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Rock Doctor
11-18-2007, 11:16 AM
I’m trying to keep this short, please bare with me:

Saturday Morning, bright and early I’m out in the shop getting a few last things ready to go. My bow is sighted in, but I can’t resist one last practice shot in the shop, before I finally head out. Bow is cranked up to 78 lbs pull, and the practice target is still against the back wall. I make the draw, and something goes CRACK………. pain explodes up through my neck and into the base of my skull………..when I can see again, my bow is still in my left hand (pointed at the ground), and my right hand is gripping the Argo backrest beside me, supporting most of my weight. I carefully look up, and see my arrow stuck in the back wall, a good 9 ft from the target, my razor sharp Broad head buried in the plywood…………I could hardly move.
I carefully made my way to my truck, the Chiropractor is only in town 2 days a week, and this is one of those days. I make my way to his office bld and get there before he does. Now, I don’t particularly like “Bone Benders” they kinda scare me actually, and now that I got myself there, and have a little spare time, I find myself reflecting on this particular ones name……..Dr. Mangel…………This is not the best way to start the day.

Mangel arrives, and after only one glance in my direction gets a gleam in his eye. He knows he’s about to make some money. He guides me into the torture chamber, and helps me to lie on the “rack”. After some poking, prodding, and a few creaks and cracks he gently grabs my head and violently tries to rip it off, resulting in a teeth grating CRUNCH that turns my bones to water (not only did I feel it, but I could also “hear” it, INSIDE my head). If I hadn’t already been laying down at that point, I would have been after that…………When I could breath again, I faintly heard him ask………”Will that be cash or charge?”.
Feeling much better, if a little sore, I head back home to finish getting ready to go. I grab the rest of my gear, get the Argo loaded, and away I go.
Arriving at my destination, I take the Argo and make my way back into the area that I think will present me with a shot. I stash the machine a little way off the trail and walk into the bush. The area I chose is a little on the swampy side most of the time, but since everything is frozen right now, that was not a problem. The going was actually pretty easy, but it was really hard to be “sneaky” with the thin layer of crunchy snow underfoot. The area was “kind of” open, but not really, very “willowy”, you’ll see in the vid. I crossed some very good tracks, and managed to creep in on a herd, but had to back off a couple times. These Buffalo were pretty wary and it’s hard to sneak up on that many eyes. I finally managed to get around them and work into a position where they were coming to me. Now all I had to do was sit tight and hope neither they nor the wind changed direction.

Continued,

Rock Doctor
11-18-2007, 11:17 AM
They did work there way in to me, but they were pretty skittish, they suspected something was up and I had very little cover (just a clump of willows at my back to break up my outline). I had a nice clear shooting lane that part of the herd worked through. Patiently I waited for a clean shot, I had my eye on the last one in this little group. Looked to be about a 3yr old, I didn’t want anything too big, as I was hunting solo. Finally, I was rewarded with a clean look at my target, I had to move a bit, if only to draw the bow and I knew that the motion would be seen, but now was the time. My arrow was ready, I just had to draw the bow…………Again with the fiery, explosive pain, up my neck into the skull (not as bad, but bad enough)……….Nausea broils up from my stomach steeling my breath…..

I made the draw, but now I have to shoot before the tears in my eyes blur my vision (Not to mention, if I didn’t shoot I would have to letdown a 78lb pull…..I don’t think I would have survived doing that). Right here in the vid, I had to edit out the hesitation while I waited for the dancing stars to clear from my eyeballs (also wanted to edit out the whimpers and curses). I have to shoot. I have to shoot NOW, before the Buffalo clears the shooting lane…………WHACK……….Clean hit, nice shot too. A little bit higher than I wanted and about 2 ribs back from what I would have considered ideal, but a double lung shot for sure. Pretty damn good under the circumstances. The pain subsides as I kick back and wait for the arrow to do it’s work.

