Mon- Did a 4 mile run in about 35 minutes. felt pretty good after last week’s 12 miles.  Managed not to wipe out this time at least!

Tuesday- Ran with Scott from the Triathlon team.  It was a blustery evening at Schollenberger park.  We did the first 2 miles at an easy 10 minute mile pace, then ran along the river to the Sheraton and back and finished the loop again.  Total time 56 minutes for 6 miles.  Good run

Thursday - I left an open bar and steak barbeque to go do my track workout.  The highlight of the night was 10 reps of a minute sprint and 30 second recovery.   Of course we did the lunges, and butt kicks and grapevines with a mile warmup.  We finished the night with core-building excercises like planks and, pushups.  Needless to say, I had worked up my appetite by the time I got back to the barbeque! 

Saturday-  Had a great trail run at the Point Reyes National Seashore.  I was expecting a 14 mile day but was pleasantly surprised to get a slight reprieve.  We did 9 miles.  4.5 miles out to Arch Rock and back.  I lost track of time, but this year, I ran more than I did the year prior on the rolling hills.  The next day I noticed my ankles were sore for the first time.  I attributed that to uneaven trail. 

Weekly total 22 miles

Total to date 142 miles

9 weeks to Race Day….

Sunday morning I met up with my bowhunting buddy Cal for an opening weekend turkey hunt on a neighboring dairy ranch. We hiked up the ridgeline as the sun broke over the eastern horizon, and a 15 mph West wind bit any exposed skin at 38 degrees. From the ridge top we could hear turkeys gobbling down in the pasture at the bottom of the valley. We dropped down off the ridge under the cover of the oaks and set up behind a ditch with willows, along a 5 wire barbed wire fence. Before we could put out any decoys, a tom came off of the opposite ridge down into the open pasture, and we could hear other turkeys pitching down about a quarter mile up the valley.

We started in calling with slates to the lone gobbler. He put on a good show strutting and gobbling for 100 yards as he worked in towards Cal, 20 yards to my left. As he got his bow ready for the bird to step into a shooting lane one of the expectant dairy cows in the pasture took exception to the gobbler’s presence in the maternity pasture and charged at the turkey and chased him off to a patch of trees 65 yards from our position. While he was regaining his composure, I moved over next to Cal and resumed calling. A pair of hens came into the pasture and our tom did his best to impress the ladies, all the while avoiding any over-protective bovines. We called for about an hour and watched as the turkeys fed all around the pasture, no closer than 60 yards.

We were about ready to abandon our spot to chase distant gobbles when a couple of turkeys showed up on the opposite ridge and seemed to gobble with every step. Whether our tom thought he was out numbered, or liked the sound of our siren song, he strutted across the cow pasture, through the ditch and the barbwire fence. This put him at less than 20 yards as he stepped on the same cow trail we were sitting on. I pivoted on my knees and put an arrow through him at mid ships. While the first arrow was lethal, I finished the job with a second arrow to the head and he quit his flopping

We resumed calling, as the two jakes saw the expired bird on the hill side, and they came sprinting on the same path. Cal came to full draw and his arrow zipped through the bird like a knife through hot butter, less than five minutes after I’d arrowed my turkey. His companion sprinted off to the nearby trees, and seemed to hurl turkey insults at us as we loaded up our birds and hiked back up the ridge towards the truck.

This year’s success capped off a streak for us. For three years Cal and I have been hunting together with archery gear. Each time we have ventured out after turkey, we have each been successful, sometimes within seconds of each other. Perhaps it is because we know how each other will react in a given situation, and react accordingly. Our shared love of the challenge of bowhunting has molded us into a team. That is a connection I haven’t felt in any team sport, and I find it satisfying that in an individual pursuit resulted in a feeling of brotherhood that I hope the rest of the hunting community can relate to.

Here on the West Coast, the mecca of the outdoor field shooters is the oak covered hills of the Straight Arrow Bowhunters, in Redding California.  For three days in May, archers from all over North America gather to shoot 70 marked distance 3d targets, over 3 days.  It is known formally as the Western Classic Trail Shoot, but referred to as either “Redding” or “the trail shoot”.  After skipping last years event due to my marathon training schedule, I have made plans to attend in 2008.  This years event takes place May 1,2,3,4.  Thursday is a blind draw Pro-Am event. Follow this link to the web page  for the event.

