The Eye of the bear

The "Eye of the Bear" I call this one...these guys are curious, and somewhat fearless. The next picture is of him grazing in the high ridge food plot. Strange to see a bear grazing just like a cow, but they do...

In the mean time we are preparing deer camp for the pounding use it will get over the next three months. Ten to fifteen guys will be in and out, eating, sleeping, hunting, and when they arrive in the fall, they know it will always be prepared, tons of firewood, stove and grill ready, propane full, water jugs filled etc. In return, they bring stories of out West, down South hunts, work experiences, family stories, friendship, laughter, jokes, show off new guns, bows, you name it. Above are photos of the inside of camp as I write. Still some sweeping out to do and supplies to get in, but it'll be ready for our first bow weekend October 9. There will not be any organized camp or hunting here until then. I may try for a bear (our season ends the 21st of this month in this unit) and may arrow a buck or meat deer before then, but I don't like any serious pressure in these woods until we hold a full camp. Tends to raise the success rate for those that travel far and can't make all the camps. Left to do, finish staining the porch, replace a kinked propane heater copper gas line I kinked and rewash the pots and pans. Then we are all set. Bow season opens September 15th, but I won't be in my stand until the 1st unless it is cool. Then on October 9th we'll have a non-stayover bow weekend. Then no more hunting until the weekend of October 31st when I'll have a non-stayover muzzle loader hunt. Quiet after that until the weekends of November 13th and 20th, when we'll have our three day campover rifle weekends. After that the hunters are allowed pretty much to hunt here whenever they have time up through December 15th as long as they stick with the QDM rules we have set. By the third week of November most of us have tagged out so anyone out there is pretty much alone. Kinda nice actually.

So, back to the standing deer target for another leisurely week or two of practice. I feel quite confident now, pretty much confining myself to the forty yard exercises. One thing I have worked at, and never mastered, is ranging for bow distances. Therefore I ALWAYS use a rangefinder and my first job once in stand is to range everything in sight, so I know what pin to use. It's the only way for me. So, I wish you all the best of luck this bow season, please let me know how you do, and your methods. I love learning new tricks! Jack