Archery is done, Rifle season just around the corner.

Archery is done and Rifle is just a couple days away here in PA.

        Archery here in Pa. was eventful and productive. As you know from my earlier post I was able to harvest my first archery buck. Wasn't quite the outcome I would have hoped for but was successful none the less. I didn't get as much time in the woods this year with other obligations, but I was able to get back in the woods the last two days of the season. It was yet again a action packed and fun time in the woods. I was only able to hunt afternoons this year for varies reasons but mostly personal preference because of my ankle. I hunted 4 afternoon's total for the season and was never disappointed. Each and every time I went into the woods I was able to have some type of encounter with Deer,Turkey, and even a young Bob cat. One thing I did not see was a doe with-in bow range. After shooting the buck I only saw buck with in bow range. In no way am I complaining. It has been a entire hunting career that I have ever had this issue.

Here is a little video of my last day in the stand!

Last day in the stand action! 

    Pa. Rifle starts November 26th. and I can't wait. This will be the first time in my life I wont be buck hunting with a rifle. I plan to hunt with my friend and his step son the first day hoping to get a mentor hunter his first deer. The only decision I have to make is do i carry my bow or a rifle.Bring on the doe!

A long season

Long archery season. I spent almost all season hunting a power line. I wanted to hunt this spot last year but had no way to get to it with out walking through the main bedding area. I finally got permission from a land owner that borders the power line from the north. 

The first night in the stand I had a nice buck come in. He came in to 60yrds and just turned and walked away. I had many more encounters with this buck that ended the same way. Him coming in at last light and them he would always go to they opposite side of the power line and feed.





The one buck I did get a shot at was a four point that I watched for three hours and finally came into range.
He came out around three and then bedded down about one hundred yards out. Finally he got on his feet and fed his way up the hill to my stand. My stand was thirty five feet up in a hemlock tree. He worked his way into twenty yards to a flat. I drew and let the arrow fly. Straight over his back. My heart sank. This is the third miss of the season. I missed two doe as well. The buck ran out to fifty yards and stopped. I grunted at him and he turned and came back in to thirty yards.  I let another arrow loose and watch it drill him right in the front shoulder. I can see right away that the arrow only got a few inches of penetration. He ran forty yards and crashed over a ledge and into a small pine. gets up and just starts running full speed again and disappears into the woods.
I call Will and fill him in on what is going on. He tells me to settle down and give him some time. I get off the phone with him and climb down. Head over to look for blood and find nothing. I go to the pine tree and look, nothing not a drop. I poke my head in the woods and go maybe fifty yards and find my arrow.
This is the only blood I find. and take a closer look and see the arrow only got about three inches of penetration. The buck was going up a old logging road. I mark the spot of the arrow and head to the house for a long sleepless night. I have a quick work thing in the morning and Amber and I head back into the woods. We search  for a little more than two hours and find no blood and no deer.

My first buck with a bow

First archery buck

(My first buck with a bow) Video Link!

Click on the link above for the video of my hunt!

         So my day started with a short walk into the woods still not feeling up to a long hike in the woods. I opted to again hunt the afternoon only not wanting to push my ankle. So off I set into the woods around 1:15Pm. with my bow in hand and my climber on my back. Taking my time walking in with the wind in my face I headed to a large Oak tree I had scouted out some time ago. since It had been rumored that the acorns were doing well this year I planed to sit near this large oak.

    As I descended the bench to the Oak tree I spotted movement directly under this Oak I was planning to hunt near/under. It didn't take long for me to realize it was a deer, three of them for that matter. All of them combing the area for acorns not caring a bit I was just out of bow range. I slid my stand off my back with the hopes of sneaking in on them. I sat still thinking what to do and noticed them move off. I put my stand on my back and slowly moved in on the Oak tree. Once I got to about 30 yards of the tree I noticed the doe had not moved on, but only just out of my sight. I once again slid my stand off my back and again started to sneak a bit closer. See saw me but was not spooked, but wasn't coming any closer.

 Once the deer finely moved on I walked up to the Oak tree looking for a place to hang my stand when i herd a rustling in the leaves ahead of me. As I looked up 3 deer stood up from there beds and spooked into the brush. It was at that point I decided I was going to hunt this area. I quietly went back up the hill to where I had left my stand and went to the tree I felt would be the best ambush spot.

