Hello and welcome to Kentucky Afield.

I'm your host, Chad Miles.

Join us as we journey the Commonwealth in search of outdoor adventure.

This week, we're going to take a look back at one of my favorite early season archery hunts.

But first, the water has been high here in the state of Kentucky, making it hard to get on some of our lakes.

So we're going to go hit a farm pond and get an education on horse racing.

Today, we're out here in beautiful Bourbon County, and I'm with Arthur Hancock at Stone Farm.

Yes, sir.

We're going to do a little fishing today.

We are going to do some fishing.

It's great to have you all here today.

This is a thoroughbred nursery here in Bourbon County that my family has.

And we've been blessed with a lot of good fish and good horses.

And this is the foaling barn here.

So we'll take a stroll through and I'll show you some of the stalls where some of our great horses have been born.

And what perfect timing.

We're right here, beginning of May.

A lot of people are thinking about horse racing right now.

And you guys, really your family is all Kentucky.

I mean, into bluegrass music, love the outdoors.

Horse racing.

And your dad is actually a bluegrass musician as well, Right?

That's where I got it was from him.

And he's written a lot of great songs.

And, you know, he he toyed with music or horses his whole life, and he committed to horses.

I've chosen more music, but it's still in my blood to be out here on the farm.

Because you got a band and you still play.

I do it all the time.

Yeah.

Yes, sir.

Well this is a beautiful piece of property.

I can't wait to try to catch a couple of fish, but you█re going to walk us through the barn?

Let█s take a stroll.

All right.

it's.

It's cool.

You walk through, and first stall you come to, Derby winner, fusaichi pegasus was born right here, won the Derby in 2000.

That's a name that if you're into horse racing, you're going to recognize.

You█re going to recognize that one.

And right here, Sunday Silence was born in that stall, which is just, to me, such a special thing.

He was Horse of the Year.

Champion three year old won the Derby, the Preakness, second to Easy Goer in the Belmont and then avenged that in the Breeders Cup classic.

Your dad said that's his favorite horse that█s ever been on the farm.

It saved the farm.

Yeah, oh yeah.

Because the eighties were hard on the horse business.

Yeah yeah.

Stroud's Creek which is the creek that we actually could fish if we had time.

It runs through the farm.

He was second in the Derby, was a great racehorse.

And that's probably, the horse that was born there, Bricks and Mortar, would be my claim to fame as a horseman.

I helped raise foal and sell that horse.

And he was Champion Horse of the Year in North America.

And then we go not too far and Gato Del Sol born right here, won the 1982 Kentucky Derby.

Kings and Queens and Princes is all over the world that have been trying.

They can't do it.

And can't do it.

And you guys right here on Stone Farm have got three Derby winners.

As you look around here, my dad is a farmer and he farms horses and he believes in big fields, good ground, taking care of the ground and good water, everything that we give the horses is spring or well water from off the farm.

And that's, get those big bones, big strong joints, big muscles.

And that's what makes a horse run fast.

Just like burley tobacco, it█s all the same.. Yeah.

And I remember the next one, Menefee, very well.

He was second in the Derby in 99.

That was that horse named after the county, Menifee County.

And so the stallion of that horse, Harlan, all of his babies that we kept, we named after Kentucky County, we had Whitley's over in the paddock, retired.

Menifee, Owsley was a great race mare.

Leslie was a great race mare.

We had that, he did really well for the farm and a lot of the counties where we named these horses, the schools would send us letters.

that's cool.

That's cool.

yeah.

Next, Rainbow View, she was European champion filly.

She whipped my butt one day right here at this back gate in the mud.

She didn't want to come in and, you know, you got to get them in.

Yeah.

yeah.

She was a really great mare, and well here, we'll take a look out back and see where we're headed to catch a couple bass.

All right.

Hey, that sounds good.

You got them named too?

No, I don't name them.

I usually try and let them go.

That's it right there, That's a that's a beautiful lake.

These two corners have some spring fed action, and then that dam is real deep, so.

Okay, well, I'm super excited.

There we go.

Let's get a double.

I tell you what, there's so many great places to fish in the state of Kentucky, but nothing beats a good farm pond.

You got him?

I think I have got a bluegill.

Man, you do have a good sized bluegill.

Well we doubled.

That█s little.

Different species, but we doubled.

All right there.

Little quick release action.

Nice little fish.

That was a nicer fish right there.

I hook one about four and five pounds I'll go in if I have to make sure we get him in.

Yeah, I don't mind getting the feet wet for a four or five pounder.

I might need to adjust my drag.

I think I got a decent fish.

The old Mepps Spinner, man.

They like that thing, don█t they?

