9 Point Buck on Opening Day 2015

You can watch a video of the shot by clicking here

Unfortunately my aim was a little high and the buck drops down Creating a higher shot behind his shoulder into the non lethal zone. I was hoping for a lung shot but it did not happen.

After the shot we began trailing him. A huge thunderstorm created a downpour so we had to back out and try to recover the buck on Sunday morning. Several guys went out looking Sunday morning but we could not find or retrieve this buck. I am hoping it is a nonlethal shot and we will see him on trail cameras again this week eating apples.

8 Point Buck 10/27/14

Last night I went hunting again with my friends from Whitetail Disabled Hunting and Associates. I shot this great 8 point buck with my Tenpont Maverick crossbow at 25 yards.

It was a great evening hunt, the weather was warm and hardly any wind. The landowner was so nice to talk with as we were getting ready to go.  She wished me good luck on the way in, and I needed all the luck I could get.  Glen and Rich set Beth and I up under an apple tree for the evening hunt, the set up was perfect for my wheelchair. 

I can't thank Glen and Rich enough for all their hard work and the great work their group does every year.  They sure put me on a great buck.  When we were finished hunting and my buck was recovered the landowner and her husband brought out champagne to celebrate!  Their children (6, 8 and 10) came out to see the buck and congratulate me.  It was a Fantastic night with friends enjoying archery season at it's best.

Urban Hunting

I hope to do a little urban hunting today with my buddy Mike.  He set up a sweet natural ground blind for me last week.  The plan was to hunt today but I need some of the ice to melt away and freezing rain to stop first.  Wish me luck with the Tenpoint!

Illinois Ground Blind 2012

This was a great spot, I loved every minute in this blind !

Boot Blankets and Mr Heater

With the temperatures in the 20's these boot blankets will be a must have in the ground blind for my Illinois archery hunt.  I also plan on taking a propane heater with me for the first time, Mr. Heater .  Because I can't feel from the chest down I need to be extra careful hunting in low temperatures.

I hope to balance staying warm and being scent free.... It could be a long week in cold temperatures so I want to be prepared.  Look for more cold weather gear post coming up...

Ground Blinds Sent

Today I sent two of my ground blinds out to my outfitter in IL. to get put into place for my November hunt.  Deer do not like ground blinds as a general rule, so it's important to set the blinds out a few weeks early and let the deer become familiar with the ground blind.

I am also rounding up all my gear for the trip and getting the van/trailer ready.  There is so much preparation that goes into a travel hunt.  What are your tips, plans for a big hunt?

A Clean Miss

Yesterday was a beautiful day in the ground blind. I love the weather in early October and everything about archery season.

Watching squirrels, groundhogs and of course turkeys while waiting for a mature deer to walk by is how I love to spend my early fall days.

I had the opportunity to harvest a mature Doe last night and missed completely, shooting underneath her. She was at my extreme right as far as visibility and mobility from my ground blind goes. I thought the deer was at 22 yards, turns out she was at 30.

It was a rookie mistake not to range that area over to my far right. I was just not expecting a shot there. Every year I learn something new about archery hunting. Now if I can only remember everything for next time....

1st Night Out

Tuesday afternoon I had the opportunity to go hunting with my brother. We went to a small woodlot that we have been hunting the previous two years.

We arrived a little late and decided not to put up the ground blind, we would split up and just sit quietly and see what came by.

About 35 minutes into the hunt a flock of turkeys came walking by. 16 birds, I could not see any beards but they were sure pretty to look at as they all ambled by. I think the wild Turkey is one of the most spectacular game birds in America.

It wasn't long before I spotted two huge groundhogs, well-prepared for this winter with an extra layer of fat. These two hogs were followed by a big gray squirrel who was happy to run back and forth in front of my wheelchair.

The Magic hour was approaching, I looked at my watch and it was 7:20 PM. I looked up again and a four point or six point buck was walking by. The daylight was quickly fading and I could not see if he had brow tines or not.

It wasn't much longer and the hunt was over for the evening. It was a great start to the 2012 archery season.

Wax your String

It's important to wax the string on your crossbow after every trip to the range or field.  It's just as important to lube your rail and inspect your string and serving for any wear.

I also like to check all my bolts after every few trips just to make sure everything stays tight.  And when it comes to important gear like the BMF Trigger activator , rope cocker etc. remember, two is one and one is none in the field, keep an extra in your backpack.

Shooting 2'' High

I went to the archery range yesterday evening and was surprised to see my crossbow was shooting 2'' high all of a sudden...

