ON-TARGET NEWS

Who are we?

My name is Toby Trujillo and I am currently the Youth Archery Director for the FCAA. I have been a member of the FCAA since approximately 1983 when I moved to Fort Collins from Cheyenne, Wyoming. I have served in various positions on the FCAA Board of Directors for most of that time. I am also a member of the Colorado Bowhunters Association and have been a member of the Big Thompson Bowhunters off and on for a number of years.

I decided to try bow hunting around the time I moved to Colorado. I had taken an archery class in college and that exposure sparked my interest. With no bow hunting experience at all, the first time I went out can only be described as “comical�? (the details shall remain unwritten). Shortly after that I saw an announcement in the newspaper about an upcoming meeting of the FCAA. I showed up at the meeting, joined the club, and have been a member ever since. A couple of guys that were FCAA members at that time, and had some bow hunting know-how, must have seen this as an opportunity to recruit someone who could pack meat and wasn’t likely to harvest anything himself (commonly known as the strong back and weak mind syndrome), and invited me to start hunting with them. Luckily, I have been able to pick up a few tricks since those days, and those guys have occasionally had to help me pack meat (we’re still not even though!).

Around 1989 or 1990, when my oldest son was a cub scout, I went with him to a day camp activity where archery was one of the stations. There was a very nice person running the archery range, but the primary focus was to keep the cub scouts from shooting each other and not much archery instruction was taking place, nor was their equipment very good. I decided that I could help out and to make a long story short (too late for that?) I am still working with the scouts and other groups to provide archery equipment and instruction for young people. During that time I have become an NAA Level 2 archery instructor and taught archery to many kids, including scouts, church groups, handicapped classes, etc. In fact, there have been a couple of occasions when I am at a public event when I have overhead a kid telling their parent “hey there’s the archery guy!�?

Arctic Shoot Coming

The FCAA annual Arctic Shoot will be held Saturday, Feb. 4, come rain, shine, or snow! This is a great event and a chance to limber up in the middle of winter. You’d better start practicing now to shoot from dog sleds, skis, and snow shoes! It is a great time so be sure to join us at the archery range. Registration starts at 9:00 and shooting starts at 10:00 am.

There will also be a short club meeting over lunch – which is provided by the club. Chili really hits the spot during these shoots! Bring the family and join in the fun.

FCAA Caribou Hunt – part 1

By Lou Phillippe

All hunters dream of seeing a caribou migration. Watching such spectacles on National Geographic, we imagine ourselves crouched behind a rock with bow in hand as waves of bulls bearing antlers of every shape and size trot past. The typical hunt consists of miles of walking and glassing, working hard to gain just one close shot. But then sometimes the hunters get lucky and the herds come.

In early September, FCAA members Troy Tafoya, Chris Wiggs, Jim Niehans, friend John Selak, Tom Kelley and I returned to the Leaf River in northern Quebec. Three days after leaving Fort Collins, after riding in trucks, buses, trains, vans, large planes, turbo props and float planes, we reached the camp.

Successful hunters with a heap of large antlers greeted us at the dock. Our trip in 2003 was notable for the lack of mature bulls. This time it was different. Instead of cows and calves, there were small bands of bulls passing through. The bad news was that due to swarms of biting flies in the bush, the bulls were hanging on the open ridge tops. While perfect for the rifle hunters, it made for a challenging bowhunt. Troy and Chris, Tom and I, and Jim and John were paired up. After a hearty breakfast, we jumped into freighter canoes or aluminum Lunds to run the river. For several days we saw many caribou, but out of range or in brush too thick for a shot. Meanwhile, the rifle hunters filled the antler rack with trophy bulls. Our licenses were for bow or rifle, but we chose to succeed or fail with bows. Two other hunters in the camp brought both, and quickly filled their rifle tags.

We had close calls each day, often running through tangles of river birch only to miss the ambush by ten seconds. Chris connected on two fine bulls on day three of the five day hunt, breaking the ice. Tom also shot a big bull, but with daylight fading and dangerous rapids to negotiate, we elected to return to recover him the next morning.

When we arrived to track Tom’s bull, we were alarmed to find the shirt he’d left as a marker had been shredded by a bear. We feared the worst. While on the trail, another small herd appeared and Tom downed a nice one with a perfect shot, then recovered his first ‘bou a few minutes later, miraculously untouched by the bear.

Meanwhile, far upriver, John and Jim hiked into a basin full of animals and collected two good ones each. Jim’s mild attack of “buck fever�? while surrounded by hundreds of bulls is now known as “Going Niehans�?. That night in camp the outfitter excitedly exclaimed that their herd was just the beginning, and at least “twenty thousand�? would arrive the next day.

So Troy and I faced the final day as the only hunters in camp yet to fill a tag. Everyone else had two bulls. We drifted to sleep with visions of thousands of caribou literally jumping into our blinds.

(Continued in the next issue!)

Pig Hunt at the Wildhorn Ranch

By John Peters

My son, Gary, and I went to Wister, Oklahoma to the Wildhorn Ranch to hog hunt the first of November this year. It is owned by a long time CBA member and Colorado resident Gary Foosee. He has several hunting packages available. We took the 2 days lodging and 2 pigs up to 125 pounds for $300.00 per person.

Gary got his two pigs, one Friday evening and the next Saturday morning. I shot mine on Saturday evening at 5:15 at 15 yards out of a Double Bull Matrix blind. Gary shot his first pig out of the blind and the second stalking. You can hunt from a tree stand, bring your own harness, bring your own blind, or spot and stalk.

My hog ran about 100 yards before going down at the edge of the trees. The ranch is 140 acres with 2 ridges with hardwoods and a grass valley between them.

They have a walk in cooler for the meat, electric hoist for skinning, and a Polaris Ranger to bring your hog back to the lodge. The lodge is new and has space for 6 hunters, kitchen, dining area, recreational room with pool table and satellite television. Meals are available for $75.00 for the 2 days or you can bring your own food. Stove, microwave refrigerator, bath, and toilet are on the first floor with sleeping quarters upstairs. Both levels are air conditioned and heated with a pellet stove.

Gary is a real down to earth guy and is very helpful with anything you need. My son Gary and I give this place two thumbs up and are planning next years trip in early November. More information can be found on their web site at:

http://www.wildhornbowhuntingranch.com

or calling them toll free at 877-945-3467.