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Belvoir Bowhunters Newsletter
Issue 257
October 2015
The Next Club Meeting Is On
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Start time 6:30 pm
President’s Message
-by Greg Singleton
Learning to Bowhunt
October! It’s finally here! The month we bowhunters
dream about. Buck season is open, and the rut is not far
behind. The weather has noticeably cooled, and we’ve
finally gotten some needed rain, albeit a little more that
we bargained for. It looks like the buck opener will be a
bust unless you don’t mind hunting in a downpour.
Nonetheless, it’s October, so our best days of the
season are just ahead of us. I hope all of you find the
time to get out in the woods during this most special time
of year, when the leaves are turning and curing in the
autumn air, producing that wild aroma of a hardwoods
heaven on Earth. I love the smell of fall in Virginia.
Venturing out into the forest on a quest for a whitetail
deer seems fairly straightforward after completing the
hunter safety course and the International Bowhunter
Education Program course. You’ve got the basics: you
can shoot; you have good equipment, and you’re being
safe in the woods. All you need now is a big 10 pointer
to walk by and thwack! First deer in the freezer, right?
But on that first hunt, you don’t see a deer. You go
several more times, and the closest deer you see is
about 80 yards away. Then finally you have one that
appears to be coming in on a string, but something
happens, and the deer spooks, turns and runs, flagging
all the way out of sight. Is it luck, or is it you? Chances
are, there are still some things you could do to be a
better bowhunter.
Young or old, man or woman – there’s not a one of us
who professes to know all the answers when it comes to
bowhunting. I believe I can speak for all of us when I
say that even the most seasoned bowhunter still tries to
learn as much has he can every season. The whitetail
deer is the most sought after game species in America
for good reason. They have a tremendous collection of
defenses; they’re highly unpredictable; and they seem to
have a sixth sense when it comes to survival. No two
deer will behave the same under the same set of
circumstances. If you’re new to our sport, you might be
interested in how many of us got our start in bowhunting.
Some of us are lucky enough to have a hunting mentor –
someone who will walk you through the ropes and teach
you the finer points of scent control, how to keep your
blades razor sharp, what to take up in the stand with
you, and how to react when you see a deer approaching.
And when something goes wrong, you can tell him, and
he’ll help you figure out what you could have done
differently to get a different reaction from the deer.
Many of us however were not so lucky. My dad was a
big time deer hunter, but I grew up in South Carolina
where hunting using dogs was king. My dad took me
deer driving many times beginning when I was 4 or 5
years old. His favorite thing in the world was hearing the
dogs run, especially when they would “jump” the deer, a
special reaction the dogs have when they’ve reached the
deer’s bed and get all that fresh deer scent. He would
make reel-to-reel recordings of these hunts to play back
on a cold, rainy day. Suffice it to say bowhunting was
not his forte.
How does one learn the sport then? By reading, reading
and more reading. What prompted me to write this
article was the number of deer hunting magazines I have
at my house. There’s a wealth of information in those
pages, and I just can’t seem to part with them. Over the
years, I’ve learned a ton about deer behavior through the
eyes of the authors of some of the best whitetail hunting
stories I’ve ever heard. If you ask Kevin Van Dam, the
angler who’s won more Bass Anglers Sportsman Society
(B.A.S.S) tournaments than anyone else (20), he’ll tell
you he got his start from reading Bassmaster Magazine
and learning from the successes and failures of others,
printed in the pages of that monthly treasure trove of
information. If you want to take you game to the next
level, consider subscribing to a quality deer hunting
magazine or two and read it cover to cover. You’ll be
surprised at the amount of information you didn’t even
know you didn’t know.
we have watched Logan grow to become a phenomenal
archer and now a bow hunter. Congrats Logan.
Now on to pressing club business: Have you considered
serving on the Executive Board (EB) of the club? This
year’s EB nomination committee consists of Morgan
Fink, Keith Matheny and Ron Buzalsky. They are
charged with the task of finding 7 of you to serve on the
board next year. Granted it’s a lot of work, but it’s also
very rewarding, and the current board will be around to
make sure you get any help you need.
Last month, we finally broke the curse and doubled
down. Our exciting 2 day hunting event started with a
group of does and a monster buck playing peek-a-boo
with us on Saturday from 0530 until 1330. The hunt was
called off early due to the heavy rain and cold getting the
best of us.
Most of you probably didn’t know that Billy and I have
been bow hunting together for nearly 3 years and
although I have harvested numerous deer with a bow
alone; together our luck has been lacking.
Elections are just a short month away (the November
club meeting), and we need a full slate of EB members
to carry out the good work of the club next year. Please
let one of our nomination committee members know if
you’d like to volunteer to help out your club next year.
Have fun out there,
Greg
Election Committee Contact Information
Morgan Fink
Ron Buzalsky
Keith Matheny
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
We began the next morning hunt with a fairly cool
temperature for a mid-September day, the winds were
from the North, and we decided to switch hunting stands.
We left the Ladder and Slayer stands empty; Billy took
the coyote stand and I took the sniper stand. By 0700
the deer came out in full force and it looked like the deer
