I first got too know Zeeriverrat through the old H&F forum and we have stayed in contact, probably for 15 years or so. Chatting hunting and fishing, rifles etc.
Well after 15 years I finally got to meet him after a generous, longstanding offer to come and Hunt his patch was finally taken up.
My trip started with landing in Chicago, and visiting my partners sister and family who live in Michigan. Before we separated and I took a couple of connecting flights down to Memphis where Bob and his Wife Raye, also a keen hunter, picked me up. Before you knew it, I was at their hunting cabin in the middle of the Ozarks, Arkansas.
The muzzle loader season started the next day, so before dark He showed me around the block, and the stands. A mix of ground blinds, boxed high seats, and ladder stands. He also showed me how to use a doe call, and a buck call. And how to put the two together. I also, having never used a muzzle loader before, got an initiation into how to load one of the newer, straight line jobs, which was to be my weapon for the week.
Id arrived with only a carryon bag due to muck arounds with flights and short inter-flight times, so decided just to travel on carryon bag of 7kg. Luckily Bob had enough spare kit for me to walk in and start hunting.

Now one of the first things they told me was that it was going to be a tough season. It was meant to be the start of the rut, but high temperatures and a super full moon had shut things down. The expectation was that it would be very difficult to find a buck in hunting hours. They showed me the heads that had been shot in the area, and that gave me a reasonable idea of what Id be happy to take should the event arise. I enjoy the hunting more than looking for monster heads, so would be happy with a representative head from the area if I was lucky.

I was also told that the neighbour was a keen turkey hunter, and Bob had an agreement to share the deer hunting if they let him hunt Turkeys on their place. But that the Coyotes and Bobcats were wrecking havoc on the Turkey population. That it was unlikely to see either. But if i did it would be considered Unneighbourly to pass up a shot. We heard Coyotes every day/night and saw a big Bob cat on a game camera, But they are incredibly clever, and only 6 Coyotes and a couple of cats have been shot there in over a decade.

An early start next morning and I approach my initial stand. Id been given a can of synthetic doe oestrous urine, and told to spray it on some trees 40 meters either side of my boxed high seat. I did this but didnt quite understand and the result was I used a weeks worth in the first morning. Plus it had a weird locking cap that I could not work out in the dark, and the damned thing went off in my pocket too. Resulting in me walking about smelling like a horny doe, and taking a gun to bed for fear of being molested by a buck as I slept.

The box stand was set up in the forest, on the edge of a bush trail that intersected about 40 meters right, with a fire break. Fifty meters left was a timed feeder right on the edge/just inside the line of a large undergrowth thicket.Once up in the stand, I had an office roller chair to sit on, and 3 opening windows situated front, right and left. Its a very clever set up. You close the window where the wind comes from, and your scent just does not disperse, while the roller chair lets you comfortably sit for 6+ hours a day, and move your position to cater for the windows you wish to shoot from.
In my time there I had upwards of 20 deer come within 10 meters of me, and only one smelt me! Bob would be hunting the other end of the block while Raye was holding out for the rifle season after Muzzleloader season.

Daylight slowly filtered through the canopy and as a kiwi, I was really interesting to see a northern hemisphere forest wake up. Chipmunks, squirrels, Armadillos. Small songbirds, owls, crows etc. All making noise at some point and bustling about. Lots to keep one interested and entertained. Once close too shooting light I did exactly what Bob had told me and used the doe and buck callers in sequence.

This is an important tip, and one I was fortunate to be told on my First overseas trip many years back by another recognisable name from Aussie. Gryphon. He told me to listen too the local guy and do what he recommends, even if it doesn’t seem to make sense.

So I called how I was shown, and then as told, called again 15 minutes later.
Id hardly put the caller down, when a noise too my right drew my attention. Immediately out walked Buck! he was coming straight in fast and searching. As he got closer i realised he was incredibly, a nice representative head for the area. My inexperience didnt allow me to judge age of finer factors. Just that he was big enough and met the legal requirements. Given the tough conditions I decided pretty quickly to take him rather than risk seeing something else later.
It was difficult getting the gun out the window and levelled without him noticing. By this stage he is within 15 meters, and quite focussed on my direction. But I got it there and as I drew sight on his shoulder and clicked off the safety, his eyes went wide and he stiffened. At nine yards I squeezed the trigger, and the gun went click-hissssss- bang! As much as I tried to keep the gun still, I had the sensation Id moved a bit.

