No, not a bad shot on a deer....WORSE!
Yesterday I went out and hunted for the evening and almost got a chance at a smallish 8 point. Only deer I saw but still a great night. Got back to the Expediton, leaned my bow against the side and began unslinging my quiver, canteen and shoulder bag and putting stuff in the truck. There were two other trucks still in the lot and it was an hour past dark so I figured they might have gotten some action. I figured I'd stand around a bit and wait for them to see how they did. After ten minutes or so, I figured the heck with it, I gotta get home, my wife is waiting. I hopped in the Expedition and drove off.
Remember where I said I put my bow? I sure as heck didn't....
At least not till this morning at about 5:45 when I was back in the same lot putting on my safety harness to head back in to my stand. The Expedition has a 60/40 split middle seat and I always hand my bow in by the end and let the string slide down into the split and the bow handle sits across the top of the seat. Doesn't slide around that way....
This morning when I reached for my bow, I did a double take at first and thought it must have slid forward or maybe my wife moved it. I checked in front of the middle seat, nada. What the heck? A faint quiver of trepidation starts to grow in my guts...
Now, I've driven all the way to my hunting spot before and forgot my license, bow or quiver so I had to think for a minute. Did I take it into the house? I did't think so. What did I do??? Think.....Did I lean it against the side of the truck? Oh crap!!! I think I did!
I called home, no answer. Darn, wife's probably in the shower. Try again, still nothing. Maybe I took it home and left it in the garage? Maybe I put it on the bow rack? No, I don't think so... Maybe? Did I leave it leaning against the tree last night when I packed up? I can't imagine walking all the way out and not noticing I didn't have my bow... Didn't I tuck it under my arm when I was crossing the wet spot in the field? Didn't I have it over my shoulder as I came up the field road? Maybe I..... oh, I don't know anymore.... :banghead: :banghead:
Better head home and check. A couple miles down the road and finally, my wife called me back, it wasn't at the house. :banghead: :banghead: Turn around and go back to the lot.
Well, I have to walk in and pull my stand anyway. Maybe it's by the tree :pray: But I know it's not. Hope anyway...
Nope. Not there. Climbed to the stand and sat for about an hour and a half just feeling sorry for myself. You can't imagine how empty my hands felt sitting there with no bow in them. I was just waiting for a big buck to come in and me not have a bow but at least that didn't happen. Finally, I pulled my stand and moped all the way back to the lot. Left a note on the sign at the lot with contact info and a reward. Called the local conservation officer and asked him to keep an eye out. He's a nice guy and sounded sincere about trying to help and keep an eye out.
I'm trying to remember for sure but I'm almost certain that the bow has my name on it. Funny, but I've carried it for years and no longer look at the writing on it. When I get in a situation like this when I misplace something, I get flustered and doubt my memory. I'm sure my name is there though. It's a Lonetree Ocelot longbow by a Wade or Ralf Castoe. (There's that memory problem again...I think his name was Ralf and maybe his son was wade. Either way, he died a couple years ago.) It's 66" long with heavy reflex/deflex. The handle has a wrap of about 1/8" wide leather lace spiral wound and the shelf and sideplate are black velcro. There is also a single arrow quiver/broadhead sheath tied to the upper riser/limb. Limbs are curly myrtle over maple and the tips are cow horn. Not sure of the riser woods.
Looks like I'm probably done hunting for a while. I've got another bow but I'll need to point load my arrows a good bit because the other bows are 5 to 10 lbs lighter. Just ordered broadheads YESTERDAY and they'll be to light...
Anyway, just getting this off my chest and I'd like to ask you all to keep an eye out for this bow on any classifieds you go to and give me a heads up if you see it. Since I have not heard from anyone, even though my name is on the bow, I'm guessing they have no intention of returning it or trying to find me. Maybe it will show up on line.
oh man thats a bummer dave!!! i dont even know what to say about that!! wow.... :(
gaff
maybe you will get lucky. hopefully you didnt run over it and someone will have it and return it.
Dave,
That's aweful brother, but maybe one of the other trucks that was there will turn it in to the sheriffs dept., hope so.
Sorry Man!
Charlie
hope you get it back. i'll keep my eyes open for you.i'm on here and many of the other sites,so i'll be sure to let you know if it turns up anywhere.what exactly does it look like?woods,tips any thing special other then what you already said?
Ouch. Good luck. I did that with a BW in the late 80's. Put it on top of the truck cap, and drove home. When I turned left out of the parking lot it slid off the roof into the road ditch. I found it there the next day. I hope you're as lucky as I was. Hap
"maybe you will get lucky. hopefully you didnt run over it and someone will have it and return it. "
It'll be a miracle if I didn't run over it. I leaned it up against the right rear quarter and when I backed up, I had to turn the wheels to the left and swing the front end 90 degrees to the right. If I'm lucky, the front wheels straddled it. Parking lot was packed gravel. I guess pavement would be a little worse/harder but not much.
