May 20th, 2008
By Arthur

My brother and I were shooting the bows last weekend and we got to talking about doing an activity that I really do miss. We realized that we hadn’t shot an archery 3-d course in quite some time.

When I first got into archery, we used to shoot these courses all the time. We would start around May, and then just make our rounds through the local courses. Honestly, at the time, it made for a great Saturday morning ritual for myself and a buddy of mine. I can’t think of a better way to spend 3 hours on a weekend then shooting the bow. It was awesome.

While we will have our 3-d course set up on my cousin’s property again this year, it is just not the same as getting out and shooting a true 3-d course. It is much easier, and closer to my house, but it doesn’t provide for the different scenarios that you can experience while shooting a 3-d course for the first time. It is a great experience, and I think the closest representation of actually shooting at an animal, that you can find. Sure there are video shoots and such, but they don’t provide the feeling of realism that being outside, deciding the yardage, and taking the shot does. It is great practice and a great time.

So my first outdoor intention for this year is to get out and shoot a couple archery 3-d courses. It might be hard, with the newborn on the way, but I’m sure the wife will be nice enough to let me work it in.

I’m looking forward to it.

Author’s note: That is not one of us in the picture. It was just a very good representation of the activity I am talking about.

Popularity: 45% [?]

May 12th, 2008
By Arthur

The weekend was a downer for outdoor plans. I guess it wasn’t a total bust, but my Mother’s day plans really didn’t go quite as well as I would have liked them too. I guess that is the way life works sometimes, and you just have to roll with the punches so to speak.

Saturday was absolutely gorgeous. It was in the high 60’s and absolutely beautiful outside. I took the dog out to let him run around and enjoy the nice weather. While he did that I sat on the porch and got my fishing poles around for our first fishing trip of the season that was planned for the next day. I put new line on my reels, made sure they were functioning as they should, got the tackle box around, and loaded it up with some new lures I got last year for Christmas, and just overall made sure I had everything ready for the next day’s fishing events.

So the next day comes (Mother’s day), and what does it do? Rain. All day! A little rain normally doesn’t keep me away from fishing, but this was the constant all day, accompanied with 20mph winds, rain. Not something I wanted to venture out in for my first fishing trip of the season.

The day wasn’t completely a bust though. Jeff got a little ingenuitive. We wanted to shoot our bows for the first time this year, and apparently with us not being able to fish, he was desperate. That made him, on the way out to our parents house, devise a plan that would still allow us to shoot the bows without getting wet. My parent’s polebarn has a sliding door at the back corner of it, so we sat a target out in lawn, 20yds in front of us, and shot from inside the pole barn through the door. What a brilliant idea from Jeff. It wasn’t quite like having a gorgeous day to shoot, and it limited the different shots we could take, but it still provided for some outdoor activities without getting drenched. We got all the boys, and Corrin, in on the act as well. It actually was a pretty good time.

So, hopefully we manage to get out fishing some night this week, and hopefully the rain finally holds off as well. If that doesn’t happen I am just going to focus my attention on the wife and I’s first camping trip this weekend.

Hopefully it doesn’t rain for that either!

Popularity: 30% [?]

March 09th, 2008
By Arthur

We braved the cold and the wind today and managed to get Jeff’s turkey gun sighted in.  He bought a new red dot scope, so it took a little bit to get it dialed in, but once we did he was keeping right up with me.

I only shot two rounds to be honest.  I just have been shooting my gun so long, and I know it so well, that my first shot at 25yds was right on the money.  Once Jeff got his new gun sighted in we went to about 35yds, and although it doesn’t pattern quite as well as it does at 25yds, I am still confident enough with it to take a shot at that distance.

It will be hard for me to ever give up my 870.  I just love that gun.  I have to say that Jeff’s new setup is pretty cool as well.  Once we got her dialed in she patterned quite nicely at 25 and 35yds.

All in all was a very fun little outing.  We got the turkey guns sighted in, got to hang out for awhile, and the kids got to shoot the .22 and their bb guns too.  Despite the howling wind we still managed to bundle up and work on keeping that stinkin’ cabin fever at bay.

The target you see in the picture is my first shot.  Those turkeys are in trouble this year if they get close enough.  It’s hard to tell in the picture but I had about 20 pellets in the spine/vertebrae area.  Needless to say I was pretty pleased.

A good day all around and Spring is just around the corner.

Popularity: 24% [?]

November 13th, 2007
By Arthur

Sunday evening I decided to take the evening off of hunting and try and get sighted in for the upcoming gun season that will start here on Thursday, the 15th.  I am pretty confident with the gun but wanted to make sure that everything was how it was suppose to be and time is definitely running out.

It was pretty much a family affair since my wife, brother, cousin, and Dad all got in on the sighting in action.  I shoot a Remington 870 12ga. with Brenneke Rottweiler slugs.  I was shooting free hand at 50 yards with the wind and still manged to shoot pretty good.  I was pretty happy with the results and can’t wait for opening day.  I love my “trench gun” as I affectionately refer to it.  It has been with me on many a hunting trip and has killed many a different animal.

The Mrs. also got into the action.  One shot you see is free hand from 30 yds and the other is free hand from 50yds.  I think she is pretty much ready for opening day as well. 

I know we could reach out a little farther with a slug gun and rifled barrel, but too be honest we are very comfortable with our guns at this point in time, and in the area we hunt a shot longer than 50 yds is hard to find.  It is so thick.

All in all a good day of shooting and Thursday morning we will be ready to rock and roll!

Popularity: 28% [?]

September 28th, 2007
By Arthur

I was going to post something a little more serious today, but with it being Friday and all I figured I’d lighten up the mood a little bit. I was reading through one of the forums I frequent and stumbled across this little video gem today.

I have to admit that the men might enjoy this clip more than the women who read this blog. That being said I think you ladies out there can appreciate this skill as well. I’m not sure how you would take that shot out of a treestand, but it is unbelievable that this girl could pull it off. Wow. Talk about follow through.

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Incredible Archery
[/coolplayer]

Popularity: 42% [?]