The Mule Deer Project

[GrayGhost]

Good Stuff Rokslide!

 

[Evan Williams]

I am very excited to be a part of the Project. I was unfortunate and didn't draw a single Mule Deer tag this year so my Mule Deer season will be through Cindy...Best of LUCK!!!

So we have a bow and a sight...lets talk rests!!!

Capture style ( ie whisker Biscuit)
Drop Away ( ie Trophy Taker PRONGHORN)

OR

Combination--Capture Style drop away (ie Schaffer OPPOSITION)

For this high country spot and stalk hunting style I personally prefer the Schaffer OPPOSITION. I have had great success with the PRONGHORN and Limbdrivers but the Schaffer just gives me a better peace of mind.

 

[Becca]

What a neat project everyone! I am excited to watch how this all unfolds, thanks for including the rest of us in this journey!

 

[billy molls]

VERY Cool!! This has magazine story written all over it!! Sharing experience, knowledge, and adventure with others is very rewarding and enjoyable.
Best of luck!!!

 

[david long]

The Schaffer Opposition Rest

Evan……yes, I totally agree on the Schaffer Opposition rest. I was at the ATA Show a few years back and stopped by the Schaffer Performance Archery booth to say hi when John Schaffer and Jason Yopp showed me their latest creation – the Opposition. I immediately fell in love with the rest and have used it ever since. The rest is easy to setup and has performed flawlessly for me on my bows for the past couple of years.

That, combined with the fact that Cindy wanted a full containment rest, made it an easy choice when it came to rests. I then contacted John & Jason and they agreed to sponsor the Project and provide us with an Opposition rest in Lost Camo.

A special thanks to Schaffer Archery for stepping up and helping out with sponsorship of the Project.

In case any of you haven’t seen the Opposition rest, I have embedded a slow motion video of the rest for you to check out. It is impressive!



[video=youtube;D2uSRkuCoHs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=D2uSRkuCoHs[/video]

 

[Cindy Wamsley]

I am so stoked for this bow setup, it is really coming together!

Thank you to all the generous sponsors and for all those who are giving their time and talents in the technical department.

This thread is going to be jammed packed with information, so stay tuned.

ROK ON!

 

[Rent Outdoor Gear]

Hi Cindy - this will be a really fun project! I'm looking forward to working with you on it! PM me with your email & phone# and I will send you some articles I've written to help you get started before we get into the video critique. I will post the links so everybody can access the same info. I will work on Easton to see if we can get you hooked up proper on arrows. I will wait until we get your draw length and poundage nailed down before making a spine selection.

Best of luck!

Coop

 

[Cindy Wamsley]

Darin,

PM sent. Great to have you involved and I look forward to what's ahead.

 

[Evan Williams]

On arrows:

EASTON -- FLATLINES??? Keep up some speed and tip them with 85 grain points??

Broadheads -- depends on the point weight. I am of the mindset that the best broadheads for women and youth are fixed blade heads.

 

[david long]

Thanks Evan. Darin, what are your thoughts on arrow/broadhead set up? Do you agree with Evan?

 

[david long]

I am sitting in the historical Meeker Hotel in Meeker, Colorado as I write this entry. Let me tell you, if the mounted heads in the main lobby of this hotel don’t get you fired up for hunting, nothing will! Very, very impressive!

Now, back to the project. We have picked up several more sponsors and I will post them up when I get back home from my road trip.

Before we get too much further into the project, I felt that it was important to let everyone know how Cindy was selected. Several years ago, I received an email from a woman named Cindy Wamsley. In this email, Cindy stated that she had always dreamed of harvesting a trophy mule deer and asked for my help in accomplishing this goal.

She informed me that years ago she herniated discs in her lower back while hiking in the mountains with her family and carrying her girls on her hip. Years later, while still fighting through the pain, she was run over by a horse which ruptured 3 discs in her lower back. After more suffering and pain, she finally ended up in the ER for her first back surgery - a discectomy. She was trying to save her active lifestyle by trying to save the disc material.

A month later she had her second discectomy, that didn't work either, she was just too active. Later that same year she had a L4-S1 fusion, rod and screws. She slowly began to feel better, but eventually the pain is constant and excruciating. After seeing a specialist, she discovers that the bone in the cages between the vertebrae has grown out and bone is crushing her nerve. Yet another surgery.