read the hunting script. The bucks seamed exceptionally
bold, it was almost as if they had taken a page from the
VDGIF rules for opening and closed buck seasons.
They bucks pranced around torturing us by presenting
multiple broadside and quartering away shots. Most of
us know that during the regular archery season these
bucks will be nowhere to be found.
Vice President’s Report
by Bakari Dale
If you will, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank those
of you who have contributed so much to keep the club
running smoothly. For all of you that came out to help set
up and run the Indoor and 3D tournaments this past
season; thank you. Your efforts continue to make our
club one of the best in the state and we look forward to
another great year of archery competitions.
At about 8:00am Billy sent me an explicit text message,
“where are does?” Trying to be as stealthy as possible I
returned the text to him while the deer were under my
stand. I sent him a string of one word text “here”,
“sniper”, “now”, “5”, “does”, “slayer”. With the bucks still
hanging around the does were sort of skiddish. I let the
does pass by to head towards Billy. As soon as he drew
on a medium doe she busted him and jumped about 10
yards out of the way. It gets better, in less than 3
minutes later the biggest doe from the group jumped
From the field; let’s give a big “HOOYAH” to Billy
Robbett and Logan Weller for harvesting their first deer
with a bow this season. Both guys put in the time and
hard work to harvest 2 nice sized does. Over the years
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right in front of his stand.
At 8:15 I heard Billy’s Matthew No Cam bow release an
arrow along with that visceral sound of a sack rupturing.
I knew the doe was fatally hit and then came the crash.
The deer in the area were still looking confused and only
a few of them ran off so I texted him, “don’t move we can
probably double down”.
At about 8:25 I immediately drew on a button that was
15 yards from me. My Rage broad head instantly put it
down less than 10 yards from my stand. We met at the
coyote stand a few minutes later and I knew Billy had
“deer fever”, he had a grin from ear to ear, his skin was
flush and he was still shaking. Billy’s first words to me
were, “I could not get my pin to settle, I’m still shaking
and I think my shot was a little back”. We gave each
other a hunter’s embrace then I told him, “I heard her
fall; you are good, we will find her.” After less than a 5
minute track job we found her. Good hunt buddy.
FORM & FUR
Speaking from experience and to piggy back off of last
month’s article; to be a competitive archer we must
continuously practice until our form becomes second
nature. This statement also remains true during the
hunting season. To maintain or improve your lethalness
as a bow hunter given the right equipment you have to
essentially overcome your nerves i.e. buck fever and
maintain your form. That is a tough task and I am still
working on it. During the hunting season this is the time
where Form equals Fur; most bow hunters make the
mistake of shutting down their regular practice when the
season starts. I recommend that throughout the season
continue to practice to remain sharp and lethal when you
need it.
In closing I would like to make two points about form and
hunting situations which are footing and floating. In
hunting you will need to modify your form based on the
terrain. Your footing may significantly throw you off your
shot, for example, shooting from your knees, a steep
tree stand or from side hill shots. Since normally you
would not be shooting on flat ground, you will need to
simulate these hunting situations to figure out how to
adapt and shoot properly for consistent lethality. I also
recommend 3D archery to help simulate your situation.
Lastly, while hunting and during tournaments remember
your basics when executing the shot. Proper form
requires erect posture with your head directly over your
spine. Improper form will cause your sight picture to
shake, and it will induce torque in your shot. We have all
heard the old saying “aim small, miss small”. Learn to
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replaced in January. Jim won’t be on the board next
year as his two years expires. The by-laws require an
audit of the books each year or whenever there is a
change of Secretary Treasurer.
maintain a sharp focus on the spot you want to hit. Many
feel that the pin should settle rock-steady on the spot
they want to hit a target or to harvest a deer. This is
where target panic or buck fever gets out of control. If
you are releasing the shot correctly and surprised when
it goes off, you should be in the ball park. Just let the pin
float around and over the spot but “pick a spot on the
animal”. When the surprise release goes off, you will be
amazed by how close the arrow is to the vital organ
area.
Sergeant at Arms, Jerry Mishonski, was not present
but a thank you was given to TDK for providing the
venison curry at tonight’s meeting.
VBA Representative, Kevin Brown, announced that
the VBA scheduling conference is coming up. VBA is
celebrating its 75th anniversary. Coffee cups are for
sale to anyone who wants one. Contact Kevin off site to
purchase. There will be a raffle for a custom arm guard
to take place at the VBA banquet. Tickets are $5 per or
5 for $20. The State Shoot bids are taking place. There
are four bidders for the indoor regionals. Sherwood and
NORVA bid on the field archery open trial. NORVA was
the preferred location as voted by the membership
present. Field archery closed trial was voted to be at
Two Rivers. The spring 3D will be at Bowhunters of
Rockingham, the fall 3D will be at NORVA, and the
membership voted NO on the new shooting category
being created for shooting a recurve with a release.
Good luck and be safe out there hunting this season.
Secretary/Treasurer’s Report
-by Jim Zolinski
Meeting Minutes for September meeting.
John Cooper provided a terrific presentation on his latest