That's a good one.

Lookie there.

That's a good one.

That's a three pounder it looks like.

It█s a nicer fish.

Farm pond magic, right here.

The old Mepps.. Luna likes to chase them.

What kind of dog is she?

Golden Pyrenees.

Okay.

When I'm farm pond fishing I stay pretty mobile, so.

I'm with you if you want, let's go hit this structure in the corner.

I like your approach on being on the go.

Look at this old tree that's fallen in right here, and it's shallow.

This is the time of year that I think it's a good chance a big fish might be laying up under it.

I don't know about big, but there's one right there.

oh it come off, right there.

You got it.

Might need a just my drag.

Got a good one.

Stay out of that tree.

What's happening over here?

Well, got something going on.

I got a good one.

He ate it too.

They like that old Mepps spinner.

What do you got over there?

Look at that.

Oh man, you do have a good one.

It catches fish.

Look at this beautiful bass.

Golly.

Right there in that tree.

Right.

You said you thought they might be in there.

Now we got a three and a half, four pounder.

I will tell you one thing.

They're healthy.

They are healthy.

What a nice bass.

Here you go.

You know, that's a that's that's a solid three and a half to four pound fish.

That's a good fish.

Right there.

Nice fish.

Beautiful fish.

In the middle of this corner there is a tree about a foot below the water.

Okay.

So just be careful.

Fish hit it as soon as it hit the water.

You see that?

Like straight up.

As soon as it hit the water, drilled it.

Look at those bluegill, keeping some of those.

Once I get that size, I don't believe your bass are going to eat those.

Those are.

They may eat your bass.

That's a nice one.

Oh my gosh.

What do you got?

Did you see him hit it, right there, Right at the bank.

That was crazy.

Literally right off of those rocks right at the bank.

I just watched him swallow it.

Four and a half pound fish right there.

Literally.

I was watching my bait and I just had this feeling that I was going to see one, just inhale it, but keep thinking it.

It's going to be a giant.

Nice.

Go back and do your spawn.

That's a bass.

Got him?

Yes, that's a good bass.

You got yourself another four or five pounder.

The old Mepps.

Old Mepps.

Strikes again.

Inline Spinner, doesn't get any better than that.

Come on up here, old dad.

He's a three right?

Let me see.

Scared to take my eyes off.

Yeah, That's probably about a three.

Beautiful fish, though.

He looked long in the water.

He just.

Yeah, well, you know, it's always.

It's fishing, right?

It's not catching.

But I'm going to double with you right here.

Is that a nice fish?

It's not like a giant but I mean, it's a. I mean, look at this.

I'm going.

Well, yeah.

Check out this four pounder.

It's.

It's.

It's not a giant, but, you know, it's.

It's just another fish.

Look at that.

What a beautiful, beautiful fish.

What do you think, Luna?

He's got him.

Stay out of there Buddy.

What do you think about that?

It's a good time.

Get in there, big girl.

Go make more.

You lead the way because you're in the big fish lure.

I'm in the catch all.

They're just setting up here to this moss.

When they come out, it's not like, Hey, I wanted to see what that is.

They come out and just drill it.

Did you get him?

Yeah.

That's where that big one was the other day.

Oh.

Ah.

That was a good one.

I was horsing it a bit too much right there.

Pulled it right out of his mouth.

Yeah.

The one that got away.

You said your dad played music, that was your inspiration for music.

He taught me guitar when I was a boy and then I got into playing the banjo in high school.

And you actually do some charity work, too.

Some of it includes music.

I mean.

Music and fishing.

Music and fishing is kind of your passions, and you raise money for some different charities to help underprivileged kids to get the chance to learn music.

Yeah.

And also you generate some revenue off on the fishing side by bringing people out here that win opportunities to fish here.

Yeah.

That provides opportunities for fishing and music, and you do some cleanup.

You do a little bit of all of it.

We do a lot of it.

The organization, I█ve got their hat on today, Cand-Aid, they're out of Colorado and I met them in 2017 and I've just loved working with them.

They've donated over 3,700 instruments to schools, okay, and cleaned up over 2 million pounds of trash.

And you guys have days where you just come in.

Just get volunteers.

They give us a bunch of gloves and grabbers and trash bags, and we'll just load up tires and have a ball.

Yeah, get dirty and then catch fish maybe.

What do you got there?

I was hung on a stick or something.

That was not a stick.

That was fish.

That was a bass.

It's a good bass.

Look at this.

I█m seeing a big mouth.

It█s wanting to jump.

I'm trying to keep him down.

That's the fish of the day.

We might have my best fish of the day.

That's the fish of the day.

