krp

PSE always makes a very good entry bow and the Stinger is what they have now. NRG single cam, forgiving brace and ATA, easy to tune, 300.00 bucks around 300 IBO. Bows like these match what just a few years ago were considered the 'Top of the line, can't be beat bows' that cost 800.00. Kent

I've told this story before but not here. I guess it's time. Started archery in 1983. First a guy at work asked if I wanted a bow he been given and he would never use it, I said ok because there was an archery deer season that ran from thanksgiving until the end of January. Quail season ran from Oct. to Feb, and I had a lot of close encounters with deer during that time, so it was worth trying. I knew zilch about bows or bow hunting and had no idea what I had been given, except it was a bow with wheels on it. This had to have been one of the first attempts at making a compound bow because it was all one piece, all wood like a recurve with wheels on the end. It had no adjustments possible, about 40% letoff, and probably a 30 in. draw ( I have a 28 in. draw). I didn't know what any of that meant then, just bought some arrows and started shooting. Had a lot of fun that year chasing deer in the desert, never came close to getting one. Second was, my brother's ‘brother-in-law’, came down from the state of Washington, and worked with us doing concrete work. He would tell me stories of shooting elk with a bow, I was hooked. Back then bow hunting wasn't as popular and the draw odds were like 60%, I thought, why not, and sent in an application and was drawn on my first attempt. I bought a new bow, a Golden Eagle brand, because that's what my " brother's, Brother-in-law " shot, they were made in Washington or Oregon and were the Mathews of that time. I practiced and practiced, learned a lot about fitting and tuning a bow through trial and error, and actually became a pretty good shot. When I told my hunting buddies what I was doing, they said I was crazy, no way would I be able to hunt elk with a bow, of course I had huge doubts myself. There weren't a lot of elk calls available but there were some, I got one that had a reed inside and the harder you blew the higher the pitch, it actually was good call. I had heard elk bugling before, when trout fishing in the fall. I just didn't know what those extremely loud birds, waking me up in morning, really were. I had never seen a live elk in my life. The hunt finally arrived, I was excited and nervous, this was my first solo hunt. I drove up the morning before and setup camp just off the main dirt road in the area. Around noon I decided to drive through some areas that I had seen some sign in while scouting, and no I had still never seen an elk yet. I'm driving on a road that bisects a steep slope, going slow looking downhill then uphill back and forth. I was looking uphill when something just seemed wrong, I backed up and could see a wishbone shape sticking above a log. After a few seconds a 4 pt bull stands up and slowly walks uphill out of sight. I've seen my first elk and Wow, am I excited! There's my bull, he was only about 70 yds away and not even scared, I'm going to get him in the morning. I drive back to camp, grab my fishing pole and head for the lake a couple miles down the road. After fishing awhile I decide to get back and make dinner before it's dark. Not far from the lake I see a spike eating just off the road in a small meadow, what the heck, I'll see how close he'll let me get before he takes off. I get out of the truck and start walking at him, he's still eating, I walk right at him to about 20 yds, he's still eating, He finally looks up at me for about a minute and then goes back to eating. I walk back to the truck, look back, he's still eating. Wow, there's my bull, he'll be easy to kill, I'm excited! I drive into camp and there are cow elk eating everywhere, two are standing almost on my tent. Wow, I'm excided! I eat dinner, build a fire, trying to relax with a million thoughts in my head when a bugle blasts out from across the road. I grab my bugle and answer, we trade bugles for a least an hour. It's getting late and I have to get some sleep. There's my bull, did I happen to mention I was excited? I didn't bring a watch or clock but I am used to waking up before sunup working construction, where you have to start early to beat the heat here in Az. I'm sound asleep when a bugle just rips through me, my eyes pop open, the bugles are coming one after the other. I didn't know what time it was but it had to be close to first light. Back in the stone age, before computers we read magazines to get our info. The experts wrote articles so we could learn about the animals we hunted, It was common knowledge that the Bull would round up the cows just before dawn and when it got light would head for their bedding area. I was just lucky that bull woke me up, because I would have slept for at leased a couple more hours. Ok, I got to get ready, get my cloths on, get my equipment ready, put paint on my face and hands. I knew every trick ever written in a magazine and I was prepared. That bull wouldn't shut up across the road and I was ready for it to get light so I could go kill'em. I went into the truck and turned the radio on to pass the time and find out what time it was, back in the stone age we didn't have clocks in the vehicles, we had to listen for the DJ on the radio to tell us. So I'm sitting there listening to the radio waiting until I can go get that bull, I don't know if I told you this but, I'M EXCITED! A DJ finally comes on and says " It's 2:something am "… That was the longest 3 hours of my life, fully clothed, painted up, laying in my cot staring at the tent top, listening to a bull going crazy a few hundred yards away. I don't think I read another magazine article again. I hate to mention it, but even with all that, I WAS EXCITED! The sky finally starts getting grey and the bull is still bugling across the road. I cross