During the afternoon, the temperature rose to 24 degrees, and we actually got hot for a while. But then the air dutifully cooled with the setting sun, and soon I was beginning to shiver in the eight-degree air.
At 5 p.m., a doe came out of the woods to the east, and then another came running from the south. Then two more does and a small buck, a 6-pointer, headed in from the south. Deer were coming from all sides. But there were no big bucks, and at 5:30, we knew we were finished. The hunt was over.
Brad Huempfner followed up with a fine buck of his own on the second day.
Just as we started packing up, we made out two bucks coming from the south. One was small; the other was not. They entered the field at 5:40, mere shadows against the snow. Coming closer, they became more distinct, and with binoculars I could make out detail. The smaller of the two walked directly under our stands. He was a 6-pointer. The bigger walked down the field edge, 25 yards out. As he stopped broadside, silhouetted against the snow, I could clearly see two droptines hanging off his main beams.
Oh, we'd come close. Maybe this actually was possible. I don't know. But I do know two things: A big droptine buck still roams the Bow Zone, and after a week with Jim Hole, I'm firmly trained in the zone. In November 2007, I'm going back, and impossible will be nothing. Huempf!
John Huempfner completed the brothers' triple slam later in the week.
Editor's Note: To hunt giant whitetails of the Bow Zone, and to get in the whitetail zone, contact: Jim Hole, Jr., Classic Out-fitters Ltd., PO Box 124, Seba Beach, Alberta, Canada T0E 2B0; (708) 797-2222; www.classic-outfitters.com.
EQUIPMENT NOTES: RATTLE BAGS
By Brian Fortenbaugh, Assistant Editor
1) Bass Pro Shops' RedHead Rattle Bag produces realistic fighting sounds without the bulk of toting real antlers into the woods. The camo mesh bag has a silencer strap to prevent un-wanted sounds (Bass Pro Shops, 1-800-BASS-PRO, www.bass-pro.com). 2) Hunter's Specialties' Heavy Horns Rattling Bag puts out the high-volume sounds of a knock-down-drag-out fight, as well as those light sparring sounds of bucks feeling each other out. It has an attached lanyard and shoulder strap, plus silencer straps for quiet carry (Hunter's Specialties, 319-395-0321, www.hunterspec.com). 3) Knight and Hale's Ultimate Two Bucks Fighting Bag features 10" VTS tines for producing the sounds of a nasty fight between two 140-class bucks. The bag is clad in Mossy Oak Break-Up camo (Knight and Hale, 479-782-8971, www.knightandhale.com). 4) Lohman's Dynamite Rattler can be operated with one or both hands. Holes and grooves in its all-weather sound chambers produce realistic fighting sounds every time, and the "Instant Quiet" design eliminates lingering noises (Lohman/Flambeau Outdoors, 1-800-232-3474, www.flambeauoutdoors.com). 5) Primos' Big Bucks Bag gives you big sounds in a compact size. Inside the waterproof bag are two sets of Power Tines for creating the sounds of two different-sized bucks fighting. Super-loud rattling comes courtesy of the Power Tines' Tone Tunnels (Primos, 601-879-9323, www.primos.com). 6) Quaker Boy's Rattle Master Bag produces the sounds of light sparring and serious fights. Inside the camo bag is a mixture of hardwoods and carbon rods (Quaker Boy Game Calls, 1-800-544-1600, www.quakerboygamecalls.com). 7) Wiley Outdoor Products' flextone Rattle Bag is a compact, 8" rattler containing the company's Acrylic Volume Rod for extra volume. The bag's stretch material keeps the call quiet when walking (Wiley Out-door Products, 1-877-9WE-HUNT, www.wileyoutdoorproducts.com). 8) Woods Wise's Buck Kicker Rattler Bag has waterproof "Bone Core" polymer rods contained in an elastic camo sleeve that snaps "tight" to silence the call. You can use both hands to rattle with it or hang it from your belt for one-handed calling (Woods Wise Products, 1-800-735-8182, www.woodswise.com).
North American Whitetall
North American Whitetail is designed for the serious trophy hunter. It provides authoritative coverage of world-class whitetails, the latest approaches to deer management and advanced hunting techniques.
