2013 What a Great Year in the Woods!!!

What a great hunting season! 

I had the opportunity to hunt with some of the finest sportsmen I know!
I was able to harvest my first spring Gobbler this year,
Saw more buck from the stand than any other year in the past. 


Spring Gobbler

 I shared my turkey season with 3 great guys, and came so close to getting a double.

Doug and I chasing Swamp Chickens

Matt & I waiting and ready!

Matt & I had only been in our spot for maybe an hour when the gobbles started to hammer from the ridge in front of us. With a few Yelps we had them coming on a string.
Matt was the first to see them at the field edge and the adrenaline kicked in.
We had 3 birds coming into our set up on a string.
We waited for what seamed like for ever for them to come into range.
I whispered to Matt once they were in range that at the count of 3 we would shoot.
With the adrenalin rolling and so focused on the shot I didn't notice Matt wasn't quite ready when my count hit 3. Two shotgun blast and one bird flopping...

 Not only was this my first Spring Gobbler it was also my first turkey ever. had a 5 1/2 beard and weighted around 12 to 15 pounds I was using Winchester Super mag's  #4 copper plated 3" mag with a Remington 870 Sure shot express Turkey

Archery

I had a late start getting into the woods this fall. 

I made my first trip Oct 26th and had action in the stand none stop all season.

I only hunted 7 days in archery and only two days were skunked days.

I saw at least 4 deer each time i was out and almost every trip a legal buck was seen.

I have really worked hard to figure out the deer the last couple years where John and I have been hunting and it really paid off this year!

John was able to get a fantastic buck and we had more encounters in archery with legal bucks then any year before. I wasn't able to put it together in archery but was one of the most successful seasons I have had in a long time!  

 

 Rifle

My rifle season was one of the quickest and most successful seasons I have ever had.

John and I hit the woods early in hopes of anyone else in the area would push deer to us.

After a hour in the dark the first shoot rang out at 6:45am. and the action started.

 With in minuets of the first shoot we had deer coming in. 4 or 5 doe worked there way thought but decided to let them walk.

It wasn't to long a we spotted a lone deer working its way to us. So John hit the grunt tube and got the camera rolling. She came in to about 60 or so yards and my dad's Ruger 7mm Mauser dropped her in her tracks...

I quickly climbed out of my tree got her tagged and drug her back to the tree. Jumped right back in my stand in hopes of more action since it was only 7:30am.

It wasn't 10min. and John tells me to get ready there are more deer coming.

I spot 2 then 3 then 4 deer working there way down the hill. I notice the 3rd deer is a buck and appears to be legal.

John gets the Camera rolling and hits the grunt tube, and he breaks from the group and come in to about 50 yards.

I took a quoting tortes shot and he took off like a rocket, but only a short distance before we could tell he was hit. I was so amped up and shaking that John was picking on me for making the tree shake.

well i quickly climb down and after some "Hang ups" getting out of the stand I was off to do a quick tracking job, and had a tag on him by 7:45am.

He ran about 150 yards from where I shot to the point he died. This buck is the second biggest buck for me to date.

8 point inside spread 13 3/4" and an outside of 14 3/4"

After some photos and the excitement subsided and with the help of John we were back to the truck and on our way home by 9:30am.

I didn't get back in the woods to hunt the rest of the season, but have already started scouting for the 2014 seasons!

I hope 2014 is as fun and successful of a year in the woods as 2013 was for us!