East Fork Ranch » East Fork Ranch News

Big Free Range Muzzleloader Buck Taken

Dustin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:06:55 +0000

Jarrod Washburn of Wisconsin took this beautiful 5×5 whitetail December 19th. After seeing several does and bucks, he had this bruiser walk out just before dark on the 3rd day of hunting. The late muzzleloader season offers chances at some bucks late in season going to and from food sources. This is Jarrod’s second year hunting with us and took a beauty – congrats!

Free Range Hunting 2011

Dustin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 02:31:02 +0000

Our 2011 Free Range hunt ended today with 7 out out of 12 guys being successful. It was a good year for the number of deer and guys did good to shoot bucks that were in the right age class. Several bucks were left behind that we just couldn’t get shots at, so they aught to be real bruisers next year. Thanks to my Pennsylvania group and the South Carolina boys for a fun time and never a dull moment.

Here are few pics of the bucks that they took.

Preserve Hunting 2011

Dustin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:08:25 +0000

Well, busy times at the ranch this year and at work have delayed my posting on the website. Many good and memorable hunts this fall have occurred. We have been lucky enough to have several new hunters with us and have definitely made several new friends. Here are the bucks we took on our Preserve this year with many bucks being seen on the ranch that were left behind for next year. Probably my most memorable moment was watching a monster double drop tined buck chase a doe into a pond, swimming after her for a chance to breed. Funny how crazy those guys get!

Hurry, hunting season almost here!

Dustin — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:36:16 +0000

Well, it’s that time of year again. The time when the bucks are in bachelor groups feeding in the fields of evening. Right now we are seeing some good bucks and expect to have another great year, harvesting some fantastic deer. This year, we are going to be doing our cull hunt once again, so if you have an interest- hurry up and get your deposits in as this is a really popular hunt. Also ask us about our group discounts or our father / son or daughter hunts.

Make sure and take some time to enjoy the summer by doing a little shooting at the range or in the back yard, because hunting season will be here before you know it.

Thanks,

Dustin

Losing a Friend

Dustin — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:39:51 +0000

I’ve always heard the saying, “come as client, leave as a friend”, and thought it to be kind of corny and cliche. But as I have been taking more and more clients over the years, it sure seems that there is a lot of truth to that corny statement. Five years ago, I had a guy call me from Maryland after seeing a TV show in which we had been outfitter. He was a very nice man who seemed to me to be a grandpa type who was quiet and soft spoken. We talked for 10 minutes or so and he agreed to send a deposit and hunt with us that fall. Jim showed up that fall with a bit of hesitation I am sure as all of us do when hunting with a different outfitter, but soon we hit it off and started a friendship that lasted until yesterday. He first met my family then as we are a family run operation and kind of took to my daughter, Cory. She was just a year and a half old at the time and it was Halloween. Cory was a ballerina or an angel or something like that as a lot of girly crap I try to forget. Anyways you can bet one thing, she was the best, cutest ballerina or angel or girly crap you’ve ever seen. Anyway, Jim was there and he held Cory on his lap and you could tell he thought she was pretty cool. Jim ended up getting a deer and had a great hunt and stated that he would be back, but this time he was bringing his son- who loved to hunt as well.

The next year Jim and Jimmy came out again in October. Jeff guided Jimmy and I guided Jim. We again had a great hunt and now we had a new hunting buddy as Jimmy was completely hooked. He shot a fantastic buck and to this day, I am jealous! They, more importantly had a great time together. You have to understand that razzing or giving each other a hard time is what East Fork Ranch is all about and the Wilkes’ definitely played into that. Jimmy has been back for the last 4 years and Jim came 5 years in a row, taking a razzing and giving it back. It was a pilgrimage from the busy life of the Baltimore area to the laid back country life of Missouri. Jim started coming twice a year the last two years when we opened up our free range hunting and embedded himself more deeply into our family. I look forward to the fall for two reasons, I love to hunt and I love to hunt with my guys. Jim was my guy and we have become good friends.

This year was much different as the hunting was still good, but Jim did not look right. He really labored when doing really about anything as far as his breathing went. His color was not good and he didn’t seem healthy. He came back on the free range hunt and he looked worse. After the hunt, where he shot a nice 10 pt buck, he drove home – even though we strongly suggested that dad drive him back to Maryland. He’s a pretty stubborn ol coot. He did go to the doctor and discovered that he had lung cancer and a spot on his brain, which ended up being cancer as well. Jim fought hard and lasted until yesterday morning, April 25,2011.

When Jimmy sent me the note that Jim was not doing well, my heart just sank in my chest. I think I was more upset about this than I should have been. Jim was a great friend and so is Jimmy, but often times you feel sorry for yourself or the family for losing him than for Jim. Jim was a Christian, I know this because I asked him. I had several talks with him about Jesus and our savior. I know that he is in heaven and that he truly did have a relationship with Christ. I look at people that I know that don’t have parents that care or parents at all. Parents that aren’t Christians and parents that don’t teach about the Bible and all the wonderful things that it teaches us. But Jim was a good man. Jim was a man that taught his children and I am sure grandchildren to be good people and did alot of it by example. He didn’t take advantage of people or cheat or lie or steal. He was a good man. I feel sorry for people that don’t have that kind of influence around them, for those that have never known such a man. I feel sorry for those that have been abused or for those who have never been taught anything good or right. But I don’t feel sorry for Jim’s family because they knew such a man and had the opportunity to be around a man that was great. Greatness is not in hitting a baseball or making the winning shot, greatness is not being an inventor or the richest man on the earth. Greatness is seeing the opportunity to influence others in a positive way by leading – both in example and by teaching.

Jim was a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather and I am proud to call him my friend.

Final Hunt of the Year

Dustin — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 16:43:26 +0000

Chuck Taylor and Gail Chandler of Arizona hunted the second week of December. The hunt went really well, seeing a lot of really nice deer. Chuck took a doe and a nice buck and Gail did the same. Thanks for a great time, you guys, and look forward to you all coming back next year.

With show season coming up, we are officially finished for the year on our hunts. We want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and may God bless you and yours this coming year. We are booking for this fall and will continue to offer our cull hunts at a very reasonable rate. If you have an interest in a hunt, get in touch with us as our spots are going to be limited!

Now take a look at these fine trophies that Chuck and Gail took last week.

Free Range Hunt 2010

Dustin — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 02:30:54 +0000

Well, the first week of the Free Range Hunt didn’t go as well as we had hoped with just 6 out of 17 hunters being successful. Two misses and one wounded didn’t help the average, but our guys tried to stay positive. The bucks were locked down with does and didn’t do a lot of moving. The second week went better, with some of the bigger bucks finally coming out and our guys connected. Looks like some good bucks will get a year older and bigger for next year. Thanks to all the guys and especially Bill and Larry for bringing such great guys!

Happy Holloween!

Dustin — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:29:47 +0000

The kids got all hopped up on candy and excitement last night for Halloween. Barrett was pretty amped too as you can tell in the picture. We crashed Albany for a ton of candy loot and great time! Daulton was ready to put some hittin’ on like a real Chiefs player….Go Chiefs!

First Free Range Bow Kill

Dustin — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:21:43 +0000

Jarrod Washburn of Wisconsin downed EFR’s first free range bow kill last Friday night. Jarrod rattled the buck to within 12 yards. Due to a lost blood trail and darkness, we had to resume the search Saturday morning, where we found the buck 50 yards from where we stopped the night before. Jarrod had prior commitments and could not stay, so you have to suffer through my ugly mug holding the buck in the pictures.

Jarrod is our only bowhunter for 2010. He saw between 15 and 50 deer per day, with many being in bow range. The deer are chasing like crazy!

The End of Era

Dustin — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:36:40 +0000

Here at EFR, we have several bucks that seem to stand out over time. Many because they provided a memorable hunt or because we have been watching the same buck mature over the years into something special. From the first time we noticed this buck, as a 3 year old, we knew he was something special. We quickly labeled him the basketball buck, due to his high and round rack which was at that time in the 170 class. All the guides had seen the buck at one time or another at the Hole stand and everyone was excited to get the opportunity to take this buck as a 4 year old. We found the sheds in the spring, but that was the last sign of him that year. No one could find him as a four year old and as a 5 year old in ’09, he had damaged his rack. This year, as 6 year old, the basketball buck was spotted early in the season and was not looking very healthy. On Oct. 24th, Jimmy Wilkes and I sat in the Hole stand in hopes of being able to take this beautiful deer and that’s just what we did. It’s kind of sad to see the guy go, but he went to a guy that definitely appreciates him- despite the tough guy no smile pics!

Thanks, Jimmy!