I really hate to prod and poke the big Sunbear but I want to hear an adventure story. I've got a few pics if the Bear has a few words.
I guess I'll pull the pork ribs off the fire so we have something to snack on while we absorb another tale of adventure. CK
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/ck/CKRibs.jpg)
Hey Charlie...looks like you've been called out by the little guy....so let's get on with the tall tale. :D (good job Curtis, way to prod and poke)
Busy with domestic stuff at the moment. I'll chime in this evening with the tail.
Ok, I'm now officially hungery. Man, those ribs look gooooood!
OK, I'll grease the wheels a little and make some fresh tea to go with the ribs.
Some months had passed since we first established a date that we'd all gather for a weekend of giant gar bowfishing. I always find myself with great anticipation of Charlie's arival when I know we are getting together with a common goal, Bowhunting. Bowfishing in this case would hold the attention of not only Charlie and myself but Jason Westbrock and my Dad(GK) as well. Jason and I had spent a little time discussing tactics and gear a few weeks prior while attending Comptons annual gathering in Michigan. The gathering took place thousands of miles from the intended bowfishing location but it was easy to tell by the conversation that we were both ready to have this event come to fruitation.
As I sat down to my morning coffee in front of my computer,the phone rang. I just nonchantly picked up the phone thinking it was one of my employees calling in sick or something. My heart skipped a beat then dropped into my boots as I realized it was Billy, Charlie's other half calling. Just the sound of her voice immediately sent me into a panic. The sentence that followed drove it home, "Curtis, Charlie's had a little problem"............. You can imagine long list of unimaginable thoughts that flashed through my head before she let me down somewhat easy in saying "Charlie has been robbed". WHAT? Almost before she could explain I was gathering weaponry to level the field. Somewhere in the seconds that had begun and ended this conversation, I went from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other. The rest, as you well know unfolded here on Tradgang before your very eyes. Once I'd gathered my composure and made
contact with Charlie, I knew what would inevitably happen. The Gang is always here. I've been here long enough to know everything around here eventually rights itself although it sometime comes through great effort.
Charlie would pick up the few pieces of shattered dreams that the theives hadn't stolen and he'd continue the journey south. CK
I only see enough ribs for me . :bigsmyl:
Right on CK! Got the ribs on, now Charlie needs to add the sauce!
P.S. nice article in TBM. Artificial sweetner is good in sweet tea too..!
this is gonna be good, i'll be right here for the rest of the evening.......glad everything turned out the way it did. don't touch that dial!.......
dave
Cool stuff and glad that the thieve's spoils have become Charlie's bounty :thumbsup: .
Claudia
Since you all know I got robbed on the way to Curtis' house I won't belabor that story. Just a brief sketch should do.
Stopped in Fort Worth, Texas for the night. It was about 10:30 and I'm usually a lot further south than that, but had taken a late start from St. Louis to avoid the morning traffic.... gotta go right through the worst of it to get to open highway.
I looked around and figured it didn't look like a bad neighborhood so I got a motel close to I-35 and tucked in for the night. I remember looking back at the truck one last time as I went in for the night. A tiny twinge of apprehension hit me, but I shrugged it off.
I normally stay at small motels where I can have a room at ground level with truck parked right outside the window. It was an unwritten rule I would wish I had adhered to.
Next morning early (5 a.m.) I headed out the door and across the lot to my truck. No indication anything was wrong until I opened the door and looked clear through my truck to the parking lot beyond.
My recurve was laying half out the door and my two longbows were sticking out through the broken back window of the truck.
Every last thing of value in that truck down to the coin holder in the console was gone. It appeared the thieves had stayed behind the cab of the truck for cover from the motel security camera. Two coolers in the back had gone untouched... they'd have had to expose themselves to the camera to mess with that stuff.
With a call to the police taken care of and reports filed, I finally got on the road around 9 a.m. Lots of time to think about the violation and loss of my stuff during the remaining six hours to Curtis' place... not to mention the warm air blowing through the hole where my back passenger window had been warmly reminding me that all was not happiness.
I got to CK's place in due time. He did his best to console me, but it would just take time. I had a couple of days to kill before Jason Wesbrock showed up and that would allow me time to return to human from the fuming, sulking beast I was at that point.