In preparation for the event, I have created stencils to make orange dots to the same specifications as those found on the Raglin 3-D animals, as well as yardages marked out to 100 yards out at the hay barn.  It is my hope that with practice I can improve upon my 2006 score of 1393 out of 1540.  At the Cabin Fever warmup shoot earlier this month I shot an 848 out of 924 on 42 targets.  If I can keep that pace I should be able to break the 1400 mark. 

 With the help of my daughters I made up dots to correspond to the appropriate distances:

4yds to 15 yds - 4 cm.

15yds to 35 yds - 7 cm.

35yds to 45 yds - 10 cm.

45yd- 88 yds. - 13 cm.

101 yds - 20 cm.

Since 42 percent of the targets are between 30 and 50 yards, that is the distances I’ll spend the most time practicing.   But there is always a crowd gatherered at the 101 yd. Bigfoot target, and the 88 yard  elk scene.  Plenty of witnesses, so I’ll be sure to work on my long distance game as well.

Monday - Came home from work and shot with the girls.  Pretty soon it as dark. So I fixed dinner, (Burned the Burgers), and was pretty darn grouchy to every one around me.  Finally at 9:00 pm, I figured out why I was in a funk….I had skipped my run.  So I threw on my shoes, and stepped out the door at 9:05 pm , with my headlamp and reflective vest.  22 minutes, and 2.5 miles later I was huffing and puffing at the top of the hill on Walker road.  Felt a lot better too! 

So I turned around and flew down the hill cranking out what felt like a 7 minute mile down the grade.  Just before I hit mile 4, I neglected to pay attention to the uneven asphalt and turned my left ankle and knocked myself rolling.  After dusting myself off I was back into my rhythm, just glad it was dark and I didn’t have any witnesses. 

My 40 minute timer went off about 2 minutes before I hit the end of the driveway.  So I finished up with a time of 42 minutes for a 5 mile run.  As I walked into the house my wife raised an eyebrow when she saw the blood from the scraped knee but was kind enough to not say anything…I slept very well that night.

Tuesday - The ankle was defiately sore this morning, but seemed to loosen up as I walked on it throughout the day.  we will see how it holds up tonight.  A couple Ibuprofen should help.  I ran alone at Schollenberger for 2 miles, then stretched until, Scott from the Triathlon team showed up.  Ran another 2 miles with him and then finished up the last two miles by myself.  Solid 10 minute mile average for the whole period, with the last 4 miles in the 9 minute mile range.  Ankle held up well throughout the workout. 

Thursday our track workout was cancelled, so I took Erin to Novato to shoot her bow.  I expected her to shoot about 5 or 6 ends, then call it a day.  15 ends later, we had completed a Vegas 450.  She ended up with a 195.  My 423 with 8x’s was not my best day but I sure got a kick out of Erin shooting there with the guys from 18 meters. 

Saturday, I met up with Joel and Kristen at McNear Park for a 2 hour run.  Joel quickly out paced me, and I seemed to really struggle for my breath.  I must have walked 3 of the 12 miles.  My legs felt great on the hills but I just couldn’t get a rhythm and my breathing was pretty shallow and inefficient.  I chalked it up to a bad day and finished the run in 2 hours 15 minutes. 

Weekly total 22 miles

Total to date: 120 miles

As an update to the Story “A New World Record Black Bear?” .

From the Trinity Journal.
Although the black bear killed recently by a Weaverville hunter near Lewiston was trophy size, it was not a world or state record.
An official scorer for the Pope and Young Club measured the bear’s skull on Feb. 13 and found it to be 20 8/16 inches. That’s the skull’s width plus its length. The bear was killed by Frankie Manfredonia on Dec. 9, and the skull was measured after a two-month drying period.
The largest bear recorded by Pope and Young - which only keeps track of animals taken legally with a bow and arrow and without the use of dogs and other devices – was killed in Mendocino County in 1993. It scored 23 3/16 inches.
Manfredonia’s bear still scored high enough to go into the next Pope and Young record book. The minimum entry is 18 inches, which is considered a trophy bear.
Manfredonia’s girlfriend, Stefani Vance, noted that meat and sausage from the bear has gone into the refrigerators of several families.

