Brandon is da man...

Brandon had a great time, saw some of God's Beautiful creatures this weekend and overall had a memorable experience.

I did not harvest an animal this weekend... (Insert confession here)

I should have been able to harvest a huge doe on Saturday night, I had the shot at 15 yards for aprox 10 minutes if not more but I chickened out. I was too scared that if I spined one I wouldn't be able to shoot her again.. so I "chickened" out.

However all other times hunted I was never offered a shot that I was comfortable with.

Brandon,yur the man alright!Thanks again for allowin us to come out and cull some Spikes/Does on your place.I'm off to the meat processors now,and will work on my story after i get off of work 2nite.Again,Missy and I, Thank you,it was a excellent hunt!

Once again I had a great time!!!!!!! Brandon, your 1st class all the way!!!!!!!! Thanks!!!! I'll post my story later, but for now I guess it's time to get back to work

Story time...
Flinger, Foot & I arrived at Brandons ranch about 3:30 PM Thursday & set a blind up for Foot on the way in & finished about 4 PM. Stopped at the ranch house, unloaded some of our gear & took off to set more blinds. Before dark we had set 4 blinds for Fri AM hunt. Got back to the house & shortly others arrived. Ate some, drank some, off to bed.
Fri AM, dropped Flinger off at his blind, corned the road, dropped Bowwiz & Missy at my blind as they didn't have time Thur evening to set their blind, corned their area. Brandon dropped Foot off at his blind & then Hogkiller at Brandon's blind, as he also was unable to set his blind Thur evening & spread corn at both. Then Brandon & I both returned to the house where it was warm, had coffee, watched part of Harry Potter, binok Denton's area from the kitchen window. Deer were seen. We had set a 9 AM pick up time, but we waited until 9:15. The hunters can tell their stories. Thru out the day we had some great fellowship.
Fri afternoon I dropped Flinger off & continued up the mountain to my blind. Corned the area. About 4:40 I had deer, then more, & more, until I was covered with deer. I had 4 windows of my ice blind open & had an 8 or better buck in each opened window. I couldn't count all the bucks. But they kept the does out. I drew on one nice doe 4 times, but with all the deer I never had a clear shot. Had a spike, but thought he was too young. Back to the house & Tammy & Donnie had arrived. Since they had no blind set I let them decide who would use mine in the AM.
Sat AM I dropped Flinger at his & Tammy at mine. Back to the house & Brandon & I watched the house pasture again, watching Denton do his thing. His story. During the day we set more blinds, re-brushed others. Now everyone had their own setup. The kills were increasing.
Sat PM, hunted my blind again, but this time the deer shyed away from my area until late & still have no idea why, but they did come in. Brandon was set up where he could binok my area and witnessed what I had at close up range. Again I was covered by bucks, but no does. I had some very respectable 8's, 9's, and some unique horns. Split main beams w/a brow tine, 9 pt with double brow tines on one side, & others. But the spike I was after stayed out at about 50 yards. Back to the house. More food, much fellowship.
Sun AM I go up the mountain alone as Brandon & Flinger elect to rest. At 8:15 I had 4 yearling & one doe. She was a shooter, but her left jaw was very swollen & she still had a yearling with her. The yearling had a bad gash on one hind leg, so I elected to not shoot her. Getting mellow.LOL
Although I didn't fling an arrow, I had a great hunt, watched many wildlife do their early morning thing which to me is very enjoyable to witness. I had a great weekend with friends & I especially am happy to have spent 5 days with my good friend Foot (Jim Fisk) from Illinois. He left my house this AM at 6:00 so I pray he is just about safely home. He hoped to be there about midnight.

Thanks Brandon. It could not have been better. Please relay my thanks also to your family.

Thanks once again Brandon, to say I had a great time would be an understatement. You have a great place to hunt, with some real nice deer. Great to see everyone again, renewing friendships around a camp fire is always special. Will get my story in soon, off to work now. Thanks again and glad to see everyone. Thanks to Roy and Shirley for a place to get some dirt off and have a place to lay my head. Latter

Story time!

