Take a look at this short clip on the fatal damage caused by the Shuttle T-Lock broadhead. It’s pretty bloody and graphic, but a good testimony of just how deadly the Shuttle-T heads are on big game.
Check ‘em out at Trophytaker.com
Archive for October, 2011
Trophy Taker Shuttle T-Lock Broadhead Damage
Monday, October 31st, 2011Dave’s Doe
Sunday, October 30th, 2011Cold temps this morning that are finally
dippin’ in to the upper 20′s. It’s a great time to be in the woods! Big Dave dropped the string this morning on a doe that cruised by a little too close. Congrats Big Dave!
I think it’s safe to say, we are officially in the pre-rut! Exciting deer days are ahead!
Aidan’s Birthday Deer
Thursday, October 27th, 2011When my little boy, Aidan, turned 3 we started a tradition of doing a hunting trip on the morning of his birthday. He’s ridden shotgun with me on mountain roads, held on tight as he was stuffed down in my backpack, and stumbled across all kinds of terrain. However, this year was truly his first to get serious about us actually killing a critter. Several weeks ago he videoed me shoot a doe from the Double Bull blind and he’s had hunting on the brain ever since. Yesterday (Oct. 26) was his 6th birthday. So we hopped back in the blind in a new spot I haven’t hunted all year. Shortly after daybreak, before the sun ever began to shine, we had several does stroll right past our blind. Aidan watched on as I dropped the string on the big lead doe at just 12 yards. After a short scamper down the hill, she was done. And the smile that quickly spread across Aidan’s face was priceless! I absolutely love it!!! To watch my little man discovering a passion for the game is about as cool as it gets!
Don’t ever get so caught up in the thrill of the chase that you neglect to help introduce a child to hunting. It will absolutely change a life! 
Renee’s Bull
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011Our friend and Black Gold “boss”, Renee Ladeau, checks in with us on her buzzer-beater bull. Renee is one of the coolest gals you’ll ever meet in the archery industry and she continues to get the job done each year on big bucks and bulls with her bow. Congrats on another great bull Renee…and thanks so much for all you and the Black Gold crew do for us.
Here’s Renee’s story…
I got my bull after 6 days of hunting and on the last day of archery season, buzzer beater for sure! We hiked back into a spot 3.5 miles before day break, one we had tried earlier in the hunt and had seen some activity. We were rewarded with a couple of bugles and some dark shapes in the distance. Once it got light enough to see we spotted a lone bull out in front of us and a larger group off to our right. After giving a test cow call, the bull out in front of us started moving our direction! I got set up and was ready to go, but he hung up about 200 yards out and would just not come any closer. We kept an eye on him as he moved off and we started to make a plan for the other group. We hiked in on them but were not able to put an effective stalk on them to get close enough. We hiked back to our morning spotting place and worked on a plan 
of action. We had already hiked over six miles, and it was getting to be later in the morning, but I was really motivated to try to make something happen. So we headed off in the direction the lone elk had headed earlier in the morning. At about mile 9.7 we found ourselves on the timber ridge that was our best guess as to where the bull had gone. We sat and gave a quick cow call and just waited. After 5 min we were thinking about a snack break, when all of a sudden I saw horns through the timber at about 50 yards. He came in so quickly and quietly I was caught a bit by surprise. I still had my pack on and my bow in my hand, so I quickly knocked an arrow and my buddy stopped the bull with a mew. Unfortunately he stopped behind a tree and although I was at full draw I had no shot. Thankfully he circled back around to the direction he had come from and we were able to get him stopped again, this time in the open. I had already let down and come back up to full draw again and was ready to let the arrow fly! It is such an exciting feeling to hear the arrow hit and to see blood! It was a fun tracking job and a long but satisfying pack out. I feel blessed that I was able to harvest this animal so late in the season and for the good friends that made it possible.
Be sure to see all the gear that Renee uses at http://blackgoldsights.com and http://tightspotquiver.com
Early Season Part 2 Web Show Now Live
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011Part 2 of “The Early Season” Web Show is now live 
right here at the website. Join the RBTV crew for deer and elk hunts in Montana.
Check it out at the ”Watch Now” page or by clicking on the link below.
Vocal Bucks
Sunday, October 23rd, 2011Yesterday was the opener for Montana’s 
General Hunting Season. I had originally planned to go out in search of an elk for the weekend, but my wife talked me in to chasin’ deer close to home instead. Our freezer went out this past week and we lost everything. My deer from earlier hunts this season, as well as a nice supply of other meats and goods were all gone. It was a sad day. So Amanda gave specific instructions to “go kill some stuff.” Odds were much more likely that I could get the job done on punchin’ more doe tags so I headed down to the river bottom to see what was happening there. And I really wanted to see if we had broken through the October lull, and monitor any buck activity.
I was glad to see that things do appear to be sliding toward the prerut. Before the sun ever began to shine I had several very vocal bucks cruisin’ through the river bottom. One buck walked by about 40 yards out, but still needing a few 
years to grow, he got a free pass. It was great to hear the first grunts of the year. That always seems to turn the excitement level up a notch for what’s to come in the weeks ahead.
