Lucky streak started Friday the 13th
11/19/2009 7:32:21 AM
Art Brown with the 180-inch class buck he killed in Cherokee County Nov. 16. |
The antlers on Art Brown's Cherokee County buck show some character. |
Art Brown with his Nov. 13 155-inch Kansas buck estimated at about 225 pounds. "He is by far the largest bodied deer I have ever shot," Brown said. |
He dropped a fine deer in Kansas and still felt a need to hurry back to Cherokee County to hunt the buck of a lifetime.
Some may have thought Art Brown was pushing his luck, especially since the 225-pound 155-inch buck he scored in Kansas fell on Friday the 13th.
But the Tahlequah bow hunter was just being smart.
He had watched a large buck on his property near Hulbert for a few years. He had come close on the buck in 2008, coming within 60 yards on the opening day of the rifle season. "I don't shoot beyond 30 yards," he said. "I just couldn't get him in any closer."
He knew the buck was good sized. He found the sheds in the spring and they scored roughly 148. "I went to Kansas hoping to find a deer like that," he said.
He did find a deer like that, but the one at home had grown bigger, a lot bigger.
He even called his wife to tell her he was coming home early from Kansas – so he could get a few days in to try and connect with that big buck before the gun season. "She said, 'wrong answer,'" Brown said with a laugh. But he added that she understood the situation. "I told her I needed to give that deer a week because you just might not get another chance at a deer like that."
It didn't take a week. The first night on his stand the deep-in-rut buck came right in. He slipped an arrow through the buck at 27 yards as it quartered toward him. He took the only shot he knew he would be offered. "Lung and liver," he said. "It's not my favorite shot but I knew my broadhead would work just like I wanted."
So it did. The buck's antlers have an 18 ½-inch inside spread and are a basic eight-point along the main beams, which are 26 and 26 ½ inches long. The G2s are 13 2/8ths inches and 12 7/8ths inches, Brown said. The antlers have plenty of character. One "sticker" off the back is 13 inches long.
"I'm still in shock," he said. "I guess someone's looking down on me with favor. I'm a lucky man."
Family lucks out on Wichitas hunt
11/14/2009 7:48:00 PM
Father and brothers with the deer at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge from left, Karl Kearns, Michael Collins and Brandon Kearns. |
The controlled hunt for white-tailed deer in the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge will remain the top choice for brothers Michael Collins and Brandon Kearns and their father Karl Kearns.
The trio has been putting in for the controlled hunt in the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's annual drawing annually for six years, said Brandon Kearns.
The controlled hunt drawings allow hunters to enter as a party and they were drawn for the two and a half day hunt, which was held Nov. 3-5, as a group, Kearns said.
Brandon Kearns killed a 10-point buck with a 20-inch inside spread on Nov. 4. Karl Kearns connected with his 135-pound 8 pointer and Michael Collins scored a 14-pointer that dressed at 11 pounds on Nov. 5.
Kearns said the hunt, which takes place on a portion of the refuge that is closed to visitors, is organized into hunting areas with group leaders. They are given a tour of the area and allowed to "scout" from the back of a truck. They also used topographic maps and discussed the areas with refuge biologists to narrow down their hunting locations. Once on the ground for the hunt they could adjust as needed – with the knowledge of where other hunters were stationed. "I only saw two other guys wearing hunter orange the whole time and that was my dad and my brother," Kearns said.
The group leaders would drive by a few times each day and hunters who had deer or who wanted to come out could just wait by the road, he said. Organizers also provided places to hang deer overnight.
"Every buck I saw checked in, I wouldn’t have passed on any of them," he said. "It was a great hunt. It's going be our first choice again."
What's more amazing, a lion in Kansas or the corn?
10/29/2009 7:24:00 PM
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks recently posted a news item about a confirm sighting of a mountain lion in that state.
It's remarkable because the lion marks only the third documented sighting in more than 100 years. One is on record from 1904 and a hunter shot one in 2007.
And now comes the corn lion. I call it that because the photograph was taken by a hunter sitting in a tree stand over a "pile of corn." You have to see the photograph to appreciate the size of that pile of corn on the ground.
Click here to see the story and photo
Charity shoot is a real blast, raises $11,000
10/27/2009 7:59:00 AM
Kelly Bostian fires a semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun. |
Bang-bang-bang!
Sunday was a more than enjoyable day at the Wounded Warriors Project Steel Charity Shoot held at the U.S. Shooting Academy north of Tulsa.
The shoot ran Friday through Sunday with participants paying $75 each, with checks made out to the Wounded Warriors Project, to shoot 10 stations – a total of 48 targets. Organizer Curt Nichols estimates about $11,000 was raised between the shoot, raffle and silent auction for several firearms and donations from the non-shooting community as well. He wants to make the shoot an annual event.