I arrived at the camp house a little before 7:00 pm Thurs. evening. Oleman, Flinger, and Foot were there and had the camp fire going. I unloaded things and before long Brandon, Hogkiller, Bowwiz, and Missy showed up. We all hung around the fire talking till we decided we needed to get some sleep for the next morning's hunt.

Friday A.M. had me sitting in a gametamer on the edge of the food plot close to the house about 80 to 100 yards from a feeder. As soon as the feeder went of I see deer start funneling in from the other side of the food plot. Seven deer came in, 3 bucks and 4 does. I had thrown out some corn close by my stand and before long a young 8 point came over and started feeding about 12 yards from me. I was thinking that maybe one of the does would follow his lead and come on over, but right before the feeder went off for the second time all the deer bolted and ran off except for the 8 that was still 12 yards in front of me. I found out later that the deer had seen some movement up by the house and decided that they didn't like to eat with an audience, lol. The 8 fed in front of me for over an hour before he headed out and while he was there were several big turkey toms that made their way into the feeder.

Friday P.M. - During the day I set up a gametamer in a big pecan tree about 17 yards from the feeder. This is the only tree in the whole field and at this time of the year there were no leaves on the tree, so I was going to have to be really quiet and still to keep from getting busted. The feeder goes off and it sounded like a helicopter was taking off. A few hundred yards away 20 hens were roosting and the dinner bell had just went off.

They came in and fed for over 30 minutes and while they were feeding I noticed some deer along the fence line waiting for the turkeys to clear out. When the turkeys left the deer waited a few more minutes and the feeder went off again and here they come. They get about even with the tree I was in and decided something wasn't right. I guess the orange extension ladder hanging out of the tree didn't look familiar, LOL.


They left and as it was getting close to dark deer start filtering in to the field, a spike came up to the feeder and as I was drawing on him a four wheeler started up in the distance of he bolted. I turn and looked behind me and saw a doe coming in. I turned and get into position for the shot and at 35 yards as she was walking away I let a lighted knock arrow fly. It was a pretty shot seeing that arrow fly that distance lit up like a lazer. The shot was true and took out the liver, lung, and heart. She ran about 60 yards and expired. When I got up on her I realized that objects from trees look bigger than what they are, she was smaller than I had thought, so I received plenty of riving from everyone the rest of the weekend.

Sat. A.M. Feeder goes off at 7:00 am and a good size 6 comes in and feeds for a while and leaves. Around 8:00 am I see a doe coming out of the woods and comes to the feeder and starts eating. This doe is a full grown doe so I start trying to get ready for the shot without getting busted when the 6 comes back in, so now I'm thinking great, I've got another set of eyes to deal with. So after about 15 minutes I finally get in position to draw and start the draw. I get pulled back to almost full draw and the bow gets stuck. After sitting for so long in 18 degree weather it felt like my 69 lb draw was 150 lbs! I take a deep breath and get the bow back, settle the pin behind her shoulder and let the arrow fly!

Score! The doe runs off and I see her go down at the fence or should I say in the fence, she tried to jump it but didn't have enough strength.

After I catch my breath I start to get down and see Oleman, Brandon, and Hogkiller make their way down to my stand, they had been up on the back porch watching the whole experience.

Sat. PM The feeder went off both times and finally some deer make it to the feeder, the spike from the night before and a young 8. I get drawn on the spike and make a good heart shot, he ran off about 30 yards, stopped looked around to see what just happened and fell over.


I got the big doe and spike shots on video, but Sunday morning I didn't look at the tape before I started recording and recorded over the spike shot, which was the best video of a shot that I have gotten to date. Made me sick, but you can't get it back. All in all this was a totally awesome weekend!!!!

Brandon, many thanks to you and your family for letting us hunt your place, once again I have some awesome memories of a great hunt!