The river of red running out of that Buffalo made tracking a snap, he only made it about 60 yrds anyway. Died about 25 yrds off an old logging road/skidder trail that I didn’t even know was there. Now, I had some work to do…….Normally I like to do the “no jut” method and bone out as much as I can, but that is very hard to do alone, not to mention with a injured neck, so I opted to just gut it and drag it with the Argo to a stand of large trees.
By now it’s dark out, and I seem to be missing both of my flashlights. Once I get to the trees I make a plan. I have strong rope and a pulley block, I string the rope across between two large trees, with the pulley block hanging in the middle. Now, Argo lights only point in one direction, and that direction is NOT up. I had to do this in the dark. I run my winch line up through the pulley and back down behind the machine, to the Buffalo’s head. With a little trial and error, I manage to hoist the Buffalo up high enough that I can back the Argo under it and lower the whole animal into the back. Time to head home.
Nothing of much interest happened on the way out, and this is already pretty long, so I will end it here for now.
Enjoy the Vid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6qrFDpRiZk

Thunderstix
11-18-2007, 11:38 AM
Wow, that was pretty cool! Much more interesting than my lamish story:-D

WoodOx
11-18-2007, 11:53 AM
Was that a drawn buffalO?

awesome hunt

bsa30-06
11-18-2007, 11:58 AM
Nice Buffalo.Very impressive blood trail, no problem finding that guy.Congrats.

todbartell
11-18-2007, 12:15 PM
thats awesome! thanks for sharing

Caveman
11-18-2007, 12:38 PM
Very Cool, Rock Doctor!!! Nice Job!!

Monashee
11-18-2007, 12:50 PM
Good shooting. What broadhead did you use, a 2 blade ? Did it hit any ribs ?

I'm going for a buffalo next year if all goes well , with a 50 lb bow .

Hope your neck heals ;)

Rock Doctor
11-18-2007, 12:54 PM
agaucher;
Was that a drawn buffalO?


Sadly, NO
I never got a draw. This was one of those big Ranches. That's partly why I decided to go with the bow.

Big7
11-18-2007, 01:42 PM
Cool video, good work!

bruin
11-18-2007, 01:52 PM
Excellent video, I wish every blood trail looked like that!

WoodOx
11-18-2007, 01:58 PM
Mind if I ask how much that cost you? I assume those things are fairly wild... could be fun with a bow!


Sadly, NO
I never got a draw. This was one of those big Ranches. That's partly why I decided to go with the bow.

Rock Doctor
11-18-2007, 03:09 PM
agaucher;
Mind if I ask how much that cost you? I assume those things are fairly wild... could be fun with a bow!


I don't mind at all.
The going rate for most places is a buck a pound.
For me, on this particular trip, this Buffalo cost me $400.00
I don't know for sure how much it weighed, but my guess is around the 500lb mark. The "ranch" I went to is owned by a friend of mine. He bought the property a few yrs ago, and it came with a small group of animals. The animals are, for all intents and purposes, as wild as they get. They are not fed, nor do they have any contact with people. The place is huge, it took me just over two hours to Argo to the spot where I started hunting, and I was no where near the back end. I thought I was pretty lucky to even find them.
This was my 4th Buffalo, and I can tell you I have never worked so hard to find a "true wild" Buffalo.
It was alot of fun, and even more work.

ape
11-18-2007, 03:20 PM
Outstanding 8-)8-)8-)

Rock Doctor
11-18-2007, 03:41 PM
Wow, that was pretty cool! Much more interesting than my lamish story:grin:


Hey Thunderstix,
You and I have never met, but you have no idea just how close I came to phoning you last night. By the time I got home, I was SO tired, and I still had a whole Buffalo sitting in the Argo. I managed to tough it out by myself.......hung it in the shop, skinned it out, quartered it, skinned out the head. All the guys that I normally hunt with were either working, out of town, or busy (Poker Night). I'm taking it pretty easy today, but I still have one hell of a mess to clean up in the shop.

TTYL
RD

springpin
11-18-2007, 03:44 PM
That's awesome, I would love to hunt a Buffalo. Good way to fill the freezer.

Elkhound
11-18-2007, 07:44 PM
Kyle that was absolutely a thing of beauty. Congrats......and when you opened the bow case and only had one arrow......:eek: You da man!!!! Wish I lived closer to give you a hand. As usual, a fantastic video clip.:cool:

Thunderstix
11-18-2007, 07:44 PM
Hey Thunderstix,
You and I have never met, but you have no idea just how close I came to phoning you last night. By the time I got home, I was SO tired, and I still had a whole Buffalo sitting in the Argo. I managed to tough it out by myself.......hung it in the shop, skinned it out, quartered it, skinned out the head. All the guys that I normally hunt with were either working, out of town, or busy (Poker Night). I'm taking it pretty easy today, but I still have one hell of a mess to clean up in the shop.

TTYL
RD
Oh man, you should have called me! My two hunting buddies from Rupert were here and the 4 of us would have made real quick work of things. We still need to coffee down soon.