That first night we made the short run to Curtis' lease to try for a hog and just let the solitude work me over in it's soothing way.
I was quite a site. Not the epitome of hunting chic in my shorts, loafers and dark blue sleeveless athletic shirt I still made an effort to ambush a hog.
I'd not be blessed with seeing one that night and it's probably just as well. It would have been some kind of grudge killing and the pigs deserved a better fate than that.
Darkness came with nothing but a few fresh mosquito bites and a ringing in my ears from the cicadas which were more than abundant. They make a different kind of noise than the one's around home and we haven't had them around in a couple of years where I live. (Cont.)
Got a few bowstrings to make for friends tonight. I'll get on with the good stuff in the morning with a hot cup of coffee.
CK's cookin & Charlie's story telling...what could be better. Oh Gary, you got anymore of those tecate? Doc
Nice ribs, Curtis. Man those were good. Oh, by the way...
"Sausage"...hint, hint. ;)
Which way to the Florida Keys? (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/ck/Charliehuntshorts.jpg) :D
This is Charlie's actual hunting atire on the evening hunt. Charlie says it's kinda strange getting ready to go hunting and realize you have nothing to take but a bow and arrows. It makes getting ready a very short affair!
Jason, what sausage? I know nothing about sausage. :D I did get 170 shafts in the mail today. Thanks a whole bunch! CK
Dang, looks like I'm gonna have to be sneaking peeks in here while at work tommorow! I've been waiting for this one! :thumbsup:
Great start! I can't wait to hear the rest of it.
Keep her com'in Charlie! :thumbsup:
A while back Curtis had refurbished the inside of an old school bus. I'd been hearing about it for a while and finally got to check it out. As with any project he has taken on, he had done an exceptional job with the bus.
Three bunks, bathroom (with shower), table, television, gear storage area and lots of shelves for eatin accesories.... coffee, creamer, dry goods, etc.
All the comforts of home and to top it off, there happened to be a nice level concrete pad on the property to park it on. That pad not only made for a nice level spot to park the bus, it was also big enough so that you could sit around in the morning or evening and enjoy a drink or whatever was appropriate for the time of day.
I got a good nights sleep even though the bunk I slept in (which Curtis had pronounced fit for tall guys like me) was just a wee bit short. A minor inconvenience which would have been no problem at all if I didn't like a couple a big pillows under my head.
Heck! I didn't even mind that it felt a little like being in a coffin with one side open. After all, you only have so much room to work with in a bus!
With the sun sitting somewhere just below the horizon CK and I took a steaming cup of hot coffee outside to greet the day and make our plans.
For him it would be business as usual and he'd be off to work a little before eight.
I mulled over the idea of heading back out to try and ambush a hog or some other unsuspecting critter, but frankly wasn't quite back to normal yet. Besides, I had business of my own in town. There was a hole in the back of my truck where glass had been and I needed to fill it.
We sipped on coffee and talked of hunts past and hunts to come. The mists of early morning hung over the meadows that surronded us and the air fell sweet and cool on my bare arms. It was a good morning and a reminder that this is what life is really all about. My cares were starting to fade.
The day was spent taking care of insurance matters and dozing on the couch back at the Kellar rancherita.
I shot a few arrows in the afternoon and in all was one lazy sucker. Soon Curtis and Debbie would be home from work and we'd spend an enjoyable evening visiting.
I can't forget the first of what would be many gifts I was blessed with during my stay in Texas.
A package arrived for me from Trad Ganger Chuck Pearson. It was certainly out of the blue and I was tickled to find a brand new pair of camo pants in it.
I was a little skeptical that they could possibly fit... since I'm a big ole boy... but they were perfect. Now if I could just find a camo top or something close to camo, I'd be set for hog hunting.
On Friday morning I slipped away from the house for a trip into the woods Curtis and I call Sherwood. We'd shared many adventures there in the past and I went looking for another.
I'll admit I was a little slow getting started and that may account for the reason I didn't find any game to harrass, but it was good to be out anyway.
I'd circled around to enter the brush with the predominant wind in my face. With each approach to known hog hang outs, I'd ready an arrow on the string and slow way down. But it was just not meant to happen.
Through the area where everything is covered by a plant called "Grandfather's Beard"... a tiny vine like plant that creates shady grottoes that the hogs just love.
