Bachflock

I bought my wife a used Jennings Rackmaster and within 20 minutes she was shooting amazing groups at 15 yards. I backed her up to 20 and they were still great. 30 yards she needed to work on but having never shot a bow in her life I just watched in disbelief! Now - it came pretty much ready to go. Not every bow, including the Rackmaster, will be that nicely set up once you get it. I'm still on the rookie end of bow hunting but I can tell you from that stand piont I want as few frustrations as possible. Going to a reputable bow shop will save a LOT of frustration. Tell them what you want, what your skill level is, and what you intend to do with the bow and they should get you on the right track. Most good shops, from what I've learned, will really go the extra miles to help a rookie out. Just for comparison purposes here is a link to the bow my wife owns: Jennings Rackmaster

Regarding our moving and the job change God continues to bless us and thanks a million for your prayers so far. It looks like I'll be starting the new job the week of July 14th. Until my house sells my family will stay behind and I will commute the 2.5 hours back and forth on my days off. During the work week I'll be living with my brother and his family. We were able to get the house almost completely painted and I didn't even fall off the ladder! LOL Really though, I hate heights and I painted the gables without any trouble. I really detest heights! My improvement/repair for sale account is just about tapped out and I still have a few things I want and need to do but my step-brother owns a carpet business and was able to help me out with carpet and linoleum. Not free by any means but at a significant discount and spreading it out on payments. Major blessing there. I am SO thankful that God watches over us even when the storms are raging. It is often us (me) whom worries if the boat will sink forgetting who is the real Captain of the vessel. When I think about our house selling in the market it is I really start to get stressed especially after putting so much money into it just for the sale THEN God taps me on the shoulder and reminds me - just trust in Him. Thanks again...

Tough spot Vince. Prayers for sure.

Bummer on the end caps. Replacements - it all depends on what you want out of them. I don't shoot with them on and use what I have mainly for keeping dust off the main lens. Just my opinion, tho.

Thank you all for your prayers... I have the answers. We visited a church in the area we will be moving to (notice the "will be...") and my heart is strongly encouraged! Very nice church and truly presents God's Word with accuracy and truth in mind. We have one other church to visit but there is at least one possiblity I like. Next, we WILL BE moving as I have been offered the job! AMEN! It is still in the "tenative" stage pending I pass a physical and background check. I am more physically fit than I've even been since starting running in '06 and I don't believe I've ever been arrested. So, unless God chooses to close the door at some point in the near future then we'll be moving in the next few months. I'd been praying all along that God don't even let me have the job offer if it isn't His will so in faith I believe he wants us to move. It went like this today: I visited the dispatch center last Friday and today called the director to thank her for letting me set in and observe. She said "...how'd you know I was thinking about you?!" She went on to explain how she wasn't happy with the way human resources were dragging their feet and had really been thinking things through. She decided to skip the rest of the normal testing process and, pending I pass the background check and a physical, I will have the job! I've been in the same field of work for 14 years and love my job so I'm sure that factored into her decision. I'm elated, excited, and scared all at the same time. So, thanks for your prayers so far and keep on praying that God takes care of all the details for us. Thanks!

LOL! Very true... just because they gobble at it doesn't mean they like it! Heck - last year I had gobblers gobbler after I pulled the trigger and their buddy was doing the floppy dance. They had no interest in finding out what was making that noice, that's for sure.

So when shall we look for you on a UFC team? Congrats!

Fantastic bird!

Can't argue with that! Well done!

My first thought was how much noise were you making walking in? Is it possible he got a shy streak as you walked through the woods before he was off the roost? The way I try to look at it is when I make a noise it's at least as twice as loud to a turkey. I was TERRIBLE this year in the woods - felt like I was hitting every dead twig in the woods so I can sympathize. Were you tree yelping or ground yelping - very quiet and soft versus normal to loud volume? I suppose it is possible you over called while he was still up in the roost. Were you calling while moving through the woods where he might know something isn't quite right? My guess is it was one of two things. Some combination of the above made him just leery enough he didn't want to check out you're calling. Or, you were simply not where he wanted to be.

Let's add sirens to that list. Spring '07 a house burned about 3 miles from where we were hunting and fire trucks sprinted back and forth for a solid 45 minutes sirens blasting. I'd be willing to bet the gobblers were nearly hoarse by the time they had the fire knocked down!