the road and work my way through a jack pine thicket to where I can see the opening on the other side. A 5 pt bull and about 10 cows are on the other side of the clearing, 100yds away and moving through the jack pines on that side heading off slowly. I waited until I thought it was safe to move and stepped into the opening. As soon as I stepped out there was a noise to my right, I glance over and there's a 2 pt standing on the edge of the thicket I was hiding in 25 yds away. I tried moving slowly and draw back on him but just when I was getting to full draw he bolted, ran across the clearing, and caught up with the elk on the other side. They never ran off but always kept a couple hundred yards from me just walking slowly. They knew I was there, I followed them for a over a mile and over a couple hours until they disappeared into a canyon and that was it. Strike one. On the walk back I was beating myself up, I should have done this or that, how stupid can I be. Walking along feeling sorry for myself I noticed legs on the other side of some jack pines, deer legs. Back then if you had an archery elk tag you could continue to hunt deer and turkey, it was called a fruit salad hunt. I sat down on a log, put my bow on my feet and glassed through the trees to try to see if it was a buck or doe. I couldn't tell and started to bring down my bins and two does step out of the thicket right in front of me. Less than 20 yds and feeding, I'm froze with the bins half way down my face, sitting on a log, with the bow resting on my feet. The does are eating to the right taking their sweet time, my arms are cramping being frozen up by my face, but another deer is coming through and I can't move. The does have finally worked to where they're to the right and slightly behind me. Out steps a nice 4 pt buck in velvet, he's right in front of me, gets his head behind a big pine tree and stops just chomping away. I turn my head slightly to glance at the does, they've got their rears at me still eating. I slowly lower my arms, grab the bow, start lifting and the does bust behind me, the buck busts in front. I was left sitting on a log, with egg on my face. Strike two. Of course the next two days I never found those other bulls and didn't get another opportunity. All was not lost, even though I couldn't afford to take off much work I still had one more weekend to hunt. After I got off work on Friday I was gone, drove up, set up camp and had an hour to hunt. I drove 6 or 7 miles to a spot I heard bulls bugling the weekend before, made a few calls, no answer. I waited till after dark and still nothing. Driving back I see something big crossing the road in the headlights, it was the world record elk! No other elk ever could be that big. Standing in the middle of the road with the lights on him, 6 pts on each side, he looked massive. After he crossed the road I got out and piled some limbs up so I could find the spot in the morning. I was excited again. Morning came and it was lightly raining off and on. I didn't care, I was at my spot and ready to go when it got light. I made a big circle, calling as I went, with no answers. Working back close to the main road I came onto a overgrown logging road, I could see the main road a couple hundred yards though the trees. There was fresh elk droppings still steaming on the logging road, allot of them, probably a herd of cows. I was standing in the middle the overgrown road thinking about my options, did they cross back over the main road or stay on this side? There were so many tracks going in different directions, with the light drizzle I couldn't tell. I decided they must have went back over and started following the old road that way. I took maybe 10 steps when up in front of me about a hundred yds, The World Record Elk, jumps out of the trees, comes hopping and flopping down the old road right at me. He acted like a hound dog on the scent, nose to the ground, ears flopping around as he bobbed his head and so excited he couldn't contain himself. I noc an arrow and he's getting closer fast, a whirlwind of motion, at about 30 yds he leaves the road a short distance and starts spinning in a circle with his nose close to the ground. I pull back but don't take a shot because of a few small jack pines and he's moving to much. All of a sudden he took off into the forest, hopping and skipping away, disappearing into the trees. Now this all happened in about 30 seconds and my mind was trying to grasp what had just occurred. I was upset at myself for not attempting some kind of shot, that was the world record elk. I didn't know what to do, should I wait for another bull to come jumping down the road at me? Should I go after the world record elk? I was still in shock. I have to go after him there's nothing else I can do. I start into the forest and I see a rack and then an elk coming back from the direction he went. It's him and he's still in crazy motion. I'm done, I moved into the worst place I could, jacks on both sides with only a small lane right in front of me. The only way in the lane is blocked by a huge ponderosa pine log. He's going to pass me on the right, no shot, why the heck did I move and not wait? Instead he turns left, jumps over that big log, puts his nose to the ground and stops dead still 20yds broadside in a lane the width of his body. The World Record Elk. My mind is screaming, shoot, shoot, shoot, I can't miss, shoot. The world record elk. I pull and shoot as fast as I can, he could start moving at any time. Right over his back, never even aimed with a pin. THE WORLD RECORD ELK! Strike three. Now of course he wasn't a world record. It was five years later that I drew another tag and saw what a big mature bull really was. He was a nice bull a year or two from being a contender for the herd. A 290 to 310 bull. The memory sure haunted me for a couple years though. I told it like that because that's what I thought and felt at the time. Kent