  I was really expecting to be sitting in the stand for a while being it was only a short while after spooking the 6 doe from this area. I mounted my camera and got my self comfortable.I checked my phone and it was 2:00pm. I was hearing squirrels and chipmunks stealing the acorns while the deer are gone. Because of this I didn't pay much attention to the noise of the leaves to my left. I casually looked over my left shoulder and notice a deer standing there not more then 20 yards away. It didn't take me long to notice the antlers on his head ether. I didn't really get to worried about shooting him until i notice he had brow tines.

  It was that point I was going to shot this buck. As the title states up till this point I had not killed a buck with a bow. I have gotten many doe but no buck. So as you can imagine the buck fever started kicking in. I get worked up regardless of it being a buck or doe but I was really feeling it this time. It took him about 5 minutes to finely step into a shooting lane and that was when I sent a arrow flying. I watched as the arrow hit. I instantly knew it wasn't such a good shoot seeing it was much further back then I wanted it to be. I let him get out of the area and waited about 15 minuets before even coming down out of my stand. I made quick time of locating my arrow. From the evidence of the blood on the arrow it was a liver/paunch shot.  I looked at my phone again and it was now 3:30 and not knowing I didn't make the greatest shot I packed up and headed out. Got on the phone with my best friend Matt and asked to see what he was up to. After finding out I headed over to where he was in hopes of getting him on video shooting a deer.

 We hunted the last 2.5 hours of the day together and after reviewing the video I took earlier of the buck I had shot we both felt it would be best to leave him over night and look for him first thing.


  So at 7:30Am I set out Sunday morning planning to bring home my first buck. I started where I had shot him and stared my search. I took me about a hour of zig-zaging through the thick brush until I found him. I was on a emotional roll a coaster from the time I sent that arrow at the deer. As soon as I saw the deer laying there i was on cloud nine, until I got closer. it was then I realized it wasn't that easy. The whole hind quorate was gone, torn off by a bear. Because of this there was no way I could eat this deer. My heart sank I snapped a few pictures and made a quick phone call to the Game Commission hoping I might not have to tag this now eaten buck. well that wasn't the case. After finding out I had to tag the deer I had to run home so I could get the tools i needed to recover the antlers at least. 

   A quick trip home and a quick lunch I packed up Liam and him and I set off to collect the antlers. We had fun despite the lack of bring deer meat home.

 I still have two doe tags and will be in the woods again in the coming weeks!

Opening day 2012

                                 First day of Archery 2012. 

 

Up at 4:50am. Hopped in the car and made the short drive up the road to the neighbor's farm. My trail cam has been out for the last month getting some pics of a nice 6 point, three or four doe and a flock of twenty turkeys. As I was getting dressed at my car I could see a flashlight going up in the bordering field. Never did find out who it was. Took my climbing stand but decided to go to my hang on stand I had placed two weeks ago. The deer were not using the trail as much in the last week. only one deer all week at 6:00am three days ago. But the turkeys have been coming through at 10:00 on the dot the last three days.The woods were quiet from the week of rain. The wind picked up and leaves started dropping. No chance of hearing a deer and now even harder to pick one out. I told my self I would give it until 10 and see if the turkeys would show and if not I was out of there. At 9:45 the turkeys made their showing. They were only 30 yards away when it dawned on me I was looking at turkeys. A few big hens with this year's young. One of the old hens picked me out and started working away putting and getting everyone's attention. I had three of the small ones at ten yards so it was a little one or no turkey. I have missed about 5 turkeys with a bow in the last eighteen years. Not going to let this one get away. I put my ten yard pin tight between her wings and let it rip. I switched to mechanical broadheads this year that have a 1 3/4 cutting diameter. It did a number on the bird. 

I climbed down out of my stand and retrieved the bird. Gathered my things and headed home and then to the check station.

The afternoon hunt.

