team 21

[thunderchicken21]

I had some opening morning success yesterday in Ohio!

With the mid 30 degree temperature and bone chilling wind this morning, I couldn't help but ask myself if it was really turkey season. I knew I wasn't going to get many opportunities to hunt in Ohio this spring so I figured I'd better make the best of it. I dressed warm, and even pulled out a couple packs of hand warmers to bring along just in case.

I was situated on the edge of a large bottom field which had just been planted two weeks ago. I've had great success hunting this field in the past, but this time I decided to head to the other end of the field from where I typically set up to try and utilize the wood line as a wind barrier. As I sat in my Matrix 360 overlooking my DSD Jake, submissive hen, and upright hen, the woods came alive with birds chirping and other activity as the sun began to rise. I sat and waited, hoping to hear a gobble....nothing.

I sat for nearly an hour after daybreak before finally seeing a pair of birds through my Gold Rings. Off in the distance, nearly 400 yards away, a Jake was strutting and chasing around a hen. Typically I would have been set up only 60 yards or so from where they were, but the weather had me change my plans and I thought for sure it had cost me a shot at a legal bird.

I called sparingly for the next two and a half hours without hearing a peep. Finally, around 9:00 I look up and see a bird in the clover field to my southeast about 100 yards away. I flipped on my camcorder and began to film, not even knowing for sure what it was. After filming for a few seconds, I picked up my binoculars and saw the big ol' red noggin and beard. That got me excited!

I picked up my pot call and striker and started a few light clucks and purrs as he started making his way my direction. It seemed like eternity, but he finally made it in to about 45 yards. When he finally saw my DSD Jake, the game was over. He started to puff up and mean-walked straight in to 8 yards to come face to face with the Jake decoy. Spurs were flying and wings were flapping as I framed up my camcorder and got ready for the shot. I placed my pin right on the top of his hips and let the Grip Reaper tipped arrow go. I saw the green Firenock disappear exactly where I had held my pin and watched as the Tom struggled to make it another 15 yards before disappearing from the view of my camcorder.

It's hard enough to bowhunt these birds, but to be able to SELFILM it all makes it even that much more rewarding!

It turned out to be a great morning, and boy am I glad I didn't miss it!

He weighed in at 21.6#, sported a 7 15/16" beard, and a 3/4" and 1" spur.

[snewton_89]

I had some opening morning success yesterday in Ohio!

With the mid 30 degree temperature and bone chilling wind this morning, I couldn't help but ask myself if it was really turkey season. I knew I wasn't going to get many opportunities to hunt in Ohio this spring so I figured I'd better make the best of it. I dressed warm, and even pulled out a couple packs of hand warmers to bring along just in case.

I was situated on the edge of a large bottom field which had just been planted two weeks ago. I've had great success hunting this field in the past, but this time I decided to head to the other end of the field from where I typically set up to try and utilize the wood line as a wind barrier. As I sat in my Matrix 360 overlooking my DSD Jake, submissive hen, and upright hen, the woods came alive with birds chirping and other activity as the sun began to rise. I sat and waited, hoping to hear a gobble....nothing.

I sat for nearly an hour after daybreak before finally seeing a pair of birds through my Gold Rings. Off in the distance, nearly 400 yards away, a Jake was strutting and chasing around a hen. Typically I would have been set up only 60 yards or so from where they were, but the weather had me change my plans and I thought for sure it had cost me a shot at a legal bird.

I called sparingly for the next two and a half hours without hearing a peep. Finally, around 9:00 I look up and see a bird in the clover field to my southeast about 100 yards away. I flipped on my camcorder and began to film, not even knowing for sure what it was. After filming for a few seconds, I picked up my binoculars and saw the big ol' red noggin and beard. That got me excited!

I picked up my pot call and striker and started a few light clucks and purrs as he started making his way my direction. It seemed like eternity, but he finally made it in to about 45 yards. When he finally saw my DSD Jake, the game was over. He started to puff up and mean-walked straight in to 8 yards to come face to face with the Jake decoy. Spurs were flying and wings were flapping as I framed up my camcorder and got ready for the shot. I placed my pin right on the top of his hips and let the Grip Reaper tipped arrow go. I saw the green Firenock disappear exactly where I had held my pin and watched as the Tom struggled to make it another 15 yards before disappearing from the view of my camcorder.

It's hard enough to bowhunt these birds, but to be able to SELFILM it all makes it even that much more rewarding!

It turned out to be a great morning, and boy am I glad I didn't miss it!