Up to the pond where piggy sign was abundant... especially in a year like this one that is so very dry... and finally I wound around through the gate where years before I'd about been run over by a coyote responding to Curtis' vigorous rattling for deer and where he'd arrowed a nice bobcat within minutes of the kamikaze dog.
Finally I eased off up a dusty track that led to the main road, finding it unusually brushy, and stopped for a while near the skeletons of the old farm place, which always set the short hairs on the back of my neck bristling... couldn't possibly say why that is.
The rest of the day would find me getting the glass in my truck replaced and then off to the closest "big" town for a little shopping.
Absolutely nobody had any camo of any sort. Well, there was one shop in the mall that had some.
I tried to make small talk about it with the girl that worked there, trying not to stare at the tatoos adorning her arms or the five pounds of earrings that obscured her eyebrows and ears, while some very hateful and loud music pounded in my own ears.
"Oh yeah", I said with a wry smile and casting a glance at a vibrating speaker, "I've got that album"... I don't think she got it.
The urban camo they did have in there seemed to be made for Hobits and I left in short order. I didn't have much interest in the rest of the inventory which seemed to be mostly comprised of leather things with lots of chrome studs and spikes.
As always, I'm hooked.
Goes better with coffee than donuts, don't it?
and not near as fattening. :D
I'll be going in to my mom's house to do a little painting this morning.
You all try to get some work done! I'll be back this afternoon.
I've had the priviledge of sampling some of CK's Ribs. Those things are great.
"OH YEA FOOD WITH PHOTOS" :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl:
Now this is going to be my KINDA STUFF :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :notworthy: :notworthy:
Great stuff Charlie, please keep it coming. I love your stories and some day I hope to be a part of one.
James
Vance, It looks like those ribs were made for you! :D I guess this is your kind of thread so far - great looking food, but pretty slim on the hunting. :p Doesn't matter the subject though, any tale told by the master is one worth reading :thumbsup:
I could easily tell by Lamb's snoring that his accomodations especially built for him on the Bus were suiting him fine. Oh sure, he busted my chops anyway about his beds length but sometime he just has to fulfill his desire to bust my chops. :D (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/ck/Bus.jpg)
Morning around the Bus was especially difficult. We both sipped steamy hot cups of coffee as the foggy morning gave birth to a new day. It's especially tough to know your friend is dealing with inner turmoil delt by the hand of sinister elements. The only relief was my knowing Charlie was soon to encounter the finer side of men. Even knowing the kindness Charlie was about to encounter, I was left feeling a bit Judas about the whole deal. I think everyone can understand the difficulty in keeping a secret of this caliber from a friend who is obviously greiving his losses. Things are soon to change.
Charlie went his way and I went mine this morning. I was riding a little higher as I approached the workplace. I knew what everyone around The Gang was up to and having been out of pocket for about 14 hours I was anxious to see how things were transpiring. To my utter amazment, things had grown in leaps and bounds. Things around the site shound wrap up soon and if luck held out I would be breaking the great news to Charlie by nightfall. Till then I would remain on pins and needles.
Sorry but we are now out of ribs. Hope ya got one Killy!
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/ck/ribplaten1nn2n.jpg)
Pass me the tea pitcher please!
I still see ribs on the plate at the edge of the pic....and is that pickled okra on the plate? You really know how to hurt a guy don't you :bigsmyl:
I think those are Vance's ribs on the other plate, but that's definately my beer! :bigsmyl:
"Texas Tea", "Half" a pickled okra, and what WAS two extra ribs..... :readit: :saywhat:
Keep it coming... Glad its close to supper time. :bigsmyl:
No such thing as extra ribs. LOL
Like I said, I knew all the Gang was handling things just fine while I was away from the computer. I made a few phone calls and checked the progression of Charlies fund raiser. I think all of Charlie's closest friends around this site all took an area they were capable of handling and ran individually with it. JC took care of the camera, Vance took binoculars, Doug Campbell created the knife, Terry ran the board and paypal, hell, everyone helped in some way. I know I'm am forgetting someone but please forgive me. As the day wound to a close Terry called me once again with an idea of presenting Charlie with the news but things at the Airlines didn't work out. Instead Terry would casually turn on the digital video camera as he entered the picture and seated himself at his desk. As video rolls, Terry greets Charlie with a "good evening Charlie" and continues with a heartfelt presentation of the check donated by all you guys. It was all I could do to watch it start to finish. I already knew it would be quite an emotional moment for Charlie to watch, especially being blind-sided by the moment. I had a plan but first I'd have to get home, download the video on dial-up, and not have Charlie know what I was doing. This would be hard to do since I had explained to Charlie that my computer was broke so he wouldn't be online seeing what was transpiring in his behalf.