There was no wind, and the cloud of smoke obscured everything for quite some time. I heard something crash off in the direction I fired, and then another noise right and behind the blind. Slowly the smoke cleared and I was very surprised to see no dead deer in front of me.
Bobs voice came through on the radio, asking if id shot? yep, but im unsure if I got it, due too it not laying there and the hangfire. He decides to come over, and I climb down from the stand and take the short walk too where the Buck had stood. Scuff marks on ground. No hair, blood or body parts, No bullet impact crater. I decide to wait for Bob before going any further and reload the gun. He arrived and I tell him I’m unsure and why. He says that they hardly ever fall on the spot with the Muzzle loader. Even though its 50 cal, and its usually a tracking job. So we start.
The ground is very dry and prints are hard to follow, but we soon pick up a small smear of blood, followed by the odd small drop. Dark blood but not much. So we know Ive hit it. The blood doesn’t last long though, and we are tying blue ribbon at each spot to get the line, looking for scuffs and running marks. Probably 40 minutes gos by and we have covered 60 meters. Then another spot of blood which leads towards a line of low brush and potentially a bit that looks like an animal might have pushed through. Sure enough there is a big smear of blood between knee and waist high, with some more spots on the ground and another smear on a leaf with a bit of bone attached. Bob is tracking well, so I start to survey the area incase a wounded deer presents. About 60 meters further down the hill I spot something white. I glass it and its the belly of an upturned dead deer.
Hand shakes and back slaps as we get up too him. A nice representative head for the area. Im pretty stoked! Cant believe my luck.



We go through the tagging process etc and get him back too the cabin for processing etc before the heat of the day builds. Its opening day and there are maybe 5 hours between ringing in the tag and a call back too take details. Thats a lot of deer killed! But Arkansas Is a big place full of hunters. The projectile has gone in mid high shoulder breaking the leg, angled down through the lungs, cut the aorta, and just broken the skin but not exited on far side a touch behind the shoulder.

That afternoon we head around to Bobs mate, Kens place for a beer and chat hunting. Ken asks me if Im hunting again this afternoon and I reply that i’m on lawn mowing duty for the rest of week as Im tagged out. Turns out id misread the rules and they tell me, no, I have another Tag for another buck I can fill. Thats an awesome bit of news! and so unexpectedly I find myself back on the stand that evening.
Im sitting watching and waiting, not expecting much, when movement out of the corner of my eye makes me look too my left. Just in time to see a large grey Coyote slink across the track. No time to get the gun up before it’s in cover again, so out comes the phone and I quickly get a youtube vid of a squealing rabbit playing. The yote doesn’t come in, or at least I never see it anyway.
Back at camp that Night , Bob tells me they wont come in too a call, and that I should have whistled and sometimes they will stop long enough to get a shot.

To be continued...

Great result Craig! You would hunt a long time on Stewart Island to get one like that. I'm in Doha on my way to Maasailand.

Sounds like you are going to be having some fun then too.

The next Morning finds me in the same spot. A bit after daylight and I hear a slight noise behind the stand. I glance right and just catch sight of a coyotes tail moving through the brush about 10 meters out. Quickly and quietly I start bringing the rifle up, but make a very slight noise on something. The Coyote jumps sideways about 5 meters and stops behind cover listening. Turns parallel too the track and I watch as it slips away under cover. I curse myself and think damn it, i’ve stuffed it up! he then stops again. all I can see is bits and pieces of fur at 40 meters. Then he turns back and crosses the track out into the open. Im ready, safety is off and Im on him. I give a sharpe whistle and sure enough he pauses and looks my way. At that instant I pull the trigger. This time there is no hangfire, just a satisfying boom, another cloud of smoke, and a dead dog kicking on the spot when the smoke clears.
Bob calls with a “What the hell have you shot now?”
I tell him a Yote, and head down. Pick it up by the back legs and carry it well out of the hunting area so it doesn’t leave a scent trail, before returning too the stand. Im pretty happy! A coyote skin is one thing I always wanted to add too my skin collection. Ive watched countless you tube vids of hunting them and it always seem like fun and something to try. Lets say that an American whitetail buck and a Coyote were two
Id very happily ticked off my hunting bucket list in my first two days.
The 50 cal had made quite a dent in the skin, front of shoulder, too mid neck, but im not worried. Ill get it tanned as is as a hanging skin to put with some old traps at some point.



The rest of the morning was pretty quiet, understandably. I head back for lunch and a look at the gut and bone pile from my buck. It was all ready half demolished by buzzards and by next day there would only be a few small bits of bone and a grease patch on the forest floor. Bob had told me how they would devour it. But it was still hard to believe until i saw it myself.
The afternoon was pretty quiet, just a spiker and doe came into the feeder and it was a pleasure just to watch them and try some calls to see their reactions and learn something from that.