I don’t know about you, but I tried to avoid my high school principal as much as possible.  You see, everytime I talked to him, I didn’t talk, I got talked to….If you know what I mean.  Maybe things would have been different if I had a principal like Mr. Cyr of the Powers, Oregon High school.  When he is not performing his administrative duties, Coaching basketball, or being a father to his infant daughter, Mr. Jody Cyr in the hills, and mountains.  When asked about spring sports, he replied ”Not coaching anything this spring, it’s shed hunting season.”

And from the looks of it , he is a darn good shed hunter. The Oregon Coast Range is a brushy place and it takes determination and perserverence to find one, let alone a dozen, fresh brown current year sheds.
Here is this years Haul….
Click on thumbnail to see full size…

An impressive Roosevelt Shed. Yes, That’s his office!

“I’ve been trying to figure out where a few specific bulls have been spending their winters..After hundreds of hours of hiking, I found one of their drops about 5 miles from where they spend time in the fall. I know their all bachelored up that time of year so I will be hiking like crazy looking for this match and a couple other giant sets…”

His shed hunting clues him into places to find deer and elk during the rifle and archery seasons as well. Remember those office photos? Here are his greatest hits from 2007, in thumbnail, clickable form…

When I asked him about future plans, he mentioned a trip to Hawaii with his family.  He was quick to add that he will be bringing his bow to squeeze in a few quick hunts between beach and hotel time!   

The Citizens Against Poaching hotline got a call December 30, 2007, about two individuals who had poached a deer north of Interstate 84 and east of U.S. Highway 93 in the Magic Valley.

The reporting party noted that the suspects were on blue all-terrain-vehicles and wearing camouflage. The season had been closed for nearly two weeks.

An Idaho Fish and Game conservation officer found a dead deer but little evidence of who may have shot the animal out-of-season. After talking to the witnesses and collecting the deer as evidence, investigators began looking elsewhere for clues.

As the officer was leaving the area, he spoke to several people and mentioned that “he was looking for two matching blue ATVs.” He asked them to “please write down a license plate and call the CAP hotline if they saw any similar vehicles in the area.”

The field contacts paid off. Later that night, a tip from another witness provided a license plate number. The information lead to a residence where officers found two blue ATVs parked on a trailer attached to a vehicle.

The investigation shifted into high gear and charges were filed against the two individuals for taking a deer during a closed season. When faced with the evidence, the poachers soon confessed to the crime.

From the observations of everyday hunters and outdoor enthusiasts, a closed season deer case with minimal evidence progressed. Many cases that Fish and Game officers investigate have witnesses, but the trick is letting the public know a crime has been committed and where to report their observations.

License plate numbers and vehicle description are important details that help identify suspects in poaching investigations. It is the simple things that outdoor recreationists see that are vital to solving wildlife crimes.

Anyone with information about a wildlife crime is encouraged to “Make the Call” to the Citizens Against Poaching hotline at 1-800-632-5999 or their local Fish and Game regional office.

Beginning archery hunters wanting to pursue game in Idaho this year are encouraged to register for an upcoming bow hunter education course offered in Lewiston.

“Don’t wait until summer,” said James Reed, Idaho Fish and Game hunter education coordinator. “Reserve your seat now, because these may be the last courses offered before bow season begins.”

One course will be offered from 6:30 to 10 p.m. March 28, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 29. A second course will be offered from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 12, and from 8 a.m. to noon April 13. Both will be at the Lewiston Fish and Game Office, 3316 16th Street.

Students can register online at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/education/hunter_ed, or by visiting the Department’s Lewiston office.

The course is a mix of classroom instruction and hands-on experiences that last about 12 to 16 hours. Subjects include equipment, hunting techniques, shot placement, recovery techniques, ethics, tree stand safety, outdoor preparedness and a written final exam.