I remember thinking, wow, this lady is tough! But what impressed me the most was how she had always put her family first in her life, even though it required a great amount physical and mental sacrifice as she went through this difficult period in her life.

Since receiving that first email, Cindy and I have exchanged numerous emails over the years and her love for her family and hunting became very evident. It impressed me so much that when we started Rokslide, I asked her to join our pro staff.

A couple of weeks ago, I received another email from Cindy stating that she drew a high country archery tag in Colorado. The light came on! This was going to be the perfect opportunity to help Cindy accomplish her long time goal of harvesting a trophy high country muley. The Mule Deer Project was born!

Now that you know the history behind the project itself, I am going to ask that Cindy post up a little bit about herself, her family and why she is taking on this project. Then, it will be full speed ahead!

 

[robby denning]

Thanks for the background. This is getting better all the time. All the best to Cindy & David

 

[cmeier117]

Awesome Thread!!

 

[Ryan Avery]

...And the plot thickens! Great Thread!!!

 

[Becca]

...And the plot thickens! Great Thread!!!

My thoughts exactly! Really enjoying this!

 

[Rent Outdoor Gear]

On arrows:

EASTON -- FLATLINES??? Keep up some speed and tip them with 85 grain points??

Broadheads -- depends on the point weight. I am of the mindset that the best broadheads for women and youth are fixed blade heads.

Not a bad option Evan... I'm leaning toward a heavier shaft to maximize penetration though. I think an Axis Carbon might be the best option for her. I would say an Injexion, but they only go down to .480 or .450 spine and I think that will be too stiff. I tend to agree on your fixed blade broadheads being a good option for archers that have shorter draw lengths and shoot lower poundage. Mechanicals rob a little energy to open the blades and you're typically pushing more blade through the animal. I think a smaller fixed blade will achieve better terminal performance on quartering shots.

I think Cindy will be utilizing her range-finder pretty religiously since she doesn't have a lot of experience so the trade-off in velocity shouldn't have much impact on her. That's my two cents... any feedback/suggestions are welcome.

Coop

 

[Cindy Wamsley]

A little about me.

David has asked me to post about the following:

1) Myself
2) My family
3) Hunting background
4) Why I chose to take on the Mule Deer Project

So here goes...

1) I live in Preston Idaho and I am a full time housewife. Don't let that housewife part fool you.

My day usually consists of getting up at 5 am and laying down for bed after everyone else at about 11:30pm or midnight. There are no breaks in between (although I take em when I get em) and I'm up all night if someone needs me. I average 5 hours of sleep a night (because I sleep terribly which means I'm tired a lot). My work is NEVER done. I do everything here at our home from cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, raising kids, and handling the finances to auto maintenance, all outdoor maintenance on our 6 acres, snow removal, breaking and training horses (this April I went to Texas and was chosen for a premier horse training academy position and I turned it down). I drive tractors and know how to attach and use all the implements that go with them, I can swath hay and bale too. I move pipe and fence. I can hook up, pull and back up 30' trailers, bumper pull or goose neck. I have my own leather craft shop, I teach leather 4-H and mentor high school seniors in leather craft for their senior projects. I make much of my tack and all of my gun rigs for cowboy action shooting. I reload my own ammo. I volunteer my time in the public school and in the community for the PRCA rodeo held every July (part of that is overseeing 100+ volunteers) I volunteer my time for my church and work with the youth every Tuesday and Sunday. I had no experience in construction, but I general contracted our home and had it built start to finish in 4 months and lived in a camper with a 2 and 4 year old while I did it. I've since built other buildings. I form all my cement flatwork and have my brother in law help me pour and finish. I garden, can the produce and I even sew. I had my first motorbike when I was 8, I still ride atv's once a week with friends and I love to snowmobile and ski. I like to fly fish or even creek fish with a worm. I went to Rick's college on an academic and athletic basketball scholarship (I hated ball in college so left after 1 year), I coach little league basketball. I like to play basketball, volleyball, softball, football, mountain bike and run. I have a bachelor's degree from Utah State University, I graduated cum laude. I help my neighbors, I love my family and help them (my Mom and 6 siblings my husband's parents and 4 siblings). I trailer 3 hours round trip to work cows and the ranch whenever my in laws call and need the help. I was run over by a horse December 2004 and had 3 back surgeries in 2005 ending with a fusion, cages, rod, screws and a blood transfusion. I had my appendix out in 2006 (right after I got home from a horse packing elk hunt, whew that was lucky). I had the rod and screws taken out of my back and the smashed sciatic nerve decompressed in 2008. I still suffer from back pain and nerve pain but I don't let it stop me. I have a stomach ulcer. Sometimes I laugh and sometimes I cry!