Good stuff Shanks

Had a bit of fun with success too old fella,good onya.

Next morning and I was back in the same stand. It seemed to be where all the action was, and Bob was very generous in letting me continue to sit there after my luck so far.

Things really took off this morning. By 10 am I was left stunned at what had gone on. Shortly after shooting light I gave a series of calls and movement down the trail just after that revealed a nice buck coming in. As he approached I tried to evaluate him. But honestly its hard when you have such limited first hand experience. He was a nice even 4x4, with quite a bit of height, But I felt he was not significantly better than the one Id shot, so was happy to just take photos and watch and learn.
Later Bob would tell me Id made the right call as he was narrower than mine and the antlers would probably fit inside mine.
After that it was a steady patrol of young Bucks sneaking through around me. Five in total over the hour. You had to be really alert as they would come in quiet as and it was quite exciting hearing an animal only meters away behind you stand, or catching a glimpse of hair etc in the tree line. One unseen Buck rushed up through the thicket at the calls, but would not come out and slunk away again. Im sure it was this guy that seemed to be a ghost around me for the next few days. I knew he was there, But would just catch a noise or shadow moving through the foliage. Once just a bit of hair and top of two tines close behind the stand.
There was very little shooting going on in the area, and we were starting to draw the conclusion that my mistake with the doe scent might be drawing in a lot of the areas deer. Its something Bob is going to experiment with in future, as his side of the block had very little deer movement in daylight.

Id meant too get a decent camera before the trip. But somehow it got forgotten about, so sorry at image quality. I do really regret not having a better one.

Well the next couple of days are starting to get hot. I see a few more deer, A couple of Trash Pandas visit the feeder, But I don’t wish too shoot one with the 50 cal as it will wreck the pelts. I start to carry a .22 as well as the ML in case they show again, But they dont.
Each day there is this Buck that sneaks about in the shadows and thick cover. I hear him, see the odd glimpse, But he never lets me really identify him. The days are getting harder and there is less action, But its still very enjoyable, and really interesting putting things together. Like how the first sign that deer will show is the squirrels. If the squirrels are not present and active, you just wont see a deer. As squirrel activity builds up, get ready the deer will be moving too. The deer are also avoiding the direct area where I shot the Coyote, so despite my efforts some scent is putting them off a bit. Despite this the hunting is really enjoyable and I feel Im learning alot and thinking how I can translate it too use back home. Ken and his wife Patti come round, and we visit them again. I got to say, Bob and Ken put a massive amount of time into Creating habitat and attractive places for the deer and other wildlife to live. Feed plots, little meadows, removing unwanted tree species you name it. Its the old adage that you get out what you put in.
There is a massive amount of observation required too. Its taken years to get to know the property and how and why and when the deer use it. So that they can position stands etc in positions that will give a decent chance.

One afternoon Im in the stand, and a doe with a couple of fawns comes into the feeder. They are cool to watch. The deer don’t seem to guzzle the feed. Instead they stay for maybe 10 minutes and pick at it before heading on. This is what this group does and I watch them walk my way and head back into cover. Just after they leave I notice a small movement under the feeder. Its only 50 meters away, but hard to see and I think squirrel. But take a look with the binos anyway. Bloody hell its an antler! and I realise that a Buck has slipped in useing the cover and is sneaking a feed. Hes big and as I watch him I come to suspect he’s substantially bigger than the one i’ve shot. He also knows exactly how to use the cover and I start thinking hes probably the ghost thats been about.
I quietly bring the Muzzle loader too my shoulder and hold it on him ready. Now If I had of had my 270. Or indeed any reasonable centerfire rifle in my hands. I would be telling you about another dead Buck right now. But Im aware at least to some extent that the rifle I do have is not as accurate as Id wish, that while there are some good clear avenues for a shot, there is alot of material. Sicks, saplings and vines etc about too. Plus Im not experienced with black powder weapons. The buck also, gives me only short windoes of opportunity and the best one is a quartering away shot just before he fades back into cover. Three thoughts are on my mind. Who dares wins, I could fuck this up, and if I dont disturb him he might offer a better chance tomorrow.
In the end, and this is you realise, all going through my mind in a few seconds, I decide there is too much chance ill end up with a deer shot in the front leg but not in the chest, and let him walk. I do see him again too. On the last night Bob, Raye and I are sitting at the cabin having a beer, when a green light gos on at a feeder 70 meters away. I go and grab some binos and there he is, a big wide 5x5 whos top tines make his main beam tine look short because of their length. I let out an audible Ohhh!
But I have no regrets. I seldom wound an animal and its because Im careful. I have a great head from my experience and no action or event to detract from the great week ive had. Its a far better tale to tell of the one that got away, than it is of the one lost.