If you didn't make it out to the range, you missed a good time. Nichols said he intended to set it up as a fun shoot and he succeeded.
It really was just plain fun. We shot 8 stations with our own firearms – I borrowed a 9mm Smith and Wesson M&P – and they had two stations set up to introduce people to different kinds of firearms. One had a pair of .22 caliber pistols with suppressors on them (no hearing protection required) and at the last station we were handed a 12 gauge shotgun built for combat – basically an AK-47 shotgun. Jack Morris took a photo of me shooting at the station that I'm sharing – note the three spent shells in the air in the frame. Bang-bang-bang!
They kept times on the shooters but competition wasn't the first order of business. I haven't shot this style of range since I was in college, so I was pretty proud of myself for coming out with a total in the 48-second range, averaging just a hair over 1 second per target. Consider, though, that the fastest time was posted by Kevin Toothman at just over 22 seconds.
Young hunters share their tales
10/25/2009 1:24:09 AM
Tyler Tate |
Cole Bushyhead |
Kyle Blagg |
Jayden Biggs |
Beau Stringer |
Caragan Stringer |
Gage Williams |
Firsts and family, that's what it's all about.
Several readers shared photographs of young hunters after the statewide Oklahoma Youth Deer Gun Season Oct. 16-18.
Here are a few of their stories and photos:
Tyler Tate, 12 –
Todd Williams has been taking his son hunting off-and-on for several years. He killed his first deer at age 10 but luck wasn't on his side last year. Father and son used trial cameras to pinpoint and a first buck. The pair shared a ladder stand in the evening and heard the buck coming after three hours on watch, as dark was approaching. "He came about 15 yards away before Tyler squeezed the trigger on his 30-30 Marlin," Williams shared via e-mail. "Tyler was pumped and we had a great time hunting together once again and always look forward to the times to come," Williams wrote.
Cole Bushyhead, 13 –
Cole Bushhead hunted with his father, Dave, on the family's property near Grove where Cole's grandfather was born. The pair was in a two-man ladder stand in a wooded section of the property when Cole shot his deer. "The stand we were sitting in is called the 'bus stand.' We named it this because before we got the nice new tree stands it was a tree stand made from a bus seat frame," Dave Bushyhead said.
Kyle Blagg, 12 –
Kyle Blagg and his father, Ken, turned heads at the Hominy check station when Kyle brought in the doe and buck the youngster shot on opening morning. The pair hunted a ranch that Ken Blagg manages. The doe, which field dressed at 98 pounds, was shot at about 60 yards and the buck was shot at 150 yards. It field dressed at 95 pounds.
"People at check in, in Hominy, couldn't believe it when they saw he had tagged both deer. They said it was the first time that has ever happened, at their check in, that a kid took both in one day," said his mother, Crystal Blagg.
Jayden Biggs, 9 –
Jaden Biggs of Inola took his first deer at 125 yards with a .243 rifle during the youth deer hunt. The buck had seven points and weighed 175 pounds live weight. Jayden said his favorite part of the hunt was spending time with his dad, Eric, and family friend Kevin Butler, who let Jayden hunt from his blind. Jayden practiced shooting several times each week the past two months preparing for his hunt, his father said.
Beau and Caragan Stringer –
David Stringer's grandchildren hunted with him and each bagged a deer this youth deer season with hunting on the Stringer's property in Fort Gibson. Beau Stringer took his 76-pound spike while hunting with his "Pa" at about 7:30 a.m. with a Savage .243. Caragan took her 74-pound four-point buck while hunting with her Pa at about 5:45 p.m. the same day. She shot a Remington 22.250. Their mother, Barbara, reported that their dad, Rusty Stringer, was proud of the kids and his father. "David said it was one of his most memorable moments," she noted.
Gage Williams, 14 –
Gage Williams of Inola took her eight-point buck while hunting on some family land in the Spavina Hills. It field dressed at 105 pounds. She was hunting with her dad, Scott Williams. The have been hunting together for about three years. Her mother, Heather Williams, said her daughter's goal is to take a deer with a bow this season.
The only good snake ...
10/23/2009 12:27:40 PM
Louisiana pine snake, left. Me, right. |
I stopped by the Tulsa Zoo this morning to visit with Herpetology Curator Barry Downer and to meet a few of his friends.
I'll write something for the newspaper next week about Downer and his coming talk themed, "the only good snake is a live snake."
A lot of people have a "kill it first and see what it was later" view of snakes. Downer has a lot to say about why that may not be the best idea for wildlife.
The snake I'm holding is a Louisiana pine snake that is gentle as a lamb. It's a species of non-venomous constrictor that is endangered by shrinking habitat. This snake is one that he takes to his presentations for people to hold and touch.