Got to my new stand location on a 300 acre farm I hunted last year. Hunting some oak trees on the edge of mixed soft woods. I sat for about three hours and the wind got so bad I was getting motion sick and just felt a bit unsafe strapped to a tree 30 feet off the ground. I still hunted my way back to a large cornfield that had been chopped two weeks ago. No deer but the field was full of tracks. I decided to try my favorite spot. I killed both deer there last year. I got to my tree, took off my pack and stand and hear a whistle behind me. I turn around and look up and there is a guy three trees over. Now what. I am a firm believer in first come first serve so I say sorry and back out the way I came.  I hope he enjoyed the shooting lanes that took me an hour and a half to cut out. I decide on a small strip of woods that runs between the corn field and road. I sat until dark and nothing but a few song birds.

First Day in the PA. Archery woods

First day of PA. Archery season!

My first year hunting with a video camera!

   I had a good start to the Pa. deer season. I got to the property I was hunting around 1:30Pm. On my way to my stand location I jumped a small 3 point with only one antler on his left side. Once i got into the woods I picked the tree I had hunted last year in the late archery season, but after climbing about 10 feet i decided it wasn't that good of a tree and pick another tree only 10 yards to my left. So after climbing down and moving all my gear and stand then climbing back up the new tree I w ready to go. It was 2:00Pm. by the time I climbed and got settled in and ready for the hunt. As It always seams to go it started slow with squirrels  and chipmunks running everywhere. Around 3:00Pm. I hear a deer running down the hill right at me. I quickly spun around to see a doe come to a sudden stop not 20 yards behind me, but that didn't last long and she was on the move again. She bolted in and out of my shooting lane so quick i was not able to even think about drawing my bow. And in to time i was back to watching the squirrels and the birds.

 4:00Pm rolls around and I notice movement in the fields in front of my about 150 yards away. It was a deer feeding along the diversion ditch I had just walked across 2 hours ago. I sat watching this lone deer for nearly a hour when out came another joining him/her for a meal. I was hoping for them to work their way to me but my hopes were not high.

   After some videoing of some squirrels and just watching the woods I could hear a flock of turkeys working above me. I love listening to a flock of turkeys calmly feeding along. with there put's, purr's, and kee kee's .I could also hear what i believe was a Jake trying to gobble. It was a sad gobble well more like a wobble wobble. With in a few minutes of this I was able to see them working down the hill side to me. I attempted to get some video of them but they were just to far away to see.

  Not to long after I notice the turkey's I was watching them feed along when i notice a deer standing in the middle of the flock. this got my heart pumping and I spun around hoping it would work its way down to me. It was then I noticed there were 3 deer a doe and her 2 fawns. So I turned on the camera and got ready for what i hoped to be a quick hunt. Well I was wrong. They never turned my way the walked across the ridge just out of range. I believe they were on there way to a neighboring property where there are a few standing corn fields. So I watched them slowly fad away into the woods.

Not to long after they were gone i decided to climb down while I still had some light not wanting to mess my ankle up climbing out of the tree in the dark. I was glad I decided to climb down a little early because when i got to the fields I had seen the deer in earlier I quickly found out that those deer were nice buck. 3 of them feeding along between me and way back to my truck. I attempted to get close to them but with no cover and a rattling tree stand on my back sent them on their way in no time. 

  All and all it was a great way to start the season. Seeing 9 deer total 4 of which were buck. I just hope the rest of my season is this active...

here is the video I took while I was on stand!
Hope you like it.
First day of archery 2012

Back in the Game!

Back in the Game!

   As of August 20th I was back to work from my nearly 9 weeks of leave from work.  Its been slow going only 2 weeks off crutches but doing good. I have been going to physical therapy a little more then a month now and I am a firm believer that physical therapy works. I went from -5 degrees of movement to over 12% in only 3 weeks. I still have a limp to my walk and really have to stretch out and have a nice warm shower to get ready for the day, but doesn't take much to get me going.

   Because of this "No fun summer" I have not been in the woods or on the water at all this summer. Once my cast was off I was shooting my bow as often as I could, to get ready for archery season to begin. Not even sure if I was going to be able to hunt or not I needed to do something. Being stuck in a chair all summer can really wear on a mans soul. I had one day on my way home from a doctors appointment that I caught myself getting emotional over looking at the hills I hunt and hike so often and not knowing if I would be able to enjoy them the way I once did. Thank god for my wonderful wife reassuring me that this situation was only temporary and I would be back on those hill sides once again. Well she was right, I plan to be in the woods tomorrow for the Pa. Archery opener. I may not be running up those hills and doing any deep woods hunting this year, but I know one thing I'll be in the woods.