I hunt the next morning, which turns out to be my last hunt, and the place turns on another unforgettable experience for me. Out of nowhere only 15 minutes after I enter the stand, when its till only just light enough to see indistinct silhouettes close by. The forest around me is buzzing with the sound from every quarter, of deer moving. As light gathers the indistinct forms turn into 6 does and yearlings, which spend quite some time feeding all around me, even right beside the box. Most of the photos I took didnt turn out due too the darkness, But one might give you some idea.




That afternoon we are invited back too Ken and Patti’s place for a beer. One turns into a few and its a great way to spend an early afternoon, talking hunting and rural life etc. Bob says we might miss the evening hunt and I really don’t care. Listening to guys talk of Caribou, Elk and bears, Dall rams and tough recoveries. Hardships in pursuit of adventure. And of course telling a few of my own and laughing at some of the silly stuff we all do too, is a great part of what I love about heading overseas to hunt with locals who are doing it there way.

A big thanks To Bob/ Zeeriverrat and Raye! for their generosity and the marvellous experiences. As well as Ken and Patti for their hospitality too.

Craig:
Great write up. Enjoyed every word of it.

Glad you had such an enjoyable hunt and visit with friends.
No regrets is the main goal.
And you sure don't have any this trip.

Thank you for sharing with us.

George

Looks like you will soon be hosting some of the US crew on the Sth Island shanks.

Sounds like a good time was had.

Good on ya, Craig!

Our rut hasn't started yet and rifle season opens November 9th. Wifezilla and two of my daughters are hunting opening day.

Great hunt for you!

quote:

Originally posted by gryphon1:
Looks like you will soon be hosting some of the US crew on the Sth Island shanks.

Hope so, An Aussie or two would be great as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
Good on ya, Craig!

Our rut hasn't started yet and rifle season opens November 9th. Wifezilla and two of my daughters are hunting opening day.

Looks like you have a few deer about too.

A 'better' camera shanks for next time. It would have been a handy tool in your pack.

Yep. Id intended too. Just somehow in the craziness of organising it was forgotten.

Shanks,

Nice write up on your adventure in Arkansas.

Mark

HaH!

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
Good on ya, Craig!

Our rut hasn't started yet and rifle season opens November 9th. Wifezilla and two of my daughters are hunting opening day.

Interesting story, Craig, and I'm glad you scored. The feeder and steam-punk technology make me wonder, though.

You shouldn't leave such an open ended statement hanging like that Paul.

What do you wonder?

Well, Craig, I wonder if it is sporting to shoot over feeders, salt licks etc. But I've been caught on the other side of the matter; on an NZ deer park 45 years ago I picked a few pellets from a feeder, thinking to offer them to nearby hinds. The deer didn't see the joke, though, and one of them bit me on the back.

Bolt-action muzzleloaders are just a bit naughty because they are not really atavistic, traditional weapons but a sneaky way for people to get an extra week or two's hunting.

I don't blame you or even your buddy, who was just following the local practices. When we hunt distant places as guests we really have to play the game as our hosts see and present it, and I've been in worse situations than that.

S338 I suggest that you save the feather picking for the antis instead of having a go at your own hunting brethren`s hunting methods.

Sitting on fringe country gullies where deer are gonna come down to improved pasture? Its kosher isnt it?

+1

George

Having spent the week with the local hunters and talking about such things. I feel thats a little simplistic.

The tag I bought allowed me a maximum of 6 deer. I could have taken my deer with a bow, Muzzleloader, or rifle. It just happened the week I was there, it was Alternative weapon season. Most of the hunters are shooting for the pantry. The different seasons are a great compromise between those that wish to go fully traditional- examples Longbow/recurve, for purely the atavistic side as you say. Or compound and crossbow if you are more focussed on just hunting. Likewise there will have been a number of people who would have taken too the hills with a flintlock because thats thier joy. and the restrictions in place allow others who dont particularly wish to do that, to get thier venison without unduly effecting those that do. The season also allowed straight walled centerfires cartridges.

Im sure the feeders provide a focus point for sure. But as you can see from the report, there were other factors in play, as Bob Hardly had a deer through his stand in the entire week.