What's your poundage, arrow length, head weight? Almost always your problems are spine issues. Easy to fix but not with adjusting your rest or nock. Tuning is simple if you think about it. Bow =engine. It puts the energy into the arrow and it's adjustable. Arrow equals vehicle delivering the payload. All arrows need to flex and ride on 2 nodes, one front and one back. Broadhead is the payload and must be delivered as square as possible to utilize the KE and penetrate to the max. Once your arrow length and head weight is set, then there is only 'one' poundage your bow will have that will give the optimum flight to your arrows, what's the odds that's what it is set at right now? Underspined and your arrow's are flexing up and down too much and the nodes are not going straight toward the target, they're jumping up and down. Overspined and the back node tries to pass the front one like a big trailer pushing and trying to pass a small vehicle pulling it. Underspined and the arrow settles down the farther out it gets and is accurate at distance. Overspined and it never staightens out and is all over the place the farther out it gets and doesn't hit square losing penetration. I quit paper tuning in the 90's. get arrows at desired length and spine for middle wgt range of bow(65 lbs on a max 70 lb bow) choose appropriate wgt head. If you went by the chart that will be a 100 gr. Shoot bow and adjust tiller for feel if you want on a single cam. set rest and eyeball center shot set nock with a bow square Plumb a line from top to bottom on the target. set one pin on at close range, doesn't matter what it is , just close on the line Walk back and adjust center shot as far as you want to go depending on your target's height, using the rest, shooting at the line. At a comfortable longer distance tighten your up and down grouping with your nock or rest. Depending on what your max distance will be and how well your arrows are grouping with good form, you may want to spine tune with your poundage, go up and down and watch for improvement or worstening of groups. This is more important the further you are trying to shoot. I just always do it. check broadheads to see if they hit with fieldtips. practice and set the pins for distance. I can shoot just as well with a WB or dropaway. I don't have to worry as much about form or handtorche, which is important when I'm squatted down leaning around a jackpine shooting at an animal. Seldom can you stand in perfect form like at a target when an animal is present. The more out of tune/spine you are the more important it is to repeat everything in your form so the arrow will repeat it's incorrect motion. If you are in harmony, then it's just energy down a shaft, two nodes headed straight for a target and the broadhead hitting square and solid, once the string is released. Kent

Don’t wait! Tell your children you love them! I love you Bret! Don’t wait until you wake in the morning! I love you son. Don’t wait until there’s a ring at the door! I love you! You hear your Wife say NO! in a way that stops your heart. I love you, again! You know the truth looking in a stranger’s eyes full of compassion, without a word spoken. I miss you already and love you! Don’t wait! Until your house is full of family and friends trying to hold you to sanity! I still love you! Don’t wait until you are finished writing a response on the internet. Do you love them!!! Don’t wait until your eyes are almost swollen shut from the weeping and have to write it down in a memorial instead of telling them in person! Don’t wait because they have become an adult. I’ve always loved you and you me! I may never write anything again, I may never hunt again, I may never forgive God! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR !!!! BRET POWELL, I LOVE YOU !!!!! Kent and Cheryl Powell

Amanda, Thank you for the memorial section you created. I put a little down, as much as I can right now. Kent

I can't express the sorrow I feel, I know logically that's just the way it will always be in these situations. I do want to express the gratitude I feel for the words you all have given me as a gift of comfort. Thank you. I did question myself on posting this to start with, didn't really feel it was appropiate for a father to do, I know now why I was prompted, your words are extreemly important to me at this time. I have the greatest/strongest family, the absolute best friends. The outpour for one soul has been staggering. I have wept in my friends arms and held my sons friends in my own as they have wept. There has been hundreds of responces. My house has been full constantly. I couldn't make it without them. Thanks again, Kent and Cheryl

I'm still feeling raw and not thinking staight. I want to thank my wonderful family and friends. I also want to thank my friends here also. More than you know. I did lose my 26 yr old and only son yesterday, We needed 5 more minutes for him to get home safe. I don't need anything, my family and friends have everything covered, just needed to voice my feelings in a more public setting. Thanks for letting me do that here. Kent

Looks like a great trip. Like Groovy Man, Far Out. Look at the colors! Went there once in the 70s, food was good on the wharf for sure. People were strange to a Redneck. Kent

Crossbows are legal during any firearm season, but they aren't a bow. They are also legal for those with a medical exemption only. Kent

Nice finds, good pictures. Kent

Doug is the man as usual. If at the range just put a round target at 100 yds, center looking through your barrel. Dial your cross hairs until they are centered also always making sure you didn't move the gun any. When the barrel is centered and the scope is centered, shoot, you'll be within 8 inchs easy, usually less at 100. Kent

