PURSUING THE WILD LIFE
  • Blog
    • Garage sale Gheenoe
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Some links of interest

Pursuing the Wild Life

Big Bend Archery Season Report 2016......lessons learned....so far.

10/10/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Ok, with only one doe down and one un-recovered hog so far, yes, the early part of archery season has not been very successful. In fact it's been challenging. The very hot weather, hurricanes, resulting high water, mosquitoes of biblical proportion, etc., have not helped. The good news, its the second week in October and the weather is starting to turn.

I'll get right to the lessons learned:
  • We focused too much scouting on one refuge where we only had a four day quota hunt. Yes, it paid off since we did kill the first deer there on opening day but we neglected other refuges / WMA's.
  • We didn't scout enough and had no cameras up in some of our favorite areas and refuges that have the most opportunity for hunts. So we are now hunting "blind".
  • We did not do a good job of locating "new" hunting areas.
What we will do NOW:
  • Keep hunting but also scout. After each hunt look for sign in your preferred hunt areas and/or go to some new ones. Don't bust any bedding areas but instead concentrate on travel corridors, pinch points and food sources. Fortunately, the rut hasn't started in a couple of our favorite refuges and WMA's so I think the best hunts are yet to come. 
  • Keep up with the acorns, persimmons, and other food sources as they come in.
  • Get cameras up ASAP.
  • If you are using fixed tree stands (we primarily hunt from our climbers), relocate the ones that have not been producing or have been compromised by shifting game patterns or hunting pressure. 
  • Do not expect that that last years patterns will work this year.
  • Work at it.....put that bag of chips down and get off the couch! Your dining room table should be covered with maps, your computer monitor with aerial images, your hunting vehicle and a significant portion of your home should be full of your gear (and yes, you should have already checked it all over and of course purchased the new gear you "need").....this is the time for extraordinary effort! There will be time AFTER hunting season to apologize to wives, girlfriends, children, etc.!!    
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Fishing
    Gear
    Hunting

    Archives

    January 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    August 2013

Repair notes:
  • This was a fast and relatively average to poor, bordering on redneck quality job.
  • All materials were purchased at Lowes and Home Depot.
  • Total time spent: a few hours.
  • Total cost: approx. $50.


Picture
 A marine grade filler was applied
Picture
Then sanding and multiple coats of cloth, resin and sanding
Picture
Picture
Then a final light sanding and spay can / palmetto paint job

The first trip we put in near Cedar Key and worked our way up a couple creeks that would have been inaccessible in a larger boat. We found 15 or more Redfish and a couple nice trout.
Gear used:
  • ​Old 1980’s Gheenoe, classic model purchased at a garage sale for $150.
  • Trailer assembled from parts
  • Yamaha 6 hp purchased new
First Impressions:
  • ​Gheenoe’s are excellent backwater boats. Their shallow draft, excellent stability and maneuvering are boats you can take just about anywhere in relatively protected waters. And you can pull, push or paddle them if needed.
  • The Yamaha 6 hp 4 stroke is a good balance between weight, portability, economy and power. The engine is not yet fully broken in, so it hasn’t been run a full throttle but I’m guessing it will move the loaded Gheenoe between 10 and 15 mph. The 6 hp is not a speed demon but seems fast enough and in the rocky backwater creeks, speed is the last thing you need. Easy to tilt up, shallow draft, and easy pull start are more important to me. As far as fuel economy goes, I don’t know how many hours I can expect from the 3 gal. remote tank because after a two or three hours running time the gauge hadn’t budged from full.
  • The ride of the Gheenoe is great in smooth water and fair in a chop. The boat and motor are sensitive to load distribution and the loads should be adjusted to be when heading into the wind and waves to keep the boat dry. I expected and did notice some hull cavitation when in rougher water. The hull could be strengthened in some areas but I doubt I will make many hull modifications.
Picture
Paul with a couple nice trout from the first trip
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Blog
    • Garage sale Gheenoe
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Some links of interest