Late in the morning, about the time I was thinking of climbing down from my stand, I had a couple does come down the edge of the ditch I was set up on. My wife’s words, “Go kill a deer!” were all I could think of, so at 26 yards I bleated to stop the lead doe and let an arrow fly. My arrow smacked home and she ran just 50 yards. Gruntin’ bucks, cool temps, fall colors, and a doe for the freezer…it was pretty much a perfect morning!
S4Gear LockDown
Saturday, October 22nd, 2011S4Gear is proud to announce that the LockDown Optics
Deployment System has earned the award for Best Binocular Accessory of 2011 from BestBinocularReviews.com.
The LockDown, recognized as having superior quality and an innovative, comfortable design, is an optics deployment system that offers low-profile lens protection for storage while simultaneously providing a secure tethering system for binoculars while in use.
“It’s an honor to have the LockDown named as the best binocular accessory,” stated S4Gear’s VP of Sales & Marketing, Jerid Strasheim, “We’re really proud of the product and are blessed to have it so well received in the market.”
The patent pending LockDown is available in a grey/black combo or black/Realtree AP combo and has two sizes to accommodate optics ranging in height from 4” to 7.5”. For more information, to place an order or find a local retailer, visit http://s4gear.com
CameraBoy Aidan’s First Deer
Thursday, October 20th, 2011I recently had one of the coolest hunts of my
hunting career to date. I absolutely love to hunt with my kids. Over the years we’ve had some fun hunts…and spooked lots of critters. I took my little girl, Avery, and my son, Aidan out a few weeks ago to work on the deer in the orchard. On this hunt, we had deer at 25 yards but the shot just never came. Both kids had the opportunity to tag-team on runnin’ the video camera, and they loved it! It was a great time for the kids to watch deer up close and 
personal. One week later, I took Aidan back to the blind with me. It was man-time…just us boys. Just 30 minutes after climbing into the Double Bull we had deer stand up out of their beds 200 yards out in the hay field. They wasted no time in making their way to the apple orchard. Aidan absolutely loves playin’ cameraboy so I stuck the tripod in front of him and told him to stay on the deer. He’s only 5 years old, but he’s quickly learning to keep a deer in the frame…sort of. Moments later we had a pile of deer crossing the fence in front of us and slipping in to feed in the orchard. Aidan has obviously watched too much Outdoor Channel as he was constantly whispering to me, “I’ve got ‘em…kill ‘em!” After making sure that Aidan was still recording, I came to full draw on the biggest doe in the bunch. Just before dropping the string, the deer scooted a few steps forward as she heard our commotion from the blind. Aidan stayed with her as she began to move past the blind. When she slowed to a stop my little man said, “Shoot it!” So I did. She ran just 50 yards and tipped over. Needless to say, Aidan was jacked! He couldn’t believe it. He was so pumped up. It was his first on-camera kill to capture on video. And for a 5 year old boy, I’d say he did pretty good. It was a proud moment for both of us. Right before my eyes my little boy was becoming a man. It was a hunt I’ll truly never forget. I can only imagine what it’ll be like to watch him kill that first deer of his own.
Watch for this hunt coming soon right here at RBTV.
Spot-n-Stalk Whiteys
Monday, October 17th, 2011With bucks layin’ low at this point of the season, 
several of our guys continue to take advantage of the ample amount of does hangin’ out in the river bottoms of western Montana.
Jim Neaves climbed down from his treestand after a slow morning sit the other day and walked into a number of deer heading his way. He quickly went into spot-n-stalk mode and closed the distance on the deer. Jim slipped into position for a close encounter with the herd as they moved through the woods. The shot was close and Jim made good on the biggest doe in the bunch.
Heath Helgert also got in on the doe killin’ action when he slipped away from his desk for a quick afternoon hunt the other day. Heath’s doe management mission was short lived as he stumbled across several does right from the start. Heath worked to within 40 yards and let the arrow fly on a doe that didn’t have a clue he was in the world.
Does will continue to die as we await the arrival of the pre-rut and for buck activity to pick back up.
Exciting days are ahead!
Be sure to check back here often for all the latest.
Messin’ With Moose
Sunday, October 16th, 2011
It’s been a tough elk season so far this year, to say the least. However, there’s been no shortage of moose sightings at about every place I’ve hunted. Whether hunting for whitetail deer in the river bottoms, or elk in the high-country, I’ve bumped into half a dozen moose over the last few weeks. On two consecutive hunts I’ve seen two of the biggest Montana bull moose I’ve come across yet. They were both layin’ low and seemingly care free. Last month, however, I came across a number of moose that were feeling the effects of the rut. On one hunt, after bustin’ through some brush, I came into an opening in the timber and face to face with a cow moose at 25 yards…and her calf at just 15 yards! She held her ground
as I scrambled for my camera to snap a few photos. I never cease to be amazed at how big and intimidating a mature moose can be.
Without a moose tag I can do nothing more than watch the show and enjoy the sights and sounds of the biggest beast in the woods…and hope to find elk, deer, or some other critter that I can actually punch my tag on.