trip to Africa with his father. Great slide show and
videos!!
Meeting was called to order at 1830. President, Greg
Singleton, inquired about first time members and visitors.
There were two, but the names were not provided.
Old Business –
A motion was made and seconded to change the venue
for the Wild Game Dinner (WGD) for next year, moving
from the Moose Lodge in Franconia to the Lions Club in
Manassas. Discussion indicated that the venue would
cost $850, had seating for 190-200 people, meaning
more room and there was also better parking. We would
bring in our own drinks, but that was looked upon
favorably since the cost of providing our own is
significantly cheaper. Vote was taken, the motion
carried.
Officers Reports –
Vice President, Bakari Dale, announced that the
ranges are now up to par, indoor and out. Special
thanks to Paul Vogel for all the extra effort he provided
to make sure the inspections were successful. The
inspection certifications are good for 5 years. Future
operations and budget should include range repair
expenses for the next few years.
Publicity Director, Greg Thompson, solicited pictures
and articles of recent hunting/fishing excursions taken by
members. Also, he put a shout out to the regular
sponsors of BBH events, reminding members who they
are and what they do for our organization. Patronizing
these establishments promotes goodwill and maintains
the great relationship the club has with them.
Contract negotiations with the Army Corps of Engineers
has been ongoing for two years. Turns out, this contract
isn’t really a contract, but a lease. Renewal was not part
of the original agreement. Language will be put in the
new agreement and Greg Singleton will brief the club on
the final agreement prior to signing. That may or may
not occur by December 2015. It is totally dependent on
the how fast the Corps of Engineers can turn the
document.
Activities Director, Larry Readal, was not present, but
a special thanks to Larry for all the hard work he and his
crew put into the activities this year.
New Business -
Secretary Treasurer, Jim Zolinski, announced we
have 147 current members on the roll, and the bank
balance is $9,644.39. Jim also pushed for the audit to
take place in a timely manner as this board will be
Elections are in November for the new board.
December is the transition meeting. Passdown book is
non-existent so we need to do our best to recreate that.
Ron Buzalsky, Keith Metheny and Morgan Fink are the
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Membership Committee seeking the new slate of
officers. Please contact any of them if you’re interested
in volunteering for any of the rewarding positions on the
board. It’s important work that keeps this club running
and relevant.
Relevant literature; 3 new cases of chronic waste
disease (CWD) have been found in road-kill in VA. The
new containment area previously limited to one county,
now encompasses Fredrick, Shenandoah, Warren, and
Clarke counties. Read up on transportation regulations
in and out of these counties for further details.
Treasurer's Report
for September 2015 follows:
Checking Account Balance $
as of August 31st, 2015 9,644.39
Income
We have 3 more meetings this year. What presentations
would you like to see? We have a few members coming
back from hunting out west so perhaps they will provide
some presentation for us?
Christmas Fund
We need an audit committee prior to the end of the year.
Think about volunteering for that.
H4H Benefit Income
For the Good of the Order- The installation is going to
rededicate the Jack Abbott Observation Pier over
Mulligan Pond.
Dues
Meeting Food Donations
See Greg’s email regarding mentorship and hunting at
Banshee Reeks.
Total Income
Lastly, Bakari got applause for the range repair efforts
he provided with Paul Vogel.
$
222.00
$
150.00
$
87.00
$
54.00
$
513.00
Expenses
Meeting adjourned at 1957.
September Meeting Food Expense
$
20.00
Total Expenses
$
20.00
Checking Account
Balance as of $
September 30th, 2015 10,137.39
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Activities Director Report
Sergeant at Arms Message
- Jerry Michonski
Thank you TDK for preparing the food for the
September Meeting.
-by Larry Readal
BBH Members and Friends: Hope you are getting a lot
of time in the woods! Larry
For Oct, we will be having Hamburgers and Sausage/hot
dogs.
OCTOBER
2-4: The Nation’s Gun Show, Chantilly, VA
3: Early Archery Deer Season opens Statewide;
See VGDIF Regs for details.
3-4: Dale City Gun Show, Dale City, VA
10-11: Shenandoah Valley Gun Show, Harrisonburg,
VA
17-18: Virginia Beach Gun Show, Virginia Beach, VA
24-25: Doswell (Richmond) Gun Show, Doswell, VA
31: Early Muzzleloader Deer Season opens; See
VGDIF Regs for details.
31-1: Tidewater Gun Show, Norfolk, VA
Want to donate some venison and help me make some
sausage for a meeting, let me know.
[email protected]
Nov and Dec meetings open for Cooks!!
Thanks! Jerry Michonski
Sergeant of Arms
Range Warden’s Message
Belvoir Bowhunters 2015 Calendar
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14
4
18
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OCTOBER
Executive Committee Meeting
Club Meeting
NOVEMBER
Executive Committee Meeting
Club Meeting ** Later than normal date
due to Veteran's Day Holiday **
-Phong Nguyen
DECEMBER
Executive Committee Meeting
Club Meeting
Thanks to all volunteers who came out to help set the
ranges for the 2015 – the winter indoor pin shoots will be
here before you know it, so be prepared to support your
club with range work parties for the State Indoor Shoot.
We’re on Facebook!
We welcome you to join the page! Please feel free to
post your archery and club related news! The page can
be found
at https://www.facebook.com/BelvoirBowhunters.
You need to have a Facebook account to access the
page.
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VDGIF will be sampling for Chronic Wasting Disease
in North Western Virginia and needs volunteers.
Sampling dates will be 14 and 21 November.
2015 Sampling Locations:
Publicity Director’s Message

