Wildman Co-Hosts Dudley Hall (L) and Russell Thornberry
Trying to describe the Wildman event isn’t easy because there is nothing to compare it with, but this year, thanks to my dear friend and expert videographer, David Arabia, from Hollywood, California, our 2011 event was filmed for your viewing pleasure. So men, click on the video below and see what you’re missing and plan on joining us in June!
For the 2012 Wildman event (June 1-3) we have a capacity of 40 men and you must either pre register online at http:/www.lfbc.net or call 800 838-2975. The price is $195 Canadian per person and the minimum age is 14. Men are already registering so act now to secure your reservations. Click here to register online.
Spirit of the North Elk Hunt
Barkley Gannon of Mobile, Alabama, with his 2011 Spirit of the North archery bull.
I still have a few spots available for the Spirit of the North trophy elk hunt for Sept. 3-7, 2012. For full information and details click on RTO Tripsfor additional information and prices.
S4 Gear Jackknife Smartphone Bow Mount
I just knew somebody would come along and do this – and the guys at S4 Gear did! It’s the S4 Gear Jackknife Smartphone Bow Mount - (Price - $44.99). No kidding: for you bowhunters who wish you could have a cameraman with you – now you can, but without the extra space and movement restraints! This clever little device attaches to your bow riser and allows you to mount your cell phone in it so that you can film what you shoot – or at least what you aim at!
The Jackknife’s Universal design fits all bows, right or left handed, even with quiver and sight attached. The highly adjustable cradle mounts fits virtually any smart phone with or without a protective case. Its compact design allows it to fold flush against the riser when not in use and therefore fits in most bow cases. The Jackknife features a Quick Detach that lets you remove your phone for storage. Oversized knobs make for easy adjustments even when wearing gloves. The protective Foam Lining holds your phone securely in place while guarding it against shock and vibration.
So, there ya go, you social media bowhunters. You can film your hunts and send them to your friends before you even climb down from your stand! But be sure and wear your safety vests and lifelines so you accidentally film your last descent!
"ONE FOR THE ROAD"
In case you have heard rumors about another Russell Thornberry singer/songwriter album under way, it is true -- and it has been true now for more than a year. However, at my age, you don’t just rush into these things! I suppose that I am about half way through the process of a finished product, but we won’t know that for sure until it is finished, and that is a subject of some question. But for now, suffice to say that I am working on it. There will be 10 certifiably insane, new, self-penned songs following in the footsteps of my last recording project entitled, Lonesome in the Saddle, which, by the way, is available on my product page. As a teaser, since I know you’re all waiting on the edge of your seats for this, here are some of the upcoming song titles: Co-Dependent Waltz, Since Mama Passed Her Stone, Facebook Junky, You Aint Nobody ‘Til Somebody Shoots You, and as they say in country music – much, much more. I’ll keep you posted on the progress of this project. In the meantime do all you can to convince yourself you want to purchase this classic piece of musical artristry. I’ll be glad you did!!
J Alberta Outfitter, JohnRivet, and yours truly with my soggy "Fireball" black bear.
As I drove past the smoldering remains of the town of Slave lake that had been leveled by a horrible forest fire just a few weeks previous, it was hard to believe how dry it must have been as the rain fell on my windshield so hard that the wipers could barely keep up with the deluge.
There were three days left in the Alberta black bear season and I was headed North to spend them with my friends John and Jenn Rivet, who had just finished with the last of their bear hunting clients for the season. Our plan was to hang out for the last three days and have a leisurely hunt before they broke camp.
I couldn’t help buy hope that this hunt would not end up like the one the previous fall. I had barely arrived at their camp and shot a very nice bear that first evening just before I got the emergency call that my wife, Sharleen, was suddenly hospitalized with serious kidney stone problems. The fact that I arrowed a bear that first evening was a testament to amazing bear population in the Rivet’s hunting area. In that single evening hunt, the fourth bear that presented himself inspired me to let an arrow fly.
It was now the end of the spring season and I was itching to get into a stand for more bear action. Can’t seem to get enough bear hunting -- I just love. (See all the scoop on the Fireball in this issue's Field Tips.) It was also my maiden hunt with my new Alpine F1 Fireball bow. My practice sessions gave me plenty of confidence. The bow shot like a rocket and was deadly stable and accurate.
