RUDY'S HUNT VID & HIS #PUBLICLANDPAINS

Amigos, you may end up seeing more vlogs/vids of “failures” of attempts to have a hunt resulting in a kill, and containing what most would not share. IMO, I’m already successful being afield, enjoying the outdoors!! I have been using a hash tag I created, #PUBLICLANDPAINS, because it depicts some of the woes, challenges, adversities, and “hunt killers” (NO pun intended) we experience as public land hunters. If you’ve read some of my past blogs, I have referenced Public Land hunting multiple times. If you have seen some of my past “vlogs”/hunt vids, you have seen some funny, BUT frustrating #PUBLICLANDPAINS I’m talking about. Past comments on what I write and/or talk about have been very positive on Twitter – some with funnies, some angry on my behalf.

“I will never complain again of the challenges I face on our leases and private grounds…” “Man, I would watch of show like this – of all the things that happen to you on public lands…” “Alex, you have a great attitude after all the b@!!$#:+ you go through…” are some of those comments. Thank goodness I have not filmed the Horse backriders, trappers, bird & waterfoul hunters, trail walkers, drunky monkies, illegal four-wheeling, and let me not forget, anti’s I’ve dealt with!! hahaha  God Bless the Outdoors!

Check out the following vid, where you will see HFA member, Rudy, going after his first whitetail with a bow. Check his encounters - no kill, but hey, his no pro, cameraman is no pro, they are HuntingFreakz! After all, if you want to see a kill or pro's, you are in the wrong place! This is a place for average ppl like Rudy and yours truly. With that said – GREAT JOB , Rudy S., and what a pleasure it was to enjoy the outdoors on your hunt! Keep your eyes open as you watch the vid, because I post a few tips learned the hard way. Rudy also experienced one #PUBLICLANDPAINS issue: He did run into a bird hunter, but unfortunately, the “camera man” didn’t have the camera on “ON”. I had to let his hunt be as it was meant to be – REAL & NATURAL! I just had a camera with me.  Enjoy!!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH RUDY’S HUNT

Another Public Land "ENCOUNTER"

Put together this quick short vid for your entertainment of what really happens to ME. Public land hunting is tough, but I'd like to share what is not usually shared nor what is very popular...., because no kills are recorded. These are events that would be usually get cut on a hunting show. NOT ME. Armed with a small camera, amateur filming skills, BUT WITH TONS OF PASSION - I want to tell my stories. I edit my hunts with my real expensive program - my free "windows movie maker", bwahahahaha!!!

Enjoy the following clip of another encounter I had. I was 40 yards from having an opportunity for some backstraps. The doe was at 70 yards, and I will shut up so you may see this vid of some #PUBLICLANDSPAINS! Enjoy!

Another Public Land "ENCOUNTER". This one happened on my second hunt following the one below. CLICK HERE TO WATCH



And IN CASE U MISSED IT - MY FIRST "encounter" (CLICK HERE)

MY 2012 Bowhunting Opening Weekend

Well, season is here. MO bowhunters, if like me, probably did not get much sleep. All the tips, all the advice, training, fine tuning equipment – down to scouting, preparation of hunting spots ready to be tested. Oh, how about food plots, application for tags and /or managed hunts? Did I forget to mention work and family “brownie” points’ grueling process? Haha. Food plots and managed hunts don’t apply to me because once again, I failed to secure hunting land, don’t own hunting paradise, and did not get drawn for an exclusive managed hunt. However – the adventure has begun and dared not to stop for me…, let the show begin - “ lights, camera, action!”

We have lots of catching up to do with the likes of fellow tweep and blogger – Rob Freyer, @BigBuckPW (click here to read his blog). He has set a high standard for all, particularly his success stemming from hard work and passion in pursuing the ever-so-mystical whitetail.

PUBLIC LAND PAINS

Opening weekend for me was not as expected. I’d planned to film a fellow tweep and good friend on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, he got called to work. That left me with little time to prepare my own gear, buy my tags, and choose where I was going to hunt.

DAY 1: I chose an area I know doesn’t get too crowded, and quite frankly, I’d be tickled pink if I, at minimum, got to see a deer. I arrived, went thru my scent ritual, set-up quietly, etc. Awesome morning, perfect wind. Saw a couple of does, fawns, and a small buck, but too early for camera. Nevertheless, a phenomenal morning. At what I consider “prime time”, the action took a turn:

I heard some twigs break, leaves rustling - the sound that makes experienced hunters’ heart skip a beat. Bow in hand, I positioned the camera to capture the shot I was going to put on “it”. Then, with my release on the loop, ready to draw – “it” STARTS WHISTLING! Whistling, I tell you. “It” was another hunter I know had to have walked a significant distance, loud, and carelessly – HUNT OVER! He stood on top of a levy, private side, whistling, and getting “tore up” by mosquitos. I recorded him on and off for what seemed 15 minutes. When I had enough, laughed a bit, and scared the shit out of him. I yelled at him that he was officially trespassing; he apologized and went his way. I wished I’d recorded that, too.

