Arrows in Oklahoma

As the sun set on the Western horizon, my wife Beth, cameraman Hunter, and I still had six more hours of driving to do. Traveling through Mississippi, the miles couldn’t move fast enough to the Oklahoma line. We were headed to hunt the Okie state for the first time and couldn’t be more excited for a late season bow hunt.

Arriving after midnight, we quickly found our beds so we could start off the first morning. As daylight came the deer movement began. Since hunting over feeders is legal in the state, and late season food sources are a strong necessity to get a shot, we were going to use these to our advantage. Beth was hunting the top of a ridge and not long after being in the stand she had deer coming in. After the first few came in to feed, a nice buck followed but never offered Beth a clear shot.

Setting up just off a food plot on a hardwood creek bottom, I saw a few deer after first light, none large enough to shoot or close enough. Suddenly I saw a nice buck trotting across the plot. He was heading away and I decided to blow my grunt call. With a few short tending grunts, the buck stopped and headed straight for us! He came in on a string to the call and stopped at 15 yards…..right behind a tree! Standing there looking, the buck knew something wasn’t right and trotted back up the ridge and out of bow range. Talk about a great start to the trip!

Afternoon two was slow for me, only seeing a doe with two yearlings, but Beth was wrapped up on a food plot with deer. She saw several bucks that were nice and a couple of shooters. None offered her a shot on the first afternoon though.

When morning two began we awoke to rain, which isn’t a good combination for video gear or bows for the most part. We decided to tough it out in ground blinds, we normally hunt in Ghostblinds but in the rain we needed cover for the video cameras. Sitting in the blind as daylight approached we watched the woods come alive on the top of a hardwoods ridge. With the acorns long gone, the only food available was the feeder setup 15 yards away. Several does and yearlings along with one small racked buck came in to feed then eased back down the ridge. I thought to myself that the rain was setting in harder and the deer would stop their moving for the morning when I looked to our right and a buck was coming up the ridge. Checking him out with my Hawke binoculars, he was a nice eight with a broken rack. As I looked at him, a giant eight point walked into view. This buck had it all, mass, tine length, width, and height.

Quickly I told Hunter there was a shooter coming in and to get ready with the camera. I clipped my release on my loop and readied myself for the shot. The bigger buck came right in and began feeding. I slowly drew by my bow and anchored for the shot. Gently touching the trigger, my arrow released and I hear a loud thwack and watched the buck hit the ground right there! What happened? The chair I was sitting in was a little low in the blind so after I released the arrow, my fletchings clipped the edge of the blind window just enough to kick my arrow up. Luckily my Muzzy plowed the deer’s spine and dropped him right there. After a follow up shot the buck was done. Was I lucky or the buck just unlucky, I will never know but I had my Oklahoma tag filled!

Beth was back on the same food plot she hunted the afternoon before and again had encounters with a couple nice bucks with no luck. She was looking for her first deer with a bow and was doing all she could to contain herself. She finally had a nice eight point in range and drew back on him only to have a doe walk in the way and she was never able to get a shot off. Over the next three days she saw plenty of deer but no shooters to get an arrow towards. As dark fell on the last afternoon, I asked her if she wanted to give it one more try the next morning before we had to head home. Her answer, “I didn’t pay all this money for a tag to eat it!” She learned from me many times that tag sandwiches don’t taste good!

The last morning she climbed in the stand well before daylight and was ready. The morning was fairly slow then two bucks came in to feed. One was a real nice eight point, and on the last day she wasn’t giving any a pass! She drew back her Elite bow, anchored and placed her pink Muzzy right behind the buck’s shoulder at 31 yards. Beth had just filled her tag and arrowed her first ever deer with a bow! A nice eight point on top of all that!

There is nothing like spending time in the woods with the ones you love. Getting to share Beth’s first bow kill with her was very special and hopefully the first of many to come. She never hunted before meeting me, I don’t know if I’ve created a monster or not but she straight loves the outdoors and filling her tags as much as I do. I know I’m blessed for sure!

Until next time, God bless and good hunting.

GEAR LIST:
Bow: Elite Pulse (Michael) Elite GT500 (Beth)
Rest: QAD Ultrarest HD (Michael and Beth)
Sight: Spot-Hogg Hogg-It (Michael and Beth)
Broadhead: Muzzy MX-3 ,100 grain (Michael), Muzzy 100 grain 3 blade Pink (Beth)
Fletchings: Bohning Blazer vanes (Michael and Beth)
Optics: Hawke Frontier ED 43mm (Michael and Beth)
Release: Scott Quick Shot (Michael), Scott Little Goose (Beth)
Scent Eliminator: Lethal Field Spray (Michael and Beth)
Attractant: Muzzy Bowhunter Setup (Michael and Beth)
Camo: Realtree APG by Gamehide (Michael and Beth)

Welcome to My World, Who Am I?

Who am I? Well, it started over 34 years ago in a little town called Cordele, Georgia about 10:00 in the morning. Yeah, I never did like to get up real early. That’s where I was born and raised for the next 18 years of my life. My passions growing up were fishing, hunting, and baseball. I was going pro in something, just didn’t know what yet! Many summer days were spent on the lake or at practice, the falls then turned to chasin’ deer, doves, quail, and even squirrels. Hey, when you like to shoot stuff you stay in the woods all the time!

My family was always a huge influence in my life. My grandparent, aunts, uncles, cousins, and all in between always supported the outdoors and sports that all of us participated in. To tell you the truth we have a ton of talent in this big ol’ family. From fishing to football, you never know what will happen next!

In 1995, I graduated from Crisp County High School and headed to college. Heck, I didn’t even know where I wanted to go or what I wanted to be. Sounds like most 18 year olds huh? Chasing the dream of baseball, I venture to Abraham Baldwin College in Tifton, Georgia. That lasted a couple years when one of my close friends, Todd Clements, took me out in Valdosta, Georgia at Valdosta State University. It didn’t take me long to decide that is where I wanted to be and finish my college career. Finally, after some ups and downs, I graduated from VSU with a hard sought degree of Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Information Systems. Ladies and gentleman, that was one of the toughest things I have ever done in my life. It has made me a much stronger person, and I like to think smarter too, but my wife would beg to differ!

Speaking of my lovely wife, Beth, we met while in college at VSU together. I’ll have to admit, from the first time I saw her, I got chills all over me and that lil’ tingling feeling inside. Yep, you just know when you find the “one”. She is one of the kindest people you will ever meet and I wouldn’t trade her for the world. We both share love for the outdoors from yard work to planting food plots, she’s right there with me all the time.

While in college I started designing websites. What began as extra money for school has now turned into a pretty good business for me. I enjoy creating things, especially outdoor related, and through web design, I’ve been able to meet great people from call makers to NFL football players. It’s been a great experience for sure. Now mix that in with outdoor TV, writing, and speaking, I have a blast all the time! I’ve had the honor of getting to know some great people and see some amazing places. To God be the glory, because I know it has been his plan for me to take this road wherever it may lead. I’m just here doing what he has laid out for me.

Country born, bred, and raised, proud of it too! Like Pop always said, “Don’t forget who you are!”