Leo

Last years winner without makeup!!! It's shocking!

If you can legally hunt the afternoon you're foolish not to. Turkeys don't become nocturnal like deer, every daylight second is fair game. It's been my experience they aren't nearly as vocal in the afternoon so don't expect them to respond. They sneak in quietly. Do your homework and know where the birds are spending the day and you will connect. Killed mine this year at 6:00pm. Sun wasn't setting for at least another hour and 15 minutes.

The double throat patch is not common. Once you start looking for them you don't see very many. Ask a taxidermist in your area how many he has seen.

The Rage heads look neat. I've never used them. I've only seen them in 100gr weight that may be their only option. You don't need G5s sharpener to sharpen a Montec. Any quality knife sharpening stone system will do the job nicely. I use a Smith's Abrasive diamond stone. Medium then touch up on fine. I've killed little and BIG stuff with the Montec. It's a good head. Nobody's head hits "exactly" like fieldpoints beyond 25yds. Some are closer than others. But same hole? Never seen it. The game you are pursueing is important in this choice. If elk are a possibility the Montec wins hands down. These heads are great penetrators. With deer, the large cutting diameter of the Rage might shorten recovery. The Montec heads are durable. They are truly reusable with a resharpen job. You can shoot them into a target, re-sharpen and hunt with the same arrow you sighted in with.

Re: New Bow(pics)!!!!! [ QUOTE ] I have never shot better. It took me 4 shots to get it sighted in at 20 yards, and I shot 5 arrows in a 3 in. group. It's quiet, fast, and I have 2 pins out to 35 yds. One is to 25, then another one out to 35. On my old bow I had 4 pins: 20, 25, 30, 35. It absolutely amazing. It is used, but I bought it from a dealer, so it got inspected, and the guy who had it before me took really good care of it. I got it for $400 so I couldn't pass that up. Retail it is about $750-$800. So at a year old, and half retail price, I could not pass it up!! [/ QUOTE ] Not surprised. IMO, that is one of the most seriously forgiving bows Bowtech ever made. I've heard the Commander is supposed to replace it on the 3D circuit. That's some big shoes to fill. You did good.

Re: i\'m back.... Hey bud, wish I could fix it up for you. Good to see ya in here.

Re: Computer Whiz, Geek or Guru: You've got Checkdisk turned on. Right click the drive in "My Computer" pick properties-tools-disk check and turn it off. System Restore has been turned off. Right click the my computer icon-properties-system restore turn it back on. If you uninstalled Norton without using their online unistall program, all I can say is you poor guy. You have to reinstall the version you "uninstalled". Uninstall it with the online tool. And finally reinstall it. Sorry no way around it except a complete system wipe and TOTAL reinstall of everything. If none of that makes sense to you. Get the computer in front of a tech. 8 out of 10 techs will just throw in the towel and wipe everything. They can't afford not to.

Re: The Impossible Turkey Season Thanks for the kind words folks. Buckee, I'm sorry I'm keeping the clover. I don't think they do ya any good if someone else finds it for ya anyhow. Quite few folks like the "Pattern" pic. I've been asked for full size copies already. Maybe I can sketch some vitals in and make it really cool.