It was shooting great the last time out so maybe it was me.  I know I will be back at Falcon Archers and get it dialed in before doe season this September.

I was on a little bit of a slope so I was fighting gravity and my brace that holds the crossbow was a little unsteady... that may have added to the issue.

My brother is going to make me a small ramp from three 2 x 4's glued together.  This mini ramp will be 12'' long and allow me to drive one wheelchair tire up as needed, to level out while hunting in a ground blind this year.

something like this

Being level makes a huge difference when you have no trunk control, gravity sucks!

Crossbow Hunting Checklist

This is my generalized crossbow hunting list.  It changes by a few item's depending on where I hunt and for what...

1.      Bolts

2.      Brace for wheelchair

3.      Broadhead’s

4.      Cocking rope or crank

5.      Crossbow…duh

6.      Drag rope

7.      First aid kit  

8.      Flashlight

9.      Gloves, wet ones, zip ties, zip lock baggies

10.   GPS

11.   Ground blind

12.   Head net

13.   Knife

14.   License

15.   Lighter

16.   Range finder

17.   Scent eliminator

18.   String wax, rail lube

19.   Trigger activator

20.   Water bottle

Caldwell Deadshot Fieldpod Follow-Up

I was out shooting with my friend Ricky from Wild Jaeger.com and he came up with a few ideas on modifying my Caldwell Deadshot Fieldpod even further.

He suggested trimming the front Y down a half inch on each side so the cable or string does not come into contact with the brace, affecting the aim point.

Ricky also told me to drill a small hole into the center of the Y, this would allow the crossbow sling nipple to sit firmly and flush on the Y.  This ensures the crossbow is always in the same spot on the brace.  The crossbow sits solid in the cradle now, no rocking from side to side.

I think these two improvements will pay off big in my accuracy at the range and in the field !

Trophy Ridge Slick Tips

When I was shooting on Saturday I was using 100 grain field points from Trophy Ridge, called Slick Tips .  They claim to be easier to remove from a target.  After using them for over 20 shots, I can say they do seem to be easier to pull out.  I am no expert because I can't physically do it myself and I would not want to say by what percentage they improve the shooting experience, but I will be shooting them the rest of the year.

What field tips are you using with your crossbow?  Last year I had a lot of trouble pulling my bolts from 3 D targets.  I think I found a winner in these.

Breakout the Crossbow

Today I had the chance to dust off my Parker Buck Buster 175 crossbow and put some bolts down range and on target.

I started the day shooting a tight three shot group at 20 yards, I was shooting about four inches low.  After a quick scope adjustment (20 clicks up), I was on target.  Then I was good at 30, 40 and 50 yards.

Going to the range and shooting my crossbow is the best Saturday I could ask for.  The best part is I get to practice until September before hopefully getting a whitetail in my sights!

Rage Chisel Tip

Rage just came out with a new chisel tip broadhead.  I am a big Rage fan and will be using them again this fall. The Rage Chisel Tip is available in three versions. The 2-blade Rage Chisel Tip has a 2-inch cutting diameter and is available in both 100- and 125-grain weights. The 100-grain 3-blade has a 1.5-inch cutting diameter. What is your broadhead of choice ?

Help Fund Kyle's Hunt

Kyle Stolarz is a 10 year old little boy who lives in NJ and is currently in the 5th grade. When Kyle was born his umbilical cord had strangled him causing multiple bleeds in his brain which in turn made him suffer a stroke. When Kyle was delivered he was having a seizure and barely breathing. His parents were told to not expect him to live thru the night. Kyle was transferred to the NICU where he stayed for two weeks. He was sent home with a diagnosis of seizures, apnea and cerebral palsy. His mom and dad were told they did not know what other problems Kyle would have as he got older as he suffered a lot of brain damage.

Thru the years Kyle's seizures remained uncontrolled and almost took his life on more than one occasion. Kyle has had to overcome many hurdles in his young life. He did not walk until he was two and did not really start speaking until he was about 7 years old.

In 2010 Kyle's seizures got worse and he was having them on a weekly basis. His seizures tend to last a very long time (45 mins to an hour-the longest lasting 7 hours). He was on so many medications that he could barely walk or even feed himself. He spent most of the school day sleeping at this desk or on the floor. What speech he had gained he was now losing and any memory he had was also fading very fast. His neurologist at CHOP asked that we bring Kyle in to have him evaluated for brain surgery. So in June '10 we headed to CHOP for a week and took Kyle off his medications to capture seizures in the hopes of removing that part of his brain that was causing the issues.