Boys.

That one there.

It's not a six pounder, but it's definitely over five.

Look at that.

Look at that fish.

What a beautiful, beautiful largemouth bass.

You know, you come out here in a pond.

In the spring, you want to catch a big trophy fish.

Farm ponds.

Come to a farm pond.

Look at that.

What a pretty bass, healthy fish, big fish, eating well, fighting hard.

Doesn█t get any better than that.

You guys are, you know.

Was there another fish?

There was a bass right here.

I dropped it on a bass.

Did you see that?

I saw it.

Well, mine took off and then the other one came out right behind it.

We need a frog on this moss.

I like this bank right here, how it slopes out.

You can actually fish kind of out towards the middle a little bit.

There he is.

Yeah, You caught that one out off the bank.

I love how you know this pond.

You were raised on this pond.

You're like, Hey, cast out a little deeper.

You hooked up?

I█m hooked up.

I don't know how big it is, but it's a pretty good one.

Oh my.

Oh my.

Get him on the bank.

Get him on the bank.

All right, we got a double now.

You called it.

Look at that.

That's beautiful.

That is a beautiful deal right there.

Look at the eyeballs on him.

That's a beautiful fish.

You want to sniff it, Luna.

Wanna sniff it.

Great fish.

This is taking us to the homestretch.

Okay.

We ought to name it like a racetrack.

Yeah.

There you go.

I'll let it sink sometimes.

And then I'll pop it and get it spinning.

And then I'll hook the fish.

Glad you can show us how all how, Ohh!

Let█s go.

It's a giant.

That's a giant.

That█s a four pounder.

Oh that's a bigger than four pounder.

It's got a big old belly on it.

Look at that thing.

Let me make one cast.

Did you see my little pop that I put on it?

Yes, you did.

You said here█s what I like to do.

Right before I hook a five pounder.

I like to put a little pop on there, you know, tease them a little bit.

I can't thank you enough.

I never thought that I was going to come right here to central Kentucky and have one of the most incredible bass fishing experiences I've ever had in my entire life.

And to boot, I got to come here and tour, what a beautiful piece of property.

I share a lot of your same passions and your passions are straight Kentucky.

And look at that fish.

There's nothing better than farm pond bass fishing here in Kentucky.

We got the bass thumbs.

Mine's maybe a little more fragile.

Musician hands.

Thank you all for coming.

Beautiful week in the state of Kentucky.

1st of May, fish are pre-spawn.

What a great day.

It's been a blast.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for all you do.

Located along the Ohio River in Breckinridge County is Yellowbank WMA.

This area includes river bottom habitat along with open fields and woodlands that hold excellent numbers of deer.

Adjacent to the bottoms, the uplands offer opportunities to hunt turkeys, squirrels and quail.

Yellowbank WMA recently expanded by 790 acres, with the addition of the Belvedere tract bringing the area's overall size to over 7500 acres with four miles of Ohio River frontage.

The new track includes wetlands and moist soil units that are sure to enhance waterfowl hunting opportunities.

Yellowbank WMA is open to archery and crossbow deer hunting, and December muzzleloader season.

However, no modern gun deer hunting is allowed.

It is open to statewide regulations for turkey and squirrel hunting.

Remember that Wildlife Management Areas must abide by the Kentucky hunting, trapping and fishing regulations.

Also, keep in mind that regulations on WMAs often differ from statewide regulations.

So be sure to review the hunting guide or the website for the specific WMA that you are hunting.

For more information about this WMA or the latest regulations and restrictions that pertain to it, please visit our website at FW.KY.GOV or call 1-800-858-1549.

Kentucky's deer archery season is just over two months away, so now's a great time to get your gear out and start practicing.

Well, it's early September, very, very first week of Kentucky's archery season.

I'm here in a familiar spot in Shelby County in the same stand I hunted several times last year had quite a few encounters with some nice deer.

Just nothing.

I wanted to take just yet.

I really didn't see myself hunting this stand this early because as farmers do crop rotations this year this is in corn there could be a herd a deer stand right there and I would never know it.

So it really puts me in a situation where I have to set up here on the field edge and hunt the woods.

Well, this woods is thick.

It's 30 minutes after daylight right now.

And I can still barely see spots back in here.

It's going to be very, very hard to pick up a deer slip into the woods.

I'm going to have to stay on my feet, bow in hand release attached to my string and watching because of the deer comes through.

I'm going to have literally seconds to field judge it and decide to take a shot and then find a opportunity to get a really good shot.

Like all Septembers my freezers empty so I'm willing to take a doe stay tuned because it's going to be fast and furious.

Literally, if a deer comes in, it's going to be.