As the evening Mexican food plate at a nearby eatery was washed down with some ice tea, the video was downloading at home. The plan when we got home was to go for a stump shoot and fritter the evening away relaxing and sharing in the sport. Boy was Charlie's evening about to brighten up! CK
The video as Charlie saw it. web page (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/MVI_4206.AVI)
Curtis, I just realized that you must be the author of the great article I just read in the Bowyer's Journal, "Heart Shot." I really enjoyed the read and hope you have more to come.
Sorry to hear of Charlie's delima, hope all turns out well.
This keeps gettin better & better! CK, What a cool bus you got there...Doc
"OH MAN" Leave this place for a little bit and someone EATS ALL DA RIBS :scared: :scared:
Seems like there needs to be a NEW FORUM on TG.
"Charlie Lamb Stories". Seriously. Lotsa great stories. And it would save doing a search if a person missed a couple here and there. :bigsmyl:
Charlie - Go ahead big boy and really juice-up this story . . . you might want to leave out the part about all the time spent sitting behind the console enjoying the "cold tea" while the youngsters shot the water full of holes!
I got back home a little after 4:00AM, but I was up early around the crack of 1:00PM!
Had a great time with all three of you and looking forward to seeing you again soon!
Charlie and "the boys" with a triple:
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/gkellar/Bowfish007cs.jpg)
Vance gets "the feel" of things:
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/gkellar/Bowfish024cs.jpg)
Tippit - Still haven't changed a thing and there's always plenty.
JC - Shooting these little critters on the move is a might tougher than those ole frogs, but not near as tasty!
GK
Hey Dad, glad you made it! Boy Jason looks kinda serious about that lizzard. Is he smiling or getting ready to cuss?
Thank you for the compliment Hatrick.
I posted the video link on my last post. Click "web page" to view the vid. Good night!CK
LOL! Can you tell I was a little nervous about that mouth full of teeth? :scared:
Big difference from those Illinois carp eh Jas?
Good stuff boys. Gary, great to hear from you. I've been threatening to get down there on the boat but I just have WAY too much to do. We'll have a serious group of BSers at the Laguna the first weekend of March. Stop by if you get the chance.
-Brian
www.bowyersjournal.com (http://www.bowyersjournal.com)
Hey Gary, How you doin! I didn't know they got to go with the Capt'n on that trip!
I'm not much for bowfishing....I have a hard enough time keeping sharp enough to hit what I point at. I'd be messed up for months if I had to shoot BELOW something to hit it. I think I'll just stick with Frogs :bigsmyl:
Lookin forward to seeing you again.
guess if I was a shopping mall kinda guy, I'd have hung out for a lot longer than I did. But being a cow poop in the cleats of my boots kinda guy I gathered as much clothing and incidentals as I thought I'd need and got the hell out of Dodge.... ok! It was really Victoria and not Dodge, but you know what I mean.
Back at CK's I got the first of many surprised to come when Debbie handed me a shopping bag full of stuff almost exactly like what I'd just gotten. It wasn't really like I'd got, but I'm a guy and clothes is clothes. It was a very thoughtful thing for her to do.
Then Curtis sprung the video from Terry Green about what everyone at Trad Gang had done for me and I was toast for the evening.
With Saturday came a threat of rain, but Curtis and I continued to make preparations for Jason Wesbrock's arrival and the night bowfishing trip we'd planned so long before. A little rain wasn't gonna stop us.
One of the first orders of business was to get some vittles on the grill and slow cooking away. Since that's Curtis' specialty, I mostly just stood back with my new camera (thanks JC) and snapped a few pics of the cooking. (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/CKcooksribs.jpg) There was a solid bed of mesquite coals in the barby so it was just a matter of slapping the ribs to the heat and getting other stuff done while it cooked.
