AHAMO ARCHERY CLUB August 19, 2003 August 2003 Newsletter CLUB OFFICERS President: Bill Rhoades (932-0417) Vice President: Bill Lewis (498-9364) Secretary: Dave Wise (498-0186) Treasurer: Dave Holthouse (291-0211) Trustees: Ed Rebarich (345-7608) Steve Murphy (291-7554) Sergeant at Arms: Dick Sousa (592-8045) News Editor: Lee Pereksta (592-3856) 3D Coordinator: Mike Vandeman (332-4625) VP of Indoor: John Terfone (738-1692) Indoor range phone (734-7272)
Key Dates to Remember
September 5 Workparty 6:00PM Outdoor range September 6,7 Ahamo Outdoor 3D September 7 Workparty 1:30 to pick up targets at the outdoor range September 8 7:00 Club meeting,indoor range
August Club Meeting
There were 10 members at the August meeting. We discussed the last outdoor of the year, planned for September 6 and 7, next year’s Wahoo shoot, and some stuff missing from the outdoor range.
New members:
There was one new member voted in at the meeting. Ken Peel and his wife Debbie are our newest members; Welcome to the Ahamo Archery Club.
3D News
The August shoot went very well. There was plenty of help and Mike Vandeman thanked everyone for their support. We had almost 140 shooters for the 2 day shoot. Thanks to all that helped and to all that came out to shoot in our 3D. Lets hope we get as good a turnout for the September shoot
The next shoot will be September 6 and 7. The workparty to set up will be on Friday the 5th at about 6:00. The tear down will start on Sunday as soon as one of the ranges is clear. That will probably be a little after 1:00. We will need a lot of help that day, since it is the last shoot of the year and we will need to bring in all of the targets. If you can make it out to help, it will be much appreciated. The more help we get, the easier it will be.
We would also like a big turn out for the shoot, so come on out to shoot. It’s our last outdoor shoot of the year, and could be your final chance to check your set-up before deer season starts.
Missing:
Some of our equipment seemed to have walked away from the outdoor range. If someone borrowed it and forgot to mention it, please let us know or just bring it back. We’re missing a couple of the large white tables and a water jug.
Hunting Season News
It is less than a month till Deer Season starts in Nebraska. I hope everyone has been staying in shape and getting their gear together. I had a little bit of a set back this year, with some minor surgery a few weeks ago. I haven’t been able to shoot my bow for about a month and will need to start getting into a serious practice routine to be ready for the season to start.
By now you should be in decent shape and have your bow pretty much tuned in. In a week or so, you should start practicing with broadheads and re-tuning your bow if needed. Remember that Broadheads do shoot different that field points and you will probably need to re-set sights before the season starts.
There are lots of things you can do now to get yourself ready for the season to start. Check your stands and be sure all the nuts and bolts are tight and your straps or chains are in good shape. Check your broadheads for sharpness and replace blades if needed. Check your camo and back packs, inventory all of your gear to be sure you have what you need for field dressing, tracking, and first aid. Be sure you have your safety belt, extra batteries and flash lights, plus mosquito protection. Your knives need to be sharp, camo repaired and washed. boots water proofed, and you will need tarps or plastic to protect your vehicle.
I’m getting tired just thinking about this stuff, and I know there is still a lot more than what is mentioned above to get ready. I still need to buy my permits, set up a few stand sights, and help teach one more bowhunter education class this year. If you or anyone you will be hunting with still need that bowhunter education card before the 15th, it’s almost too late. You should get on the phone now and contact Game and Parks to find out where and when the next class is.
Ahamo Big Game Awards
If you are lucky enough to get a deer this year, don’t forget to call or Email me with information on your deer (Lee 592-3856 hunterlee@msn.com). Ahamo has a nice plaque we give to everyone that gets a deer as a member of our club and plates for each deer you get. If you already have a plaque you will get plates for it each year until it is full. When you give me information on your deer, please let me know if you will need a plaque or just a plate for your deer.
Ahamo also has a big buck award for the deer scoring the highest every year. Racks are scored before the end of the year, and are not within the official drying period. Measurements are ‘unofficial’ and will not qualify you for Pope and Young awards. They are only used for the Ahamo big buck award. Just call me if you want your rack scored and bring it down to a club meeting so I can measure it.
State News
I recently received a letter from Fontenelle Forest. Besides the special Fontenelle Forest hunt in December, there is also a special hunt at Neal Woods in November. Only Fontenelle Forest hunters will be allowed to participate in that hunt. The hunt is for Doe only and is for one weekend only.
Newsletter Items
If you are a club member and have an item for sale, send me the information to put in the newsletter. Also, if you have an interesting deer story or any archery tips you would like to share with club members please send them to me for the newsletter.
My Email address is: hunterlee@MSN.com
For Sale:
Double Bull T5 Blind: 6x6x6 retails for about $450 will sell for $300. Scott Specht... 443-5068
A short hunting Story:
I have some more space to fill in this newsletter, so here’s a quick hunting story:
How long should you wait after you shot before tracking your deer? I’d be interested in what other hunters do - so send me your comments and any stories you may have.
I have a half hour rule of thumb I follow, but I vary that depending on how fast the sun is setting, or how close it is to raining or snowing. One year I waited my half hour and tracked a little too soon. I jumped the deer and elected to keep tracking since it was still leaving a good blood trail and I didn’t want to allow it to bed down and have the wound stop bleeding. I jumped it twice more before it ran out of steam and died.
One other year, the arrow went through I wasn’t sure where I had hit it. The deer acted like it wasn’t hit and just walked away. I quietly crept out of the woods and waited almost 3 hours before tracking, only to find the deer only 30 yards further down the trail.
One other time, I shot during the last half hour of shooting light. I thought it was a good hit, and due to the approaching darkness I only waited until the woods quieted down before getting down to track. That decision was a disaster. I found blood that was spotty and kept on it. I found where the deer had laid down about 80 yards from my stand, and from that point on there was nothing. I circled and searched for blood for at least an hour without finding anything else. Then I started circling and walking trails looking for the deer. I finally gave up and chalked it up to a bad hit. The next time I hunted, while walking out I found the deer in a ravine about 100 yards from where I gave up looking. If I had only waited the minimum half hour It might have died right where I found it had laid down. Even though it was dark I should not have started tracking so soon.
The standard rule of thumb is a half hour wait before tracking on a good hit. If you are not certain of the hit wait at least an hour. If you know for sure it is a stomach hit or worse, wait 2 to 4 hours. Trail only sooner than normal if rain is imminent, and then trail very cautiously. Approaching darkness is no longer a concern for me - I will wait for at least a half hour on all hits.
As I said, I would appreciate comments from others on how long they wait, or any tips you may have on how to judge when to start tracking. Just remember, bow hunting is a waiting game, and waiting just a little longer won’t hurt a thing. It may even help.
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