The Joan Leonard Memorial Bunny Hunt 2008 (FINAL THANKYOU!!)

[Killdeer]

Scott, I do have a pic of a (briefly) chilled Shawn. Working on editing and uploading as we um, sit. I have about 300 JPG files to work from here.

 :eek:

[Guru]

Sorry guys....been down for over two days now...   :(    

I'll try to finish up with my pix and stories today...feelin' a little better....


Fred, Thanx bud....having that one published means the world to me....

[Stone Knife]

Take your time Curt, hope you feel better soon.

[Killdeer]

Can you believe that Shawn and Cindy handed over a truck to a stranger?



They didn't SEEM nervous about it, so I did that for them. It was both hands at ten and two for every mile! Friday dawned, and I made coffee and got free eats at the motel. Museum, with its treasures of regional artifacts? Or Five Rivers with its trove of wildlife and new birds for my lifelist? Shawn had said that he wanted to shoot some with Damon at his dad's house at 8:30. Fashionably late, I arrive at 9. Vacant. Dang!

Five Rivers? Mmmm. I went back to the Wal-Mart for the tape that Shawn told me not to buy, plus some food and to peruse the sporting goods section. (Ours get dissected and disappear sometime in November.) I went over later in the day to help Shawn and Cindy with some last minute prep to the house. The work they gave me to do was symbolic, little diddly stuff, punctuated by a beer or two. When all was as good as it would get, Shawn took me to the kiddy slopes to introduce me to the concepts behind Bunny Hunting.
What a guide! Never having done anything like this before, he walked me through it (as he walked through stands of living barbed wire) and never made me feel stupid. I had no concept of the significance of blue snow, and had never noticed bunny cuttings before. Sure, I knew the difference between deer browsing and bunny clipping, but had never seen so many saplings girdled and gnawn by these mini-beavers. It was awesome. He must have flushed out ten rabbits on the first drive, all of which fled gaily into the woodlot across the trail. Some paused to point and make rude gestures at me.  :p  

Having hunted deer for half my life on public land, I was used to that.
Killdeer

[Guru]

Here's the pix that Aram asked me to post of his daughter Una and Ken....I heard what was happening and asked if I could get a picture to capture the moment.....Aram and Ken will fill you in.....




 Saturday night after the raffle Shawn and I talked about me taking out Miss Faith for the sunday hunt. I'd never shot her before, but I figured that some good mojo and the fact that it was Miss Faith might break my 5ys "bunnyless" streak. Over the years I'd figured out every single way to miss rabbits. I'm talking some golden opportunities. So Sunday morning I grab some of the wood arrows Shawn had made up for Hope and Faith,and went out in the howling wind to see how she felt.  Even in the 40-50mph crosswind she was putting arrow after arrow in the 3d bear at 15yds. It was heard to tell how they were actually flying with the wind kicking the feathered end all over the place. But they went right where I was looking to put them. Now I just needed a way to carry my arrows. Drew offers up a three arrow Eagle's flight(thanx bud, Shawn will be sending it back to you for me). I put it on and went back out to shoot a couple more shots....perfect....It was Miss Faith for Sunday!

First push I was part of the second waive of pushers, trying to catch the bunnies that double back....and double back they did!

Tim K. and I had a blast...first bunny came flying back toward me at about 10 yds and I made a surprisingly good running shot that couldn't have been any closer without taking hair off. Two shots later the push ended for me and I felt real godd about how I was shooting Miss Faith.....

Here's the results of the first push on Sunday(greenhouse).....


Bob Brown.....



Gary K., Tim's dad...both long time friends of mine.....



The huntmaster.....



bbassi....