  I have not had the opportunity to do any scouting of any kind this year. I do know one thing is for sure I have a couple of great friends Matt and Jared, that have helped me out with my scouting, by putting my trail camera out and locating spots I wont have as much trouble getting to. I just hope there extraordinary effort wont go unrewarded. I don't plan to start my season with the sun rise sadly not feeling comfortable and quite ready to tackle the dark unforgiving woods. I don't believe my ankle could handle it quite yet. So i have decided to start my season with the mid day sun, taking my time to one of the places I love the most, in the deer woods!

Here is a video John sent me while I was layed up I thought was very good!

I can relate to this an a lot of ways!

Searching for West

6 weeks into my no fun summer

    Well this week marks six weeks since being put in a cast for multiple fractures and torn ligaments in my leg and ankle. It has been a long sore six weeks.

   I went to the doctors Wednesday (7-11-12) for my six week check up and x-ray's. I was hoping the I would be starting physical therapy and on the fast lane to walking again. Sadly this is not quite all true. After the results from my X-ray's I found out that one of my ligaments in my ankle has not fully healed, and the fracture near my knee is also not healed fully. So It will be atleast another month before I can even think of starting physical therapy. But on a good note I'm now in a walking cast and can bare some weight for short periods of time. It is quite painful and have only been able to do vary minimal amounts of walking. My foot has been stuck in a 45° angle for 6 weeks but to wear this cast my ankle is now at a 90° angle. When getting fitted for this cast it felt like I was rebreaking my ankle. I'm so glad my doctor perscribed more pain meds for me.

  I've been given light ankle exercises to start losing up the ligaments in my ankle by attempting to do the alphabet with my ankle movements. This is again, as you can image quite painful and creates a fair amount of swelling. I am only able to move my ankle no more than a quarter inch in any direction at the most. I really want to get back on my feet but I know if I push it ill only make things worse. 

 

  
 

no fun summer :-/

     My summer is not what i had hoped. With plans of fishing,hiking,and trailcams now all of that is just a faint idea and a depressing thought. I also have to say I have the greatest wife in the world. Not to many weman would have the patience to deal with 3 kids and a broken husband like she has. I am one lucky man!

  This is how my summer turned into no fun.  It all starts over memorial day weekend my family always goes camping. friday we get camp all set up and having a good time as we always do. Playing in the creek riding the ranger all over the many trails and just plain relaxing. After some sumores and marshmellows we get the kids to bed and now its adult relaxatuon time. we sat around the campfire talking and telling all kinds of diffrent stories. It came to the point we were all heading to bed. We were picking up the campsite. As I was picking up I hear anna began to cry. Not wanting her to wake the other two i went into the camper to tend to he cries. Once I was able to get her settled I intended to finnesh picking up and head to bed my self. sadly that was not what happend.

   Since i had been walking in the now dew soked grass before going into the camper, my sandels were now wet and slippery. And as i exited the camper i steped onto the camper step as i have done many times before. this time sadly was not the same. the step shifted and with my wet sandels i lost my footing and began to fall. So in my best atemps to stable my footing i put my left foot down to the ground, which was nearly a foot and a half if not more from where i was standing in the camper. As soon as my foot hit the ground it rolled out and twisted. Ive always had weak ankles and this was not the first time i had rolled my ankle, but not this bad. as i went to the ground in a heap i hear a pop and crack. Despite the pain and the sounds that had just came from my ankle and leg I got back up and walked to the picnic table only a few feet away. I sat down and waited for the shock and pass-out feeling to go away before getting up again. But as soon as it did I fell right to the ground not wanting to seam like a wimp infront of everyone I regained my self and with the help of my friend I was able to walk to the truck for the ride to the ER. I kept telling my self it wasn't broke and it was just a bad sprain. I mean come on I just walked on it. Once We arive at the ER. there was no more walking on it. I asked Nicole to get me a wheelchair and wheel me in. After getting registered and a short wait they had me in a room and ice on my ankle. Still not wanting to seam like a wimp I refused pain meds. But that was short lived and was asking for them. With pain meds in me and ice on my ankle they ordered a x-ray of my ankle and leg. Once my x-rays were done I now waited for the dr. To tell me the news.