All was good. After all, I got to see wildlife and was, at one point, ready to draw my bow. I later shared the story with social media friends, and this is some of the stuff that made me laugh so much: Rudy “b” said – “Alex, you must have spent $10 on scent spray, walked in without shoes, and probably even camo painted your face as serious as you are”. He did have the camo part right. Another funny (and my favorite) was from @k_ruck83. She wrote – “did u tell him to shut up? Lol. He must never hunt. Tell him when Andy Griffith walked thru the woods whistling, THEY WERE GOING FISHING!!!” My response – LMAO!

(TO SEE A CLIP OF THE “HUNTER”, CLICK HERE)

Fun, ups & downs, excitement, laughter, sunrise & sunset, in touch with myself and nature – can’t ask for more. A kill would’ve been a bonus. (ON A SAD NOTE: I took a scouting trip to IL and found a dead buck. Respectable in size, disappointing in the way his life ended – possibly EHD or "blue tongue".

Day 2: Well, the hunter I was to film wanted to meet at 3:30. I said 4:00. He said deal. I arrived at 3:45 a.m., texted him at 3:50 a.m., called him at 4:04 a.m., I went back home at 4:50 a.m. I lost a hunt, or better yet, I lost an opportunity to wake up with my family. All along, he meant P.M., oops, a slight misunderstanding.

A lost hunting opportunity was not lost in vain - I spent an awesome day with my son Marko (favorite time, by the way). Ate a fantastic breakfast with the family, and even heard good news from my friends in Kansas that big bucks are being spotted.

Last but not least, how can I forget what day it was: 16 de Septiembre, or Mexican Independence Day. Can’t deny English is my second language, and that the beautiful USA welcomed this country boy from Chihuahua, Chihuahua, MX. Good thing is, white, black, and brown, even some Asian were partying and paying their respects to the celebration. Look at it this way, ANOTHER REASON for the melting pot TO PARTY, lol!

The season has just commenced. Illinois is next, then off to Kansas, then back to IL. Happy and safe hunting to all, and may your adventures become lifetime memories. God bless!

Everyday Wildlife Encounters Remind Us How Far We've Come | Missouri Department of Conservation

Everyday Wildlife Encounters Remind Us How Far We've Come | Missouri Department of Conservation

SECOND REVIEW: NAP's KILLZONE broadhead

FIRST AND FOREMOST: I AM A BOTTOMLINE BELIEVER IN SHOT PLACEMENT! A SHOT WELL PLACED IN THE KILLZONE (no pun intended) with ANY BROADHEAD WILL KILL ITS TARGET! WE ALL KNOW NOT ALL SHOTS ARE PERFECT AND NOT ALL BROADHEADS PROVIDE A QUALITY BLOOD TRAIL FOR THAT IMPERFECT SHOT.

I’ve been searching for a mechanical broadhead that gives me confidence when I walk afield: larger cutting diameter, great performance, and reliability. I’ve tried ONE, before! It made me sick how much I had to “baby sit” it. Pre-deployment, dry rot o-rings/band failure, hard to replace blades, NOISY while in quiver…, ugh! Did I kill game with it? Yes, but I may have killed more!

I currently shoot a fixed blade broadhead -no moving parts, less chances for failure. With a fixed blade broadhead, the only way I will fail, IMO, is due to shooter error and lack of woodsmanship and archery skills (bow tuning, broadhead alignment, fletching, etc.) This is not a post to “educate” you on broadhead selection or tips on tuning your bow, but to give a humble opinion.

The following is my SECOND IMPRESSION on NAP’s KILLZONE broadhead – and to be honest, there will be no THIRD REVIEW – NOT ON A LIVE ANIMAL:

My “FIRST IMPRESSIONS” on KILLZONE broadhead were great. I will spare repeating myself, but quick recap: I was impressed with their options on tips – chisel OR cut-on-contact. Their potential 2” cutting diameter is enough to impress anyone. Now the other “stuff”…….

I wrote about how impressed I was with how quiet they are, no o-rings or rubber-bands. Well here is the result from me shooting the broadhead on a new Block Target. DISAPPOINTED! The broadheads out of the pack flew true with any shaft I used. The reason they ARE SO QUIET, DON’T NEED O-RINGS OR RUBBER-BANDS, AND DON’T PRE-DEPLOY EASILY? – the broadheads' blade retention/locking mechanism is too tight. Too tight for comfort. On their video, they say it leaves a special mark to show they indeed deployed. The video was very specific. Not one broadhead had “that” mark after I shot them multiple times. In addition, the 2” cutting diameter shown on the same video was not present after 12 well placed shots on my target. The actual cutting diameter going in was ½” up to 1 at best. Will it kill a deer if shot is well placed? YES IT WILL! But that’s not the point here. It did not perform as advertised – that’s the point. I will not take these broadheads to the field and test on a live animal!
The NAP’s KILLZONE left much to be desired. I hope they improve on the blade retention/locking mechanism to where it isn’t TOO tight. Mechanical, equals moving parts, equal increased chance for “murphy’s law” to play a role!! In the meantime, I will stick with my ole trusted and proven fixed broadheads. Mark, from SoleAdventure.com, did a test on the Solid Broadhead. Fixed, flew true, and performed as advertised. Sorry mechanical broadheads, IMO, because it’s 10% shooting and 90% mental, I can’t be uncomfortable, unsure, low on confidence, and worried about my broadheads when I am afield.

HuntingFreakzAdventures.com is not affiliated with NAP. This is an independent opinion/review.