I will skip to my only harvest hunt. Oleman dropped me off and spun some corn from the HCR bumper feeder onto my shootin area. This was an afternoon hunt. I had several deer all around but I seen a big doe that I was waitin on. Had a bunch of deer in my shootin lanes and finally my bigger doe came in. I started to draw on her at 20 yards and she heard me draw and went to my next lane at 30 yards. Put the pin on her shoulder and let it fly. She ducted and spun and I seen the arrow hit way back. Arrow confirmed gut. I was sick. Oleman came by and picked me up and I elected to wait until morning to find my deer. Next morning we split up after the trail ended and Oleman found her about 75 yards from the blind. I did get gut but also got lung. My ldp is in Dentons post above. Thanks Brandon and family for lettin us hunt your ranch again. Its always a great time there. Thanks!

Well here goes I made it to Sunday and lost it all. Seems easier to drive 1200 miles than do this again.

My hunt started earlier than the others as I had a little farther to go. Thursday morning I pulled in to have coffee with Ole, thanks Shirley for making that. When Flinger got off work we headed to Menard, to set up blinds.

Friday morning was cool outside with a big old moon shining with a very large ring around it. After coffee Brandon dropped me off at my blind, in ten minutes the deer started to come in to the area. It was to dark to tell much about them, except they were hungry. As the sun started to come up they started to pull away.

Friday afternoon warm weather and clear skies, no breeze, great hunting day. The deer seemed spooky except a couple little fork horns who kept the other deer away so they could eat. Latter on the others came closer, a doe had me drawing my bow several times. Then she would either look at me or turn not giving me a good shot. She finally got out about to my maxium range and presented a shot. My arrow flew true and straight over her back. I looked for it in the dark, but no luck.

Saturday morning many groans and moans of it is to cold to get out of bed. Luckily the kitchen was far enough away I didn't have to listen to it while I had a cup of coffee. Off to the blind in the moon light, no need for a flash light this morning. Deer came in fast stomping their feet, maybe they were cold and needed to warm up. The bigger bucks must of read that they were not legal to be hunted, as they came in doing an Oreck job on the corn. The cracking of corn and watching them chase the others off was fun to see.The sun started to come up and the deer got real nervous, and left early. When the sun was finally shining bright I saw something red out about fifty yards. My arrow was standing up like a little flag, even had a young doe go smell it. That was about as close as it had gotten to a deer. Walking back to the blind I could see why the deer were so spooky, the breeze that night had blown part of the brush off the blind.

Saturday evening I was in a rebrushed in blind with more added to it, knowing this was going to be the day. The deer came in early, to see the new brush and have some more corn. The young buck started their I can scare you off or chase you off game again. They were much braver than before. Was it the extra brush or knowledge of my poor shooting that made them so brave. After many times of drawing back to shoot, I finally had a good clear shot. The arrow flew right, over the deer's back again. While sitting there wondering what I was doing wrong I noticed the arrow I had nocked was angled way up in the air. Some how I had gotten a knot in the lower part of my string. I unstrung the bow, but could not get the knot out. Restring the bow get the Leatherman tool out and pry the nock loose and up. After a couple tries it looks better, all the time I am doing this to the tune of the deer eating corn, or stomping. Finally the bow is ready again, it is going to be hard to shoot after missing so badly, with my fingers crossed. I look up again animals within feet of the blind. Yeap the cows, calves, and the bull are standing in front of the blind. The deer have pulled way back and don't come back in.