Steeleco
11-18-2007, 07:52 PM
Cool video, great shot.

Rock Doctor
11-18-2007, 09:26 PM
Monashee;
Good shooting. What broadhead did you use, a 2 blade ? Did it hit any ribs ?



Puckets Blood Trailer, 125gr 4 Blade broadhead.
I managed to get between the ribs on both sides. The arrow did not "pass through", but was sticking out about 5" on the off side.

Allen50
11-19-2007, 12:31 AM
intresting, i saw only one arrow, how big of gun was your back up,, was a good video to watch,, nice shot,, and yea lots of work once the game is on the ground,,, will be good eating as well..

Rock Doctor
11-19-2007, 12:59 AM
Allen50;
intresting, i saw only one arrow, how big of gun was your back up,, was a good video to watch,, nice shot,, and yea lots of work once the game is on the ground,,, will be good eating as well..


:smile: You are not the first to mention the "one arrow" thing. lol ....... I'm not COMPLETELY crazy!

Watch the vid again, and when it gets to the part where I take my bow out of the case, watch down at the lower left. It's quick, but you will see that I have more arrows in a black quiver (4 to be exact) Green fletching and red Nocks.

I had no backup gun:shock:.........One Shot/One Kill.

RD

boxhitch
11-19-2007, 06:44 AM
Great solo effort, that argo was a mule for sure. $400 well spent dollars.

calvin L
11-19-2007, 07:32 AM
Congrat's on a great hunt . I to have friends with free range bison and yes there are harder to find than the wild one's (and meaner I found out lol). That should get you through the winter for meat . One question why are you drawing 78 lbs . I & 2 more of my friends have killed bison at 65 lbs .We still had more than enough KE for the kill . Anyways go back the bone cracker and make another payment on his house. Get ready bears are around the bend (or on the hwy up there LOL )

calvin L

Rock Doctor
11-19-2007, 10:52 AM
One question why are you drawing 78 lbs . I & 2 more of my friends have killed bison at 65 lbs .


Hey Calvin,
To be brutaly honest, it's nothing more than a "Macho Thing", I used to be half owner of a Sporting Goods Store, Archery, Hunting, Fishing, Camping, Taxidermy, ect. My partner and I were both heavily into the Archery, and quite competitive with each other. We used to hold Archery Tournements, inside the store:shock:. You know what it's like:
Faster is better
More power is better
More accurate is better
Shorter arrow is lighter=faster=better

I never got out of Archery, but havn't done much of it in the last few yrs. That combined with trying to make the 78lb pull first thing in the morning, no stretching, hardly awake................:redface: OUCH!

RD

newhunterette
11-19-2007, 12:54 PM
wohooooooooooo RD I loved the video and story nicely done - u are the best for keeping us entertained with ur adventures

thank you for sharing so much with us :) oh and congrats on the Buffalo

Ali

ribber
11-19-2007, 11:52 PM
That was so cool RD , thanks for the video:grin:

Will
11-25-2007, 01:25 PM
Well that was simply Excellent !:D

Thanks for the Vid......felt like we were there, well almost:wink:

Congrats and that was a Hell of a shot ! :cool:

huntwriter
11-27-2007, 06:54 PM
Great story. Great video. You wetted my appetite for bow buffalo hunt. For years I keep saying, “One of these days I am going on a buffalo bow hunt.” I will have to make that a reality soon. It seems to me there are quite a few ranches here in BC that offer bison hunts.

sparkes3
11-27-2007, 07:41 PM
how about some info on the ranch where you were hunting can anyone pay to hunt a buffalo there or is it by invite only.

Rock Doctor
11-27-2007, 07:58 PM
sparkes3;
how about some info on the ranch where you were hunting can anyone pay to hunt a buffalo there or is it by invite only.


The "Northern Rockies Bison Ranch" can be hunted just about anytime as far as I know, just outside FN.

The place I went to is owned by a friend, and is not really a "Ranch", more like a hoby. (He bought the land with the animals on it, a few yrs ago)

TIKA 300
12-04-2007, 08:53 PM
Sweet vid,Congrats on the buff ,that must be a D__N huge ranch if it took 2 hours to get into that spot TK

(if they are farmed are they beefalo :cool:)

Schmaus
12-06-2007, 08:39 AM
kick ass vid. You make me wanna get a helmet cam, the movies are all great.