Rivets’ South Dakota hunters from last spring from left to right: Tom Jones with his seven footer, Bob Knigge with his seven-foot, eight-inch, 500 pounder. Jim Fiest, Tommy Simons and Andy Sisk. Most of these were their second bear tags. Bob Knigge's first bear was a seven-foot four-inch 400 pounder and Andy Sisk's first bear that week was also seven-foot four-inch, 400-pounder -- a twin to Bob's.
The Rivet’s clients had bagged some monsters the week before I arrived. For some reason the rut had started early and subsequently the big bore had been showing up regularly enough to produce several seven footers. It had been bone dry but that was changing fast as the rain fell in torrents. When I arrived at their camp deep in the boreal forest the trails were getting as slimy as grease and about as soft. Getting around was going to be tricky, even with ATVs.
The rain seemed to slow down the bear activity somewhat, at least for the big boars but, it all probability, they were most likely travelling far and wide in search of the remaining unbred sows. I had several small bears under my stand that evening but nothing that tempted me. The second evening was much like the first except that it was raining even harder.
On the last evening John took me to the same stand location where I had shot my bear the previous fall. Though the rain was relentless, the bears were moving about. I saw five different bears before I saw one that tripped my trigger. It was a boar and the largest that I had se to date – about a 6 ½ footer. It was a little harder to judge their sizes because the rain had matted their hair down somewhat. Soggy bears aside, I knew this one was a keeper.
John had hung a beaver carcass on a horizontal pole fixed between two trees something like a goal post. When a bear rose up on his hind legs to reach for the beaver it was easy to judge his size. This larger bear could almost reach it and I was tempted to shoot him while he was reaching up from the ground but he was never in one position long enough to get a steady shot even thought he was only 10 or 12 yards from me.
Finally he decided to quit stretching for the beaver fr4om the ground and he climbed up the left hand support tree and attempted to walk the horizontal pole to the rope from which the beaver dangled. But the horizontal was birch and it was as slippery as grease, so the bear had problems keeping his balance. Several time he would hold out a hind leg to balance himself and I could feel his frustration rising.
Suddenly he slid back to the ground and bounded up the right hand support tree and tried to approach the beaver from the opposite side with the same predictable problems. As he focused so intently on that beaver I decided that I would try to shoot him right there at eye level with me as he balanced himself on the horizontal pole.
I had my video camera tripod strapped to the ladder stand so I zoomed in tight on the bear and then waited for the bear to present an open shot at his chest. As he reached forward with his left leg he exposed his heat/lung area and I quickly drew, anchored and held slightly low with my 20-yard pin since the bear was only half that distance away. He noticed the movement but before he could react that arrow passed through him and he toppled off the cross pole with a clang and a clatter. Had I anticipated what was going to happen next I would have set my video camera with a wider shot, but who could have anticipated that the bear was going to fall from the tree and land head first in the empty barrel that was chained to the tree he had climbed. It caught be by such surprise that I didn’t even think of the video camera until after the bear was finished. How many times had I been in a situation where I wish a cameraman had been present? This was no exception. The footage shows the bear dropping from the tree and the audio picks up the sound of him landing in the barrel so it’ll give you a pretty clear picture of what went down. The whole episode from start to finish sort of redefined the term: “Canned bear hunt!” I couldn’t have planed it that way but that was certainly how it ended up. See Video below.
As preparations are finalized for the 2011 Wildman Event, I wish to introduce four new Industry Partners who will be represented at this year’s event. They are Scott Archery, Delta Targets, Hunter Safety SystemandRaven Wear. My special thanks to these great new partners for their support. Other partners for this special event areMillennium Treestands, BowTech Archery, Easton Archery Products and Fusion Vanes (Norway Industries). Please note the live link to each of our partners on the right hand side of this page. Click on them and see the incredible products they offer, or better yet, join us in Alberta, Canada, for the 2011 Wildman Event, June 3-5, and see their products first hand!
By the way, there’s still time to register for the 2011 Wildman event in Alberta, Canada. Register online at http://www.lfbc.net.
Spirit of the North Elk Hunt
I still have a few spots available for the Spirit of the North Elk hunt for Sept. 3-7, 2012. For full information and details click on RTO Trips. This video will give you a living picture of what this incredible hunt offers.
South Texas Polar Bear
The winter months of traveling and speaking at numerous Men’s events across the nation have been awesome and I am so grateful to have been invited. One of the most memorable was in Brownsville, Texas, at a Wild Game dinner sponsored by the Good Shepherd Community Church. I was flanked on one side by a giant full body mounted Polar bear standing on his hind legs as if I was about to be his not so wild game dinner, and on the other side by a huge African Cape buffalo. Thankfully, the gospel went forth and I escaped unscathed!