All courses are taught by volunteer instructors, with most courses offered between January and April.

Back in December I put down some words about what archery meant to me, along with a hundred other dedicated archers from  Archerytalk.com .  Imagine my surprise when an email arrived and announced that those few words had won a Martin Leopard bow. The timing was perfect, as my oldest daughter had her tenth birthday last week.

After all the birthday excitement and an explanation about how she came into owning a new bow, we ventured out Monday night to shoot the new Midnight Blue Leopard from Martin Archery.

Now if you aren’t familiar with Martin Archery, I’d like to take a moment to acquaint you with them.   this 3rd generation family company has been manufacturing traditional and compound bows in Walla Walla, Washington for 57 years.  They manufacture such a wide array of bows that any archer, from greenhorn kid to seasoned pro, can find a model to fit them and their style of shooting from target, to hunting. Give them a look the next time you are in the market for a new bow.  You can check out their full line of bows at www.martinarchery.com

We chose a Martin Leopard with 40 pound limbs , in Midnight blue. Below I have included the description and specs.

The Leopard includes several features that are expressly designed
to fit the small-to-midsize archer. First, the riser’s frame is engineered to achieve maximum rigidity from the lightest amount
of material possible. Strong enough to withstand extra-heavy draw weights, it is amazingly light. Next, to obtain top performance in the draw length range of 21”-26”, we designed the Mini M-Pro Cam. A smaller version of our M-Pro Cam, this single-cam system is specifically designed for the Leopard, offering the smooth draw and speed not usually found with a simple ‘scaled-down’ cam system. With an overall length a compact 30”, the Leopard is well balanced and with a slim grip profile to enhance accuracy. This bow is not just made to fit, its made to perform.
Technical Specifications
Speed: 280 FPS (26”, 60#, 300 gr.)
Let-Off: 80% (optional 65%)
Draw Weights: 40#, 50#, 60#
Draw Lengths: 21”-26”
Brace Height: 6.5”
Weight: 3.7 lbs.
Axle Length: 30”
• New faster Mini M-Pro Cam with optional draw stop
• New target color Midnight Blue option

We outfitted it with a pin sight and NAP rest I had on hand, and turned the poundage down to 25#. Just right for her. The full assortment of Mods that Martin archery sent will grow with her throughout her growth as an archer.

My heartfelt thanks to the folks at Archery talk, and Martin Archery for their role in promoting archery. If you get a chance, take a look back at the heartfelt words every one wrote in the December to Remember contest.

http://75.126.80.18/vb/showthread.php?t=594385

Below are some photos from the “Maiden Voyage”

The Next Generation of Martin Girls, Literally!

Monday - Ran a shorter run this evening…only about 4 miles.  I cut out the hill which usually adds about 1 mile to my run.  Consequently, I was back to the house in about 35 minutes. 

Tuesday- I met up with another Team in Training member.  She was fighting the same chest congestion I had the week earlier.  After 2 miles she felt it was best to call it a night.  I did another 2 miles along the river and headed home to celebrate Erin’s birthday.

Thursday- Track consisted of the usual drill withthe highlights being 5 sets of intervals.  2 minutes at the faster pace and 2 minutes of recovery pace.  Including warm-ups and drills I covered about 4 miles.  I was happy that my average pace on the fast intervals was about a 6:30 mile for a  sustained 2 minutes.  On about my third interval I was able to knock out a 2 minute interval BELOW a 6 minute mile pace.  That is huge for me! 

 Saturday- We met at Analy High school and hasd a run time of 1:45.  I figured I could push myself to do a total of 11 miles that day for an under 10 minute mile pace.  Well according to Google earth the course was closer to 12 miles than 11, and I came in at 2 hours even.  (For the locals, the turn around was Stony Point road on the Joe Rogota Trail.)

Sunday, I felt good.  Helped Natalie feed hay, and did chores and shot my bow out to 70 yards.  I have yardages marked out to 100 yards in the barnyard.  I’ll be ready for Bigfoot at the Western Classic this year!

 Weekly total 23.84 miles

Total for the season 98.09 miles