  When the dr. Came in the room he tells me I have broke my leg near my ankle and they will be putting me in a splint. Now with a splint on my leg he comes back in and tells me they want to do one more set of x-rays of my whole leg not just my ankle. Once again im Off for a few x-rays. A short time later I'm back in my room. and another short wait for the dr. Once he Comes back in for the second set of x-rays, he tells me I have broke both bones in my leg below the knee and I need to stay off my leg untill I can see my reguler dr. Which wasn't going to happen anytime before Tuesday since it was a holiday weeked.

   After a nice as could be camping trip we now jump ahead to Wednesday which was the soonest I was able to get into the dr. I knew I was going to be in a cast since I had broke both leg bones, but what I didn't realize was I had also torn all the tendons that hold my ankle togeather. With all the swelling in my ankle he put me in a compression cast for a week setting my ankle in place and to reduce the swelling to get the healing started. After a week I returned and had my compression cast taken off and the permanent cast put one. By permanent I mean 6 to 8 weeks. I ask about work and driving and his answer was NO. So here I am out of work for 6 to 8 weeks, sitting in my recliner with my foot propped up by 4 pillows popping pain pills every 4 to 6 hours.  I have watched more tv in the couple weeks I've been laid up then I have in the past year. And let me tell you I can't wait to do somthing physically active outside. This will be the longest amount of time I've gone with out doing somthing in three years..

  I just hope I'm back to some kind of normal walking by deer season. When I hope to have some good stories to post...until then I will post my progress.

A few slow days

The internet has been down over the weekend. Time for some catch up.
Tried out two new places. A 98 acre farm just up the road and a 124 acre property owned by some friends.

Up at 4am, get to the barn and park around 4:40. I hike up to the top of the field in the rain. I saw two birds feeding in the other day. I set my decoy out on the edge of the field and sit just in the woods.




About an hour goes by and there is a deer standing 15 yards away. I have no idea where it came from. It is just staring at my decoy. I reach for my camera and it sees me. The deer makes a quick run up the hill and stops. It turns around and starts walking back to the decoy. It stops at about 30 yards and just looks at the decoy for another 5 min and walks away.









 I wait one more hour and move to the other end of the field. Sit there for one hour and then move into the woods. I want to check this place out. I make my way up a steep hill side and find a nice deer trail. that leads me to a V.A.S.T. trail. This looks like a good spot. Big maple trees for birds to roost in. The turkeys seam to like the path of least resistance. I find a nice spot to hide on a small hill looking down on the road and put Wilma in the road. I call on and off for a little bit. Still more to see so I move on up the hill to the power line. Just about at the top of the hill two quick shots come from the field followed by the sound of a car speeding away.  Fucking road hunters. I hat lazy good for nothing road hunters. I get over that and walk out on the power line and have a look around. the fog is thick so not much to see. Make a few calls and nothing answers. I start heading to the west side of the property and find a network of trails. I set up on a five way intersection. I only last twenty min or so. the black flies are bad.

I follow a road back up to the power line and sit just inside the woods. It smells like onions? Wild Leeks! I dig out a bag and look at the time on my cell phone. Shit it is 11:50. I need to be out of the woods at 12:00. I throw a few in a ziploc and beat feet to the car. Made it back at 12:05.

I made two new calls

Copper over glass and birds eye pot and Aluminum over glass and birds eye maple pot and copper in white oak pot. 

.
Next day.

Up at four and head to the Cochran's. I park at Shaun's shop. I head to the field first and make a few owl hoots. Nothing. I try again. I have a owl respond then another one starts going crazy. That was fun but no turkeys. I jump on a trail and head to the back side of the property where I have see birds in the past. I get set up on the edge of a hemlock stand where it meets a mix of hardwood trees. I put Wilma at about twenty yards. I sit quiet for about twenty min before I start to call. I am using aluminum and copper calls I made the night before. It is very quiet in the woods today. I start to call soft. With a few yelps and clucks. Nothing. I try again in fifteen min. This time some one talks back. Sounds like a hen about seventy five yards out.

I cluck and yelp. She kee kees and purrs back. She is closing in. I catch a glimpse of her and she is headed straight for me. Then she notices Wilma. She heads straight to her clucking and purring all the way. As she is checking out the decoy. I grab my camera. I really need to do something with my camera it is chrome and the small tripod is florescent orange. She sees my camera but not to startled. She stops clucking and purring.