Flycatchers just fun to watch
10/22/2009 11:06:00 PM
Oklahoma sure got it right with the scissor-tailed flycatcher named its state bird.
Easily identified by its sweeping forked tail and rufous sides, they cooperate with bird watchers by perching in open spots -- on power lines and fences -- as they look for insects.
Spend some time watching them and you're sure to see one in action sooner or later. In these photos, the one with the big grasshopper swallowed it in one big gulp.
Charity bass tournament moved to Grand Lake
10/15/2009 3:17:04 PM
High water on Hudson Lake has forced Matrix Service Inc. to move its 2009 Kentucky Derby Charity Bass Tournament to Grand Lake.
The tournament, featured in Sunday's Outdoors column, is set for Saturday, safe light to 2 p.m. at Grand Lake RV Resort, on Duck Creek.
Cost for the tournament is $60 per boat. The tournament is open to all who would like to help the United Way. There will be no limit on Kentucky (spotted) bass for the tournament. All spotted bass are to be immediately placed on ice. They will be filleted and donated to the Salvation Army Center of Hope.
For information or to register contact Larry Brewer (918)-379-6328 or (918)-607-2043, lbrewer@matrixservice.com or Rick Woodling (918) 379-6363 or (918) 864-1545 rwoodling@matrixservice.com.
Grand Lake planning meeting set
10/14/2009 1:25:29 PM
A public meeting to discuss a five-year management plan for Grand Lake will be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Grove Community Center, 104 W. 3rd Street, in Room 4.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation stated in a news release that it is offering anglers this opportunity to share their thoughts on a range of topics affecting the lake.
For information see tulsaworld.com/wildlife.
Bears aplenty in Southeast Oklahoma
10/1/2009 6:40:01 PM
Biologist Jeff Ford checks Joe Russell's bear. |
State biologists quote a "conservative" estimate of 500 bears in the state and southeast Oklahoma bear hunters will confirm that number as conservative indeed.
"I think there's 500 just in this area," said Joe Russell of Nashoba, who killed the first bear during Oklahoma's first-ever bear season today.
The number a biologist can officially quote for the record with some scientific backing and what hunters will venture to guess are two wildly different things. It's an apples and oranges kind of comparison.
However, after looking at the trail camera pictures from one hunter who was watching five active bait stations (at least one of which had two bears on it) and hearing the stories of Russell and others who live in the area, I'd say it's a real good bet that when biologists say their estimate is "conservative," they are indeed being extremely conservative.
Four bears were killed on the first day of the Oklahoma bear season, three over bait and one on public land that was frequenting a spot heavy with pokeberry and white acorns.
Hunters I spoke with today lured bears with different baits, but the story was consistent among them all. Those baits weren't out long before they were visited by bears.
The hunter who killed the fourth bear on opening day passed up two smaller bears at his stand before killing the third.
There is nothing scientific here and the biologists who live in this area have been hearing these stories for years but after just 24 hours in this neck of the woods I have to say I have a whole new understanding of the word "conservative."
Duffy feted by conservation groups
9/29/2009 11:37:16 PM
Greg Duffy |
A host of conservation groups honored recently retired Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Director Greg Duffy at an Oklahoma City luncheon Tuesday.
Top state representatives of Nature Works, The Nature Conservancy, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the National Wild Turkey Federation feted the former director, who left in July after 35 years career with the department, 16 as its director.
"Why are we here?" master of ceremonies Ken Greenwood, a Nature Works founder, asked rhetorically.
"I don't know!" quipped Duffy.
Greenwood proceeded to outline Duffy's long career and pointed out the growing working relationships each of the conservation groups had with the department during Duffy's tenure, which covered efforts such as the Hackberry Flats wetland restoration, assisting with bald eagle restoration and acquiring thousands of acres for public lands.
"It's quite an amazing record isn't it?" Greenwood concluded. "We need to be here."
The groups presented Duffy with a variety of gifts; a collectible knife, guided duck, goose and turkey hunts, a limited edition waterfowl print, a guided wildlife photography outing, a bird watching excursion and a trip with falconers.
Duffy accepted the praise and returned thanks to the groups for their continued service to the state and said the department does the work of the people for the future of wildlife and wild lands. "The backbone of it all comes from the nature groups and hunters and fishermen and the people of this state," he said. "That's as it should be."
Children's eyes opened at Expo
9/26/2009 4:09:52 PM
A youngster eyes a red-tailed hawk at Expo |
Everywhere at the Outdoor Widlife Expo are wide-eyed children and kids just having a great time.
It's been fun to watch them today, spying a flying squirrel, approaching a big friendly black Labrador, kayaking, casting, building bird houses and seeing what it's like up in a deer hunting tree stand.
