The bow is justified

I finally, after 4 years, have taken a whitetail deer with my compound bow!


It was 5:30AM when I got to the winery, as usual a did a few chores such as putting away the clean bottles from the drying trees and pouring out some of the old wine from the fridge into a glass and making sure it wasn't spoiled. ;)


At about 6:30 I headed out on foot through the north vinyard to the gate that opens to access my property to the east of the vineyard. The temperature was mid fourtyish with a very slight breeze. The trip to the stand would take about thirty to fourty-five minutes; walking very slow with many stops along the way to search the woods for that slight movement that would give away the presence of the quarry.


It was a cloudy morning and the daylight was now fully available without the glare of a clear day. I was about twenty minutes into the trek to the tree stand when two small deer crashed out of the woods to my right; I don't know how I missed seeing them. They both ran across the field that is up the hill above the quarter-acre pond. One went on up the hill into the thick brush but the other stopped to see what I was.


I had my trigger release already on my wrist but was in no way prepared to take a shot.
I gauged the distance at thirty yards and thought "what the hell"; I pulled an arrow from the quiver and knoched it. The deer did not move which tells me that the no-scent, no-phospher laundry deturgent is doing its job nicely. I drew, took quick aim and released the arrow.

At this point in the game there was no adrenal explosion, no rapid heart rate, nothing. I have only taken a shot at a deer with my bow twice before and missed both times; I've drawn on two others but never got a shot. It was as if I was just at the target range, just shooting at the bag target once more.

As the arrow left the bowstring and the arrow rest everything seemed to go into extreme slow motion. I could actually see the fletching spin while the arrow's arc was also very apparent. The arrow hit the deer in the ribs, just behind the shoulder. The audible "crack" of the strike seemed to echo as the 100 grain Muzzy broadhead hit bone.

The deer ran into the treeline and was silent. At this point the excitement and the adreanalin really kicked in but I knew I had to stay still. I waited five minutes and heard leaves and brush crashing and crunching. I slowly walked over and saw the deer on its side just inside the treeline.
It was still breathing and heard my aproach; it got up and stumbled about 15 feet and went down again. I have a rule that if I can get within 10 feet of a wounded animal, I draw whatever pistol I happen to be carrying and put the animal down with a head shot. I think this is of course a humane thing to do but, I also get to see what various types of ammo do in a real situation. This time it was Personal Defense in .380 Auto; the damage was fairly significant and the job was done.

About fifteen minutes later I was dragging the deer down the hill to the gas well road to leave it while I went up to get the truck.

It is amazing and much different from hunting with a rifle. The feeling is indescribable but there are those who already know that. I am both Happy and proud to join the group of those who know this.

WV Hunting Season 2008

It is that time again, thank God!
I've been waiting for years, it seems.
I did not go fishing like I said I would, not that fishing is bad or boring...it just isn't hunting.
In the early morning there were the standard concerts...the crows were in top form in their role as forestal alarm clocks...awakening all the forrest life.
I watched two young does for about 10 minutes or so then there was an hour or so of quiet.
A young doe came crashing down the hill; I thought I would have my first bow kill but, she bolted as soon as I came to full draw. This will be the norm as usual.

3 years ago, it hasn't changed much

Tree Stand 09/2005
By
Michael R. Milstead

It is that time of year again when a young (or not so young), man’s thoughts turn to the woods. The leaves are taking a long hard look at the ground but not showing any signs of being in a hurry, though the poplars are yellowing from the lack of rain and fifty degree nights. The fruit of the Oak, Hickory and Walnut are still green but nearly ready to provide sustenance to the residents of the forest. Fluffy seeds are flying in the late summer breeze, the peaches are in, the pears and apples are ready, the grapes are very close to optimum sweetness and the animals are growing restless as are the hunters.

A seemingly long awaited joy for me was seeing the constellation Orion for the first time this year. I arose with my wife’s 4:30 AM alarm, made some thick strong coffee and began preparing for the first day of hunting. I actually started preparing several months ago, in April. Preparation included painting my “double-wide” tree stand and making sure to get a bow practice session at least every two weeks.

Today (Labor Day) I completed a big job; setting up my tree stand. This stand is the first that I’ve used; it is a fifteen-foot “two-man-ladder stand”. I bought it last year and discovered that it is exceptionally comfortable for one man, it is twice as wide as a regular stand and would be great for introducing one of my grandchildren to hunting, but I don’t see fitting two grown men in this stand although the stand would take the weight of two men, this is another plus, all that room and complete stability.