There it is.

Draw.

and shoot.

I had no idea where that deer came from.

I█m sitting up here.

Like I told y█all I abandon The field I'm watching down here on this trail where I know the deer have been traveling.

It's like that doe crawled out of my tree.

It's very, very wet today and you can't hear anything.

That deer was literally first time I saw it a foot and a half to two feet from the tree and she started to get a little nervous.

You saw her smell saw her smell.

Thank goodness she was upwind.

She couldn█t wind us and she would turn to figure out which direction she was going to go.

Gave me a real tight window.

I mean, a real tight window to draw and get a shot.

I think I put a really good shot on that deer.

It was really close.

Sometimes those are hard to hit because you shoot over them.

But I think I put a really good shot on that deer and it sounded like I heard her go down.

Hopefully.

It's exactly where I think it is.

That's the next objective.

Locate the deer as quickly as possible.

Get it out of here.

Start processing.

Well, here's my arrow.

A couple of things that you always want to do when you walk up on the impact site is.

First off, I'm going to take this arrow and I'm going to inspect First off, it looks like looks like all my blades on my broadhead.

It's a grim reaper.

Broadhead looks like they are opened and worked exactly like they're supposed to.

The blood I see on here, it's got some little bubbles in it.

It looks like a high shoulder shot, possibly through the lung and it's blood soaked all the way to tip.

Got a little bit of some bubbles on it.

Probably a single lung shot, if I had to guess.

Such a high angle, because this deer was right under me that it looked like it hit a little high.

But that means it'll come out the bottom, which is which.

A really good pass through shot.

Now, I'm not going to take this arrow with me.

I'm going to leave it right here.

This is the impact spot.

If I if I were to lose my blood trail I know I can come back right here and start again.

So right off the bat I'm seeing blood and I know the deer went in this direction and I believe it hooked and came back around here.

It looks like it ran a little circle.

I'm already seeing blood through this way, so I'm going to start tracking this thing, hopefully where it crosses this creek.

There should be a ton of blood All this is completely blood soaked.

I heard the deer get to this creek, so I know it made it to the creek.

I don't think it made it much past the creek.

Just there's just too much blood.

Here's the deer.

Here she lays right here.

Barely made it past the creek.

I thought I heard it fall down.

And here it lays.

All right, well, here she is.

Oh man, What a what a nice looking doe.

You can tell this deer is kind of transitioning from its summer coat to its winter coat.

It's getting real thick, and it's right in that process of shedding.

I'll tell you what, this was absolutely perfect.

The shot was in high and came out low, which is at that angle.

You want to try to aim where you want the arrow to exit.

And that's exactly what happened.

It turned out to be a perfect shot.

I couldn't be more excited to have this deer because my freezer is almost empty and I'm looking for some venison and some ground burger so that I can make chili and tacos and nachos and all that type stuff.

Hey, it's football season, you know?

So I'm looking forward to that.

And I tell you, this could not have turned out to be a better situation.

I want to get this thing drug out of this area.

This is the woods right here that I keep seeing a buck on camera over and over and over.

So now my goal is to get this deer out of here with leaving this little sent I possibly can.

I'm not even going to field dress it in here.

I'm going to hook it up and I'm going to drag it to the truck as fast as I can.

Get this thing processed, get it home.

And I'll tell you what, this here is going to be the beginning of me filling the freezer this fall.

Now let's check in and see who else has been out having fun in this week's ones that didn't get away.

Check out this muskie that was caught by Isaac Thacker on Father's Day.

He caught this fish while fishing with his dad and papa.

Nice job.

Check out this giant large mouth that was caught by Nathan Le Salvia in a farm pond in northern Kentucky.

Nice job.

Here we have Easton with a nice largemouth bass that he caught while fishing at Cave Run Lake.

Congratulations!

Jordan Powers is all smiles as he holds up his new personal best smallmouth bass that he caught while fishing it Dale hollow.

Nice job.

Here we have Shane Taylor with one of the most beautiful fish that swim in freshwater.

A nice bluegill that was caught it Lake Cumberland.

Check out this beautiful rainbow trout that was caught by Caleb lands.

This fish was caught at Wolf Creek Dam on the Cumberland River.

Check out this beautiful 30 inch brown trout that was caught by nine year old Michael This fish was caught in the Cumberland River.

Nice job.

I don't know about you, but after watching that hunt, it has me counting down the days to September the 6th, the opening day of the Kentucky deer archery season.

And remember, hunting and fishing on private property is a privilege.

Always ask permission and thank the landowner.

Until next week, I'm your host, Chad Miles, and I hope to you in the woods or on the water.