Hunting with Andy Ivy in Oklahoma

[amar911]

Andy's traditional bows for this hunt are a 58" Shrew Scout recurve and a VPA metal ILF riser with Sky recurve limbs. I love his Shrew Scout (as I have loved EVERY Shrew I have ever shot, including the dozen plus I currently have, among my total of about 4 dozen bows), but the VPA ILF felt very strange in my hand, and I couldn't shoot it worth a darn. Andy had the same problem when he first got it, but now he loves it. I would probably have the same experience, but I'm not planning on adding any metal risers to my group of bows. Even though many people swear by them, I have found I tend to swear at them.

Here is Andy with his new VPA ILF:

   

And here I am with my Shrew Koa Classic Hunter and Andy's VPA:

   

Then with my Shrew CH and my Big Jim black and white ebony Thunderchild:

   

Here's a short video of Andy shooting his VPA:

   

And a video of me shooting my Shrew:

   

I haven't been shooting as much lately, so I didn't settle into my proper position easily. Andy obviously has a very different shooting style from mine.

More in a few minutes.

Allan

[amar911]

Here are a couple of pictures of Doug's "hunting cabin":





That's really roughing it! Looks a lot like our camp in Australia when Doug and I were hunting there with Andy and Mick.

Allan

[amar911]

Here are a video and some pictures of deer I saw while I was seeing. The white stuff on the antler of the one deer is actually blue baling twine that has been shredded and bleached out by the weather and sun. There is no way we could figure out to get it off his antlers other than to kill him first.











Allan

[amar911]

These are not all the deer that I photographed, and I never got a picture of the large droptine deer.

Allan

[amar911]

A hunt is not complete without doing the chores. Here we are setting up a feeder and a new stand.





Finally, here are Andy and Doug, happy with the new shooting location near the edge of one of many feed plots that Doug has planted throughout his ranch.




I had a great time with Andy, Doug and Barry and saw many nice deer in my few days there on the ranch. Obviously, I passed on shooting any of the deer because none of the bucks were as big as I wanted and no does were around to shoot. I just needed more time to get what I wanted -- or so I tell myself.

I got to do quite a bit of shooting with Andy. He is a very good shot and did better with my bows that I did. He also shot his VPA very well when I had a hard time even hitting the target using it.

Most of you have probably never been to Oklahoma, but hopefully you can see the quality of the game and the hunting here. Doug's cabin has numerous mounts of deer harvested on his ranch, and every head has the gross and net P&Y scores listed on a placard. The scores range from under 100 to over 160, with animals on the ranch going over 180 (the guys who shoot the high-scoring bucks tend to take the racks home with them). The many examples of antler sizes give everyone a very good idea of what the score of any given deer will be before the hunter takes a shot.

Allan

[Razorbak]

wow..some amzing pics and I like Andy's VPA..specially the way the arrow just flew like a lazer..

[Oregon Okie]

Allen, looks like a good time. What part of NW OK is Doug's ranch in? Just curious since, as you know, I get to that part of the state some myself. Nice "cabin" for sure. Ours is a gutted single-wide mobile home with a camo paint job.

[pdk25]

Nice mansion,errr, cabin, Doug.  Looks like an awesome place with high quality animals on it.  I wonder what kind of feeders those are?  Never saw them before.  I am glad that you guys have had a great time, so far.  Looks like a great group of guys to have in camp.  Haven't shared camp with Allan yet, and I have never met Doug, but I know that Andy is a talented and hardworking hunter that earns his success.  I am pretty sure he has that VPA dialed in for his Minnesota hunt.

[JamesKerr]

Looks like you guys are really roughing it. Lol. Very nice cabin and land Doug. It looks like yall got plenty of action as well.  

[amar911]

Doug's ranch is near Woodward, Russell.

If you want to know more about the feeders, Pat, I will get Doug to fill you in.

Yes, life is tough in Oklahoma, James!

Allan

[JEFF B]

good luck y'all  

[Ray Lyon]

Wow, that's some nice digs for sure. Thanks for the pictorial Allan.

[Terry Green]

Allan....not only can u not show pics of non-trad kills but u cant even talk about other weapon hunts or mention them, or animals seen on them.

I had no clue what so ever that Andy hunted with a compound till I was emailed 3 compound pics that I was told were kills on this hunt.

The camel aint getting his nose under the tent.  I don't know a more diplomatic way to say it.

[Pat B.]

Terry, thanks...

There are lots of wheel bow web sights..

I appreciate the fact that Tradgang is pure traditional bowhunting..

[goldflinger]

Very Nice Allan! What county is the ranch in?

[amar911]

I only use traditional bows -- and either the Shrew CH or the Thunderchild was in my hand or in my lap every moment I was in the field. I don't even use a bow hanger. So everything you see here in pictures, and every animal I describe that I saw was trad hunted. Anything Andy would post here would also be trad hunted with either the VPA ILF or the Shrew Scout he was shooting. Doug is a trad shooter too, and has hunted with traditional bows all over the world. I edited all my posts to make sure I only mention animals that I PERSONALLY saw with my own eyes when I had one of my trad bows touching my body -- I even deleted any mention of animals I saw when driving my modern motorized vehicle (which has accidentally run over a few animals) or sitting in the cabin when I was not actually hunting. I want to stick to all the rules here. This is a great site, and Terry is a wonderful person. Terry, I appreciate you very much, both as the creator of TradGang and as a friend. Thanks for your understanding and your guidance.

The ranch is in Woodward County, Leslie.

Allan

[goldflinger]

Big Deer up that way! hopefully the remaining hunters will arrow a big one!

[Guru]

Thanx Allen  

[Soonerlongbow]

Good luck from SW OK! I haven't been able to get out this season much but hoping to change that this weekend.

[Shedrock]

Update guys?