While we were there something happened that we did not expect. While off of all his medications Kyle only had one seizure!! This was a shock to everyone. So after a week we were sent home on one medication and told we would probably have to add on more. Kyle had a few small seizures with his last being in Sept 2010. Kyle has not had a seizure in over a year on just one medication!! This to us is truly amazing but we still do worry about them coming back. Once Kyle came off of all meds it was like he was reborn experiencing life for the first time. He could walk again, feed himself and was able to stay awake all day! Kyle has worked very hard to regain all that he has lost. Due to his brain damage learning is much harder for Kyle but he try’s his hardest.

Today Kyle is happy, healthy and awaiting the arrival of his new sibling which may share a birthday with him. Kyle's current diagnosis is Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy and Mild Mental Retardation. Kyle is 10 in number but not mentally. His doctors have told us he may reach an age where he just stops learning. We will be sad when that happens but we still have our amazing Kyle who was not supposed to be here!!

Kyle's dad is an avid hunter and it is Kyle's dream to go hunting. He even has snow boots that are camo that he calls his "hunting boots". Kyle's dad would love to take him but it would be hard to watch both Kyle and Liam and feel he is keeping them both safe. I know when Kyle finds out he can hunt he will throw on his hunting boots and be ready to kill some deer (as he puts it!).

You can help fund Kyle's hunt by sending a donation to:

John R. MacCallum

847 Forest Avenue

Brown Mills NJ 08015

Nikki's Hunt

Three years ago this little girl was unable to play organized sports or ride a bike and was very limited in her activities, her balance was off. A few years ago she was struggling in school with her grades; today she is one “B” away from being a straight “A” student. A few years ago she could not concentrate and did not fit in.

Yesterday this very same girl took life by the horns and embraced the experience of a life time and fulfilled a dream she has had for over 5 years. She has been dreaming of going hunting.

Nikki is 10 years old and was diagnosed with epilepsy a few years back, before that people thought she just couldn’t concentrate and hoped she would grow out of it. Come to find out her “day dreaming” episodes were seizures. She would have between 30 and 60 seizures a day. They were not violent shakes but rather a stillness and gaze.

WILD Jaeger, Kodabow, J&J Custom Calls, Pitt Rehab, and many individuals gave donations to make her dream come true. John MacCallum of WILD Jaeger took Nikki on her first hunt. The hunts started right at John’s house with safety talks and target practice with Nikki. They would shoot 3D targets in his back yard practicing broadside shots, quartering away and quartering toward shots. She soon became very proficient with her Kodabow (100% American Made Crossbows) and her confidence was showing not just in the yard but in her actions everywhere. It was amazing to see this girl’s smile and her confidence soar.

When the hunt day came on Sunday we knew she was prepared. That morning it all came together, the pig came in to about 17 meters away and she said that was the animal she wanted. This was her first hunting trip ever. She set up her shooting sticks in preparation and set the Kodabow on top. She took her time, squeezed the trigger and followed through just as she practiced confidently. She placed the crossbow bolt exactly where it needed to be.

What a mountain this little girl has climbed. Thank you all for making this happen for her, you have no idea how happy and proud she is and her family. This has changed a little girl's life. People don’t realize how powerful a tool that hunting can be. Its not just about harvesting the animal, its much, much more...

Photograph and write up by John MacCallum

Tred Barta Bags 400lb Bear

Eagle County TV host bags a bear | VailDaily.com

Using his Action TrackChair and his long bow he was able to take a 400lb Black Bear in British Columbia.

My wheelchair will be here July 2nd, I can't wait to start exploring the outdoors again.  This Action TrackChair provides the Ultimate in mobility for everyone who loves the outdoors.

Bow Bash Dreams Become Reality

Here is a great opportunity to help individuals with disabilities and have a great day of family fun as well.  Come out to Rogersville PA to the Rogersville Park on Saturday, August 20, 2011 for the Dreams Become Reality , Bow Bash.

From Noon to 8 PM prizes will be drawn every 15 minutes.  A 3-D archery shoot with prizes as well !   Donation is $20.00 ,  come out for food and live entertainment to benefit individuals with disabilities.    Tickets can be purchased that day  or contact (724) 499-5535.

Matt Stutzman

newtondailynews.com | A foot above

Read a great article about Matt Stutzman making it on to the US Para Olympic Archery team. Oh yeah, Matt uses his feet....

Visit his Website