Boats take a lot of work and routine maintenance. I guess that's why I don't own one... not counting my canoe of course. (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/CKreadyboat.jpg)
That took most of the afternoon and before we were done with it it was fully loaded with our gear and pronounced sea worthy by CK.... Did you all know Curtis is a licensed sea captain? Can ye say avast matey? Arggggh! Sure enough, a for real, sea captain. The boy never ceases to amaze me.
As the day wound toward evening, Jason finally rolled into the drive. I greeted him with a personal gesture and a grin. It was good to see him again. Jason is a good sport and I never miss a chance to deliver a jab which I know will get a knee jerk reaction from him... and usually a dry, but wickedly sharp response.
We'd not hunted together for several years. The last time had been high in the Rockies for elk and now here we were about to head for sea level. That about covers it all doesn't it.
Just to get this rolling a little faster, I'll just say we sat the boy down with a plate of ribs while we filled his hunting plate with information both useful and useless about hunting and all things related. By the time he was through eating, we were ready to head for the coast and it's scaley monsters. (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/CkandJasonboatyard.jpg)
I don't remember now what the name of the river was we were headed for. It might have been the Lavaca or any one of several that are just a couple hours from Curtis. We knew we were apt to have some issues with water clarity because of the rain the area had gotten a couple weeks prior.
It figures! I plan a bowfishing trip to an area that's literally stiff with 6 foot gar as big around as I am and the weather messes with me. Hell! The area had been in pretty severe drought for a year or two before the toad strangler came that muddied and oxygenated the coastal rivers.
Since gar can glean oxygen from the air as well as the water. Low oxygen content of the water was important to our plan. The fish are forced to live near the surface or at least spend more time there. We expected to see some big ones anyway.
Shortly after we pulled into the boat ramp we were joined by Gary Kellar. As he rolled toward us I sent him a salute and he "flipped" one right back at me... with that world record grin of his. I like Gary.... a lot. Even if he is younger than me.
Gary and Curtis are as comfortable on the water as most of us are on dry land and we were soon putting away from the ramp and past the line of local fishermen who gathered there to fish for the alligator gar with rod and reel. There's been a major hookup by one of them as we eased the boat toward the water, but he host it at the shore. Substantial fish!!! We took it as an omen.
Clear of the fishermen, CK opened the throttle on the boat. The wind felt good against my skin, giving relief from the muggy, warm air. In a run of a mile or so Curtis now eased back on the throttle and we slowed to trolling speed. The generator was started and lit up our little section of river.
We'd planned our arrival so that we had light to get on the river by and yet had little time to wait for darkness.
It was almost too dark to see when we slowed to hunting speed and flipped on the lights.
Though not impossible, the water conditions weren't as good as they could have been. Most places you could see a foot into the water and that's about it. The fish were there. No doubt about that. Mullet ran in short frenzied bursts ahead of us and the first gar of the evening flipped out of sight as we approached where he was laying.
That was alright, it was just a little one.
Ahhhhhh, yes......the saga continues. Thanks Charlie.
I'm Eating this up.......D...R...A...G her out boys this is good FODDER :bigsmyl:
I don't remember who shot the first shot. Jason and I were up on the front deck. That's the catbird seat, so to speak. I remember Jason started out on the shore side of the boat while I'd cover the area from straight ahead to out toward the middle of the river.
Curtis complained that the fish weren't as numerous as usual and Jason and I certainly understood what he was saying. BUT! We were having some real fun. There were short spells when we'd not be seeing anything and then longer spells when the action would be fast and heavy arrows, chunked into the murky water left and right. The whir of line spilling off bow reels just audible above the drone of the generator.
I think it might have been my first fish of the night... if not it was ONE OF the first. We'd come into a little inlet of a place and mullet were scattering around us. Bright silver sides flashed through clouds of water and sent speeding V's of wake, lapping toward the muddy bank.
We didn't particularly want the mullet. They're not worth much for eating (at least in my mind) and they were way too fast for any serious shooting, but they'd give you a heart attack just the same thinking you'd just started the new world record gar.
I finally shot at one out of frustration. The fish took a fairly straight run from my left to my right and I jerked the 67# longbow to full draw as I slashed the bow toward him. The arrow was away as my fingertips just passed anchor and it penetrated the water close to the speeding mullet. It hit bottom in the shallow water and it's nock end twitched spasmodically... I nailed that puppy! Cool!!
