The Ferguson Clan had been hunting together for years, but there was just something about our trip to Thompson Temple that changed everything.  Let’s go back to May, 2000 and see what happened . . . .

Me, my husband, (James), son (Michael 5 yoa), daughter (Morgan 7 months old) and step-daughter (Emily 7 yoa) headed to Thompson Temple in Barksdale, TX., approximately 6 hours away to watch James take his first exotic animal with a bow.  We were all excited about this trip.  James had been to a couple other ranches before, but this would be the first “Real” ranch for the kids and me.

“We arrived at the ranch on the afternoon of May 12, 2000.  Upon arrival we found directions to the bunkhouse on the gate along with the sleeping arrangements.  We made our way up to the trailer house about half way up the side of a small mountain.  Thompson Temple arrived and introduced himself and advised that the air conditioner in the trailer was broken, but we should be able to sleep comfortably since it cools off at night.  The temperature was about 95 degrees and the humidity was high.  I finally got the truck unloaded and my wife and three kids settled in the trailer.  It was HOT.” - James

Ok, let me start out by telling you it was so HOT that Satan himself would have been happy.  I hope that lets you understand just how HOT it really was.  Ok, so we all know it was HOT, let me tell you what else was wrong.  Guess who forgot to pack the baby food?  No, it wasn’t James—it was me, the Mother.  Can you believe that?  Here we are 6 hours from the house, at a minimum of 1 hour from the nearest town.  So we headed back out to the nearest town, to find that there was only 1 gas station there, and guess what?  NO BABY FOOD.  At this point heading back home wasn’t such a bad idea, but we were determined to have a good time this weekend, so we headed to the next town were luck would have it—baby food.  We were back in business.

Once back at camp we got settled in to the trailer house (WITHOUT AIR MIND YOU).  We were assigned to the back room since we had a baby.  We walked into the back room only to find 1 set of bunk beds.  Remember how many of us there was, 5.  I was kind enough to let James have the bunk bed AND the kids.  After all, I have to have my sleep.  Ok back to the story . . .

“The alarm clock finally went off about 5:00 AM.  I got up and started getting ready.  All of the hunters in our trailer started to congregate outside in front of our trailer.  Thompson Temple pulled up in his truck and we all loaded up in the back of the truck so he could drop us off at the stands. I realized, as I sat in the back of the truck, that I was the only bow hunter out of twelve hunters. 

We drove about 1/2 mile up the mountain and passed one feeding area.  The truck stopped and we saw some rams running for cover as the headlamps hit them.  Thompson Temple came back to me and told me those were Rambouillet Rams.

I got out of the truck and sat down behind a 4 x 4 box stand.  I saw one of the Rambouillet Rams walk out of the cover and start working over the feeding block.  A second Rambouillet Ram came out of the cover about twenty yards on the other side of the stand.  He had pretty large horns and I decided that when it was light enough I would take a shot at him.  The sun started coming up and the first ram at the feeding block looked down the mountain and I was shocked.  It looked like he had three feet of bone sticking out each side of his head.  I knew then that I wanted to shoot him.  I stood up and the first ram started walking down the mountain from the feeding block and bedded down at 23 yards.  I stepped out from behind the stand just enough for my bow to clear.  I came to full draw, located my pin on target and released.  I heard the arrow strike the ram and he jumped up and took a few steps to the road and looked back in my direction.  The ram walked off into the thick cover on the other side of the road.” – James

James walked back to camp to get the kids and me.  We got in the truck and dove up the mountain to the location where James had harvested his first Merino Ram and were all stunned at how big he was.  None of us had ever seen anything that big!  We were on the side of a very rocky cliff and everything was going good, until Michael accidentally fell on some rocks and almost busted out his two front teeth.  His teeth started bleeding and his lip swelled up a little.  He was tough, didn’t even cry and was able to keep on going.  After taking several photos, we loaded up the ram and headed down the mountain.

The ram weighed about 300 pounds and scored 109 1/8 on the Records of Exotics.  That is a high Silver Medal ram.  I killed the largest ram that weekend.  None of the gun hunters had anything close to the ram I took.  – James

Although this trip may not sound fun, it was.  The whole family was together AND James got to take an awesome animal. 

This trip would just be the first of many to come.  This was only the beginning.  After this hunt James would take several more animals.  Of course I had to get my own bow and start bowhunting.  I wasn’t going to let him outdo me.   

After a few years of James bowhunting various animals associated with another bowhunting company, we decided to start our own business.  Bowhunting North America, LLC was born.  We started out as just an online company with online hunts and hunting information. 

As you know by reading our online hunts, we have been hunting together as a family for several years.  We have watched our son take his first deer with a rifle at the age of 7 and Emily took her first deer at age 10. 

Michael took his first hog with a bow at the age of 8 and Emily took her first hog at 11. 

Morgan is only 5, but I can almost guarantee you that by next winter she will have taken her first animal with a bow. 

This trip was made possible in part by our sponsors: 

Mathews, Inc. Bushlan Camouflage, Carbon Express,

The Gean-Edwards Company, Rynoskin, Trophy Ridge, VMASS, North Starr Tree Stands, 

Shed Hunter Co., Fieldline, DoskoSport, Lumenok, Tru Fire Corp., Rocket Aeroheads, Quake Industries, Limbsaver, Bushnell

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