Team 4=SPUR COLLECTORS

[sticknstring]

It's great to run and gun in Nebraska where you have a lot more room to work and cedar trees for cover but when you're restricted to one smaller farm in MN, every time you step out of that blind and start walking, you're going to educate birds. After a few days of that, a tough hunt becomes extremely difficult. I hear what you're saying though and I'm going to start doing it more down there for sure. When you're not toting around a blind and video equipment, you can become much more mobile.

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Good job Stick! Took me a while too to figure out the shotgun can actually be fun, and the payback after all that frustration is sweet!

I tell you what, it sure beats coming home without a bird at the end of the week because you're too stubborn!

[Gordie]

way to go stick, nice bird

[sticknstring]

Thanks elwood. You start Saturday right? DonBo put the pressure on, the Spur Collectors are counting on you for a bird!

[Borch]

Congrats!

[Nightcrawler]

Congrat, dukhut,mrkleen and stickstring on your turkeys.

El wood is out now aaa. showing Donbo how its done. I start the 20 th for the sunny'st week of the season.

[dukhnt]

Here is my story

Tuesday morning I had 18 birds in the field for about 45 minutes. Six of them were longbeards. They were gobbling, strutting, chasing each other around. It was sure fun to watch but frustrating as well because they would not come into range.

Friday morning was sure fun. Six hours of sitting in the rain. The new rain gear worked like it should. Unfortunatly the old hunting boots did not. My feet were soaked before I even got to the hunting spot. Six birds showed up in the field, two were long beards. Again, they were not interested in the decoys.

Friday night I talked a buddy into coming out with me. I was sick of heading out of town at 3:50am by myself. He wanted to see what this turkey hunting was all about anyways. I told him that it was the last day, so I was going to take any legal bird that came in. As it started to get light out, we had gobbling going off in every direction. We heard at least six different gobblers. About a hour into the hunt he spots some turkeys behind us in another field. They took about 10 minutes to get to the field I was in. Once they saw the decoys, they headed straight for them. Got about five yards from them, stopped, and looked right at us. I don't know how they spotted us, but they did. There were six jakes. If I would have shot at that point, there would have probably been five birds flopping on the ground. Their heads were that close together. Finally they split up a little and I was able to pick one out. A bird in the bag and we were heading home. My buddy thought it was a pretty cool experience.

[sticknstring]

Way to be persistent dukhnt - congrats on a nice bird.

[mrklean]

Ok ill start out the story got down to Claflin kansas about 3 in the afternoon to a nice breezy 30 mph winds we met our guide unpacked and jumped into the truck to head to the blinds before we even get to the blind we see a few turks. Get into the blind and 5 minutes later i have a few visitors

i guess they dont have a lot of roosters down there but all the ones i saw had real nice tail feathers on them. I had 1 hen and 2 small jakes come by and a few more deer and that was my day. My buddy Luke had much better luck they had between 30-40 birds in the field with at least 10 toms strutting, he had a chance on one but was to slow to draw, then a bobcat scared all the birds away. Day 2-- Morning started out with more gobblers then i have ever heard in my life pretty sweet when you have 30+ gobblers roosting right behind you gobbling away. Had one decent Tom come down right infront of use by to far of a shot, he walked right down the field to where luke was sitting, the guide watched my buddy miss the bird then another 15 came into the field but all stayed 100 yards out, once again they walked there way right down the field to where luke was sitting, we were joking saying all he has to do is shoot at one in the group and he should be able to hit at least one, nope we watched him miss again then the birds were gone. Went back to the house had some breakfast took a nap then luke figured he should shoot his bow a few times to make sure he was sighted in, well he shoots fingers and he was trying a release for the first time he was all over missing, the guide was nice enough to let him use his Elite bow. We went back out at about 4:30, moved the blinds and set up, luke was where i was that morning and we moved his blind back to where they enter the field, well right away i had 5 jakes comeing in, but they didnt want to take the same way they always do and circle around into the field, about an hour later i see 5 jakes racing past my blind and a text to follow from luke asking if i saw 5 jakes and if one was dead or not, he hit one but didnt die, i saw a few more toms and hens but where to far to the left behind trees, then i find out luke missed another bearded hen so hes 0 for 4 right now on shots with me not getting a single shot. The stress is starting to build at this point. Saturday was the one nice day we had no wind chilly morning but 60 in the afternoon, sunday was wind and more wind again. the guide and myself moved the blind again down the field more and luke sat in the same blind again. Thinking they were gonna enter the say way they did the day before i should get a shot, NOPE, about 15 birds entered from the neighbors field and almost walked right to lukes blind again but they stayed out in the middle of the field then they left. The guide said we should move quick to where i sat friday because they tend to go past there before they move to another field, we had to walk far so we didnt bring anything with. We get to the next blind and make some box calls, we hear some gobblers way off in the distance so he keeps calling and calling. They walk within 45 yard see no hen and change direction and leave. So he called the birds in from almost half a mile away and the change direction right at the last second were both at a loss for words. He said he had one spot that was either feast or famine, a camera crew filmed over 160 birds there early that year. Luke went back to the same blind and we set the decoys at the new spot, it was very narrow area so the birds would pretty much just pop out of no where.. We werent there for 5 minutes when a nice tom popped out then left right away, Rich the guide didnt think he liked the decoys so he ran out and grabbed them quick, then he popped back again a few minutes later and was looking for the decoys so we set one back out, turns out the tom circle back around, he was next to us behind a big spruce tree, so we switched spots in the blind quick so i could have a shot, instead of walking toward the decoy he walked back then around so i took a shot at 32 yards and he was walking away, shot low. If we would have switched spots i would have had about a 20-25 yard shot. Im happy i got a shot but mad because i missed. not 10 minutes later i see a text from luke he had shot a jake, then 2 minutes later another, so now he has gotten 6 shots to my one so the stress keeps on growing. Then about another hour later i get another text asking if he can shot a tom and use my tag so now im really mad but tell him sure i still have one tag, luckey i waited on that response and the birds had left his blind . at about 7 we had 2 more nice toms pop out see the decoy and leave they circled right around us and were walking down the exact trail the blind was on, we couuld see them 10 yards behind us but no way to shot though the back of the blind. At this point i had seen more birds that i will ever see in my life and none of them wanted to come close enough for a shot so im pretty bummed out and starting to zone out. Early that evening rich said some bird is just gonna show up out of know where and thats gonna be your bird. well im starting to zone out and rich says get your bow ready big tom, and i didnt believe him and he said it again, im ready now, there was a big tom looking right at the decoy sturtting, he said if i can get on my knees and switch spots i could have a shot so were trying to move all the stuff in the blind when this bird is 15 yards out and looking right at us, well i finally get into position and the tom is right behind a branch waits a few minutes which seemed like hours and takes two steps to the right looks right at my and i let loose drilled him right in the chest, he flies up out of sight rich runs out to the hill looks behind the tree and there he was. We took a few pics quick and went back to the truck and went to pick up luke. Turns out he missed another jake before he got his to. So he was 2 for 7 on his shots and i was 1 for 2, something i wont let him forget anytime soon