I'm sure there's more, but you get the idea.

2) MY FAMILY
I am married to a wonderful man, Nick Wamsley. He is the hardest working guy I know, 66+ hours a week. Doesn't leave much time for anything else, but we try to work hard and play hard too! I have 3 beautiful daughters. Baylee 16, Katelyn 14 and Grace 9. They keep me very busy with competitive soccer, volleyball, basketball, rodeo, cheerleading, student government, church, motorcycles, friends and shopping! (They love the shopping, I hate it.) We enjoy camping, skiing, swimming, atv riding, horses, hunting and just spending time together. My family is my driving force.

3) HUNTING BACKGROUND
I started hunting squirrels when I was five and I'll never forget the hammer catching my cheek because I was leaning too far over the gun to see down the sights. I still love squirrel hunting and go every spring. For big game hunting archery was my first love and I hunted in Utah (where I grew up) both the archery and rifle seasons (you could back then). I've been fortunate to harvest animals with both weapons.

4) WHY I CHOSE TO TAKE ON THE MULE DEER PROJECT
The tag of course! JK I have always wanted to shoot a trophy mule deer since I was a little girl, looking at the pictures of my Grandfather with his monster bucks. That innate desire/drive has never left me. I believe that if you want to be good at something that you search out who is the best at it and do what they do. That's how I came across David Long. I've spent my life up to this point setting and reaching goals and this goal is still on the list in need of a check mark!

P.S. Please don't take my answers as bragging in any way. I'm actually quite shy and like to keep to myself. When asked what I do I usually just answer with I'm a housewife. I owe so much to David and the Rokslide opportunity. He knows this opportunity makes me stretch myself. Just blogging about what I'm doing will be out of my comfort zone!

I'd like to throw in a few fun facts throughout this blogging experience. Hopefully, it will keep it interesting and entertaining.

Fun fact #1 My daughter drives my favorite classic truck a 1978 Ford F-150. She's pretty hot stuff in that truck and it seems to intimidate the boys. That's my plan!

I'm headed out this weekend to a family reunion in the mountains so I won't be able to get back to the thread until Sunday evening. I'd like to try to find the picture of my Grandfather and those bucks that so impressed and inspired me. When I do, I'll post it up and the truck too!

 

[Cindy Wamsley]

Darin,

Could you please explain in more depth what the goal is for penetration, velocity and terminal performance. Some sort of reference point on numbers would really help me out. In other words, what is fast, what is deep, what #'s are the big boys shooting etc. It will help me see where I sit with a 50# bow and 26" draw length.

I had a dream along time ago that I've never forgotten. I dreamt that I didn't pull enough poundage and my arrow bounced off a trophy buck. I'm glad it was just a dream!

Thanks,

Cindy

 

[Cindy Wamsley]

Fitness Update

Les almost has all the information he asked for in post #17. He's currently working on nailing down the workouts and the nutritional numbers will follow.

I currently crossfit at Bear River Crossfit here in Preston. Do I make it every day no, but I will be hoping for 5 days/week from now until the hunt! That's gonna be tough and I know that unless I go at 5:30 am it won't happen.

 

[cmeier117]

Not that your asking me but I figured I would give my suggestion for arrow set-up. I was going to say a Easton Axis 500 spine arrow cut at 26 inches +or- with a 85 grain 2 blade coc head like a Magnus buzzcut or something similar? I figured this would give you around a 320-330 grain arrow depending on vanes used etc.. If you could shoot a lighter grain per inch arrow with the same spine I would think it would be beneficial so you could possibly go to a 100 grain head to get yourself a higher FOC and maybe a little more pentration.

Easton Axis 500 = 8.1 grain/inch total shaft weight of 210.60
Goldtip velocity xt 500 = 6.3 grain/inch total weight of 163.80

Gives you the chance to put more of your arrow weight up front. Any way I am curious what Darin and David come up with.