Trad Gang

Got in late last night from a wonderful bowhunting adventure in the hills of northern Georgia with one of the finest men I have the privilege of calling a friend. I was a guest at the homestead of JC for the opener of the Georgia archery season. JC donated this hunt for the St Jude Auction held right here on TradGang every spring and I was the lucky high bidder.

I've stayed in some decent hunting camps over the years but the lodging on this trip was almost too much to believe. JC and his beautiful wife Kim built their dream home, an unbelievable log home which they just finished in May of this year, on one of the prettiest chunks of land I've seen in a while. Their horses enjoyed strolling around the property while their wonderful sons, Chase and Conner, had a good time playing outside in this picturesque setting.

The inside of the log home was every bit as cozy as the striking landscape outside. I slept on one of the most comfortable beds I've ever laid on while the cool mountain air came through the screen and danced down from the ceiling fan. The beautiful kitchen was always filled with some of Kim's fine cooking and was always looked forward to after a few hours afield. I've experienced southern hospitality before but let me tell you, Kim and JC set the bar for all others to be compared in the future.

I guess I made a mistake above when I called JC a friend, he and his family made me feel more like a family member than a friend. So, many thanks to the Coots Family for opening up their home and their busy schedule to this appreciative Yankee.

Oh, yeah, we hunted hard as heck and yes there will be more stories and pictures to come...

-Brian
www.bowyersjournal.com (http://www.bowyersjournal.com)

YEAH, we're kind of partial to Kim & JC in this part of the country.  

Now if someone would just teach te boy how to shoot a bow....

:campfire:

Brian, I got to spen some time with JC in TX (not nearly long enough).. He is on heck of a guy and i'm proud to call him a friend. I hope we get to spend some time in the woods together again soon.

You just described the JC I know! Great guy! CK

Humbled by your kind words gentlemen. My life is richer and fuller from knowing you...looking forward to our many hunts together in the future.

Brian, the pleasure was all ours. Not only did I enjoy hunting with you, I really enjoyed the time we got to spend talking about life in general. Yes, you can certainly consider yourself part of our extended family. We look forward to your return, and maybe with your family next time.

It was a tough hunt, but very rewarding, mainly for the company it was shared with. I have never seen the animals so keyed to the moon as this past weekend. Brian did get some good pics though...and I'll throw in a few as he lays out the story.

:campfire:

:campfire:    :archer:

I'll tell you a good one that happened just yesterday.

My buddy RC (Carter) and I were huntin and we started talking about this week in Nov when he camps at Horse Creek. He mentioned that JC had said he might make it down for the weekend. In skepitacal fashion I said.......

Carter...You don't really want to spend time with JC  :campfire:

Alright already! Get to telling the story fellas!

Mud...if I can get down that way that weekend...I'll be there. Maybe Joe and I can ride together.

:campfire:

yup JC is a FRIEND !!! been thinking strongly of hunting Ga in 2008 think i need to see some GA mountians --- herb

Brian,
You are welcome anytime. What an easy house guest you were.....easy to feed and keep happy. We really enjoyed getting to know you and just simply sitting around talking. I know your girls were happy to have you back and have probably been keeping you busy. Next time you will have to bring the family. We enjoy sharing what God has blessed us with. What a blessing to share it with you.

Thanks for overlooking the boxes still not unpacked and the lack of landscaping! This place is still a work in progress but we are loving it. So much to do but we want to enjoy life at the same time. It's hunting season so that means that I can't have any "honey do" lists worked on until after season. You guys know how that is!

The guys here are ready for a story....  :D  
I won't spoil the fun....
I will say that it was wonderful to see Brian relaxing on the front pourch almost unwilling to go pack to leave on that last afternoon. That's when you know someone is relaxed and content. Either that or he was dreading the airport hassles! They hunted alot, but at the same time we had lots of time just sitting around in comfortable clothes and talking about life. What a great weekend........

Thanks Brian for bidding on our hunt. The children were blessed and so were we....you are now considered part of the Coots extended family.

