Staring in the Face of Adversity

  What is a dream if it is never realized? What is a victory when there is no chance of defeat? All too often these questions are never answered and people go about their lives accepting whatever comes their way. But then on occasion, a beacon shines through the darkness piercing all doubt and stares in the face of adversity, as if to be rendering a challenge to an enemy that calls all too often. To all that know him, Ryan Roberts is that beacon.

  Ryan was born with a disease called Larsen’s Syndrome. This condition was originally described and named by Dr. Larsen in 1950 to be multiple joint dislocations which affect the joints and spinal area. Ryan has spent much of his life going through multiple surgeries to gain enough mobility to allow him to participate in some of the things that he so passionately loves.

  I think all of us can remember back on the times in our youth when we anxiously awaited the day to be able to participate in the hunt. I know for me, I spent several trips carrying empty firearms mile after mile on small game hunts. With the cresting of every hilltop brought new adventure and experiences. In my mind, I could hunt as far as Washington and back across through Canada on one day’s hunt. I’ve spent countless hours stalking bull elk brush piles in the backyard with a Red Rider BB gun. I harvested some trophies and never left the yard.

  For Ryan, things were a little different. Ryan relied heavily on his family to assist him and help him get into situations that he could enjoy the outdoors and all its majesty. Ryan’s father is an avid outdoorsman which allowed Ryan the opportunity to do some of the things that he otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do. After traveling with his father to an antelope hunt in New Mexico, Ryan’s father decided it was time to find a way for his son to be more involved.

  One of the major challenges was finding a firearm that would accommodate Ryan’s condition. After numerous hours of searching and trying a few different designs, Ryan’s family found a model of what they were after, which was a Weatherby CFP center fire pistol. Along with help from Frank Houx and Dan Isler of Cabelas, Weatherby agreed to custom build Ryan a pistol in a 240 Weatherby Magnum. This worked perfectly for Ryan and allowed him to have an opportunity to harvest an animal rather than simply be there when an animal was harvested. With the largest obstacle met, Ryan still needed a scope. Ryan’s cousin, Austin, found a Nikon muzzleloader scope that gave enough eye relief for Ryan to be able to fire the pistol and have a clear sight through his scope. With the leg work finished, Ryan was ready to hunt and this time not just as a spectator. He was in the game!

  After a couple of white tail hunts, it was time for his mule deer hunt in Colorado. It was Ryan’s turn. The hunt brought success that most outdoorsmen only dream about. The hunt ended with Ryan harvesting a monstrous muley which scored 247 6/8. In case those numbers are confusing, that would be criteria for a trophy in anyone’s eyes. No longer was Ryan longing to be involved in a harvest. He had done it. Ryan had defied what his condition said would never be done. This time, everyone in camp gave Ryan his induction and was admiring his trophy and asking how his hunt went.

  Inspiration comes in all forms and fashions. Sometimes it comes in the form of a seventeen year old young man with the will power and desire that won’t allow him to be held back any longer. You know, life is peculiar sometimes. The dealer hands out the cards and it is our job to play the hand. There are always two options. We can either play another card or fold. Sometimes you just have to ask yourself, “if not now, then when?” Live your dreams and play the aces. With a little help, you just may win the hand.

A Day in the Life of a Hunting Club Member

   Okay. I’m finally home from an evening of mano y mano intensity smackdowns! I see I have had a few more visitors just waiting in the balances to find out just what happened at probate court today. As I have already stated…..I’m INNOCENT!

  Let me give you a little background. I hunt on a 2300 acre lease in which I paid $755 to do so back in the spring. As with all leases, there is always a little drama. Earlier this year, we had several hundred acres select cut directly behind where I have been hunting. As you guessed, I was flooded with avid patrons searching for that next “best” spot. If you are on a club, you know all about the endless “best” spots people have. This is my second year in, so I didn’t rock the boat too bad. So, that’s the scenario I have here.

  On opening weekend, my father, youngest son, and I went to my uncle’s land in south Georgia for the weekend. We had a good weekend. My son had a chance at a really nice eight pointer that gave us the slip. I hunt for chances, not kills. I am satisfied to have a chance at such a majestic animal. You win some, you lose some.

