Barry Patterson Breaks Elk Drought in Saskatchewan
In early September I took my son-in-law, Barry Patterson,
to Saskatchewan to bowhunt for elk. He’s been beating his feet up and
down the mountains around his home near Woodland Park, Colo., for ages,
trying to arrow an elk, but unexpected circumstances and shrewd,
pressured bulls have left him with a goose egg. I told him that the
Saskatchewan hunt with Spirit of the North might be something of a let
down because there were no mountains, plenty of air and lots of good
bulls. Nonetheless, he begrudgingly accepted my invitation.
Not
only did he break his goose egg wide open, he broke it twice, bagging
two gorgeous bulls and returning to Colorado a certified elk hunting
celebrity. His first bull nearly trampled him before he got off a quick
shot at point blank range. His second was taken from a ground blind we
made near a wallow. Bull No. 2 came to the wallow like he was on a
string. Barry made a perfect shot, driving his arrow through the boiler
room. The bull jumped into the murky wallow, stood up on his hind legs
and pitched back on solid ground and expired. What a show and what a
joyous time we shared amidst screaming bulls and clear, crisp weather.
I have a feeling that will not be our last Spirit of the North trip.
I
take a group of hunters to Spirit of the North in early September. If
you’re interested in joining me, feel free to call or email.
Bad Wind in British Columbia
Immediately
following our elk hunt, I traveled to Fort Saint John, B.C., to film a
hunt for Buckmasters TV with my old friend Ray Jackson of Horseshoe
Creek Outfitters. I held over-the-counter tags for elk, mule deer,
whitetails, moose and black bears. That’s the good news.
The
bad news is that as Hurricane Ike was ripping up the Texas coast it
created impossible winds all the way up through western Canada. During
daylight hours the wind never quit swirling. The minute we’d hear an
elk bugle, the wind would betray us. One night we slept under an
ancient spruce in the heart of a nest of bulls. They screamed all
night, keeping us awake, but at dawn, the wind swirled once more and
the elk fell silent.
I
arrowed one black bear and had a close encounter with a magnificent
mule deer. We found him bedded on the steep river hills. I crept into
forty-something yards and waited for him to stand. When he did, I drew
and managed to stick an arrow in the center of his bed, between his
front and back legs. Ugh, the agony of defeat.
Naturally
after I left B.C. the weather began to cooperate, and later hunters
fared much better than I did. You can’t control the weather, so you
have to take it as it comes, but in my hunting experience, there’s no
place like the Peace River drainage in B.C. for a mixed bag of game
where tags can still be purchased over the counter for many species. I
have taken everything you can name with Ray Jackson and highly
recommend him.
www.horseshoecreekoutfitters.com (250) 783-5220
Where the Buffalo Roam
Rounding
out a very full September, I spent two amazing weeks in South Dakota
and Wyoming on buffalo hunts arranged by my friend Mitch Kjose, founder
of Fellowship of Christian Sportsmen Plus (www.fcsplus.org).
Mitch arranges every imaginable kind of outdoors experience with a
Christian emphasis, ranging from mountain bicycle tours, prairie dog
shoots, pheasant hunts, fly fishing outings, etc.
The South Dakota hunt was booked with Jim Lutter (www.buffalocountybuffalo.com),
605-293-3262). Lutter offers the most unique buffalo hunts I’ve ever
seen: period-specific to the 1850s, including covered wagon and horse
travel, camping out and eating chuck wagon meals – all in the gorgeous
Gana Valley next to Wind Cave National Park in the Black Hills. This
is where your old-west buffalo hunt comes alive and the cowboy in you
is finally free. Lutter offers other conventional hunts for buffalo in
other areas, but this is the epitome of true “old time” buffalo
hunting, as true to the 1850s as can be experienced. I even used an old
Sharps .45-110 buffalo rifle that plinks 500-grain bullets accurately
out to 800 yards! I bagged a gorgeous bull and enjoyed reliving the
past with Lutter’s staff of cowboys. They even dressed the part to a
“T.” The only thing missing was John Wayne, but with a pilgrim like me
onboard, maybe that was best.
The
second hunt was on the sprawling IPY Ranch snuggled in the shadow of
the famous Devil’s Tower, the location for the movie “Close Encounters
of the Third Kind.” Happily, all my encounters were with buffalo, mule
deer, whitetails and elk. Now that’s my kind of close encounter.
This bowhunt gave me an opportunity to put the new BowTech General through its paces. I was amazed and consider the General ( www.bowtecharchery.com)
the finest compound bow I have ever shot. After chasing one bull for 10
miles through hills and timber and eventually losing the chase, we
stumbled right into an ancient bull, alone, beside a dry wash. I put an
arrow behind his shoulder as he was quartering away. He stumbled 25
yards and dropped. After taking pictures in the dry wash where he
fell, we took advantage of the flatbed truck with the Hydrolift and
hauled the bull onto a bald ridge where I could get some pictures of
him with the Devil’s Tower in the background. Ranch Manager George
White made our stay at the IPY Ranch an unforgettable experience. In
fact, one of these days I’m going back to hang out with George and
enjoy the scenery … and some fly-fishing.
www.ipyranch.com, 307-467-5540
Russellville Wild Game Dinner
I was honored to be the guest speaker at Calvary Baptist Church in Russellville, Ala., on Oct 30th,
2008. It was a great event with a capacity crowd of about 300. We had
some great food and good laughs in story and song before I shared my
testimony of God’s faithfulness to my family and me. Eight people
accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. My special thanks to Brian
Pace and Pastor Wade Wallace for inviting me to speak at their event.
www.discovercalvary.com, 256-332-2804
Men in Their Own Skin
By Dudley Hall
Our
world needs men and not just a few of them. We don't need any kind of
man. We need men who are strong, able to lead, courageous enough to
persevere, wise enough to make good decisions, and generous enough to
give strategically and effectively. But where can you find this kind of
man? Most people wouldn't look for them in a church. They believe
churches are full of nice guys who don't want to offend anyone. They'll
tell you to look for a warrior in a bar, prison, on a football field,
or in a combat zone. This is not God's design. He designed man to be
strong and spiritual, equal parts worshipper and warrior, fighter and
father. Men In Their Own Skin
will show you what a man of God looks like. He knows who he is and
doesn't apologize. After all, the world is waiting for him to rise to
his calling. As you embrace these life-changing perspectives, you'll
enjoy being the man God had in mind when He thought of you. You'll
never be the same. Go ahead. The world's waiting for you. This is a
must-read book for every Christian Man
Men in Their Own Skin ($15) is available on www.sclm.org or by calling (817) 267-9224.
Southeast Sportsman’s Retreat Cancelled for 2009
Unknowingly
we booked the Southern Sportsman’s Lodge for our annual S.E.
Sportsman’s Retreat on the weekend of Valentine’s Day. By the time we
realized the mistake, it was too late to change the date due to
scheduling of Dudley Hall and several other key people. So with hat in
hand I offer sincere apologies to those of you who were planning to
attend. The good news is that we’ll have our May retreat in Texas
right on schedule. Dates and particulars will appear in a forthcoming
newsletter.
December’s Feature: “The Last Frontier”
Russell
takes a trophy whitetail with self-made archery tackle including an
Osage orange long bow and river cane arrows tipped with points he
knapped from stone. Read all about it on here.
Coming Next
In
my January newsletter, I’ll be reporting on whitetail hunts in Ohio,
Mexico, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Texas, as well as speaking
engagements for 2009.
Until then, good hunting and God bless,
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