Cathers Market: 2765 Northwestern Pike,
Winchester

Clarke County Fairgrounds: 890 W Main St.,
Berryville

Cline’s Store (formerly Larkins Store): 19004
Senedo Rd, Edinburg

Crossroads Grocery: 119 Cedar Grove Rd,
Winchester

Foodway Supermarket: 2868 Stonewall
Jackson Hwy, Bentonville

Fort Valley Country Store: 7091 Fort Valley
Rd (Rte 678), Fort Valley

Gradens: 6836 John Marshall Hwy, Lebanon
Church

Gore Grocery: 305 Gore Rd, Gore

School House Market: 235 Rivermont Dr,
Front Royal

T & R Processing: 691 Carpers Valley Rd,
Winchester

Town & Country Superette: 876 Conicville
Rd, Mt. Jackson
- Greg Thompson
Permanent Change of Station…
Also known as the “PCS”…One of our members, and
Wounded Warrior competition archers, is moving back to
his unit in Germany. Unfortunately, he will not be able to
take his archery equipment with him, and he would like
to pass on the equipment to a BBH member here:
Hoyt Ultra Tec bow, two cam, with;
- Spot Hogg IT Sight
- QAD Drop-Away Arrow rest
- Hard Case
- Extra Cobra bow site
With some tools and accessories.
Used in Warrior Games Qualification.
Asking $425 OBO.
Contact - SMG Julio Hernandez,
FB WTB, (571) 338-0615.
Post Hunting and Closure during
inclement weather:
Please remind all persons that they should
check the Fort Belvoir website:
You can call either of the individuals below if you are
interested in volunteering:
http://www.belvoir.army.mil/
Megan Kirchgessner
– Wildlife Veterinarian – 804-837-5666
*Check the Operational Status on the top right
of the page, information will be provided about
what is closed and for how long.
Rick Atchison
– Volunteer – 703 409-4846; [email protected]
This is an excellent opportunity to understand how deer
are tested for CWD in Virginia, the results of your efforts,
and the program for containing this disease.
Good Hunting, Greg
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BBH Members in the Woods
Idaho Bull at ~ 310 inches
Idaho Cow elk
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NEWSLETTER
October 2015
Belvoir Bowhunters
P.O. Box 372
Ft. Belvoir, VA 22060
The next Club MEETING is October 14th…….
Club Officers & Phone Numbers
President
Vice President
Secretary/Treasurer
Activities Director
Publicity Director
Range Warden
Sergeant-at-Arms
Webmaster
Greg Singleton
Bakari Dale
Jim Zolinski
Larry Readal
Greg Thompson
Phong Nguyen
Jerry Michonski
Timothy Seymour
703-455-4701
757-515-0498
210-319-0792
757-469-8700
254-319-2611
703-786-9819
703-946-1063
571-220-7328
Other Key Phone Numbers
Belvoir Check Station &
Outdoor Rec Center Office
Belvoir Game Warden
Belvoir MP’s
State Game Violations Hot Line
703-805-3688
703-806-0050
703-806-3104/5/6
800-237-5712
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
See you at the Oct meeting.