  When we all returned, I got word that the DNR had came to our club and wrote 2 tickets. One for hunting over bait, and the other for hunting without an orange vest, which is a whole other story in itself. Call it what it is, I say. Some folks got caught and some folks were genuinely sorry. A few days passed, and I received another phone call that said the tally was up to 9 tickets being wrote. The following day, the tally stood at 19. The day after, we got a phone call from a fellow hunter about thirty miles away that, “he heard” (and I love that one….”Well, I heard…”) that the total was up to 29.

  In the midst of it all, I learned that the game warden had entered our club by way of around the gates and had all four of his four wheeler tires slashed by an obstruction in the ditch. Keep that obstruction fresh in your mind. It will come up again.

  I received an official phone call that instructed me that my presence, along with all other of the twenty three members, was requested to show up for probate court. Now, take into consideration, that not only was this a big hassle, but very costly. Now isn’t the time to be missing work for foolishness. A day’s pay is still big at my house.

  We showed up today at 11:00 AM just as instructed, only to find, that a mere 13 members showed. No one said anything about contempt, so I found out just exactly how important this meeting was after all. QUESTION…Have you ever heard the song Alice’s Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie with three part harmony? This day was having a strange resemblance.

  We walked in, sat down. The judge walked in, sat down. Officer Obie walked in, sat down. That was the arresting officer. I know he was just doing his job, but I was struggling to find my place in the matter. The judge stood up, and Officer Oppie stood up. Reaching down to his desk, the judge picked up a twelve inch strip of steel with six, 3″ spikes welded on it.

  “Your hunting club is going to pay for those tires, and better yet, I find it hard to believe that anyone would do such a thing,” the judge said. “I want to know who is responsible for this.” I know where the spikes came from and I suppose that will come up when someone asks me to help pay for the tires. That will be my next blog entry. Needless to say, I am not paying for any tires!

  Officer Obie took the floor again and said that he had found ten stands with corn on the ground, with one of the areas being where I hunt. Now I admit, I have a 55 gallon drum feeder close to one of my stands. The dog I have in that hunt is the fact that I haven’t filled it since August of 2007. It must have been running in quarter second burts. Fact is, there was no corn. Officer Obie saw a feeder which is perfectly legal. Again, he was just doing his job and he told me to just make sure I didn’t fill it during season. As Arlo said, quote….”He slapped us on the wrist, made us pay the $50, and pick up the garbage”….end quote.

  I was satisfied, the judge was satisfied, and Officer Obie was satisfied. The problem was, some of the fellow comrades were not. We heard excuses and diversions that went anywhere from “I broke the law, but the police was out to get me”, to the judge was in cahoots with the local football coach that got fired this season and he had a personal vendetta against the community. Do you recall the movie about Wyatt Earp when Curly Bill said, “$50 won’t pay for half the contempt I have for this court?” We were headed in that direction.

   Me and my hunting buddy sat in disbelief. I am still in awe at people’s general lack of respect for authority and self pride that keeps them in that mode. You know the old saying? “If it quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck….then it’s a flippin duck!” I added the “flippin” part. Some people got caught. A total of five tickets were wrote for hunters sitting in wood box blinds, two of which to hunters that had spent the night in their box blind (again, another story), and one ticket written for bait. The accusations were not that severe. Just pay the $50 and pick up the garbage! Right?

  I found out right quick a few years ago when contesting a speeding ticket. “If you show up to court, then the judge will drop it,” they told me. Have you ever heard that one before? Well, it isn’t true! It just gives you a nice little counter on which to write the check!

  So you may find yourself in a similar situation with the judge, and Officer Obie. My advice to you is when your caught, your caught! Pay the $50 and pick up the garbage and be done with it!

As Arlo pinned,

You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant
You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant
Walk right in it’s around the back
Just a half a mile from the railroad track
You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant

posted by Braden Arp @ Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Pre Season Food Sources

  You know the drill. We set up in early bow season on trees we have always hunted in the past, but the acorns just don’t seem to be dropping. Been there, done that. I have found that the large mature acorn trees will not produce every year , regardless of the rain that they have received. I love hunting the large gigantic acorn trees in bow season, but I have found that the mid size trees produce more frequently, and for the most part, are easier to find in clusters along the hardwood ridges.