I realize that technically this post belongs in the turkey hunting section of the forum. If it gets moved later. I understand. I just thought that it needed to be here first for two reasons. First, the unfortunate folks who don't get to hunt them, because their area doesn't offer the opportunity. And last, the deluded folks who don't know what they're missing out on. Perhaps I'll pull some converts into the fold of the rest of us T-Nuts! Turkeys mean spring hunting. Sometimes warm, sometimes cold, sometimes windy, sometimes rainy, sometimes green, often snaky, seriously buggy... always changing. This season has been no different, in that respect. Everything is different! The first three days of this season were serious hard hunting. Opening morning was the best weather of the season for me I've hunted this year. Clear, still, just the tiniest nip in the air. The birds roared new day welcome gobbles as the sun cleared the horizon. We could make out at least 5 and possibly 7 different gobblers all within 350yds of our blind. Two were easily under 200yds away. We were positioned in an area we know they always come through to enter a big field. Everything looked perfect. The decoys were out. Staked right in fresh scratching from the day before. The blind had been set up and staked down two weeks prior to the opener. The scratching sign was being refreshed daily on the right hand side in front of the blind. My partner who is left handed set up on my left. This would make a shot to the right the most comfortable for him. I'd video his hunt. That was the plan. Turkeys don't read the play book. Of course they came out on the left. There was absolutely no sign they had done this before. Yet apparently that was the day they decided on a change of pace. Three big toms, all big shooters and a dozen hens. They would not come to the right hand side of the blind. No amount of coaxing worked. I got them within 35yds of the left hand side. I could have shot, but that wasn't why I was there. We watched them move up to the big field. Later, some jakes entertained us. We don't shoot jakes on the NWTF plan, so we just enjoyed their teenage antics. One provided me with a picture for a new patterning target. I hunted the afternoon, next day and last morning. Heard birds but saw none. The following week I went one afternoon with a friend to a new farm. Saw one hen. Nothing else. 40hrs of turkey hunting and little action. That's a spirit dampener for anyone. The weekend was taken over by my father-in-law's 80th birthday party. No complaints from me. He's more than earned the right to interrupt my turkey season. He has provided me with the love of my life and that is more than I feel I can ever repay. Perhaps that side trip was just the thing I needed to change my luck, in his front yard I found this. Further disaster. My best turkey hunting bud lost his job. The all to common squeeze of consolidation and company buy outs got him nothing but a pink slip after 12yrs with the same company. Finding new employment is now his number one priority. Turkey season is on indefinite hold for him. I am greatly saddened by this. But I do understand. I was beginning to accept there may be no bird this year for me. The other day I hear from him. He suggests I try behind his Aunt's place. She'll watch out for me. That's what I need. Hunting without someone looking out for me in my condition is more than unwise. It's foolhardy and dangerous. This means for me only an afternoon hunt. That's OK. This time of year as more hen's are bred the Toms are more desperate in the afternoons. Yesterday afternoon was one of those super windy spring days. Pine pollen was giving everything a thorough yellow dusting. Turkey hunting and wind doesn't seem to go together. To top it off a cold front was moving in and this had shut the birds gobbling activity completely down. I went anyway. Trusting in early season scouting, my previous five years hunting this place and most importantly God's will. Odds were, it was very likely going to be a bust. I knew however if I could get a late afternoon tom to hear me, although I wouldn't hear him in this wind, good things could happen. Tom's have trouble pinpointing calls on windy days. The wind creates the illusion you are moving around. So actually moving around is a bad bad strategy. Staying put it one location and calling very sparingly has always been my best strategy for days like this. You need to mind where the wind is predominantly blowing and position yourself where the wind blows your calls towards where you believe the birds are. This is where scouting and learning what the birds are doing all day pays off. I arrived at my friends aunt's house. Helped her put up a birdfeeder. I skirted the area the birds may be in to maximize my chances. That required taking an indirect path to the blind. Harder but I didn't want to spoil any chance I had. I was settled in the blind by 2:00pm. The wind was right. I called my wife on the cell phone, left her a message I was settled in and hunting. "Don't call back I'm hunting." Before I could power down the phone. It rings! Argh!!! My wife asks, "Did you just call?" I reply wryly, "Yes, I just left a message not to call me." It's cool, no harm done. Phones off. I'll call when I'm coming out. Three people know exactly where I am. If I'm not out on time. They'll come looking. More incentive to stay put. Four hours pass. I munch some pop tarts, and drink some water. I begin to fill a ziploc bag with some used water. Blow a tube call and scratch a slate. No birds. Not a peep. I knock out a few chapters on a book I'm reading. As so often happens in this thing called turkey hunting. Out of the swamp comes what I have so patiently awaited. Completely silent. But undeniably not dreaming in the flesh right there. A definite shooter. Of course once again this turkey neglected the play book. He's directly in front of the window I neglected to peel back the netting. I click on the video camera. Stick it out a side window and get him in view. I very slowly pry the velcro apart and release one corner. Super risky, the turkey closes from thirty five to twenty five yards. A suddenly velcro rip at that distance he'll bugger out. Slow, slow, slow! Stop facing me! Put your head up! My diaphragm call sits on the blind floor in front of me. I don't risk reaching for it. I do a light kee kee whistle with my mouth. It appears to have a delayed effect penetrating this birds eardrums. He lifts his head to listen. Safety off, I take aim with my fiber optic sights at the base of his neck. I send 2 1/4 ounces of very angry Winchester Supreme number fours down the pipe at him. My Browning BPS (Black Perfect Shotgun) precisely centers the pattern at the base of the neck. One strand on the beard makes 10 inches, 3/4 inch spurs and 16.5 pounds. These birds are lightweight easterns with a little Osceola blood in them. Gives them a more green than bronze iridescence. A solid two year old. Very likely one of the seven jakes I passed last year. I'm extremely happy and thankful God has given me another great turkey.