I figured that was a great way to start the night and that it portended great things for me. That didn't turn out to be quite accurate (and neither was I for that matter).
Gary had taken the helm and Curtis had taken up a "door gunner" position at the side of the boat behind me. We were all shooting most of the time now.
I must say that Jason was hammerin the gar that night. Curtis was his usual deadly self. I couldn't hit my ass with both hands.
Fish after fish came and went and I was consistently "on" with my shots, but always a an inch high. Once my brain tells me where to put the arrow, there is no adjusting that. The old brain was telling me those fish were right at the surface and they in fact were not.
I was misreading their positions in the water and wasn't allowing for refraction correctly. For a while, it really sucked to be me. LOL
I put my share of fish in the boat that night, but Jason and Curtis accounted for most of them and though we spent many hours looking, we never found the giants that we really wanted. We were having a blast.
There was the incident of the frog. We'd spotted a big old bullfrog resting on the bank. Frogs had been mysteriously absent so far. We meant to add this one to the cooler.
Jason shot first and anchored his solid glass fish arrow in the mud beside the frog. I slid into position to take the second shot and put my arrow in the mud low.
Curtis came in with an arrow to clean up the whole debacle and promptly missed wide of the mark. The frog blinked lazilly and leapt into the water.
I don't remember what Gary's comment about our shooting was, but I'm sure it wasn't kind. LOL
QuoteOriginally posted by Charlie Lamb:
Fish after fish came and went and I was consistently "on" with my shots, but always a an inch high. Once my brain tells me where to put the arrow, there is no adjusting that. The old brain was telling me those fish were right at the surface and they in fact were not.
I was misreading their positions in the water and wasn't allowing for refraction correctly.
I hear ya loud and clear there Mr. Lamb...that's why I don't bowfish. I'm just not good enough to switch back and forth I guess.
This is great stuff guys, thanks.
JC,it mess's with my shootin some but it's so much fun and far enuff from huntin season that it's not a big deal to get back on tract....besides ya still shoot at a spot per say it's just under the target LOL I always suggest aiming real low and when ya think your low enuff aim 6" under that LOL guess that depends on how close to the surface they are.
Thanks for sharing this story I've really been enjoying the read!!
The nice thing about being around friends when you miss is the fact that there is always someone there to point out your shortcommings. Nicely point them out I might add. Everyone knows how frustrating is can get when ya just can't seem to find that sweet spot somewhere between refraction, water depth, and not making anchor due to quick moving fish. Jason and I certainly showed Lamb our level of "friendship" by critiqueing his form and style frequently. What are friends for? lol! Heck, I'm certainly not one to speak about shortcommings. I couldn't hit a fish for half the night.
The seemingly constant barrage of small gators had us stopping frequently to take pictures. For once I was glad the gators were around. It gave us something to do between the few fish we did see. This trip was one of the least productive in quite some time. The shooting was still ample to keep us busy but the recent rainfall had scattered the big fish into the depths. We'd have to try again some other time if we were to strike a really big one. CK
The fish we were shooting were mostly small, hammer handle size gar. I was amazed at the seeming variety of colors and species we shot. One gar would be near orange in color and the very next one almost jet black and about every combination of the two in between. (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/CTandCKgar.jpg)
There were birds too. We'd hum along one side of the river and the lush foliage by the bank would often droop out over the water. As the boat would cruise close to the brush, a bird that must have been a little green Heron would come flapping out. As they cleared the brush they'd lighten their load to gain speed.
It had a way of keeping us on our toes.
Here and there we found sign of the wild hogs in the area. The cover looked perfect for them and the rivers edge provided cooling water and mud. We found several wallows along the way.
You just knew the deer in those parts grew big racks, living unseen in the rank green vegetation of the coastal jungle. Their tracks too were evident at the edge of the water and deep freshly traveled ruts showed passage of many deer up the bank into the tight cover.
Often we'd find one fish and there'd be several in the same area. More than once we all had an arrow in the water and were reeling frantically for a shot at another fish. Just as often we all have arrows in fish and we had to scurry to keep lines from tangling beyond imagination.
Most of the alligators we saw were smallish specimens, though there was one of substantial size. The little ones moved and looked more like lizards while this fella was a chunk. I wouldn't mind shooting just one alligator if I got the chance.