After bidding my wife a fond farewell at 5:15 AM I loaded my trusty, rusty truck. The chainsaw, gas and bar oil, twenty-foot extension ladder, toolbox, new ratchet straps and a cooler with apples, a cheese sandwich and some water. The temperature had dropped considerably compared to a week ago. Last week the 6AM temperature was in the upper seventies with humidity in the upper nineties. This morning was an unbelievable fifty-nine degrees with a light breeze, it was wonderful, the crisp autumn scent is not in the air yet but it is not far off.

I arrived at the vineyard around 6AM; it was just getting light so I decided to take care of a chore or two in the winery. There is always something that needs to be done, little five and ten-minute jobs are easily found and I enjoy doing work that is not mandatory. After installing some custom wiring for the new “under-cabinet” lighting in the kitchen, it was 7AM and time to get started on the work that I had eagerly awaited all week.

I locked in the hubs on my good friend; my old Ford F150, and headed for the access road across the valley. The trip to the cabin usually takes all of two or three minutes but today there were five oak trees in the road, these will make the winter days at the winery and the nights at the cabin very comfortable. The new chain on the saw made quick work of the fallen trees and I was soon at my beloved cabin. Loading the big tree stand and ladder sections, I locked the cabin and headed for the pond area. The road was totally dry so I was able to back down almost to the waters edge. I then only had to make four trips of one hundred or so yards to the tree that my wife and I had tied with orange ribbon back in March. The frogs were thick in the pond and their greeting was startling but welcome as always. The load wasn’t bad but I had to take a break after everything was delivered to the tree. Now the fun had begun. I extended the extension ladder to the maximum length of twenty feet and found a level spot behind the tree. It would be a good idea to have a strap to tie around the top of the ladder and the tree for added stability. I’m not very good with heights but if the job is a worthy effort I will get it done; and this job is very worthy. I got up the ladder and with a “death-grip” on the top of the ladder with my left hand I reached around the right side of the tree as far as I could and screwed in a stout hook, hung the “come-a-long” on it and proceeded down the ladder with the steel cable and connected it to the platform/seating part of the tree stand. After hoisting the stand up the tree, lashing it securely and installing another hook higher in the tree, moving everything several times and re-discovering the true super-genius of the inventor of “vise-grips” I got the stand positioned to allow a test fitting of the ladder portion of the stand (whew!).

Imagine; placing a one-inch square end of a ladder into a one-inch square socket that is fifteen feet up a tree; this is tricky to say the least. I made about five or six trips up and down the extension ladder to make adjustments to the platform section before I was successful in getting the ladder inserted into it. Several more trips up and down and I was ready to lock it down with the four ratchet straps. The stand came with two ratchet straps but I am a firm believer in overkill; my cabin is twelve feet wide and sixteen feet long; the number of cinderblock piers used under the cabin for support are the same number used for a fourteen by seventy foot mobile home. Overkill is a way of life.

With the stand in place I went in search of rocks to level the bottom of the ladder portion of the stand, with the rocks in place I made the climb to the top. In a tree stand, the air is a little fresher, the breeze a little more dry and chilled and the sun brings the scents of the woods up and holds them like a wonderful gift under your nose. Everyone should have a tree stand even non-hunters. It is a wondrous experience and very relaxing. The stand is perfectly solid and level and finished in time to have several practice sessions with my bow from the high perch. I took a moment to just sit and listen…the woods are alive and from where I sit I can see, smell and feel the life. I wonder what would happen if everyone knew what this was like? Returning to my truck with the toolbox and extension ladder I returned to the winery and had a wonderful lunch with the proprietor. The woods are available to everyone. It is a simple thing to partake in the miracles that happen every second of every day and night in the woods yet it seems that these wonders as well as many others have been forgotten by so many in the hurried existence that so many of us choose. I wonder if I will be able to return next week for one of the early morning bow practice sessions. I sure hope so…

Pipe making continued

Still lots of sanding to do.
I have never carved anything before but now know that it is not easy.
The Bowl is Plum and the stem Walnut. This will make a nice "wall hanger" as I am sure it will never be smoked but should look good in a nice stand on the mantle. The photo doesn't show the very nice grain in the wood. After sanding this will be beautiful and will probably get some manner of oil as a finnish.

I'll try to get some good close-ups of the wood when it gets finnished an a couple of weeks.

I think I'll stick to shelves, cabinets, boxes and the like for now but I enjoyed every minute of this project.