Re: Blantons Blog Comments Michael may need that breast pump to suck the sorry out of his rear end after Ashley finds out his complaint about spending money on it just went public!! New mother with twins? Everything in the future Michael is about them. Better get used to it. Methinks David just got Michael back for something. Wonder what it was?

Re: More FOC mumbo-jumbo Total arrow weight matters with FOC. In general if your total arrow weight is over 600grs 8% FOC is just fine. But I certainly wouldn't want to see any lower. The closer you get to 350grs the closer you need to be to 12%. Exceeding that is really hard to accomplish but I wouldn't worry too much if you do. With a 358gr arrow 12% is a good target. Do measure what the actual FOC is after you put together a new arrow. FOC calculators are just estimates it's good to know what it really is.

Re: Appropriate High Fence Thread!!!! Since there seems to be some confusion over the use of the word. Here is the definition of prejudice. [ QUOTE ] PREJUDICE is, as the name implies, the process of "pre-judging" a particular person, place or thing for the way it acts, looks, or even who or what it is involved with. It implies coming to a judgment on a subject before learning where the preponderance of evidence actually lies, or forming a judgment without direct experience. When applied to social groups, prejudice generally refers to existing biases toward the members of such groups, often based on social stereotypes; and at its most extreme, results in groups being denied benefits and rights unjustly (see persecution) or, conversely, unfairly showing unwarranted favor towards others [/ QUOTE ]

Re: Which bait? If you're in post spawn, a finess worm is hard to beat.

Re: poisonous blue cat Hardheads and sailcats do have poisonous spines. So do some of the small catfish species like madtoms. Bluecats don't have poisonous spines but the spines have so much bacteria on them you can get one heck of an infection. Take any wound from a catfish spine seriously. Boil the wound out with Hydrogen peroxide, then cover it with neosporin and a bandage. You can get a staff infection from any spine wound. Then you'll have to be on IV antibiotics and spend some time in a hospital bed. Watch the wound carefully, if you still have swelling and redness in a couple days go to the hospital.

Re: Venny Brats for lunch today!! Put them in a crockpot, cover them completely with beer. Leave them in the pot on low overnight. Then grill them. Serve with sauteed peppers and onions. Also put a couple hunks of pepperjack cheese on the plate. I use Jack Daniels spicey mustard on brats. It's KICKIN!!!

Re: Wow!!! thought it would be more expensive.... Amazing a typo hijacked the thread! $600 would have bought a dream rifle back when I started hunted. Bowhunting was supposed to save money. Re-useable ammo, cheaper than a rifle, anybody else remember those arguments? I'm only 40 and I sure do. My how times have changed! Some guys have more in their bows then I have invested in all my stuff. Wait till next year and buy the Vulcan on Ebay for $400

Re: Norm Sauceman says Hi! Yeah Bob, I do. At least once a week. He's going to Newfoundland this fall to try and get a moose and a caribou. Been a long time buddy how are you doing? Send me a PM.

Re: UNBELIEVABLE MATH PROBLEM [ QUOTE ] Got this in a email..pretty cool. [ QUOTE ] Here is a math trick so unbelievable that it will stump you. Personally I would like to know who came up with this and why that person is not running the country. 1. Grab a calculator. (you won't be able to do this one in your head) 2. Key in the first three digits of your phone number (NOT the area code) 3. Multiply by 80 4. Add 1 5. Multiply by 250 6. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number 7. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number again. 8. Subtract 250 9. Divide number by 2 Do you recognize the answer? [/ QUOTE ] [/ QUOTE ] If X is the first three digits and Y is the last four. This is the formula (250*(80X+1)+2Y-250)/2 Eliminating the first bracket by multiplication it becomes this (20000X+250+2Y-250)/2 The 250s cancel out and you get (20000X+2Y)/2 Go ahead and divide by 2 and magically it's 10000*X+Y Which will obviously give you back your phone number every time.