Attack chipmunks are hard to train but once you do the bad guys better watch their nuts. Kent

Not getting in the Bill and Rick debate but political clout is something we need to look at and some are discussing this right now on MM. It's a new political arena today and if we look at how other small in percentage but large in influence groups do it, that may be the answer. Here's a repeat of my post during the brainstorming session. I honestly believe we are looking at the answer. Our society and lives are being changed by public opinion driven by 'Blogs', if that's the correct term, not reason and logic. We have to adapt to this style of getting the message out. It's telling how fast a responce we received from the dept when we took the issue to the public on these websites concerning the A/B tags and price increases. I again want to thank Mr. Wakeling for answering in a timely manner. We need to expand on this. If untruthfulness can change our country because of the power of ’Blogging'. Then maybe the truth will regain it’s power doing the same. I can see in the near future a dedicated blogging site for G&F issues in this state that the hunting public can express themselves from their computers on issues, polls constructed by anyone on any issue and even petitions to take to the Legislature. We can sway public opinion also, took us this long to see it. I can see this expanding to emailing alerts to all licensed hunters in a data base and putting real political pressure right back on. We will not be ‘onesided’ by the G&F political spin machine anymore. This case here wasn’t spin, just some info added without explanation, a learning experience. The power of a blogging site is that everyone can see what others are feeling about an issue and can discuss it together. There will never be total agreement but it is evident how the majority feel. Just having an email response doesn’t allow everyone to see what other’s are saying and the political spinners can cherry pick the responses that suit them. Giving a few minutes at a commission meeting doesn’t get the back and forth for new ideas to develop. In the past we have went through channels individually or in specialized groups and therefore separated and defeated. We’ve tried the reasonable and logical responses to the political spin and propaganda shoved our way and feel frustrated and powerless. We can only sit around dumbfounded for so long before we realize we can use the same tactics that are changing our country and state to our advantage. If I was the G&F, I would be the first to add this to my site. Not that you will be able to control the responses, but it would be a win politically, it’s coming one way or another. Kent

There's nothing quite like the brisk air of a fall morning. Working across the valley or mountainside in anticipation of seeing the glint of an antler in the distance, the bugle of a bull in his full glory, the flash of a white tail dancing ahead. Then, PPPUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!! Having an expolsion under your feet, sometimes seemingly right up your inseam. Crazy buggers! I'd rather encounter a rattlesnake, I ain't skeered of them. Kent

Look at JB's post above mine for clarification, truer words were never written! Kent

Doug, dang, another bug I didn't know about before. I guess it would depend on if they were mostly around the sock and belt line if they were chiggers or not. You got me itching again. Those stinking biting knats that get in your ears and face when sitting and glassing are just as bad, deet does the job there also. I kinda like them because the deer don't have deet and it's easy to see them bedded, flicking their ears and shaking their Heads. Kent

You must have a tag to take a deer, archery is over the counter and you can only hunt in an appropiate season. Unless you are in an area that will have leftover tags where you live archery will be the only choice. If you get a rifle tag you will only be able to shoot out your window if your property has no one else living within 1/4 mile, or permission granted. Kent

Racoon maybe, first thing I thought of. Kent

Being's how my Dad was born and raised in the Pima/Thacher/Safford area, when I was finally allowed to go deer hunting it was in the Eagle Creek and/or Alma Mesa areas. After my first encounter with mearns my Granddad gave me these words of wisdom. "Them fool's quail will be testing the weave of your shorts fer sure" Kent

Fool's quail. Kent

Now I'm itching just thinking about it, THANKS! Kent

Last summer my brother said he must have gotten in poison ivy or something. I asked him if it was around his sock line and he said yes, chiggers. He bought something at the store called 'chigger rid' said it worked. Kent

Deet, the 100% stuff. 2006 we had a wet July and Aug, new grass everywhere. Hiked into the Matazals scouting for coues and water sources the end of aug. Layed down in some soft grass in the shade for a nap and a day latter was scratching on my sock and belt line, miserable. Never knew we had chiggers in Az. New vegetation = noseeums. Deet took care of the problem. Of course I had to research a cure and what I read from a university research report is that the chiggers don't burrow in you, it's the hatchling's and they sucreat an acid in your skin and then eat the byproduct and it's the acid that causes the sores. Putting something like polish on it covers it from the air and helps the itching. Which I did also and that worked. I like hot pink. Kent

I'm leaving in the morning to the Mts, I hope it rains some in the afternoons, best naps I've ever had are during rain showers. PS, I'm not going to be here when Amanda comes back. Kent

.....The rain just thought about it here in Mesa and then didn't do much..... Kent