I'll drive back up there this evening and hit all the parking lots looking for either of the two trucks that were there last night.
That's terrible news Dave! :eek:
Here's a picture of the handle area taken on the KC trad bunny hunt this past December.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/DaveBulla/2008KCtradbunniehunt018.jpg)
Here's one of me holding it. Can't see the wood or a lot of detail, but gives you an idea of the R/D profile.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/DaveBulla/2008KCtradbunniehunt012.jpg)
Iam sorry for your loss Dave I hope it wines up to where you get it back
We all have "senior moments"!!! I'll bet you a dollar to a donut that you'll get it back. Most people don't even want a long bow.It'll turn up.
That is bad news. Hopefully one of the other hunters picked it up and you will get it back. I would have been inclined to notify the sheriffs department or put up a note in a local gas station; or best- a local archery shop.
Keep praying the person that picked it up did or does the right thing..... :pray:
Did you check the bushes around the area you were parked? Someone might have chucked it in there knowing nobody but the bow owner would look there...
Oh man I feel for ya! I hope she turns up brother!
Last week I learned my bow up against a wooden fence post in a dirt lot. packed up, jumped in the truck and started to back out. My headlights caught it a bit and I said damn thats almost looks like my bow. I kept pulling out and realized that IS my bow! Yikes!
Why not post a note at the parking lot?Someone may be trying to find you.
Jim, I did nail a note to the big brown conservation area sign in the parking lot. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Dave ,
What a bummer! Give me a call tonite,might have one you can use! 660-895-5185
Hey thanks Kenny. You're already the second person to contact me about that.
What a great bunch of guys!
But, I really don't feel like borrowing a bow yet. Still too P.O.'d about it.
Kinda like the country song where the girl says "I just wanna be mad for a while."
One other thing, if any of you guys have any suggestions of sites to post this on, please let me know. I used to go to several but for years now it's been pretty much tradgang only so I'm out of touch about other sites.
Long story short, but a buddy's bow fell out of the back of my pickup a few years ago.. A big backtrack, lotta phone calls to local law enforcement, a good Samaritan who got the license plate of a car who pulled over and picked it up, some coaxing by the Officer for the felon who found it to turn it over, and a few hours of lost time, and we were hunting once again. Hope you find the same luck we did.
Let's hope a good bowhunter and friends has picked it up!..I'm sure he's lookin' for the owner as we speak!!!
Dave, What draw weight do You need. With the rut getting ready to go full bore You can't be sitting around wishing You were in the woods.
I've got a couple of different longbows or recurves I can loan You. All in the mid 50's or so at 28" and 60-62" lengths.
P.M. Me or give Me a call 913-909-4815 I can have a bow in your hands tonight!!!
Dave sent you a PM for a "loaner" RF/DF LB.. if it would fit your needs. :wavey:
I would keep your fingers crossed about your lost bow and keep hunting with another one.
Archery seasons are too short to sit one out.
Good luck.
Sorry to hear it, Dave, and I hope things turn-out.
Hey Dave, what area were you hunting? I hunt a few of the public spots around KC (mostly on the east end). If it's one where I hang out, I'll keep my eye out and ask others that I run into.
You might post an add on Craigslist, maybe the guy who found it is looking for you.
I also have a some extra bows that are just laying around that you could use if one fits, let me know and I'll gladly hook you up with one.
Brian
Brian,
I was hunting at Platte Falls CA and was parked in the north parking lot about 1/4 mile south of the Sharps Station rd and Settles Station rd.
I have placed a lost and found add on Craig's list. Still need to do the local newspapers. Also filed a report with the Platte County Sheriff's department just to document the loss.
Dave we've all done the same thing. I know just this past week I've had to drive back to get my ghuille suit and another trip to look for my rack pack.
I am so sorry that this happened to you. You ought to quit kicking yourself . I know that's what you're doing cause that's what I do when I do something absentmindedly that comes back to bite me.
I pray it will turn up for you.
I also know it'll be hard for you to relax and just hunt for the fretting but I also think that good hunting can ease it some.
God bless,Mudd
PS I was hoping that by the time I got to the last post I would have read the situation was happily resolved.
Dave,
I really hope you find it. I did the same thing with my bow earlier this year, except I set it on my roof and the car behind me ran it over. I was mad at myself for a week. Getting back in the woods will definitely help.
Well Mudd, thanks for the prayers.....
THEY WORKED!!!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
About 5:00 I was putting it on Craigs list and then had to wait a bit for it to "show up". I went and made a cup of coffee and about 5:30 I was refreshing Craigs list to see if my post was there and the phone rang. A fella from Platte City said his son found a bow with my name on it last night...!!!!!
About 25 minutes later I was at the Platte City McDonalds and had my bow in my hands!
