UPS makes a delivery

Texas broadheads have arrived.  Nothing more need be said on this post.

Note the change to our blog header - Planning is underway!

Our blog is now titled Texas Hunt 2014!

After our highly successful trip last year Dave was given permission to schedule a hunt for 2014.  Following the old adage 'don't mess with success', the timing and venue are the same.  We fly out on Saturday, March 1 - destination Nixon, Texas.  We are heading back to the Cactus Creek Ranch with students, dads, Dave and Charlie.  There are a few repeat customers, but most of the participants will be hunting pig for their first time.  Big news this year is there is one female student signed up and hopefully we can add at least one more.

Dave is working with one of last year's sponsors/partners -Wac'Em Broadheads - to get us geared up.  A few of us have already ordered some sweet gear from a new partner, Dead Center Archery.  URLs for Wac'Em and Dead Center are provided below.  Their support is greatly appreciated!

 http://www.wacemarchery.com/

 http://www.deadcenterarchery.com/main/index.php

Planning is starting to accelerate - flights to book, trucks to rent, menus to plan.  Please check in occasionally as the blog will be updated with our progress. Pictures of Dave telephoning rental car companies won't wow! anyone (sorry Dave) but there is a practice day for the archers coming soon and we'll post pictures from that.

 

IBO World Championships

Short update on recent activities of some of the Texas Hunt participants.  The picture and post below were copied from the Proctor Academy website.



3D Archery coach Dave Kenney and rising sophomore Henry Johnstone (Hopkinton, NH) finished 20th and 24th in their age groups at the IBO World Championships last week. Read more! 

Andover resident and Proctor faculty member Dave Kenney began Proctor's 3D archery program four years ago, and has built the afternoon activity into an incredibly successful activity offered each spring. After all ten members of the team qualified in April for the International Bow Hunting Championships held August 7th-10th in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania, the team continued their success this spring by sweeping the podium at the first ever New Hampshire High School 3D Archery Championship held at the Proctor Ski Area. 

 

While not all of the qualifiers were able to compete at the IBO World Championships, Kenney and rising sophomore Henry Johnstone (Hopkinton, NH) made the trip to Pennsylvania to represent Proctor amongst the world's best archers. Both Kenney and Johnstone not only competed, but shot incredibly well as Kenney placed 20th in his age group and Johnstone shot a nearly perfect first round before finishing 24th in his age group. 

 

Congratulations to both Dave and Henry on their accomplishments this summer! 

Guiding Principles

We were very fortunate to have Mark Ballard as our Guide for our hunt.  Mark did a terrific job for us.  In his welcome and farewell remarks Mark reminded us of the the Hunter's Ethic, emphasizing our responsibility to the environment and to the animal being hunted. His farewell remarks included his observations on the changes he'd seen in us, as a group and as individuals, encouraging us to use the lessons we learned and the our experience in Texas to continue to enrich our lives back in Andover, NH and as we return to Proctor Academy for the spring semester.

We learned a bit about Mark during our stay.  We learned he is retired military, he is proud of Texas and he enjoys sharing his love of the outdoors and hunting with his clients.  Mark is the (I believe) co-founder of Freedom Isn't Free Veteran Hunt program..  The link to the organization's website is provided below.  I highly recommend a visit!

Freedom isn't Free Veterans Hunts

Much thanks and appreciation to Mark.  You helped make our Texas Hunt 2013 an experience we'll all remember for the rest of our lives.  

The Man with the Plan

Dave Kenney

How far we've come in four years!  Proctor Academy's Field & Stream activity began in 2009 with just a few students and some Genesis bows.  A good start, but those who know Dave know if he is in, he is all the way in.  Dave's passion for the outdoors and archery in particular--along with the endorsements of the students-- helped the program grow quickly.  He worked with local archery shops to outfit the students with their own equipment and began amassing an impressive collection of 3D targets for an on-campus range.

As the students became more skilled Dave signed them up for local 3D competitions.  In the summer of 2010 PA Field & Stream participated in the International Bowhunting Organization World Championships in Ellicottville, NY.  In the summer of 2011 the team traveled to Ellicottville for a second time.  A third IBO visit was not possible, but Dave did participate in the 2012 Vermont Triple Crown with an alum, a current student and a prospective PA student.