You are welcome anytime Herb! Some fresh Georgia mountain air might be just what you need.  :D

Sounds great! Now we need some pictures!!!...lol

(Still looking up those knife details JC)

al

Ooops....I need to check my spelling before I hit send! I am trying to multi-task......not very well I see......  

Geez, sorry to drag this one out folks, you take a few days off and the work piles up real fast. Just getting caught up. OK, I promise to get on with the story...right after dinner with the family...

Thanks again Kim...you got it right the first time as to why I didn't want to get packing that last afternoon.

-Brian
www.bowyersjournal.com (http://www.bowyersjournal.com)

As mentioned earlier, it all started with me being the high bidder on the the hunt JC and Kim were kind enough to donate to raise money for St Jude. I was really excited because I usually have to wait until the last weekend of September or the first week of October for deer archery season to open up here every year.

Time seems to fly by these days and before I knew it, I was off to Georgia. Here's a few pics of the incredible lodging I was telling you about:

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC.jpg)

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC2.jpg)

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC3.jpg)

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC4.jpg)

My plane was delayed about 45 minutes into Atlanta and by the time we made the 2 hour jaunt back to JC's place and picked up my license, I was pretty much wiped out and ready for bed. Of course it was closing in on midnight and you know opening day comes early.

Up around 5 AM, burning adrenaline and showing no signs of only getting a few hours sleep. Did I mention the comfortable bed? WOW. Anyhow, JC had some stands already scouted and set up for us to hunt. After a quick shower, it was time to get into my hunting gear and get down to serious business. I grabbed a piece of fruit for breakfast and an energy bar and bottle of water for the road. We headed out back through JC's horse pasture and slipped silently into the woods. I was a little concerned about the bright moon but we would be ready for the deer, no matter what time they decided to show up.

JC's son, Chase, would be joining us with a bow in hand this morning and I was excited for him as I mentally recalled those times years ago when I was that size and walking out into the woods with my Dad on all those opening mornings we shared.

They walked with me to my stand location then we parted with handshakes and well wishes as they headed to theirs. I got settled into the comfortable stand and just sat for a while, inhaling the clean, dark air and my heart beat in anticipation for another opening day.

The sun rose and the black and gray forms turned into vibrant colors with each step the sun took into the morning sky. I was quite a ways from my house but, as usual, I felt like I was home in this setting as the opening morning played out in front of me as they have since I can remember.

The moon proved a factor and I ended the morning watch with no deer sightings. I was surprised at how similar this woodlot looked to many of the ones I'm used to back home. The amount of white oak trees was unreal and they were beginning to drop a few morsels here and there for the woodlot critters. There were a few squirrels fighting and gathering them but no deer responded to the sweet sounds of oak seeds tapping on the forest floor.

Here's a look from the stand to my right.

  (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC5.jpg)

There are three drainages that come together in front of me around 15-20 yards away. JC had done his homework. The wind was perfect and this was a likely spot for a close encouter of the white tail kind. Plenty of cover and plenty of shooting lanes, the perfect combination.

  (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC6.jpg)

  (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC7.jpg)

-Brian
www.bowyersjournal.com (http://www.bowyersjournal.com)

Awesome, thanks for sharing.

Those arrows with the pink fletching look familiar    ;)

Awesome, Gracias!!

Love the Cabin/Home!

Keep the pics coming!

After a morning sit, I caught up with JC and Chase to see if they saw anything. There were a few does that came close and Chase nearly loosed an arrow at one. I was excited to hear about his encounter.

Back at the house, I was treated to the first of many delicious meals in Ms. Kim's kitchen. After breakfast, I decided to continue my evaluation of that comfortable mattress in an attempt to get caught up on a few of the winks I had missed.

Back up shortly thereafter and we began to put together a plan for the evening hunt. JC said we would hunt the McGraw WMA with his friend Ken. While we were eating lunch, a white SUV pulled up JC's driveway and out walked a fellow I've been trying to catch up with, just freshly returned from successfully chasing pronghorn in Wyoming. You might recognize him...

