Bowtech_archer07

HAHA, and you need to specify there.:hammer1:. Chicks is a restaurant in Macomb with some great chicken... LOL

Congrats on some great birds and um... mediocre shooting on your part at least!!

Story is now up!! http://www.realtree.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98622

Well I'm a week late telling the story, but here it is. Last Monday I was hunting on my 3rd season tag here in IL for the 1st good day. I couldn't hunt Saturday due to testing for a police dept and Sunday was raining and windy and I tried but couldn't get any birds to work. So I head out Monday morning to a spot my dad had seen birds in the week before. I get there and sit down on a downed tree and listen. I hear a bird gobble within 200 yards of me so I move to the end of this finger of the field and set up. I start calling and nothing is answering. There were 3-4 birds gobbling in this area and nothing was answering me. I was about ready to chalk the hunt up to bad luck and no bird. I did hear a bird about 500 yards away so I actually got up to start working this bird and I was moving on him when a bird gobbled about 200 yards from where I originally set up. So I turned around and got back to my original set up. Then the bird that was 500 yards away started moving to me gobbled about 250 yards away. So I started calling to that bird when another bird about 100 yards in front gobbled. So I called and the bird in front of me gobbled again. I cut and the bird in front of me cut me off and the bird that had been working in from behind gobbled too. Both birds shut up and the next time the bird in front of me gobbled he was 150 yards away coming around the edge of the timber draw. That's when I heard her. THE HEN!!! She was in the same finger as him and he turned around and went to her. About 5 minutes after that the bird behind me gobbled again and I cut and he cut me off. Then things got quiet for about 15 minutes. After that I heard a bird cluck and looked over and here is a gobbler in full strut with a jake about 60 yards away. They started working towards my decoy when the gobbler came out of strut looking for the hen. I yelped softly again on my mouth call and he went back into strut and started spitting and drumming and coming in. The jake got to my decoy first and when the gobbler came around the brush I let him hold it at 25 steps. He was a 2 yr old and weighed 22 lbs, had a 10 in beard and 7/8" spurs. This was by far the most gobbling on the ground I have ever heard in a morning. The birds wanted to work more and gobble more on the ground than in the tree which I have never had happen. There wasn't more than a 10 min span between a bird gobbling somewhere within ear shot on that morning. It was a really cool hunt. Here are some pics!!

Sorry, haven't had time to post the story... Will try to get it up by this weekend..

Bowtech_Archer07 Gobbler's Nightmare 4/26/10 22 lbs 10 in. beard Left Spur- 7/8" Right Spur 7/8" Tag Pic Entry Form

Got a 2 yr old this morning..22 lbs, 10 in. beard, 7/8" spurs. Pics on the board and story and pics in the turkey hunting room...

Well first morning out will be tomorrow. Supposed to be raining, but maybe it will clear off overnight and I can make something happen.. I'm hopin anyway!

I was just getting ready to go to my photobucket and find that. LOL All if those are great shots.

I was just getting ready to go to my photobucket and that. LOL All if those are great shots.

Sounds like fun Tyler! I went out yesterday morning with dad and couldn't any birds to work. I thought I had one that wanted to play but he every time he'd gobble and we would move on him he would move farther away and eventually got a long ways across the property line. My season starts Friday, but I might not get to hunt until Sunday due to work and testing for Police Departments. We'll see how things go. Hopefully they birds decide to start acting a little more normal for this time of year and I can get on the board!

Congrats Piney!! That's awesome. I got a call from my boss on the farm 2day and it sounds like I may not get to hunt my first tag due to field work that has to get done. I'm hoping we will be done by then or at least I can go out for a few hours each morning, but I don't know if it's going to happen. I may be down to only 1 tag this yr.. Hopefully I can hunt them both and improve my chances though.

Congrats Piney!! That's awesome. I got a call from my boss on the farm 2day and it sounds like I may not get to hunt my first tag due to field work that has to get done. I'm hoping we will be done by then or at least I can go out for a few hours each morning, but I don't know if it's going to happen. I may be down to only 1 tag this yr.. Hopefully I can hunt them both and improve my chances though.