Let's make a pipe!

OK, here we go into the vast unknown.

I have several sticks of wood, various species that I use in the smoker to make what I think are culinary delights. Apple, peach, hickory, plum, and several others.

My recent switch from cigarettes to pipes has kicked my woodworker mentality into gear. I have a decent amature woodshop and can make basic cabinets, shelves, boxes, picture frames and the like. I've also done some carving and made walnut grips for my Grandfathers old .38 pistol.

So I have decided to make a pipe!

I'll document the process here so that if it is great, others can follow my brilliance. And if it is crap others can learn from my mistakes.

I made what I think is proper for a blank for the bowl from a piece of the Plum that seemed solid. This is a cut from a tree that we took down at the vineyard last year, it seems to have cured enough for an experiment. I have however taken several samples along with some persimmon and apple and stashed them away; just in case I am successful in this endeavor.

I've not done any research on this; I'd like to just have at it and see what happens.

I think this will be a large bowl, not very deep with a slight bend where the stem meets the bowl.

The pictures are not very good; the wood is very nice with beautiful grain. The wood also smokes one hell of a pork tenderloin that has been marinated in olive oil and rosemary for a day or two!

Out with Cigarettes, in with Pipes!!

I've smoked cigarettes since I was 12 and have finally quit. All along the way, starting in the experimentation stages of youth have been the pipes. There are three that I have had since I was 15 or 16.

The trio were purchased in the late 70's so that I could be "cool" in the musician crowd. I wasn't
the guitar God that I wanted to be but I did have vocal skills that made me "wanted" by bands. That was long ago. All Dr. Grabows, left is a Duke, center is a Starfire (a very cool smoke) and the right is a Regal.

After 30 years I've found that total selfish enjoyment is the key to a happy life.

I have recently returned to the pipes and am glad that I have. I've also found a Usenet newsgroup with plenty of helpful info. For instance I always thought that the inexpensive tobaccos were crap and you had to pay at least $5 per ounce to get anything good.

"Ignorance" is such an underrated word, and misunderstood. Two of the staple brands in the pipe smoking world are Prince Albert and Carter Hall. In the late 70's we would have never thought to purchase these in our high and mighty circles. They are perfect and have been available for so long because of this I imagine.

Anyway, I got a new pipe today. It is the first one I have purchased since those days long ago.

It seems to be a decent pipe. I smoked some Carter Hall lightly packed for the first "go-round". It did fine. The Bit seems to be cheap and that is not saying much for someone who has never smoked anything other than a Dr. Grabow. I was pleased with the pipe though; it seems that the larger bowl produces a cooler smoke just like the Grabow "Starfire". It is marked "Italy" on one side and "H.I.S" on the other. I got it at a "Smoker Friendly" shop for $11.99 along with a $10.00 pack of Macanudos. I was also able to pick up 24 nice practice golf balls for 9.99 and some tees next door to the "SF" shop. Altogether a great day.

I've been advised to go for several brands of pipes by my new friends in the Usenet group. I had never heard of "Estate" pipes, or purchasing used pipes but it does make sense. There are some nice pipes that are not done yet, like used cars or something.

All in all I am pleased with my cigarette replacements!

Parting with another guitar

I hate to sell this bass but I have other equipment needs that must be fulfilled. It's an Epiphone EB3 and it is one of the good ones. It's like buying a Fender Squire; sometimes you get a good one that is every bit as good as a real Fender and sometimes they suck. The tone from the neck pickup has balls that go on forever! I've played it through an 80's Peavey "BASIC 40", a Fender Twin with 2-15 cab and 2 Ampegs, an SVT w/2-15 & V9 w/2-15. The sound is amazing!

I am getting better at doing setups; the intonation in "on" and the action is low. The string buzz is minimal to the ear but it does not come through the speakers.

The truss rod adjustment has left a slight bow (on purpose), combined with the bridge adjustments I think it is optimal; easy to play.

There are no dings on the bass anywhere...I'm going to miss this one.

I have 2 Jazz bases (fretted & frettless) and have wondered what it would be like to put one of the big Gibson/Epi humbuckers in the extreme north neck position; there is room for this mod and I'm very tempted. I love the sound of this pickup but first I think I'll try to get it with EQ before modding the basses. I've put a series/parallel "push-pull" pot in each of the jazz basses so I can get the Pbass sound but wouldn't it be just F*ing amazing to add the big Gibson humbucker option to the mix...