Awhile back I asked for prayers in a possible job change which would end up me leaving my currently place of employment after 12 years of good standing and move 2.5 hours away but in the same town as my brother and his family. It would be a significant income loss and overall big change but in the same field of work. My marriage is going better that it has, ever really, and we are very blessed right now. I do believe God allowed me to see the job posting and I've taken the approach all along that I'd check to door to see if God wants me to walk through it. I very much have a peace that God is in control of this. My primary prayer is that God slams the door shut before a job offer is made if it is not His will that we move or our marriage and family will not grow closer to Him and each other by changing jobs and moving. The praise in this, aside from my peace of mind and despite apparently being a VERY slow process, is that I found out today I am still in the process. Meaning - If you don't pass a stage you don't get a letter letting you know you didn't make it - you simply don't get a letter inviting you to the next testing session. Weird but that is the way they do it there. Our next prayer request is we find a good church. There are a lot of churches available but we're struggling to find one that we'd be comfortable in. I know we'll never replace the church we're in now but I want to make sure we find one that honors God in the music, worship, and presentation of His word. Etc... I don't want to move if there isn't a church that will feed my family spiritually and help us grow in God. Other prayer requests in this: Like I mentioned above the process is really taking a long time. Applications were due "only" Feb 21st but the process is also only 1/2 over. If the current pace keeps up I'm easily looking at August which will put us into the next school year for the kids. I also have to sell a house and find housing there. When I dwell on it it really starts to get overwhelming but I, most of the time, quickly turn it back over to God. I've been praying God starts preparing the heart of the buyer should He show us He wants us to move; that He guide my steps in how to prepare the house for sale; I truly trust in His timing even though it may not be "convenient" for me, but I am praying that we can get our kids into the school they are currently registered at up at the new town. If don't get the job until after the school year starts they would have to wait until the next school year (its an charter (free) academy vs public school). That would be fine but my brother's kids go to the academy, etc. Then I'd also have to stay with my brother and his family while my family stays at the house here until the house here sells, etc, etc, etc. Lot of concerns and worries if I let myself dwell and stew about it. It is really a bigger dilemma than I so I am really relying and trusting in God to take care of it and point me in the right direction when it comes to all these decisions. I will sincerely covet all your prayers. God has taken care of us this far... I know He won't let go of us, ever. Its me that sometimes doesn't want to let go!

Prayers going out for sure! Praising Him for the positive change in the cyst and asking Him for healing and guidence in your condition.

Well done! Kudo's on the haircut also!

That's a good point. I just started hunting turkey last year and bought a crow and an owl call. My brother likewise and picked up a red tail hawk call. Not a one of them could get the birds to gobble. However, every time a goose flew over they'd sound off. GO figure. This year I took a goose call with me and it worked. Thinkin' outside the box!

Working that hard for them will make you appreciate the tough days!

Very nice! Didn't see a single bird however?!

We hit the woods this morning about the time I expected - 9am. Had to get the kids off to school before we could get out the door. As soon as they were off so were we. We get to the location and only then do I realize that I forgot my binoculars and mouth calls. My wife, whose the one hunting, I'm just there to call, is a bit nervous having never hunted before but I assure her we'll do fine. Honestly, getting that late of a start I didn't expect much success but I was hoping she'd have fun none-the-less. We're not even out of the car yet and I spot two turkey between us and where I was hoping to set up! We ease out of the car and get all our stuff on. We were able to move 15 yards and stand behind a pile of wood so I could get a better look - binocs sure would have come in handy! Regardless from that vantage I could tell they were hens. They knew we were there but weren't spooking at all. They were in no hurry to leave the field either. It was a narrow strip of property we were hunting so I wasn't comfortable trying to work in ahead of them. After a moment I decided to make the drive back home for the binoculars and the mouth calls and give the hens a chance to move out the field without being pressured. Thirty minutes later we're back at the field and I'm now I'm really skeptical I'll put my wife on a bird. We move into the field and nothing that I could see. I set her up just inside the wood on the back side of the field and I move out 15 yards to set up the decoys. I don't even have both decoys out of my vest when I hear the first gobble! I look straight at my wife but she had missed it. Quickly now I set up the decoys and move back into the woods about 3 yards from my wife and the gobbler sounds off again - I haven't even called yet. She heard that one and her eyes show it - very cool. I'd guessed he was 150 yards or so, possibly somewhat farther. I start calling and he and I play the game. He wasn't what I'd call hot but he was listening. He moved to our left and closed the distance to somewhere around 75 yards. Then he started going back and forth in a line about that far away. We couldn't hear his steps and couldn't hear him spitting and drumming. Eventually he gets board and moves off and his gobbling becomes more and more distant until he's gone. We ended up working the bird a solid hour before he moved off. I'm thinking he probably had the two hens that we had seen with him and wasn't interested in leaving them for some mouthy unseen hen. I know there's also a fence back there some but they cross it frequently - its only about 3.5 - 4 ft tall but tall enough to make them think about it first. Today was only the first day but my wife got to see a couple of hens and got to listen and anticipate while I worked a gobbler for her. We weren't in the woods long at all but she's already looking forward to tomorrow. Can't ask for much more for her first experience!

Well, you're where the turkeys want to be... that is part of the battle isn't it?! Keep on keepin' on!

I'm headed out right now with my wife. How'd ya do?

GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO! If nothing else it'll be a chance to learn just a little more about the area you'd be hunting. Regardless of the weather you just never know about the birds unless you're there.

Last fall I missed, twice. I know your pain!

True but it sure wears on you over time. Not to mention it sure seems there are fewer and fewer people that don't even try to resist it and it corrodes them right along with the rest - almost willingly they go along with it.

That is fantastic! What a blessing... !

I'm a little late, brother, but I'll be praying for you!