Ya, I definitely understand that. I'm waiting until I get a job offer from somebody and know what they provide, what they want. But everywhere that I have applied is pretty open as far as cuff style, leather or nylon belt etc... But ya, I'm definitely excited about getting my rig set up!! And thanks for the advice Kyle

Well, a second heaven anyway. I found a place called 10-8 Outfitters here in Bloomington, IL which specializes in law enforcement gear sales. I found everything I will need once I become a cop from my Glock 21 to my flashlight, to my gear bag to gloves to handcuffs and everything else you can possibly imagine. They offer the Glock LE package which is about a $100 discount on the gun. So once I get hired somewhere, I will definitely be going there to purchase some equipment. Here is the website if you wanna check it out: www.10-8outfitters.com They have an online store where you can look at everything but guns. They carry paddle holsters and concealed carry holsters for those of you lucky enough to live in states w/ concealed carry laws. It definitely was a great place with guys who were willing to work with you and answer any questions that I had.

Thanks everyone!! I will keep you all updated as to how things are going and how the testing processes are going. Last time I tested at Decatur I got through the physical and written tests but I didn't pass the oral interview. Hopefully I can change that.

Well as of 7 am Saturday morning my internship w/ Decatur PD was over. It was an awesome, eye-opening experience and I'm really glad I chose that department to complete my internship with. I test there next Saturday (17th), then at another PD the 24th, then a 3rd PD on May 22nd. Hopefully things work out with one of them! :D:2guns::2guns::flex:

One of the does I shot last year I would say was the perfect shot. I knew the exact yardage to be 35 yards because I constantly ranged that area. She stepped out with another deer and stood broadside for 5 minutes never having any idea I was there. I settled in and put the pin right behind the shoulder and watched the arrow disappear. She only ran 15 yards and stood there not having any clue what hit her. It was a pretty cool sight to actually know that I fooled a deer completely. That is probably the only "perfect" shot I believe I have made.

Went out and put up a couple ground blinds yesterday. Saw a longbeard struttin w/ 3 hens. I'm gettin anxious. April 23 can't get here fast enough!

Well I got got good one time by ccwhitey.. I don't know if it was April 1 or not but it was def in the spring. He calls me up saying "man you should see these sheds I just found, some of em are huge, one is off close to a 200" deer." So I go flyin out to his house, get there and am just in amazement at these antlers. He had like 15 laid out in his garage that he said he found that day. So I'm pickin these antlers up, like I said, I'm in awe. About that time a mutual friend of ours drives out and starts collecting the antlers. That's when it hit me, "crap, I just got pranked goooood." LOL The antlers were all ones that our mutual friend had found over the years. He kept me goin for 10 or 15 min before I finally figured out what was going on

Well there is some background that I know has gotten out... The reason for the murder is the murderers got robbed by the guy they shot the night before so this was retaliation for that. Just kind of an FYI

Well, they apprehended the murder suspects. Here is the link to the article. They were only about 35 miles away. http://www.herald-review.com/news/local/article_2886aa0e-aba1-5d64-8917-c277d05efaa2.html

Call quiet to him on the roost, be between him and where he wants to go is also important. Also, one trick that has worked for me the last 2 years is if he is with hens and you feel you are a proficient enough caller, call to the hens instead of the gobbler. Try to make that hen angry by cutting her off A LOT, making fighting purrs and calling very aggressively. It doesn't work every time, but if you can call to the hen and get her to come to you, she will bring the gobbler in tow.. Good luck!

Well, the city where I am doing my internship had it's first homicide Sunday 3-28-10. Here is a link to the website of the newspaper. http://www.herald-review.com/news/local/article_21928278-ccb4-5ba9-ad6f-092fd6b3d10f.html I was not there when this happened, I only am there Mon-Fri but it definitely opens your eyes that you always have to be aware out there. Hopefully these dirtbags get caught and prosecuted.

That was what I was gonna say too. When I got it I woke up and my eye was crusted shut and I had to put a rag with hot water over my eye to soften it up enough to even open my eye to tell if I had pink eye.