  There is a tactic that you can use to get a leg up on the acorn crop for your area. Its really simple. Take a pair of good clear binoculars and glass the trees in your area and find out which trees are loaded with acorns. That can be done now. Granted you may look like an idiot in your scouting party for “stargazing”, but I guarantee you will find the best acorn trees to set up on. You may find a tree loaded with acorns and just a few unused trails leading into it from previous years. There will also be trails that are wore down to the dirt on the trees that produced last year. Don’t pay as much attention to the trails that are hammered out now if there are no acorns on the trees that the deer are traveling by. The deer will pick right back up on the unused trails from a few years back once the acorns start falling.

  Another trick I like to use is to find the first feed trees out of the bedding are where the deer are coming from. Allot of times, the deer will come out of there bed and feed on the first acorn trees from the bedding area. It may even be still a little thick, but get in there with them and hunt the feed trees in the thickets if you have too. It is a great buck tactic if there is a little pressure on the deer you are hunting such as leases and hunting clubs. Also, those bucks will respond a little better to calls since the area is thicker and holds the security a big buck desires.

  Find the trees loaded with acorns now, and then pick out the trees closest to the bedding area. It just may be the tactic that leads to you harvesting a trophy buck that has been eluding you.

Just Beyond the Treeline : Part 2

  “Is this where you had your stand”, one asked?
I turned back and replied in true honesty as bad as it hurt.
  “No, I was on the other side of the tree line”.
He stood with a look of confusion as he sized up the area I told him where I was as it related to where we were standing.
  “But how could you see this area from the other side of the tree line?”
I just let it go at that and chalked this one up to experience.
 A common practice regarding scouting is finding a “highway” trail that looks really good and setting up camp immediately. Most of these types of trails are night trails and will be very unproductive. The area looks really good, but doesn’t produce the numbers of deer that is usually expected. Bucks rarely travel these trails, but nine times out of ten, there will be other smaller trails crossing these night trails. These are the ones to set up on. Just as I found out, a little more searching could uncover several details that are useful in determining the patterns that will produce a mature buck.
  Hunters get too hung up on the fact that the deer population will pick up and move daily as if to be nomads looking for their stay. Obviously, setting up under feed trees is seasonal at best, but a very productive way to take an approach at harvesting a deer. I prefer to distance myself from the feed trees and hunt the travel ways. What I have found over the years is that deer very rarely change patterns in travel ways. Granted it is a little thicker in these spots, but it makes for a consistent stand location. It doesn’t matter what the food source if you set up to intersect the deer on their way to it.
  In order to find these types of areas, you have to get off the beaten path. Depending on the terrain and geographical location, it can be a little intimidating barreling off into the pine cutovers or dense hardwood forests. There is nothing worse than being lost. I have been lost before, but had an idea of the general vicinity to my whereabouts. I have also been lost before, and after five hours of walking, finally came across civilization and had to ask someone to help me with my whereabouts. Technology has come too far now to be getting too far away without some sort of GPS devise. Like everyone else I suppose, it doesn’t bother me to get a little turned around in the daylight, but is quite the contrary in the dark. On one occasion while hunting in southern Georgia, I made my way into the edge of a swampy bottom. I never saw water on the way in, but was over my boots on the way out. Luckily a train passed by and gave me a sense of where I was. I was walking directly in the wrong direction. GPS units can also be incorporated into scouting as a tool used for marking those hidden sanctuaries that are stumbled across and never found again. Take advantage of the technology, especially when it makes your adventures safer.
  Scouting can be a methodical endeavor to say the least. There is one key factor that has helped me more times than not. You have to get away from the hunting pressure. It can be done, but it is going to take some leg work to do it. We hunted an area during a management hunt when I was younger. We stopped in a few weeks prior to the hunt and a ranger gave us a tip on an unhunted tract of land. We inquired about a map and he turned and said, “Well, it’s the track behind the check in station.” That year, the track of land produced a really nice eight pointer and a missed opportunity on a massive twelve pointer, but we had to cross a very deep creek to get to it. Look for the things that might turn other hunters away. Be smart with your scouting. Be aggressive in your scouting. Last but not least, be safe with your scouting.