Wilma does not have much to say so she starts to feed in my direction. The hen comes with in ten yards and walks right past me. I have been dead still for almost twenty min now and my back, but and legs are killing me.I need to readjust. She does not like this and makes a few putts and moves off.  Sitting around for another hour I hear nothing. I grab my decoy and start working my way back to the car. I find a nice spot where the turkeys have the ground all scratched up. I call for a half and hour and nothing. It is not raining but heavy fog and all the leaves are wet. I am cold and damp so I head for the car. At least I called a bird in.

Sunday

I hunt the 300 acre farm. I set up where I saw a hen last week on a trail and call. A tom gobbles back.

He is far. I close some ground and call again I hear a hen or another hunter. I work my way around them and try and get closer to the bird. The tom is answering a rooster crow and the rooster is answering the tom.

Kinda funny. He shuts up around 5:30 and that is all I hear and see for the day. I walk back to the corn field and see some turkey tracks in the corn field.   

I go and check my trail-cam. Just a few pics

of a deer and a fox. I pull it. I found a old pop up blind a few weeks back when I was scouting. 

I go and uncover it and see if I can save it. It is in bad shape. I salvage the pols and drag the skin and chair out to the logging road so someone or I can grab it the next time I'm in here.

I make it home and have Amber check me for ticks. She finds two. Both imbedded and both deer ticks.

Deer ticks

Make sure you check your self. I found two in me the other day.

Second Saturday in the PA. Turkey woods

Second Saturday in the PA. Turkey woods

So This hunt wasn't quite as exiting as the first day but it had it's moments.

  I met up with Kyle at 5am. he was going to do the calling for me in hopes to have a repeat of last weekend. We hit the woods at 5:15 expecting the birds to be roosted in the same trees again. We swung out and around the ridge we bumped them off of the first day. sat up on the top of the ridge looking back to the location of the roosted birds. 

    We sat for about 20min before we began to hear them on the roost gobbling at every crow's caw. We thought that since he was so hot on the roost it would be a easy  morning. Boy were we wrong. after 10 min. of gobbling on the roost he fell silent. with all the noise of traffic, gas well's and birds waking up we were not able to hear them fly down. So after sitting for about a hour we packed up and started working along the top calling form time to time just to locate them. We had a good idea where they had gone but knew we couldn't get in to the area with out them knowing. 

  On our way back to the truck we did spook a single hen but did not see any other birds. we suspected she was on a nest. so we moved on with no more luck. With a couple more sits with no results we headed out to get some food the same as we had done the first day. After some bacon and eggs. We set out again. hoping to repeat our first day adventures, but when we arived at the location Kyle had bagged his bird, we noticed the farmer was moving equipment and cows around so we didn't stay to hunt. 

   Now back on the same ridge we started on early that morning we began walking the trail out when we heard a yelp of a hen out in front of us. We suspected that it was the hen we had jumped earlier and figured we would use her calling to our advantage. so we sat just out of site of the calling bird. Sitting facing the direction of the calling bird we began to notice the calls were not moving about like we would suspect would happen with us calling to it. At that point i was having a feeling we were talking to another hunter. So we fell silent with out calls and waited to see what would happen. All of a sudden we hear "GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE" just out of sight.  So we let out a light call and he was even closer. then we noticed the bird about 80 yards and running. not at us or away from us but into our direction. we suspected it was spooked by the other hunter. once it was just to our right kyle called out and he gobbled right back. 

  I looked to my right and i could see him standing in a spot that i could only see a small amount of his neck and that was it about 35yards away. Not wanting to mess up the hunt again by missing i waited hoping he would take a few steps to the right which would have presented a nice clear shot, But he didn't. we didn't know where he went. After a few quick yeps he reviled to us that he had sadly moved off some. So i had Kyle slide back some and i would stay at our current location in hopes of drawing him back. Sadly this didn't work our. I sat for nearly 45 min. watching him strut and gobble just out of range. While after working our hardest we lost sight and sound of the bird along with Kyle and I both having a coughing spell felt we had scared him off. It was then we also found out that it was indeed another hunter. as kyle was walking back to me he saw him working back the trail we had walked in on. So while standing there we began to hear that same yelping we had been talking to down below us. and as soon as it started he came that gobbler running right at us again. With only a few minuets left to hunt we sat down hoping he would run right in but it didn't happen. We have no idea where that bird with but we do know as of noon Saturday he was still alive.

   sadly i wont get getting a chance to get back in the woods till the 19th. but on a positive note by the time that weekend rolls around we will no longer be restricted by a noon quitting time. hopefully he will still be alive and in the area by then. 