 At  the 2011 IBO World Championships the team discusses aquisitions for the campus range. 

We got the Gator!

In addition to the archery component, Field & Stream has participated in a number of service activities in the last four years, including helping the the spring trout stocking of local streams and assisting local Fish & Game Clubs with spring clean-ups.  Future plans include a focus on New Hampshire's Barry Conservation Camp.

Congratulations for a successful trip!  Thanks for all you do for the students of Proctor Academy.

Great Trip! - Richard

The trip was great.  A few of my sits didn't provide any opportunities, but by the end of the hunt I bagged a big one.  The pork was unreal, and I'm looking forward to some old fashioned Texas B-B-Q while I'm home on break, and the game dinner in the cafeteria when we return to school.
- Richard

Thanks for all the support!

Dave K. posted this as a comment to our first post.  I'm reprinting it here to reinforce how much we appreciate the sponsors and contributors that made this trip a possibility, and in the end a tremendous success.  Thanks again!

9 students, 3 Alumni, 3 dads, and me are headed to Texas for most, their very first bow hunt. With 16 people total this is a big trip, and I am thankful for all the support and help I have had from so many. Our sponsors for this trip include G-mac Archery, Morse Sporting Goods, Andover Fish and Game, Elkins Fish and Game, Pioneer Sportsman Club, Yeti coolers, Wac-em Broadheads, Proctor Academy and many more individuals who have given time or money to allow us to go. This is an incredible trip, and I am so pumped to be part of it!!

I'll add our thanks and appreciation to Bob and Vicki at the Cactus Creek Bowhunting Ranch in Nixon, TX, and to our guide, Mark Ballard.

Thanks for a great trip.

We're back home in NH.  Dave and the student-archers are enjoying the remainder of their break before Spring Term.  The dads and Charlie are, well, back to work.  I traveled back to Boston with Jay and Jake Hubbard, Kyle Corda, and Connor talking about what a great trip we'd had the whole way to the airport.  It was clear we returned from Texas with memories that will last a lifetime.  I can't say enough about the young men I shared the experience with. Thank you so much for your attitudes and your cooperation.  Helping to chaperon 10 high school students on a five day trip to Texas?  Is that how you want to spend a vacation was often the question asked before the trip.  Answer then, and even more confidently now -Yes, and  I can't wait to do it again.  

Thanks to Jay Hubbard, John Braley, and Dave Nolan.  It was a privilege to spend five days with you, and getting to watch what a powerful influence good men can be to their sons, and to their son's friends.  Thank you Charlie for all your help at the ranch.  It was great to see you again.  Same good man compliment certainly applies here.  Thanks to Mark Ballard who was our guide for our adventure.  What an awesome job you did for us, as a group and as individuals.

Dave K. took this photo on Monday evening when they came to get us after our last sit of the hunt.  This and our team photo are my favorite pictures from the trip.  I wasn't really sure how much I'd enjoy sitting in a hard plastic chair on a metal stand 10 feet in the air for three hours hoping a pig will come close enough for me to take a shot.  Turns out I enjoyed it a lot.  My final thanks is to Dave Kenney.  It was through his hard work I have an answer to that question.  And I know there are 10 young men back from Texas who now know a lot more about themselves too.

George Saunders

Last Day - Ready to leave

An amazing experience is nearing its end.  We had a bout of strong Texas wind as another memory to carry back to Procor.  The boys were awesome, the camp terrific, weather couldn't have been better.  We were fortunate to have Mark Ballard as our guide.  Two final pictures from Texas as we head to the airport.  More posts will follow from NH after we get home.

Many thanks to our host for our hunt!

Thanks to Mark (standing on Dave's right), the dads and to Charlie.  The boys have been in good hands!

Last Day

I got my first hog today.  I have been having a lot of fun this trip and have seen many different animals.  Today we tried a "spot and stalk" method and a few guys had some luck.  The first hog I jumped was laying in a cactus and I didn't see him until I was a few short feet away from him.  Later on I got the hang of the new way of hunting these hogs opposed to a tripod and by the end of the day I had harvested my first animal with a bow.
Henry