Braden Arp

Trophy Class Isn’t Always World Class

  What is the true measure of a trophy whitetail? This is a question I have asked myself for years. Is it measured by the technical data driven scoring system that is used for the standard of the class of the animal? Could it be the dominant nature of the animal that was harvested? I believe, as do many others, that a true trophy animal is in the eyes of the beholder. A trophy class deer doesn’t necessarily mean that it has to be world class. Now sure, I think every outdoorsman would jump at the opportunity to hunt on the world class operations in Texas and New Mexico and other places that offer a chance at a record book buck. However, the fact of the matter is, that is just not the reality for most of us, yet I still find outdoorsman that end up frustrated and distraught because their trophy class bucks don’t measure up to the world class standard.
  I had a guy tell me one time, “I won’t pull the trigger on anything less than a 140 class deer. My response to that was, “Wow, you must not shoot much”.
The fact of the matter is, if we only hunt to take a world class animal, we will likely burn out long before the satisfaction of a trophy harvest comes.
  Now don’t get me wrong. I believe heavily in management programs and am very much involved in the program we have set up for our lease. I also believe that if you let a deer grow, you will produce mature animals, in which the odds will increase drastically for taking a trophy deer. The fact of the matter is, allot of hunters are harvesting mature whitetails that don’t have the gene pool to reach a world class standard. Being from north Georgia, I can attest to that. I think it is common that hunters alike would choose to harvest a four and a half year old buck over a two and a half year old buck. I think that would go unsaid. However, I have hunted several areas that produced sixteen inch eight pointers at four and a half years old.
  I harvested a really nice nine pointer a few years ago in archery season that was a true trophy in every sense of the term. A friend of mine looked at his structure and said, as you have all heard, “That would have been a great deer next year.” In my eyes, it was a great deer for this year. I put in the hours it takes of scouting and preparation and harvested a four and a half old mature whitetail buck.
  I was fortunate enough to hunt with Fred Law at the Enon Plantation some years back. As we were unpacking and getting introduced to the staff and my personal saviors, the cooks, I asked Fred, “Have you harvested any 140-150 class deer here?”
He said, “Sure. We have taken some really nice bucks, but I want to tell you how we run our operation here. You are paying for the experience of a lifetime, not a world class mount. If you are fortunate to harvest a trophy deer, I want it to simply put the icing on the cake.”
  Instantly, my idea of a true trophy was changed. You see, Fred understood that there was something to be said for the opportunity to be relieved of the everyday nine to five and take a few days to relax and breathe in a breath of fresh air and hunt such an awesome creature. Let’s face it; time is of a higher priority now than it used to be. Don’t simply judge your trophy by the numbers. Judge the class of a trophy by the total hunt. Ten years down the road, that is what you will remember.

Braden Arp

Scent or the Lack Thereof : Part 1

 One of my favorite commercials to date was a Scentblocker® commercial whose slogan was, “Forget the wind, just hunt”. I was so intrigued by this slogan that I simply knew I must have one. I think everyone has had a crisp morning’s hunt spoiled by the sounds of stomps and snorts of winding deer, only to see a glimpse of a monstrous backside that leaves you wondering with every spare minute of what could have been. I definitely had my share of those mornings and also had come to the realization that I had had my fill of missed chances due to scent. I was tired of being smelled and I was tired of worrying about the wind. I was ready to forget the wind and just hunt, just as the manufacturer suggested so I made my Scentblocker® purchase and was ready to get back in the game.

   On the first morning, I reached my stand after a short walk and brief scuffle with the gnat clouds, which I think were victorious, to find my stand on the edge of a swampy mucky mess. Being a fan of what other hunters skip over, I headed up the tree. As I reached my post, I unpacked my jacket and put it on along with my pants. The sweat instantly came rushing from every pore of my body but soon calmed back to a steady stream. I mean it was downright hot. I pulled my bow from the ground and put my head net loosely around my head trying to avoid the reflecting warm breath that I was now channeling down my neck. I settled in and got ready. Daylight was fast approaching.