Sunday morning last day, got to happen today, I can't miss again. I don't have a recipe for track soup, got to get a deer. Out to the blind early, in the moon light I can see animals everywhere. The cow, calves and bull are waiting for some more corn. I try to chase them away, they come back to stand in all the shooting lanes I have out of the blind. So I decide to stand across from the blind in front of a tree with a little brush to help hide me. The deer come in again in the dark, waiting to see me in the blind. The sun comes up enough that I can see enough to shoot, but not sure I can raise the bow and draw it with-out the deer blowing out. After trying a few times I get the bow almost drawn, only to have a doe look right at me. My arm starts to say relax me and the deer blows out. In comes a small buckleading the others back. When he get to my range I slowly draw and let fly. The buck looked like he dropped a little, but spins right around into the rest of the deer and off they go. I walk over to the area and look for blood or arrow, nothing. Into the blind and sit down for a few minutes, think how did I miss. After a couple minutes I get out and walk over to where I shot from. I get a line of where I shot to and walk over there again. Blood trail on the ground. Back to the house give the deer a chance to lay down and me to have a cup of coffee. Waited a little longer and Hogkiller says lets go look for the buck, Denton and Brandon come along, too. We follow the blood trail a ways and find my arrow broken and bloody. About 75 yards from where I shot we found the buck. Thnak God a good clean kill right in the heart.

It is very special to me as it was done with the long bow I built last summer in Alaska.

Thanks Brandon for giving me such a nice place to have this all come together.

It sounds like everyone had a blast I'm sorry I missed it. Congratulations.

Thursday 01/08/04: Missy David and I met up with Brandon at the slowest D/Q in the country. After getting some snacks at the country store. We head off to the ranch. Arriving at the ranch we meet, greet, and unload the bedding and clothes. We have maybe one or two drinks. And off to bed we go.

Friday morning Brandon decides to let me use his stand that had been set up by oleman the day before. And off to the stand we go. Arriving at the stand off in the blind I go with visions of deer in my head. Sat there all morning and all that I seen was deer heading off to where David and missy was sitting. They were covered up in deer. Brandon comes to pick me up and on the way back to the house he showed me where I should put up my ground blind. Following his advice its back to the house to get my blind and clippers to set up. Brushed in and ready to go it's off to help set up more blinds.

Friday afternoon: Arrive at the blind at 3:15. At about 3:40 a very big doe and a yearling came walking down the same path that I had walked. They don’t even hesitate They come strait into the feeder 25 yards away. With video running I wait for the proper time to draw back. That time comes and I start to draw back and wouldn't ya know it. She starts to look strait at me so I Froze. Holding about 1/2 draw for what seemed to be forever. Her head drops back down and I continued to draw back and I double clutch the bow and they here it. Jump run and stop about 38 yard away. I aim, release "Smack". Arrow hit right were I was aiming. She ran and fell about 35 yards. One down!!! This all has happened way before the feeder goes off so I stay put. Trying to hold the emotions down I wait! Sure enough about 45-min latter I got another shot opportunity. But that one didn’t pan out. Missed her. That’s OK I still got one down. Back to camp for pictures and stories. Oh and just a couple drinks.lol



Saturday morning: Arrive at blind at 7:am. At 7:30 a big doe comes out. I decided this was a mature doe and its time. Draw back, doe moves, aim at doe, release, Smack! Doe runs across field and drops in full stride. COOL!! Time to get out of the icebox and go to the house for some coffee. Man it was cold. Arrived at the house and found Oleman and Brandon sitting in the recliner and watching TV. Coffee in hand we watched Denton shoot a doe. That was cool. After that I went and picked up my doe.



Saturday evening I watched a 2 and a 1/2 year old 8 point clean up the corn under the feeder. Had no does or spikes come in. Back to the house for stories and a drink. Or two!!!heheheh

Sunday morning: The does came right on in to the feeder. So I decided that it was a good time to feed the hungry. I picked the biggest doe out of the bunch. Draw back, doe moves, aim at doe, release, Smack!!. This time a had to do a little bit of blood trailing to find her but it wasn’t long and I had her on the four wheeler. Back to the house for some coffee.





This doe I donated to the Hunter feeding the hungry. Thanks Brandon for this hunt. YOU ROCK!!!!

Kenneth (Hogkiller) Dann

Tammy spoke for both of us...