Sheryl Floyd and her son Wyatt, 15, also are here sharing their story with as many as will listen. They're volunteering in the Oklahoma Youth Hunting & Shooting Program booth, one of more than 100 booths inside the Lazy E Arena. Floyd, a single mother, had a son who wanted to learn how to hunt but she had no idea how to introduce him to hunting.
She found the program and connected with people who took Wyatt hunting last year. He was one of the first in the program. Mother and son are now enthusiastic spokespeople.
"It was a wonderful experience and it's been wonderful for him all around," she said.
Outdoor activities are like that for children, and there are dozens kids and parents can be introduced to at Expo.
Expo continues Sunday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Lazy E, located near Guthrie, just north of Edmond on I-35.
Expo has a nice flow
9/26/2009 1:52:09 PM
The Myatt family builds bluebird houses at Expo today |
It has a good flow. That would be my comment on the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's Wildlife Expo today at the Lazy E Arena.
I came expecting crowds and lines and heat, and while some of the most popular activities, like shooting a shotgun or trying your hand at bow-and-arrow, fishing or kayaking come with a line, the wait is not at all unreasonable.
Parking was easy, and about the time you're thinking the walk is a bit long, someone might come along with a shuttle ride. Water stations are plentiful.
The place is well organized.
The Taste of The Wild booth has some tasty catfish and bison chili. I highly recommend it. It really is a free lunch. I'm told they're boiling up 75 gallons of that chili. Come 'n get it!
I've attended two seminars and found them informal and, frankly, sparsely attended. The venues are such that people can poke their nose in, listen a bit and move on if they wish and it seems that's what most people do; stop, listen, and keep flowing through.
If you decide to stop, though, there's nothing like sitting down with an expert and having them essentially all to yourself.
Expo is open until 6 p.m. tonight and it opens again Sunday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Lazy E is easy to find from Tulsa. Take I-44 toward Oklahoma City, take the I-35 North exit toward Guthrie and then take either exit 146 or 151 (you can't miss the sign) and follow the rest of the signs to the Lazy E.
Boy graduates into the hunting party
9/8/2009 11:53:19 AM
Derek Davis, 10, of Sand Springs |
Hunters sometimes tell me about bringing up their sons and daughters so they can graduate into the hunting party, but Dave Jones' story of his sons first dove last week was impressive.
Derek Davis, 10, of Sand Springs is off to a good start as a hunter. His father said he's accompanied him on hunts since he was 4, but they waited until he was 10 years old to let him hunt for himself as part of the group.
His father wrote in an e-mail that his son needed to be large enough and responsible enough to manage his Remington 11-87 20 gauge safely.
The pair practiced for two weeks at the Red Castle Gun Club. A bad experience with recoil as a little one had the boy worried at first, he said. "In a span of two weeks, we literally went from tears of reluctance at the gun range to
harvesting his first dove as a hunter."
The pair hunted with outfitter Kelly Walker out of Owasso. "There was a tremendous amount of bird activity over the first hour and a half with a great deal of shooting from the rest of the group," Jones said. "I had him practice shouldering and sighting until it was full daylight and when some of the nearby hunters had limited out and moved from our area, he began in earnest."
The boy was only allowed to load one shell at a time, his father wrote. "The birds were continuing to fly actively and he had numerous opportunities to take birds. Of course he had to overcome some of the same tendencies some of us older hunters have ... keeping the barrel moving with the birds, lead the birds correctly etc."
At first his father stayed close at first and eventually let the boy move out into the field "on his own. "Then it happened...he hit his first bird and it cleanly dropped to the ground. I was ecstatic to say the least and the grin on his face says it all. I was so proud of him. He eventually got four more birds. He was down to his last shell and he decided (on his own) to walk over to where there had been a great number of doves coming in and landing. He waited and waited for the shot he wanted and made it count by getting that fifth dove with his last shell."
Congratulations to Derek and his father, Dave Jones, who summed up the morning well. "Although he shot three boxes of shells for his five birds, it would have been worth ten times that for me, just to see him succeed."
It's great to be 17 in Tulsa
8/31/2009 4:38:36 PM
Seventeen was the right age in Tulsa this weekend.
Jon McGrath had to share the the after-dinner photo of his son, Jon Michael McGrath II and 109th U.S. amateur champ Byeong-Hun An. Of course I have to pass this one along.
Just a couple of 17-year-olds hanging out in Tulsa on a Sunday night -- one a U.S. amateur golf champion, the other fresh off winning the 2009 International Skeet World Championship.
What's that we always hear from people who complain about young people today?
The two father-son groups ended up having dinner at the same place on Sunday night, McGrath said.
They had been at the skeet fields all weekend and didn't know who won the golf tournament. They saw the trophy on the table and, being the only other party in the restaraunt, they asked about it. The fathers and sons naturally visited for awhile and the boys posed for a photo in the parking lot.
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