Big-Nosed Buck
In this day of computerized photo manipulation nothing much surprises me anymore. When I first saw the photo of this bulbous-nosed Alabama white-tailed buck my assumption was that it had been photo- shopped by someone. I even had some experts scrutinize the photo to see if it had been manipulated and they said it had not. I was eventually able to locate the hunter who shot this buck and he also confirmed the authenticity of the strange animal. I haven’t had an opportunity to present this to a deer biologist to see what might have caused such a freak of nature, so if you happen to have an answer for this peculiarity, please let me know. In the meantime I think it’s safe to say that this is without question a record book buck nose!
The Velvet Giant Unveiled
This picture was widely circulated on emails but without any details of who the hunter was or where the buck was taken. I received a note on Facebook from Jon Behnuniak of Grande Prairie, Alberta, who told me the hunter’s name is Jay House who shot the buck only a mile from Behnuniak’s property. The velvet giant gross-scored around 198 inches and netted 178-ish. Now you know the rest of the story! Gotta love those Alberta bucks!
Larsgard Girls’ Unexpected Team Work
Kisha Larsgard (left) and mother, Joanne, pose with the Alberta buck they both shot last November near their Alberta home. There seemed to be some question about who was actually going to shoot the deer and both ladies thought it was theirs to shoot. As a result of the ensuing confusion while the decision remained unclear – they both shot it! (Can you read between these lines?) Suffice to say there were a few tense moments before and after the shooting started! The resulting smiles demonstrate mother’s and daughter’s willingness to work the kinks out of the situation for the sake of a nice field photo.
BowTech is pleased to introduce the Assassin, their newest fully loaded, R.A.K. (Ready. Aim. Kill) equipped bow. The Assassin is available in draw weights of 50, 60, or 70 pounds, with draw lengths ranging from 26” to 30” and is decked out in Mossy Oak Treestand camouflage. All BowTech bows are protected with an InVelve top coat. From the rack to the field, the Assassin has you fully equipped for your hunt.
The Assassin features the accredited Binary Cam System, created by BowTech, with adjustable rotating draw length modules, E-Lite Zero Tolerance limb pockets and comes R.A.K. equipped, all at 4.8 pounds (bow alone is only 3.8 lbs). It executes with speeds of 333fps ATA/IBO with the forgiving brace height of 7 inches.
BowTech’s patented Binary Cam System drives tacks and stays in tune. Unlike the asymmetric single and hybrid cam systems, the Binary Cam System is comprised of two, perfectly symmetrical cams that are slaved to each other, forcing the cams to turn in perfect synchronization. This provides for flawless nock travel and tuning that you can set and forget, maximizing accuracy and consistency.
The Assassin’s R.A.K consists of a 4-Pin TruGlo Apex Sight, 1-Piece 5-Arrow Ultra-Lite Quiver, Octane Hostage XL arrow rest, 4” Light Stabilizer, Comfort Wrist Sling, Alloy Peep and Dura-Flx String Dampening Components. Not only do all accessories come standard as part of the R.A.K equipped system, all equipment is installed and tested at the factory before the bow ever leaves the door. In addition to its superior features and performance the Assassin is offered at an incredible price, almost too good to believe at MSRP of $649.00.
I took an Assasin right out of the box and shot it through a paper tuner without any adjustments beforehand. The first shot, to my amazement, cut a perfect hole, as did shot two and three, convincing me that when BowTech tells you a bow is tuned at the factory, you can take it to the bank!
Welcome New Turkey Hunters
Caden’s First Turkey
My buddy, Cecil Carder, of Kansas City, KS, is a certifiable turkey hunting addict and he has been taking his grandson, Caden, hunting with him to see exactly how it all works. As of April 11, 2011, Caden learned exactly how it worked when he dropped this 24-pound gobbler with one-inch spurs and a 9-inch beard during the Kansas youth hunt. It was his first turkey but not his last if his Grandpa has any say in the matter. Is that satisfaction on Cecil’s face, or what?! Congrats Gramps – that’s what it’s all about!
Luke Noffsinger Scores Again
Luke Noffsinger of Montgomery, Alabama, bagged his first gobbler this spring while hunting with his father, Ryan. It was just one of several famous firsts for young Luke as of late, since he bagged his first whitetail doe and then his first buck last fall. Looks like this father and son team is a hunting force to be reckoned with now that Luke, and his dad, are both seasoned veterans!