Re: 100grain vs. 125grain Yep about 5fps loss is right. You gain a little teeny bit of Kinetic Energy going heavier but not much. More important in selecting head weight is how they balance and spine your arrows. Different weight heads group differently. Weight has more of an effect on accuracy than trajectory. Certain weight heads will shoot more accurately out of your setup than others. Test shoot some different fieldpoints. Then select broadhead weight. There are other ways to deal with the speed loss if that concerns you. Sometimes you can replace full length vanes with blazers, switch from a 100 to a 125gr head and hardly change arrow weight at all. The resulting arrows will have a higher FOC and less spine. If you're borderline on spine that's a big mistake. But if you're high on spine and low on FOC the results of that change can be awesome! You may actually gain speed and accuracy. Even though the total arrow weight remains almost the same the blazers have less drag and spin the arrow more efficiently. 100grs is far and away the most popular weight. But some folks a finding the heavier 125s are actually a better choice for their set up.

Re: How should I set my pins? [ QUOTE ] sounds pretty good. but i dont you pins when im deer hunting. i use a single pin. [/ QUOTE ] Robinhood is on to something here I recommend you pay attention. Lots of bowhunters rifle hunt too. We sight our rifles in 1" high at a 100yds. This because if we do that it usually means at 200yds we don't have to worry about any hold over and still make a lethal hit. Also for many calibers such a set up will usually put the bullet dead nuts on at 25yds. Why so many bowhunters refuse to do that with their bows puzzles me. You're going hunt with the bow not cut paper "X"s Figure out what your maximum point blank range is for your set up. Set up a pin at five yards. Back up aim for the same point and see where it groups at 10yds. If it is within a 4in circle from the original group, back up to 20yds and shoot a group again. Keep going if you can. Pretty soon you'll figure out where you can set that pin and still hit within that circle at a maximum yardage. It's different for every bow and set up. This is how you find your most useful point of aim for that bow. For hunting that will be where you need to set your first pin. I usually set a couple of pins at 10yd increments beyond the maximum first range pin. Most folks that's as far as you can possibly shoot. I put a label on my bow limb that tells me what the maximum range is on the first pin and where the second and third one are sighted in. Lots of guys who shoot the pro circuit either hunt with a different bow that is sighted in for hunting or have an alternate set of sights they use for tourneyments or hunting. In my experience, good on paper is a lot harder to hunt with.

Re: My Africa Safari Nice story Ty. I've heard Scimitar meat is even better than axis deer. What's you take on that?

Talked to Norm Sauceman, for the first time in a long long time he actually told me he was feeling ok. That made me real happy. His doctor's have been playing around with his meds and he is probably gonna get some electrodes surgically implanted in his back. So really he's not feeling OK enough to be on the message board. It was good to talk to him though. He told me to make sure and tell everyone hi for him. He's sorry he's not here more. But I do understand why he isn't

Re: bass, buzz baits????? Bass will hit buzz baits any time they are in the weeds. Multiple casts to a single area will often trigger an anger strike I've made as many as 98 casts to the same spot before a bass tried to "kill it" to make it shut up. Doesn't work on bedding fish but if you know the bass is in there. It's a good trick.

Re: What is a good FOC %? FOC is just a percentage based on the arrows center of gravity. There is no set optimum FOC for all arrows. Calculating it only gives you a rough idea of what it will be. The only way to get at the real value is to measure it yourself. In my experience the less your total arrow weight is the more your FOC needs to be. If you're at a minimum weight arrow you need the maximum FOC. Arrow spine is inversely related to FOC. Increase FOC and arrow spine goes down. Decrease FOC and arrow spine goes up. This means ANYTHING you do to an arrow that changes FOC changes your effective spine some.

Re: Black Squirrels There are areas in Southern Ontario that the black squirrels out number the greys by a significant margin. The black ones seem to have an advantage in harsh winters.