country, and settled on 165 Grain Hornady SP’s over IMR 4895 loaded into Remington 30-06 brass left from my first boar hunt in 1984. This load was equally accurate in my Winchester Mod 70 and my Remmie 742. Thirty minutes into the Opener, a nice deer I had … More . . .
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