Permit drawings are very competitive and it's a very controled hunt from what I've heard.
Into the night we shot and by 3 a.m. we were getting ready to head back to the dock. The plan was to grab some sleep and switch to a different river in the afternoon.
I can tell ya the truck camper bunk felt pretty good and I barely noticed the rain that came through the rest of the night and into the next morning.
Awaking at mid morning we had a quick discussion of our options. We could switch rivers and try to find one with clearer water or head north and hunt hogs. I could see a twinkle in Jason's eye when Curtis suggested it and made the vote unanimous. We'd head for Curtis lease after first unloading the boat and making a switch of tackle.
During that process we each got a hot shower and some couch time before heading out for pigs.
Just before dark I found myself slipping cautiously into the Texas brush trying to ambush a pig.
My evening went pretty slow. A few mosquito bites and a couple deer sightings. I'd set up a hasty blind near a well worn trail across a sendero. Curtis assured me the place was crawling with hogs.
A half hour before it got too dark to shoot a coon shuffled across the trail upwind of me. I lost sight of him in just a little bit, but felt that his direction of travel would bring him near me. I nocked an arrow and half turned to face where I knew he was.
There seems to be a million coons in Texas and that many racoons is always cause problems. They seemed to do their share of damage to any thing you'd leave out.
Curtis wanted a few thinned off the place and I'd help him if I got a chance.
The little bear did come out of the brush near me, but on my off side and way to close to turn without spooking him. I'd just watch him and see what happened.
It only took a couple of minutes and the little bandit was within a few feet of me. He came slowly and kinda thought something was up, but the empty peanut hulls I'd discarded tempted him mightily.
He'd raise up on his hinds like they do when they're trying to figure out what they're looking at and turn his head from side to side. He never did seem as if he recognized me as trouble and eventually waddled off into the brush from whence he'd come.
Not much to report for the rest of the evening. At least not for me. Jason had a pretty big adventure and gathered in his first and a very nice boar hog. I'm sure he'll tell all about it in TBM, so I won't steal his thunder here.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/Jasonhog1.jpg)
I had one more oportunity to hunt before the trip would be over and that would be a night hunt.
Great Stuff fellas !!
Yeah, the bowfishing was an absolute blast, but I was really itching to go on my first hog hunt.
Great hog, Jason! Wonderful thread, guys!!!
Looks good to me. You all know how to have fun.
Look I'm Green with envy! :D
We,, I'm loading up for a three day goat hunt out in far west Texas this morning. Better wrap this up. Here is a "posed" pic of one of the larger gators we saw that night. I find it strange that the gators sometime get in the boat lights and just ease along at the same speed as the boat. They either like the lime-light or they are beggin for a wrassling. LOL! This one went unharmed as did all the gators we encountered on the trip. Can't say the same about the fish or the hogs. :D
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/ck/Curtis_gatorn1n.jpg)
Well, I'm headed west now! Hope to be creating a few more storys with some of you guys soon. How about 5 species of wild, free ranging goats in steep, rocky terrain? Be well! Have a great weekend! CK
Great story guys, love the pics. Nice hog Jason. So that was your first hog hunt? Daaaaang! Yer plumb spoiled now!
CK, I love hunting that type of terrain in Texas too. I've had some awesome hunts in and around the Uvalde area. Cept for the whiterock scraping and breaking any arrow that misses...um...I mean passes through :D 5 species wild, free ranging in that type of terrain, sounds like another piece of heaven to me.
Great story. Now are there anymore of those "extra ribs" laying around? :bigsmyl:
Great stuff guys! :bigsmyl:
OH MY FELLAS........Is it over ???
I haven't gotten my fill YET :readit:
WE needs M O R E............ :bigsmyl: .....vance
Vance,
Curtis should be sending me my frozen deboned meat via FedEx early next week. I'll have to unthaw it and do the final cuts. I suppose I'll just butcher it like a deer.
How to cook it? Don'tcha just put some heat under the stuff? :campfire:
Thanks for sharing fellas! Man that south Texas living must sure be tough. Hunting and bowfishing all year round. Must get awful boring :rolleyes:
-Brian
www.bowyersjournal.com (http://www.bowyersjournal.com)