He weighed in at 21.6#, sported a 7 15/16" beard, and a 3/4" and 1" spur.

Very nice! The weather has been crazy. Still nothing for me. I saw a bright red head back in the timber and got excited, but when it turned I saw the fan...jake. Had another bird gobbling and coming in. Gobbles sounded funny, but I was glad to hear it. Bird popped over the hill....another jake. First year in seven that I haven't gotten a bird two weekends in. I haven't even had one talking to me.

I've got two more weekends, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get back out. I did see a group of seven jakes so next year looks promising.

[cicero]

Got one yesterday. Shoulder got messed up at work and had to get out the ole super x2. Will get pics up in score thread tonight. It had 2 beards, one 11, and 6 on the other. Had inch and a quarter spurs. Had shot part of his fan off opening morning on an extreme downhill shot.

[thunderchicken21]

Congrats Chris!

I put bird number 2 down, in Indiana this weekend. 10.5" beard and 1 3/16" & 1 1/4" spurs

I saw where you can post up two birds to score, but can you upgrade one later? If not, I'll hold onto this one until later...heading to NE next week!

[snewton_89]

Great job guys!

[thunderchicken21]

Congrats Chris!

I put bird number 2 down, in Indiana this weekend. 10.5" beard and 1 3/16" & 1 1/4" spurs

I saw where you can post up two birds to score, but can you upgrade one later? If not, I'll hold onto this one until later...heading to NE next week!

Here's the story and pics....



I made the trip back to my old stomping grounds in southwestern Indiana this past weekend to participate in my Godchild's 1st Communion on Saturday. The timing worked out great as Indiana's turkey season opened up on the 25th, and I was able to get a little bit of hunting in with my Dad.

Saturday morning was uneventful as we had only heard a couple gobbles and did not see a bird all morning. We hunted until noon before finally calling it quits for the day and headed back to the house to get a few things done before the 1st Communion. My Dad headed back down to our family farm to take care of feeding and checking on the cattle when he spotted a couple black dots in one of our foodplots. With this information, we knew where we wanted to set up the next morning.

4:45 came early the next morning as we gathered our gear and made the 10 minute drive back to our farm. We set up on the eastern edge of our food plot with the DSD Jake and submissive hen setup only 8 steps away. My Dad was in the shooters seat and I was behind the camera trying to get a bird on video. Before I could even turn on the camera to begin the pre-hunt interview, a bird fired off a mere 150 yards or so behind us. He gobbled his head off all morning before finally hitting the ground.

His gobbling never really stopped, but he moved off in the opposite direction as we heard a second bird fire off to our southeast. After a little bit of aggressive calling, he made his way to about 100 yards away on a ridge in the woodlot behind us. We called about every 15 minutes or so to try to entice him to come into the food plot and it didn't seem like he wanted to come our way.

Finally around 8:20 my Dad says "Bird!". I peaked out of a crack in the blind, and a big ol' redhead was standing in the field about 80 yards away looking our direction. Some light purrs and clucks got him moving in our direction. He blew up into full strut as he made the last few steps into the decoy setup and confronted the DSD Jake. The Tom brushed the decoy, biting his head for what seemed like forever, all the while my Dad was sitting there at full draw. Finally the bird moved out from behind the Jake decoy and I told my Dad to plant the pin right at the base of the waddles as the Tom faced the blind in full strut. Just before my Dad released, the bird turned quartering to us just so slightly causing the shot to miss the vitals.

The wounded bird ran off to about 60 yards before I was able to pick up my call and try to get the bird to stop. Finally at 80 yards, he turned and slowly started making his way back in our direction! I told my Dad to grab his bow and nock another arrow as we may be in business! We were able to get the bird back in to just past 20 yards before he decided he had seen enough and turned to go the opposite direction. The bird was on the far left side of the blind which didn't allow my Dad an opportunity to try for a finish shot. By this time, the bird was nearing the 40 yard mark when I told my dad to grab my bow. I nocked an arrow as my Dad pulled down the side of my Matrix blind to allow me a shot. I settled the 40 yard pin on the middle of his back and watched my arrow connect before the bird took off into the wood line.

I felt horrible that my Dad wasn't the one to kill this bird, but in the end I'm happy we didn't let a wounded bird escape us and eventually die on it's own. And I was able to Selfilm it all as I was actually in the camera guys seat.

Here are his stats:

21lbs, 4 oz.
10.5" beard
1 3/16" and 1 1/4" spurs

[thunderchicken21]

Where is everyone?????