Crappie Fishing With Liam!

  Crappie Fishing With Liam!

   I took this Thursday and Friday off to be with Aliya while she was having tubes in her ears and her adenoids removed. So since she was taking a nap, Liam and I packed up our fishing stuff and headed to Ives run.  I had herd that the Crappies were biting so we had to give it a try!

 Liam and I headed to our normal spot we like to catch crappies.

We caught close to 30 or 40 fish in only two hours of fishing!

landing nearly a fish a cast.

We ended up keeping 15 or so for dinner tonight!

YUM YUM YUM! FRESH CRAPPIE!

Heading for the Turkey woods tomorrow for what I hope to be a repeat of last weekend!

Rainy day blues

Went out last night and tried to put some birds to roost with no luck.  So up at four again. Rain and drizzle all morning that is what accu-weater is saying.

 I hemmed and hawed about where to go. Finlay decide on the three hundred acre farm. I decide to try the east side that has a large hay field and even bigger corn field. I get set up at the end of the hay field and let out a few yelps. Nothing around. I try again after fifteen min. I hear a yelp back from down the field. Another fifteen goes by and I hear a truck now. There is a public old road/tractor path  that splits the property. It is just off the field behind me. They stop about fifty yards away. Turn off the truck and get out. I can hear them talking. " well what do you think? go for it." He hits the box call hard and loud. It echoes down the valley. I stand up and walk out and grab my decoy. Stuff it in its sack. It takes me about thirty seconds. to cover the ground to the truck and say good morning. They about turned inside out when I walked around the tree line.  We talked for a few min and they apologized for ruining my hunt and they got the hell out of dodge. I don't think they had permission to hunt. It was just the way they came across.


Now what? Well the corn field sounded good. It had just had manure spread on it and plowed. I cut across threw the woods and poke my head out in the field. Nothing. Walk over to a apple tree and there is someones popup blind stashed there. I move on.


 Down to the large maple at the middle of the field. I see some old turkey tracks in the mud. It gets my hopes up.  Get setup and sit for about and hour.
Nothing. The birds are tight lipped today with this rain.

























 The rain starts to pick up. So I stuff Wilma in her
   bag and head north along the field.









I make it about two hundred yards into the woods and see a hen beatin feet down the trail in front of me.
Working my way along the trail I stop set up and call about every three hundred  yards. Still nothing.
Turning east at the property line. The timber switches from hemlocks a mix of oak, birch, and pine. Some old scratch marks here and there but not much sign of turkey.




I pull Wilma out of the bag and stick her near a big old oak and I take a seat. thirty minutes and nothing.
I need to keep moving I'm wet and cold .Still working east along the power line. Staying fifty to one hundred yards in the woods. I find my self back at the same place I called in the tom yesterday.
I have not heard a bird all day. So my hopes are down. I let out a few yelps and start to cut. Gobble!! My heart jumps. No way. Take a look at my watch 11:12. Okay I have forty five minutes to do this. He is way out there again. I let him know I,m there again and he gobbles back. Okay take it easy today, I tell my self. I'll try my best not to over call. Look at the clock again 11:.30 I can hear something moving  from the power line. I can't see it but it is no turkey. I am right on the property line. He starts yelping. No!! #$@*. I do everything I can to get the tom to come to me. Boom!! only one hundred and fifty yards away.  I am pissed. Grab my things and make the long walk back to the car in the rain. Day three is over.

Can't get it done.

Put one bird to bed last night. He was about four hundred yards past the property line on the wrong side.