Stangely a similar culture around hunting whitetail has developed in NZ, where its well recognised on stewart island that to be successful- especially with bows etc, you pick a spot and create a tree stand, then cut their favourite tree food species to hang at the stand. So im not alien too the idea. However we dont do it with any other deer species, so maybe its a technique developed to deal with certain habits of that particular deer. I dont ever recall seeing it done for mule deer or Elk either?

But what all that ignores, Is that the technology that had the most impact on success, was the oldest, most traditional one. The hide/ tree stand. Having never used one before myself. I was astounded at how effective a tool it turned out to be.

In my area if you buy an annual deer license, it's good for one antlered deer and three antlerless deer. You can buy additional licenses for four more antlerless deer with no limit on the number of licenses that you purchase.

Since I own my land (>5 acres) I can shoot one antlered deer and unlimited antlerless deer without purchasing a license at all.

Yes, matters of sportsmanship can be personal - but if we don't draw our own lines in the sand the antis will connive with governments to do it for us, in trumps.

No, John, I don't mind shooting over pastures at the edge of forest and, if I owned the land, I might even plant some species there that deer like. However, as a 45-year member of the Australian Deer Association, I doubt that the ADA would approve of feeders outside of pens. I think its opposition to recreational use of spotlights etc maintains the high moral ground, showing up the dark greenies' species-cleaning demands.

What is done in the US is America's business, of course; I was just noting some philosophical talking points.

To be fair paul. You weren't noting something in a philosophical manor. You were being a dick in a passive aggressive manor.

Philosophical would have been asking questions before making a judgement.

Now I spent 9 years on the board of a NZ fish and game region. My host and his mate spent a good part of thier lives working for the forest service. One of the topics regularly discussed and acted on by us and our scientists, was the role of feeding in relation to management of harvests, hunter satisfaction and success. As well as wildlife conflicts with other groups, like farmers. At times when populations are high, we allow it. At times of depression we halt it. At other times of the year we create seasons explicitly for harvesting on crops, but not over water.
Other areas of discussion are electronic motion decoys, number of shots, methods of boat use etc.
What I learned and took from that, is that where any method is allowed, or not allowed under a proper scientific management system, there are good reasons and complex issues that have been thought about and discussed.

Perhaps instead of focussing on aspects you deemed negative in the way you did, You might have recognised that I refrained from taking a shot because of a far more important ethical consideration, that is more likely to have an impact by anti hunters and hunting.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
Interesting story, Craig, and I'm glad you scored. The feeder and steam-punk technology make me wonder, though.

Is that what you're referring to as passive-aggressive, Craig?

Obviously I'm too old understand this newspeak. I do get the message when someone calls me a dick, though.

I haven't completely absorbed your bit about feeding game but the mention of fish invites thoughts on whether spreading burly is fair chase.

I do recall that around Jackson Hole in Wyoming they would put out bales of hay for the elk, to get them through the winter after the hunting season, and I see nothing wrong with that.

Yes.

Good.

There was a second message though too. I took the time afterwards to explain.

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
In my area if you buy an annual deer license, it's good for one antlered deer and three antlerless deer. You can buy additional licenses for four more antlerless deer with no limit on the number of licenses that you purchase.

Since I own my land (>5 acres) I can shoot one antlered deer and unlimited antlerless deer without purchasing a license at all.

Thats pretty good! Looking at your photos on FB Frank, I get the impression you are pretty happy just seeing them and cant imagine you'd go overboard shooting the does.

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
In my area if you buy an annual deer license, it's good for one antlered deer and three antlerless deer. You can buy additional licenses for four more antlerless deer with no limit on the number of licenses that you purchase.

Since I own my land (>5 acres) I can shoot one antlered deer and unlimited antlerless deer without purchasing a license at all.

Thats pretty good! Looking at your photos on FB Frank, I get the impression you are pretty happy just seeing them and cant imagine you'd go overboard shooting the does.

We take two does a year off our property for the freezer. The F&G people would like us to take more and honestly we probably should, to maintain a healthy balance.

What do you think of CWD Frank, is it in your area and do you test your deer before consumption?

It was great to finally meet Craig and get to share a camp and a few days hunting. I can say I’ve never had a week of hunting at our place like Craig experienced. One thing is clear! He is one lucky bugger!

And Im none too proud to take the luck when i can get it. Ive had plenty of trips too the otherwise.

Though I think maybe your preparation etc may have something to do with it. Local Knowledge trumps most other cards i think.