  I remember thinking several times that if anything came within miles of me that I was sure to be busted. I was thinking of how to orchestrate the morning sounds of sniffs and snorts that would surely come. However, I did have an advantage which was the wind was carrying my scent, or lack thereof, directly away from where the deer would filter in from. It was hot, but I was set up right. I still wasn’t feeling too warm and fuzzy inside, but hey, forget the wind and just hunt right? It was around 8:00 AM when I took a long look down the creek as I heard some squirrels barking. To my surprise, I caught movement just on the edge of a cane break by the creek. It was a deer, and a large bodied deer at that. I zoned in and the deer weaved back out of the cane break and also to my surprise, it was a buck and a nice buck as well. The buck was a hundred or so yards away and coming straight at me, slowly but surely. Just when I thought I had defied the odds, you guessed it, the wind shifted. I had a nice buck to my left and a hard breeze from my right. It was horrific. The wind carried me straight to my trophy as if to serve my scent up on a silver platter saying “run, run for your life”. At that moment, the deer raised his head directly into the wind and gathered every particle of scent into his nostrils that he could.

   “I’m had”, I said to myself and myself was agreeing with me. To my surprise, the buck never spooked. He made about three more steps and repeated the process of winding and smelling.

Every time that I thought he was surely pinning me down, the buck just kept coming. By now he was within eighty yards and not feeling it. One turn into the cane break and the buck was gone. I let out a few soft social grunts and hoped for the best. He popped right back out and stood for what seemed like an eternity.

Scent or the Lack Thereof : Part 2

  Now I had two problems. The wind was carrying me straight to a nice shooter buck and he knew something was there from the sound, but I had no choice but to go after him. I grunted again. He dropped his head and walked another twenty yards this time getting considerably closer to a bad situation.                                                     

  The buck was sixty yards and closing, adamantly trying to pick up a scent. By now he is within range, long range but in range. I knew I had to shoot quickly or I would lose my chance, but I wasn’t quick enough. He took one step in the cane break and walked another ten or so yards leaving me with nothing. It would take one step to get an opening that I felt comfortable with, so I drew my bow. I held my draw for what seemed like minutes. I can still remember my muscles tingling from exhaustion as well as being tapped into a livewire of excitement.

  All of a sudden, I saw a nose protrude from behind the tree and I saw the buck start to move. He made three more steps and stopped, leaving me with a perfect broadside shot. I took it, and it was a good one. The buck ran maybe forty yards before giving up, a nice middle Georgia nine point.

  Stories and memories like these always savor a little sweeter when you know that you have defied the odds for success. It’s a great feeling to know that you have done all you can do and your equipment is doing what it is supposed to. I’ve hunted on countless occasions leaving straight from work, only to have an hour or so in the woods. I can put my Scentblocker® suit straight over my work clothes and not have to worry about it. When I’m done, it goes straight back into a scent proof bag and is ready to go for the next trip. It is just that simple! I remember the days of trying to harness a satellite feed for the latest in wind directions, but it has been so much more enjoyable to forget the wind and just hunt.

  There is always excessive hype over new products and designs that are not really tested in the field. I’m always leery to jump in with both feet without seeing some results for myself. On this particular hunt, I got the results. However, the name of the game is to add equipment and accessories that will enhance how you already do things. It would be foolish of me to ignore all the personal field tests that I have already conducted on things that work for me and things that don’t. I still take a downwind approach and I still use a lot of Scent Shield®, just as you all do I’m sure. In all my experiences, scent control has always been my top priority. A lot of us don’t need to know how to pattern deer and how to find where they are feeding. When you have a lock on your buck, Scentblocker® can help you get the advantage.

