Posted on: March 30th, 2010 Turkey Time
Zack Walton Spring Turkey 2010
Even though I have been chasing animals with a bow ever since I could carry one, I never hunted turkeys until my early 20s. I never really saw the draw to shooting a big, stupid bird. The first time I tried to shoot one, I ended up spending hours chasing toms all over the hills only to have them fly away without me getting close. It was humbling.
The next year, after realizing running them down on foot was a poor plan, I finally got a shot at one by waiting in the brush for one to walk in front of me. I missed. But I learned letting the birds come to me was a better option for success. On the third year, I went all out. I got a blind, some decoys and set of Primos calls. I was armed and ready.
That year, I did take a great tom with my bow. He was huge and had a 10 ½-inch beard. At last, I had outsmarted a bird with a brain the size of a life saver. Since that year, I have started having better luck and was ready to do some hunting by the time opening weekend came around this year. Read the rest of this entry »
64-Yard Cartoon Dog
From L to R: Dad, Jason Winters, Me and Roger Klein
This was a busy weekend! After taking a nice turkey on Saturday (see post “Turkey Time”), I went to the Lodi Bowmen Annual Cartoon Shoot on Sunday. The Cartoon shoot was my favorite shoot growing up. It always held my interest because we shot at painted cartoon characters. What kid wouldn’t like that?
Even though I don’t watch many cartoons anymore, I still really enjoy this shoot. The range is gorgeous and the members do a great job of keeping it that way. And the 42-target, 2-arrow format is my favorite type of shoot.
After shooting for six hours in beautiful sunshine, I posted one of my better scores with an 892 in Bowhunter Freestyle. I was very happy about the way I shot. Through 84 scoring arrows, I had only one arrow that I would consider a bad shot. And, for the first time, I shot a 22 (2 spots) on a 101-yard target. That is a major accomplishment for me. Read the rest of this entry »
T3 Closed
T3 Expanded
For as long as I have been bowhunting, I have been a proponent of fixed blade broadheads. They are simple to use, sharp, durable and nearly full-proof. Even in the past several years, when expandables have become all the Rage (excuse the pun), I have stayed away from the design.
The main reason I have continued to use fixed blades is because I have had excellent success with them. I have not found a reason to change. I don’t have to worry about blade performance, or whether or not the heads will engage properly on contact. I just shoot and follow a massive blood trail to the animal. And the most popular selling point for expandables is that they fly like field points. Well, if you take the time to perfectly tune your bow, which should be a priority for every bowhunter, getting a well-designed fixed-blade broadheads to fly right is easy.
But when I got a peek at G5 Outdoors’ new expandable broadhead, it really caught my attention. The new T3 encompasses all the features I would include in an expandable head. From the trocar tip and 100% steel construction, to the 3-blade, 1 ½-inch cutting diameter, this broadhead has the attributes to excite me about expandable heads. Read the rest of this entry »
Connie Latronica and Mom after busting the 2-man clout
Another weekend gone, another archery shoot in the books.
Sunday was Horseshoe Bend Field Archers annual 3-D shoot. If you didn’t go, you missed a beautiful day. For the 180+ shooters, they were treated to sunshine and perfect temperatures. And to an excellent archery course.
This has always been one of my favorite shoots of the year and this year I even posted a decent score of 885 in the Bowhunter Freestyle class. I was second behind, of course, Shawn Wood. Shawn is a good buddy of mine that always finds a way to top the score board, no matter where we go. With a 906, he was way ahead of the rest of us in BHFS and beat most of the freestyle shooters. Although I did score higher than him on the 92-yard buffalo–take that Shawn. Read the rest of this entry »
Looking for a shoot this weekend? Head up to the Horseshoe Bend Field Archers’ annual tournament on Sunday. Located just off the north shore of Lake McClure, between LaGrange and Coulterville, the range is in a beautiful area and the members of the club are some of the finest you will find anywhere in the state.
I have been shooting this tournament for several years and always look forward to the weekend with these guys and gals. The range is made up of 28 targets, most of them 3-D, including a life-size buffalo. And located 1/2 mile from the range is a spacious campground, if you want to make a weekend out of it.
If you go, make sure to hit Mario’s stand with his “World Famous” chili verde burritos. They are worth the trip themselves. With several clouts, a clean range and great hosts, this is one of my favorite shoots of the year. I hope everyone can make it out this weekend. For more information, check out their website at http://horseshoebendfieldarchers.com/. See you there.
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