One for the Ladies
Melissa Peacock of the Rocky Mountain House region of western Central Alberta did her pre- season homework with scouting and trail cameras and at the opening bell of rifle season she managed to be in exactly the right place and exactly the right time. The results speak for themselves – a gorgeous 180-class Alberta typical buck on the ground. Congratulations Melissa – You da woman!
Norway Industries created big thunder in the bowhunting world with the introduction of their Fusion Vanes, which impressed me so much that I invited them to become one of the RTO partners. Thus their logo and live link on the right hand side of this page. Fusion Vanes were one of two key products covered in last month’s Field Tips entitled “Advancements in Arrow Fletching.” The ink was still drying on last month’s newsletter when I became aware of a revolutionary and even newer advancement: Zeon Fusion Vanes! I am so impressed with these Zeon vanes that I am already fletching my arrows with them for all the reason you will find in my press release below. I’ve been at this for a long time and trust me when I tell you that I know a winner when I see one. Now feast you eyes on the new Zeon Fusion Vanes – especially in low light conditions!
For literally thousands of years bowhunters have struggled with the dilemma of seeing their arrows in flight and consequently knowing if they found their mark. In recent years heavy lighted nocks have been the answer for some, but are not legal in all 50 states nor allowed for Pope and Young Club entries. In lieu of this Norway Industries set out to do what they do best; break the rules and develop products that change the game and force the industry to re-think what it knows of possibilities and products. The result is the new edge-glow ZEON Fusion Vane. See the difference ZEON Fusion Vanes can make in your hunting success this year. Available colors:
Green, Yellow, Orange and Pink.
Eliminate the need for heavy lighted nocks
Pope and Young legal
Deep suction-fit base for instant adhesion
Ultra-bright for unmatched visibility in all lighting conditions
High profile with ribbed design for increased arrow steering
Fletch and adhere like standard Fusion Vanes
2.1" Zeon Fusion Vane
Length:
2.1"
Height:
.56 "
Weight:
7 grains
36 piece package of 2.1-inch Zeon Fusion Vanes: $11.56 from Norway Industries
If you can imagine a rugged, precision bow sight is capable of calibration from zero to 80 yards, adjustable in one-yard increments (or less), featuring a single sight pin that pinpoints the target without obscuring it and combines Tritium and fiber optics to create the brightest non-electric sight pin ever offered, you have just imagined a reality – Trijicon’s AccuPin/AccuDial Combo Bow Sight.
The heart of Trijicon AccuPin's innovative design lies in its triangular aiming tip and clear aiming pin. With a precision aiming point and zero obstructions, this one-of-a-kind configuration has an aiming point that actually points to your target instead of obscuring it.
For the ultimate in visibility and aiming precision— even in the toughest conditions—the AccuPin incorporates the acclaimed Trijicon dual-illumination/ battery-free system. With a combination of fiber optics and tritium pioneered and perfected in their world-class riflescopes, the Trijicon AccuPin is the brightest pin sight on the market and the Trijicon AccuPin and its combination of fiber optic and tritium illumination are Pope & Young Legal.
The revolutionary AccuDial mount equipped with BowSync technology, has an infinitely variable transmission, it enables exact range adjustment and synchronization for any bow/arrow speed combination. Its laser etched dial makes on-the-fly adjustments quickly and accurately—without having to rely on a clumsy strip of tape.
Together, the right- handed AccuPin and AccuDial combination form a refined system that stands as a benchmark for sight and mount integration.
The AcciPin/AccuDial Combo Bow Sight retails for $495, which is as much or more than the cost of some bows. But if you’re heading out for the hunting trip of your life for elk, sheep or other game that may be demand longer distance shooting, this sight in worth every penny. I call it protecting your investment.
Odds are that someday you’ll buy another bow, but you will need another bow sight!
Other Highlights in this Issue
This issue of Real Life presents a Biblical view of forgiveness entitled: “Pondering the Offense.”
Field Tips features the new Turtle Blind, which fills the need for a portable deer or turkey blind that can be left in the field year round.
The Feature Article in this edition is entitled “Black bears and Kidney Stones,” by yours truly.
RTO Trips:A brutal economy offers hunters the lowest rates in a decade. Book you elk and/or whitetail hunt with Spirit of the North and reap the benefits.