[Shawn Leonard]

Now were talkin'!! OOOHHHHHHHHH YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Shawn

[Killdeer]

Flippin' back to Friday, Shawn and I continued across the road to the old school, and poked around back there. We walked around to the left of the school and went in at the back side of it. Bunnies flushed, and bunnies won. There were a few "almosts" as we worked around through the woods. We were almost done back there when a young rabbit made some mistakes. It stopped near a wire fence, which allowed me to get close enough to firmly identify it as non-cat, non-dog and non-human. It wasn't a donkey either. It ran to a brush pile and I crept up and shot into the tangle. It ran.

I found my arrow at the woodpile. It was lying on the snow, and the fletches were discolored. I wondered what could have leached into them from the snow. I hit him!!    

Did I mention that Shawn is a good guide? He spotted blood and we started trailing. We found where the rabbit had crossed a trail, and went toward the back of the woodlot. The rabbit then started losing a lot of blood, as a hole widened and stuff started to drag on him. We caught up to him, and the arrows started flying. We couldn't have hit the side of a barn from the inside. Shawn shot and hit a tree, and the arrow came right back at him! I feared that he would put an eye out, but admired his self-retrieving arrow. The rabbit had a good case of the "gleeps" by then, and a swift clip from Shawn put him out for good. My first bunny ever!





While the shot would have been great on a deer, I found that rabbit hearts are well ahead of what I expected, and instead of the crease behind the foreleg, I should go for shoulder and forward. Probably inside the joint of humerus and scapula is best. Unless ya head-shoot them like the REAL hunters did the next day!

Killdeer  :D

[Killdeer]

Somebody got that arrow in the raffle.

Killdeer  

[Shawn Leonard]

That was the most cool moment of the whole hut for me. I was so thrilled I could hardly stand still. It was a sight to see and I will remember it forever, this is why we bought her here and her first 1/2 hour out she kills a bunny! OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Shawn

[Huntrdfk]

     

How cool is that?  That first bunny by Kathy was a sign of things to come, little did we know......


David

[Mark Fedrizzi]

...........  

[ishiwannabe]

OOOOOOOHHHHHH YYYYYYYEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!
Shot placement on a bunny? Im happy if I hit them at all....  

[Huntrdfk2]

Shawn that was one of the most funnest weekends of my life. Thank You for letting me come.  


  Hunter

[adkmountainken]

the knife that i gave Una belonged to Barb Dumas. i have been holding it for awhile decieding what to do, waiting for the right feeling. i had thought a few times about giving it to differnt people but just did not get the feeling that it was the right time. watching una walk around with the group and carring her bow just really hit home. here was a beautiful, young lady compleatly at home in the great outdoors. i did not know Barb really well but we had talked through emails and i read every thing she posted as she had a way with owords much like Killdeer. i can only guess that Una is a lot like what barb must have been as a young girl, a natural to the outdoors. i thought Una would be the perfect person for this knife to unite past spirits with those of our youth and keep the traditional ways alive. Aram i'm sure is an extremly proud father of a beautiful girl that posses such natural beauty and looks so at home in the woods with her bow. Congrats to you Aram for rasing such a treasure!!!
 Una,
      it is so refreshing to see a young lady in the great outdoors. emarace the beautys of nature and the flight of the arrow. never change to fit in, be yourself and believe in yourself, you make all of us proud! i look foward to seeing you next year and shooting a few arrows with ya. i do not need or want thanks for the knife. you being you is all the thanks one needs. i bet Barb would have handed the knife to you herself if she were there.

[ishiwannabe]

Ken.....simply put...AWESOME!

[Huntrdfk]

Ken.....I can't find the words to describe what you have done here.....            

Una is a very worthy recipient.......Aram you have a couple there to be proud of!


David

[Guru]

[Killdeer]

Una, I am so happy to see that you got this special knife from my brother Ken. Barb was a kindred spirit to me, and I am sure that she is smiling at the road that her knife is travelling. Walk your road well, and leave your own very distinct tracks upon the path.

Killdeer
I have hunted with your knife.

[vermonster13]

A knife with some serious Mojo! Good deal all around!

[Shawn Leonard]

OOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Shawn