Braden Arp

Up Close and Personal

There are few things that deliver the adrenaline rush of having a monster whitetail within a suitable harvest range. We spend months preparing for that one opportunity at a trophy buck. Hunting whitetail deer in this modern era allows the average hunter to tap into tremendous advancements in technology and tactics. We have trail cameras and scent clothes and also a few gadgets that we really haven’t found a use for yet. If one has the money, then the other has just the trick to make you a better, more successful hunter. Let’s face it, we are in the age of technology and we can either gear up and tap in or resort back to what has always worked in the past.

Being a fan of things that work, Adam McCallister wasn’t ready just yet to integrate his hunting styles and techniques. There are allot of do’s and don’ts that have been expressed in the hunting world and the key factor is to take those tidbits of expertise and apply them to the area you are hunting. Adam hunts the foothills of the north Georgia mountains which translates into rolling hills, both steep and shallow. If you have ever lugged a tree stand up and down a sequence of these miniature mountains, you know it can get pretty exhausting to say the least. These situations forced Adam into a style that he has perfected and taken numerous trophy whitetail bucks with. It is a simple concept. It’s hunting in its purest form which is hunting from the ground.

Now I know what you are probably thinking. What about scent control? This is where it gets really technical. I asked Adam about this as well and his response was, “If the wind shifts, I get up and move. It’s the mobility that keeps me hunting from the ground. It is easy to devise a stalk on a buck in the distance when you’re already on the ground. It just makes more sense to me.”

Still not convinced? Being a huge fan of tree stands, I was a little skeptical as well. Adam told me that he had some pictures for me and that he wanted to show me a deer he harvested last year from one of his ground blinds.

“Check these out,” he told me.

I was intrigued to say the least after thinking of how much easier his style was verses the marathon style I have. It just seemed effortless to me, but not wanting to seem too eager, I told him, “Put them on my desk and I will take a look when I get a minute.” Who was I kidding? I couldn’t wait another second. Adam had taken a monstrous north Georgia buck with this method, and for good measure, he added more pictures of another monstrous whitetail he took the year before.

“Those are a couple of good deer, huh? Sometimes you just have to get up close and personal with them,” he said. “I found the nine pointer in late bow season and decided to give him some space, so I held off until the first cool snap in gun season.”

To give clarification to what a cool snap is in Georgia, it means that the weather is finally bearable. This gives you a low of around forty degrees and a high that gets up to the low to mid seventies.

“I decided to set up at the head of a big hollow that has several ridges and draws connecting to it. I was set up right and had the wind to my face. Daylight came and I saw a large bodied deer crossing the hollow using one of the finger ridges as a travel way. I glassed the deer and it was the one I had saw in late bow season. The buck got within a hundred yards of my position and I knew I had to take a shot before I lost sight of him. I steadied my rifle and squeezed off a round. I missed. I fired two more rounds and the buck topped the ridge and was gone. Being on the ground, I stood up immediately and sneaked up to the top of the ridge and I saw the buck walking up the other side of the big hollow I was hunting. I moved into position for another shot. This time the buck was out in the open with nothing between us. I fired a final shot and the buck went down. If I would have been in a tree, I wouldn’t have been able to get that last shot off.”

I sat and I listened to the story and then the second story that followed with similar results, minus the anxiety and misses. The wheels started to turn as I remembered several instances where I could have had better luck had I been hunting from the ground. Granted a ground blind isn’t the perfect set up for all situations, I do believe it can increase your odds in some. It was inevitable that this theory holds water. You know what they say; seeing is believing. It’s hard to argue with a tactic that has produced trophy bucks. I am a huge fan of taking things that work and incorporating them into the areas that I hunt. As for me, I think I have found a way to hunt that big hollow that I left alone last season.

Braden Arp

Coming soon!

  Braden Arp Outdoors will cover a variety of topics from hunting, fishing, camping,  shooting, archery, and outdoor equipment,  to Friday night football in north Georgia. I will post articles and rants of sorts of the day to day happenings, as well as, published articles and stories. I will give you some of the old stuff and some of the new. I am a creative writer by trade. I love the story of the hunt or the details leading up to the bite.

  I am very much family oriented. I have a beautiful wife of 15 years. I also have 2 boys, Brock and Drake, that are 14 and 12. They take up most of my time, but I wouldn’t change a minute of it.

  Feel free to leave comments and opinions. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your stay.