Of course, as luck would have it, it's been driven over. Probably by me when I was backing out. Got some pretty nasty white marks in the upper limb that may or may not be in the glass. One deep ding in the wood on the side of the upper limb and a splinter in the edge of the glass of the bottom limb that is sharp. Guess I'll have to sand her down and see what I find. I'll probably start a new post about "saving my bow" or something like that.
I've pulled it and it pulled ok but I don't want to shoot it until I get the splinter glued back down. Any suggestions?
Dave, we all do it some time or another, But you really should keep hunting. Sure hope you find it.
Oh yea, the guy who found it? Doesn't even hunt. He was just out driving around on the back roads and drove in the dead end road that goes on to the conservation area and was turning around in the lot when he saw it.
Glad You found it Dave. My offer still stands if You need a bow.
bretto
Dave,
Really glad you found your bow, really against all odds! Sorry to hear it is damaged, but maybe, just maybe, you'll beat the odds on that part of the story, too!
Best wishes,
Daryl
That is great news Dave! She can most likely be made as good as new.
I'm taking over the Bow Hospital business from Jim Belcher/Sky Archery next month. Tell you what, if you're interested send it on up and I'll take it with me when I go over to see Jim in December. If the bow can be fixed I'll take care of it for you. No charge.
That bow has good karma - maybe I can rub some of it off on myself while I work on it! Just let me know.
:archer:
Dude, that is a bummer! I got to yakking after a 3D shoot one Sunday afternoon, then jumped in my truck, and headed home. When I got there I realized I had left my bow hanging in the tree by the registration table. I made a few calls and finally made contact with a person at the club that knew who had it. I was lucky enough to get it back but the feling was a bad one when I realized what I had done.
Good luck with this. I hope you get it back.
Bisch
Whoops! I did not read far enough when I added my last post.
Congrtas on getting her back and I hope all ends up well with the repairs.
Bisch
Glad you got your bow back Dave. Thank goodness for honest people.
If it is not fixable I have a bow that will be mailed to me soon Send me your addy and I will have him send it to you. When your done with it just mail it to me.It is a Shilo charriot 45@28
Jimmy
Sorry to here your story. Last year I did the same thing. It dawned on me after a 3 1/2 hour drive. Have faith you may get lucky. Mine was returned, a small note was left with a number. If you need my martin long bow and shafts it's yours just pm me.
:thumbsup: :archer:
Dave here is part of a post I posted back in sept.
Check out the pics.
I'll send you pm, Kris
Done a real smart one today. Dropped a stand on my bow from 15'.
It looks worse in the pics but the glass is busted a little and the limb core boogered a little on the side about 1/8" deep from side to center the glass lam is seperated from the maple about 1" long by 1/8".
Can I fix this at home and how do I do it or do I need to send t oa bowyer. Season starts in a couple of weeks and this is the only bow I have to hunt with until late Nov.
Here are some pics.
Direst link to pics. I couldn't figure out how to resize
http://i989.photobucket.com/albums/af13/Macscustomcalls/DSC00792.jpg
http://i989.photobucket.com/albums/af13/Macscustomcalls/DSC00793.jpg
Thanks Kris, I was already thinking about using either super glue or epoxy on the splinters. Glad to hear it works.
I did that once with my prized Winchester M62B, I was lucky though. I noticed that it was gone sooner and went back and it was still there. The area was soft sand and that was good because I had ran over the gun like you did with the bow. It didn't hurt the gun at all. Man I was so lucky.
I just glued a sliver on a riser of a bow under the direction of the Bowyer. It didn't stick out hardly any at all so we braced the bow and glued it with the super thin super glue (it wicks clear back into the crack) and we left the bow braced while the glue dried. It is still holding with no problems. But I don't know if you would do that if the sliver is on the limbs. You might want to try the bow hospital after hunting season.
Glad you got it back though.
I thank God you found it. I bet you can hunt again now with the peace of mind, knowing where the bow is. Once again in the stand during this special time even if it's not your "favorite" in your hand.
There will still be some stress over wanting it to be fixed and all but it sounds like the offer of the "new upcoming Bow doctor" would more than ease that concern too.
You are truly blessed and now with it looks like a double portion.
I truly admire you as a father, a brother and someone who knows what it means to make a commitment to someone else, then try to complete it though the others might never see it.
God bless, Mudd
Dave,
Really glad to hear you found it. Hope there's no un-repairable damage.
:clapper: :clapper: Good to hear Dave.
Good news Dave. Good luck getting her back up and shooting.
Dave,
Do you have a bow? Rut is comin on,you need to be out there! I have 3 - 64" and a 68" in various weights from 48@28 to 55@28, the offer stands.....
Yea Kenny, I think it'll be fine. Just got some super glue tonight from work and I'll secure the two damaged splinters then try a couple shots. She pulls normal but I don't want to drop the string until I take care of the splinters. I'd hate to have one of them shoot on down the limb!!!
My off days are Tuesday-Wednesday so I won't even get out this weekend but for sure on T&W.
Again, thanks ALL of you guys for your offers of loaner bows.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: