Kev and Jeanette take on Charleville
During the September School holidays each year Abbey Archery Brisbane staff members and Team Shooters Kev and Jeanette Dowd, make their way out to attend the Gold Cup Shoot and then enjoy a week's long hunt out at their favourite hunting property just past Charleville (about 800 kms or 500 miles west of Brisbane) from 30th September 2013 to 5th October 2013.
The Gold Cup shoot was held at Roma this year. At the weekend shoot, they had rain on the Friday night which cooled things down for the next two days but it was still awfully hot. With two days of shooting, presentations (Kev and Jeanette both placed first in their divisions) and the raffle drawn (they each won 2 prizes), they jumped in the car and arrived at their destination around 7pm that night.
Over the next five days they experienced all the seasons - from hot weather to cold, unbelievable winds, a dust storm and even the rain (to top it off, they had to put jumpers on in October!). They had some great stalks, with success sometimes but most of all enjoying each other's company and creating some great memories to treasure for years to come. Kev was the perfect husband and let Jeanette shoot the biggest goat, a new Personal Best!
Kev's first goat of the trip was shot on the first morning near a back dam at 30 yards using a Trophy Taker Shuttle-T broadhead. This was a great start to the trip.
Jeanette's first kill with her new Hoyt Carbon Matrix G3 was at 20 yards. "She got within 36 yards, to her amazement, the pig kept coming! She pulled back her string with Kev behind her saying, "30 yards wait, 25 yards wait, 20 yards!" With one shot, the pig ran 15 yards and was down. Jeanette was using a Trophy Taker Shuttle T Broadhead for the first time as well, with which she was very impressed, saying, "The blood trail was instant, using the Shuttle Ts."
Jeanette and Kev's favourite pastime in the afternoons is chasing rabbits. They both shot rabbits ranging from 15 to 30 yards, around the property using Zwickey 125 grain heads.
Lure fishing also occupied the middle of their days. The fish Jeanette caught was about the same size as her lure! Kev was busy putting out yabby pots!
Jeanette's best goat to date had a 35 6-8" spread. "The goat did not know we were there. We watched as he had a rest and then fed straight towards me at 22 yards. That's when I took the shot."
Kev's second goat for the trip was near a back dam. "He walked over the dam wall and straight for me." Kev didn't really want to shoot it but with his pin settled on the spot at 15 yards, he let his bare fingers go and the goat dropped within a few metres. The Shuttle-T broadhead did the trick once again.
On the last day on their way to the back dam, Jeanette noticed some goats feeding along the tree line. She snuck in behind a tree and amazingly, all ten goats grazed straight up to her. With the wind right, she had some billys and nannies within 3 yards of her! Jeanette picked out a specific goat which was 8 yards away. One arrow tipped with a Slick Trick broadhead did the trick and the goat went down just over 5 yards away.
The equipment Kev used on this trip
- Hoyt Contender 60lbs 29.5 inch draw
- CBE Snipper sight
- AAE Free Flight rest
- AAE Master Plunger long
- Doinker Mini Dish
- TightSpot bow quiver
- Saunders Pak Tab
- Easton Excel arrows 340 spine
- AAE Plastifletch 5" vanes
- Trophy Taker Shuttle-T 125 grain broadheads
- Zwickey 125 grain broadheads
- Nikon Archers Choice rangefinder
- S4 Gear LockDown binocular harness
- Opti-Logic binoculars
- ASAT and Scent Shield Camo
The equipment Jeanette used on this trip
- Hoyt Carbon Matrix G3 58lbs 26inch draw
- CBE Snipper sight
- Trophy Taker Smackdown arrow rest
- TightSpot bow quiver
- Doinker Mini Dish
- Carter Quickie with a TruGlo dial in strap
- Easton Axis arrows 400 spine
- Bohning 2" Blazer Tiger vanes
- Trophy Taker Shuttle-T 125 grain broadheads
- Slick Trick 125 grain broadheads
- Zwickey 125 grain broadheads
- Nikon Archers Choice rangefinder
- S4 Gear LockDown binocular harness
- Scent Shield camo wear
- Tenzing 1220 Pack
