Whew ….. did we hunt hard this year?
You bet. It was never “work” but at times, it sure was borderline as we just couldn’t get enough. Here are a few hunting stories and comments that helped make it a great year.
I spent more time in Wool Plaid this year. It was
very effective even at close ranges — 5 yards.
Just don’t move!
On a personal level, I had a couple encounters with the largest deer I have ever seen in Pennsylvania. No doubt that he was a smart fellow and he sure made me look pretty dumb a few times. The first time he was around – he remained unseen except for his large rear end. He kicked 6 deer out of his area and they ran with panicked expressions past me at 5 yards.
Encounter #1: It was earlier in the season and the setup was heavy brush with 2 primary shot openings. Good scrapes and the deer had been predictably moving from right to the left each evening. The big boy showed up naturally moving in an opposite direction from left to right and was past the left opening before I knew what was happening — he was so big and surprised me so badly – I lost it. My arrow fell off the rest as I prepared to draw the longbow as he stood in opening #2. Rookie mistake. I still had one more opportunity by slowly standing up to shoot but the shot was not there.
Encounter #2: Two weeks later, I took my Kodabow and set up on a field edge near a scrape line near his hangout. Full ghillie suit…. marginal wind situation but that was the only option ….. the rut was in full swing. The big boy appeared across the field. I first ranged him at 80 yards and every step brought him closer on a diagonal path. A walking buck can cover 50 yards in seconds …… I put the rangefinder down at 40 yards and picked a grass clump at 30 yards where I would squeeze the trigger. He was so big, I felt an immense responsibility that any shot I would take should be 200% certain with zero risk. As I began to slowly increase trigger pressure at 32 yards, the buck wheeled around and trotted off. The gusty wind pushed my scent to him and the buck didn’t pause to sort out the situation. Another rookie mistake — the shot could have easily been executed at 35 yards. Live and learn.
Encounter #3: We had played around with each other at distance and I observed the buck a few more times. I had a sense of how he operated and he was a nighttime operator at this point. The woods were now open and the trees were bare. At this time of year, the woods are noisy and it can be nearly impossible to enter a small woodlot without blowing everything out especially with a climber stand.
The plan was to give it everything I had left and sneak into the woodlot well before daylight— get up a tree quietly and sit for the day in the freezing temps with the hope that the buck would be on his feet at some point during the day. At 10:00 AM, I saw a movement in the brush. Probably not a squirrel. Then nothing for 15 minutes. He appeared at 50 yards. I lowered my rangefinder as the buck looked up at the very large shape in a tree. He locked on me and became jumpy. The only shot was 45 yards and there was plenty of brush in the way. I chose to pass on the shot. I admired this buck’s savvy nature and ability to have luck in his favor. I had one excellent opportunity early in the season —- another excellent opportunity mid-season and a final opportunity late in the season. It was all good. Maybe next year.
Great Friendships and Testimonials
A young man with the nickname of “B” …very young …sent me a nice Christmas Card detailing some solid advice to practice, identify your game animal and know the vital area for shot placement. It probably took this youngster a long time to put this together and it was much appreciated.
On the other end of the spectrum, a gent who has hunted the world – sheep hunting — grizzly bear hunting dropped us a note of appreciation as well.
Dear Mr. Koda,
I would like to give a testimonial for your company website about your exceptional crossbow. I have hunted all over North America and taken many game animals with rifle and bow.Several have made the record book.
Most of these species were taken with my precision calibrated rifles at long distances.Until a few years ago when a friend introduced me to you and your cross bows,I was a bit skeptical about the effectiveness of them.
Since then I have taken multiple deer with most of them dropping within 30 yards of my shots.The speed,quietness,precision and durability are unmatched in the industry.To say your product is the best is an understatement and for you to design such a product makes you a genius…possibly a candidate for the MIT product achievement,award.
Thank you Bob ……… your response is not unusual but is very appreciated. We had a lot of help from many people to put this crossbow together. The original design worked great — the bow has not changed in any significant way since it was first introduced. We will be waiting for the phone call from MIT.
Textbook: The Way it is Supposed to Work
Ted: Hello Kodabow ….I’ve been seeing this deer at 50 yards. I’ve never taken a shot that long before. Can you help me?
Kodabow: You are a local customer. Bring your Kodabow Koda-Express up to the crossbow range and we will shoot for a few minutes together. Make sure you don’t forget your arrows, rangefinder and cocking rope. See you at 10:00 tomorrow morning.
Ted: I’ll be there!
_______________________10:00 AM the next morning! ________
Ted: I’m feeling pretty good about this.
Kodabow: Take your time with the shot. We think you will be fine. Practice makes perfect. Use your arrow we labeled #1 that you just validated on the range.
__________________________3:30 PM later the same day! _________
Ted: Thank you Kodabow! The shot was exactly 50 yards and the deer dropped within 40 yards.
Thank you to all our friends and customers who have such a high level of enthusiasm for the hunt every year with our products — we share your excitement!
My best,
Chuck (aka. “Mr. Koda”)