   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC8.jpg)

Left to Right: Terry Green, Ken, Me and JC.

Here's part of the landscape of the McGraw WMA near the power lines as we walked in.

   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC9.jpg)

This is a view from my evening treestand. Very thick but plenty of shooting lanes. I had a good feeling about this spot.

   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC10.jpg)

   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC11.jpg)

   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC12.jpg)

-Brian
www.bowyersjournal.com (http://www.bowyersjournal.com)

Terry, it was a real pleasure to finally meet you in person and sharing a woodlot with you. After getting a chance to meet and talk with Terry, folks it's obvious why TradGang is so successful. I look forward to hunting with you again in the future.

Same goes for Ken, what a great fella. He really knows his bowhunting and I'd be happy to share a camp with him any time.

Thanks for taking time out of your schedules to come hunting with me and JC.

Well, the moon was still big and bright as the sun went down and I'm pretty sure it kept the deer movements confined to the night. Ken, Terry and I saw nothing and I believe JC saw one or two on the other end of the WMA.

This beautiful hummingbird did buzz around and visit for a while which I surely enjoyed.

  (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC13.jpg)

-Brian
www.bowyersjournal.com (http://www.bowyersjournal.com)

Brian, you have good photography skills.  And you can tell a good story too.  Looks like ya'll had fun!

Back at ya Brian.....and yep, we'll have to do it again sometime....but make it a longer hunt than on afternoon.

Best to your and The Bowyer's Journal.  Keep up the excellent work.

Get on with it Brian! The suspense is killin me..

I'm with ya Chad...'bout time for someone to shoot something  :)

:campfire:    

OK, back to JC's after that evening hunt. Terry had to get on the road as JC and I sat down to some smoked chicken. A quick meal, a little story telling and it was time for bed.

The next morning we hunted on JC's place and were hopeful for some activity despite fighting the big moon at night. The morning hunt came to a close with no sightings.

For the afternoon hunt, JC thought we would try the Pine Log WMA and attempt to locate some feral hogs. This was a very beautiful setting in the mountains.

  (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC14.jpg)

We worked up a drainage where JC and friends have had encounters with hogs in the past. The wind kept toying with us, changing directions at will but we worked up into a very scenic hollow where several benches came together. We decided to take a break from our hike.

  (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC15.jpg)  

We came across a fresh pig wallow and from the sign left behind, it was apparent that we just missed some action. The wind never did cooperate very long so JC decided it was time for us to try another spot.

-Brian
www.bowyersjournal.com (http://www.bowyersjournal.com)

We went to a different spot, this time working down a drainage loaded with pig sign. Here's a pig bed in the mud with pig hair impression lines throughout...pretty cool, we must be close.

   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC17.jpg)

Here's a few more not much further down the hollow.

   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC18.jpg)

We thought for sure we would be walking up on a pig or three in no time. We heard a few snorts and grunts in the distance but have yet to see hair nor hide. We continued to pick our way along.

   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC20.jpg)

   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC19.jpg)

We could hardly believe that we had not seen so much as a running pig or a white-tail flag the whole time we crept down the hollow. I've seen the full moon affect critters in different ways over the years but never anything like this. But we were determined to find something before the sun went down.

-Brian
www.bowyersjournal.com (http://www.bowyersjournal.com)

After a few hours of walking, we decided to sit down for a drink and a snack. I couldn't think of a much better place than right here:

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC16.jpg)

Daylight was burning up and we were still coming up short. Everything was working against us and we desperately racked our brains to try to figure out what we were missing. We decided to start stump shooting and just screwing around in general with our guard down which is usually enough to bring game in during moments like this when you're not paying attention. The landscape sure was pretty here with all the ivy and vines climbing the tree trunks.