There was a truck parked just up the road listing as well. So I came up with a plan. Up at four out the door by 4:20. Parked by the old farmhouse and started the long hike to the top of the ridge. Walking with out a flashlight on one of the trails I hear a strange sound of rain. But it is not raining. Three lawn sprinklers. A quick game of pitfall and I'm on my way. My plan was to try and call him off the roost to my ridge, about 1/4 mile away.  Checked my trailcam on the way by. A few deer and the long beard was back on the 29th. I think he likes to have his pic taken. There were about 15 pics of him only 5 yards from the camera.

I get set up with "Wilma" my decoy about 20yards to my left. Digging threw my bag I find my calls and let out a few yelps and clucks. He gobbles right back at me. He knows I'm here. About 20min pass and a turkey flies down off to my left and Does not make a sound. I can here some one down the hill from me with what sounds like box call. Sounded more like a dying hen. The Tom is all fired up now. Answering every time the guy calls. This gos on for about 30min. and then the tom shuts up. I let out a few more calls and nothing.

7:00am time to move on. Gather up my things and I make it bout 100 yards and jump three deer.

I stop and take a look at them as they run away. Making my way back to the field I see a hen run across the trail. Maybe this is the bird I herd fly down.

I set up back at the power line again.  Just down from yesterdays spot. Make a few calls and not much going on.

I sit for about 20min and hear a distant gobble. Then a shot. Damn. But he gobbles again.

 I get out my copper pot call and hickory striker and just start wailing away. He responds. This bird is out there. I mean out there. I get up and close about 200 yards to the property boarder and set up on a ridge between two draws with a even bigger one in front. Hit the call again and he is closer. Now my heart is going. I put Wilma just down the hill from me.  He is just on the other side now. I take a break from the call for about 10min.

 I get out my mouth call and cut aggressively at him. He hammers back. only 80 yards now. The last time I had a tom this close I called it away form my brother and shot it :-). He is still out of sight. Take a break again and he starts working up the left draw. Not good. I am just down on the right side of the ridge. I do everything I can to get him to come over the ridge but he wont. I call for about 15 more min. He is not as hot anymore. So I try and sneak up to the ridge and get a look. 

 I poke my head up and there he is. Moving away slowly at about 100 yards.(red x is where he was) 

He is just about to go out of sight. I call and nothing. he just walks away. I walk back to my things and get packed up. Start walking back to the car. Boom a shotgun sounds off about 200yards from where I just was. 

Spring showers

Was up at 4am to the sound of down pouring rain. Checked the weather and went right back to bed.
Up again at 5am. This time no rain. Rushed around to find everything I need and out the door at 5:15.
 Hunted the 300 acre farm just up the road. There were no other trucks at the old house. So I thought the odds were in my favor. Just about 400yrd from the car I herd the only bird of the day gobble. Followed by the ring of a 12 gauge. One less bird.

Made my way to the back side of the property and got set up on a power line. As I went to sit down the heavens open up. I reached in an pulled out my pot call and it was drenched. So all I had was my mouth call for the rest of the day.  After 1.5hrs it was time to move on.  I still hunted the till ten o'clock and decided to try my luck on carpenter hill.




The rain had let up some and the fog was getting thicker. Parked at the end of our old drive way and worked my way up the hill. 

 

 Made it to the top of the hill and heard the second shot of the day. prob 1/2 mile away down past the pond.

 Found a spot on the top of the hill and set up. I have seen many turkeys up here before. I had high hopes for this spot. With only two hours to hunt there was not much time. I yelped, purred and clucked on and off for an hour and a half and nothing. So I packed my things and went home to dry out.  Back at it again tomorrow. 

I have been watching this bird for the last month. Now he has disappeared. This pic was taken two days before the youth season. So Maybe some youth got him. If so that is great for them.

A week ago I was checking my trail cam and walked up on him. He was laying down along a rock wall overlooking a draw. I walked right up behind him, only 15yrds away. Took me a minute  to figure what was going on.

Stopped by the Guildford town office  and picked up my license today $60 for general, archery, and turkey.

Tomorrow is Opening day for the Vermont season. I have everything ready to go. Have a new Mossberg 930. With a 1.5-5 pro-diamond shotgun scope and topped off with a primos tight wad choke.











For a call I will be using a white oak pot with a copper surface. I made this call about three weeks ago.










 I have been pattering different shells. Found that Federal Premium #4 nickel-plated shot works the best.




















Looks like rain and 50 tomorrow :-(
4am is going to come early. 



























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