David Janczak of Green Bay, Wis., received a telephone call on Aug. 2, 2004, from an UFFDA Board Member. Caller, Dave Birkett, the foundation’s 1st Vice President, informed David that his name had just been drawn as the winner of the UFFDA Elk hunt raffle donated to the foundation by Diamond K Ranch in Havre, Montana.

Kathy Janczak poses with husband Dave with one-ton buffalo taken with crossbow.

On Oct. 12, Dave and his wife, Kathy, arrived at the Diamond K after a two-day drive, both excited and full of great expectations. Ranch owners, Kim and Cindy Kafka and their staff guide, Skip Owens, warmly greeted them upon their arrival.

Introductions were made and then the couple’s gear was moved into the spacious walkout basement of the on-site ranch house, owned by Charlie and Ann Manuel. The rest of the day was spent assembling equipment; sighting in the bow and getting acquainted as plans were made for the next day’s hunt. Kathy had come along on this trip to hunt for an American Bison. Kim informed her that a big buffalo bull would be the first item on the agenda the next morning.

After a restless night of sleep fraught with anticipation, the hunters enjoyed a hearty breakfast and then hit the field, excited by the prospect of a crossbow buffalo harvest. Once the scouting was done and a large bull had been selected, the stalk began. Kathy had never hunted with a crossbow, but had practiced diligently and was deadly accurate with her bow.

In the company of her guide Skip, Kathy had moved to within twenty-five yards of the targeted buffalo by midmorning. Her marksmanship and patience were at their peak as she buried the arrow into the shaggy flank of the big bull making a killing shot. By noon on the first day of the hunt, a very excited Kathy Janczak had taken a one-ton American Bison with a bow and arrow. The magnificent trophy was not only her very first buffalo kill, but her first big game animal with the crossbow, as well. What a start!

David Janczak poses with wife Kathy with trophy elk taken with crossbow.

The rest of the day was spent dispatching the mountain of head, meat and hide that was left in the wake of Kathy’s quest. The moment of her triumph was relived throughout the afternoon as the busy band went about the task of caring for the carcass. It had been the most exciting hunt of her life and she relished the moment with her husband and newly found friends from the Diamond K Ranch.

The next day it was David’s turn. Getting close to the elk that David had selected proved to be a more challenging task than the sneak on the buffalo herd, the day before. The targeted bull was not the least bit interested in giving Dave a break.

The first step was to find the animal. Once that had been done, the stalk commenced. It went poorly. By early afternoon, all the hunter and guide had done was catch glimpses of the bull as it disappeared over the rugged hills and into the wooded coulees of the Diamond K Ranch. The hunting party, hungry and tired, broke for lunch and a short rest. When they returned to the field, it they decided to sit in ambush and wait for the elk to move by as it fed.

Once the elk was spotted, the hunters “guesstimated” the direction they would go and sneaked into a grassy ravine ahead of them. A brushy location on a hill over looking the wide coulee was selected by the guide and the wait began. As evening approached, Dave’s elk, accompanied by two other large bulls, appeared over the crest of the ravine and moved into the bottom to fill its belly. Within an hour, the animals had moved directly in front of the hunter and his guide.

A view of the Montana prairie which makes up the Diamond K Ranch.

When their heads disappeared into the long grass in unison, David raised his bow, centered his crosshairs on the flank of the animal and pulled the trigger. He watched as his arrow disappeared into the goody-box of the big bull, which stood just thirty-five yards away. The shaft passed completely through the surprised elk and buried into the ground on the far side of the animal.

The mortally wounded trophy bull went only twenty yards, stopped and looked around in confusion and then went down and died. It never had a clue what happened. David, shaking like a can of paint in a mechanical mixer, just sat there in absolute awe of what had just taken place. Skip congratulated the hunter and the two men excitedly rehashed what had just taken place.

Eventually, Kim and Kathy arrived on the scene to join in the celebration. Once several rolls of film had been exposed to document the hunter’s landmark harvest, the animal was prepared for the trip to the butchers. By dusk, the busy group was back at the ranch and the celebration was in full swing.

It had been an incredible hunt. Kathy had taken her first buffalo and David had followed up by taking his first elk, which grossed over 400 inches for the SCI record books. The Wisconsin hunters could not have been happier. Both agreed enthusiastically that it had been the most exciting hunt of their lifetime and that the animals and the staff of the Diamond K Ranch truly capable of making dreams come true.

Left to Right: Ranch Kim Kafka, guide Skip Owens, Dave and Kathy Janczak search for a trophy bull.

The United Foundation For Disabled Archers would like to thank Kim and Cindy Kafka for their generous donation of the hunt and the warm hospitality that they provided. Kim has donated another hunt for 2004 and looks forward to entertaining the winner of that adventure, as well.

To Ann and Charlie Manuel, Cindy’s mom and dad, we offer a warm and heart felt thank you for opening their home to us and for feeding us so well. Thanks also to Skip Owens for providing entertaining companionship and the expert guide service on each of the hunts. A final and very special thank you goes out to Ottie Snyder and Horton Manufacturing for providing the crossbow equipment used in the taking of the trophies.

For more information about the hunting opportunities with the folks at Diamond K Ranch, contact Kim Kafka at 406-395-4556. He will be happy to answer your questions and provide any information that is required. Diamond K gladly works with hunters with disabilities.

Author’s Note: If you have an interest in hunting with or shooting a crossbow, please visit our website (www.horizontalbowhunter.com) to learn more about the American Crossbow Federation, which is dedicated to promoting and preserving all forms of legal hunting with all legal weapons, especially the crossbow.

One of the greatest benefits of belonging to the ACF is that you will receive the quarterly publication, the Horizontal Bowhunter Magazine, an International quarterly dedicated informing the modern crossbow hunter and perpetuating the crossbow hunting opportunity for everyone that choose to use one.

For more information and a membership application, email us at (bowtwang@runestone.net) or call us at 320-634-3660 to join immediately with a credit card. We will be happy to answer any of you questions about crossbow equipment and the crossbow hunting regulations in North America.