Att: Shrew Haven hunters

[Ray Lyon]

It was the early 1990's and my first year at camp before it was 'Shrewhaven'.  I was hunting with a JD Berry longbow and up on Banana ridge. Greg and I had scouted the ridge and there were acorns and deer pellets everywhere.  I wasn't even sure where to put a stand, so I selected an oak tree that gave me good cover and just at the top of the ridge. That first night I had at least 30 deer filter through, nothing in range and most towards the middle of the ridge.  The next morning, I had the same thing, sooo, I moved my stand to opposite side of where I saw most of the deer moving through.  The next night was one of those quiet nights in the woods where you could hear a pin drop.  From back over my left shoulder I heard footsteps. It wasn't a squirrel or a ruffed grouse. Too steady and large.  I just knew there was a buck coming and with each step, my heart was pounding more.  I kept turning my neck hard against my body trying to see the approaching animal.  Well, it finally popped into sight and it was no animal at all, but a big ole tom turkey.  I was dumbfounded because I didn't think there were any turkeys in the area (and now they're running all over the place).  Well, I was remaining very still until that bird was literally right under my stand. I wanted to get a better look at him and barely moved my head down to look at him and away he went pronto.  Wow, that's some eyesight I thought. That bird sure had me going though until I finally saw it.  

The next morning it happened and a group of does came through and I made a beautiful shot on one.  She tumbled over right about where I started out a few days earlier in plain sight.  The next avian experience was again a first. I was enjoying relaxing in the stand knowing my deer was down in plain sight and within 15 minutes the ravens were circling.  They absolutely cannot miss seeing that white belly from the air.  The local DNR officer told us in a later year if you're ever tracking a deer and can't find the trail, listen for the ravens.

[ron w]

How did I miss this post......          

[Roger Norris]

This is Tim Cosgrove, owner of Kustom King. Tim is one of those guys who keeps us laughing all night. This picture doesn't show his foot....Ray and I took turns dropping him off and picking him up because his leg was in a cast. We told Tim if he hit one, to just wait until we got there to help him out.....NOPE....he trailed it and gutted it on his own, one legged. He still talks about falling into the gut pile more than once...Timmy has a lot of heart and loves the woods. Camp would not be the same without him.

[Roger Norris]

My first Shrew Haven deer.....

[Ron LaClair]

I remember that trailing job Roger. I couldn't believe that deer went that far leaving that much blood on the ground.

Tim not only had his leg in a cast, he was on crutches. In the picture to the left of Tim, do you see a face peaking out from behind that big pine tree?....Is that the Ghost of Armstrong Creek?...    

[Roger Norris]

Remember that Ron? Tom Jenkins was there. We were almost trotting on the blood trail....it was so heavy we joked that it looked like someone sprayed it with a spray bottle. It went about 150 yards in a perfect circle, ended up very near my treestand, facing the trail. A good morning!!

[Ray Lyon]

in the Shrewhaven tv show thread you'll see on the show next to Ron a group of miscellaneous arrows that looks like a quiver of arrows.  Tbis is actually the graveyard of broken arrows from deer harvests.  I know that I've mentioned before how much fun it is to swap equipment and try equipment jn camp. Of course it doesn't hurt that two of the big traditional archery businesses are in camp. One product that gets tried a lot is arrows/broadhead combinations.  Of late there is a 50/50 split in wood and carbon shafts.  Easton axis seams to be the carbon of choice tipped with kustom king trailmaker heads while the wood arrows were mostly paul jalon/elite arrows creations.  That graveyard of broken shafts reminds me of some of the 'fads' that have come and gone over the years.