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC21.jpg)

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC22.jpg)

-Brian
www.bowyersjournal.com (http://www.bowyersjournal.com)

Another tough day of hunting came to a close but our tired butts were comforted with some fantastic teriyaki steaks hot off of Miss Kim's grill. Delicious! Although we were tired, JC and I figured we earned a few beers and did so while we checked football scores on the big screen. Sleep came quickly that night as well, as usual after a day of hard hunting.

The last day of the hunt was upon me as I got ready to beat the sun to the treestand on JC's place. The moon had lost some of it's shine but was still about 3/4 full last night. On the way to the stand, we saw several deer in the field next to JC's house. We slipped into the woods without spooking them and were hopeful that there would be some opportunities this morning.

The morning sit proved uneventful, unfortunately, and I headed back to the house. I did come across this critter while cutting through the horse pasture.

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/halbleib/JC23.jpg)

-Brian
www.bowyersjournal.com (http://www.bowyersjournal.com)

We didn't have to leave for the airport until around 6:30 PM which left us the whole afternoon for one last ditch effort. I decided to use that time to take JC and Kim to lunch and spent the rest of the day enjoying the breeze and the conversation on their beautiful front porch.

We didn't loose any arrows at any critters but we were both thankful for the opportunity to enjoy God's great outdoors again and for new friendships. For me, success has never been measured in filled tags, but in the experience, the opportunity to see new country and the addition of new, close friends. It doesn't get much more successful than that.

I thank you all for coming along with us and maybe next time we'll have some fresh backstraps to share with you   :archer:  

-Brian
www.bowyersjournal.com (http://www.bowyersjournal.com)

Greta pics and story Brian. Thanks for taking the time to share them.

Brian, thanks for sharing your experiences and hunts with the Coots and the great photo's. That moon surely played it's part in not seeing deer on the opener for me too. I hunt not very far from the Coots place and neither my buddy nor I saw a deer. I stayed on the stand until 1:00 PM thinking they would have to move soon.

Glad you had a wonderful time nonetheless, but knowing JC, Kim, and the boys that was bound to happen.

Al

Thanks for the adventure Brian.  You were lucky to hook up with JC.  I shared a camp with Joe last spring so I know what a great guy he is.

Brian enjoyed  it all with you do have a question is every thing up hill? just courious as we who are chubby ( fat) do like flat ground    :D   don't see any of it around here and looks like in Ga every where you want to go is over the next hill!!!

Miss Kim i thank you for the kind offer and maybe in 2008 i will see if i can come for a few days .you and JC are very lucky and God Blessed you both ,to have each other --- herb

The more folks I meet through trad archery, the more I am convinced of God's goodness. Brian is a fine friend, I look forward to sharing many years hunting with him.

The killing has been pretty dry around here lately....but the hunting has been spectacular. Especially when you consider great camp mates like Brian.

I was frustrated that we could be on all that hog sign and not get on the hogs. I was even more frustrated that the deer had seemed to evaporate. But to Brian's credit, he smiled and took it in stride, enjoying the hunt and our time together even though the critters fooled us despite our best efforts.

Herb, there is some flat ground, but not much   :D

Needless to say we really enjoyed getting to know Brian. We just wished he had at least layed eyes on some deer or hogs! He was a good sport about it. Seems that the moon really had an affect on the movement of the deer. Not many seen or killed around here.

My job was keeping Brian fed and in clean linens. He was a VERY easy houseguest. One thing about everyone we have met here....they are the greatest group of people. You couldn't ask for better people to house or feed. Always thankful and fun to be around. Tradgangers are just awesome people.

Herb, the Coots Inn is open any time. We will get you up those hills! We can at least get you to the hill without much trouble.  

I especially like the ending.  I read so many stories in Traditional Bowhunter and everyone always kills things and this is what is the center piece for so many hunters.  You have told a story that speaks to me...it is the hunt and not the kill that really matters.

Thought I'd bring this back for a look at JC country. All rather nice!  :D

Sorry, I think I cleared those pictures from the photobucket account...

-Brian

I'll send you some pics Allen....just to tempt you to make time to stop by on your way through the states....

Won't need tempting mate!

Some aussie pics on the way too.......


al