Had a 9.5 in beard, 1 in spurs and weighed 24 pounds, not bad for my first bird.

This is use with all three birds that night.

We went back out the next morning to try and fill my last tag but no luck. I saw in lukes blind saw 30 birds walk by with some huge toms, but they didnt want anything to do with that blind anymore. We probably saw between the 2 of use 200 birds from friday to monday, for sure we will be going back there.

[Gordie]

Great storys guys and I hope that I can bag a bird my season starts friday but wont be out until saturday. A friend and I will be be hunting seveal spots in hopes of a monster turkey. He said that he has been seeing a lot of birds in our areas. He has been out with his GF's son and they have been seeing birds but they wont commit. I'll do my best to bring home the bacon or I mean bird cant wait and this is the longest week ever..

[sticknstring]

Great story mrklean - sounds like you guys had a great hunt. It's not always easy taking a bird w/ an arrow but it sure is sweet when you connect. Good thing you're buddy took my advice and brought a quiver full. Congrats!

elwood - Looks like you'll have a nice weekend for chasing birds around. They'll be good and fired up after this week of rain.

[mrklean]

it was a blast thats for sure, funny thing is when he was hunting the with guides bow he had to go back into the field and pick the arrows up cause he ran out it was sure fun though the guide and his wife were two of the nicest people i have met i would love to go back down there and get a few more.

[Gordie]

thats what I'm hopeing for.

[Gordie]

nothing yet but Ive got a couple good stories. I'll go into detail later

[mrklean]

haha i was just writing to see if you had got anything then i saw your post

[Nightcrawler]

good luck elwood, that tag does't even make even good soup, all ready tryed it with the S.D. tag. Minn. start Fri.

[Gordie]

I got one day left so my fingers are crossed and the triggers ready to pull

[mrklean]

good luck we need another good one on the board

[DonBo]

I got one day left so my fingers are crossed and the triggers ready to pull

You better pull out a late inning ralley with all the guff you were giving me earlier. 22# is the number to beat.

Good luck!

[sticknstring]

You've got yourself another gorgeous day to get 'er done. Good luck!

[Gordie]

You better pull out a late inning ralley with all the guff you were giving me earlier. 22# is the number to beat.

Good luck!

If my memorie serves me corectly you started it Don and it seems that everytime I give a little guff the turkey bag stays empty so never again... NOT

[DonBo]

bla, bla, bla, whatever... ...anyway, I still wish you luck.

[Gordie]

Well sorry guys no bird for me this year.

I started my hunt on saturday on a vegtable farm that I have never hunted before but the guy said that he had been seeing turkeys every day and he pointed out the fields that they had been in.

I set up on the edge of a plowed field with a grass strip then another field the grass step was about 10 yrds wide and the feild I was in was about 20 yrds wide well as the sun started to rise a gobbler sounded of I gave him a call and then it was game on he was very vocal and it sounded as if their was a jake close by as well.

After he flew down from the roost he started my way and he was gobbling to beat the band I tought I had it made. There is a slight hump in the other field then a field road and the gobbler was headed for me but I couldnt see he but I knew he was close by his gobbles.

I looked up to thathump for him and couldnt see him he was there when all I seen was his fan cresting the hill/hump and he was on his way to me.

A hen came over the hump first then a jake I thiought this was in my favor as they saw a decoy that I put out down the field a ways. Then the Tom came into full veiw all fanned out and I about Sh-t my pants this was by far the biggest Tom I have ever seen and beautiful. This Gobbler was as big as a VW bug with a fan it was a true monster turkey and he would not come into range for any thing .

the hen and the jake came rushing to the decoy about thirty yrds away but Tom stayed back about 60-65 yrds out watched him for 25 min. he was taunting me. I tried to think of how to make it work but it just didnt I all most got up and ran at him but that would have been a mess also.

He dissapeared back in the woods so I got up to cut him off but no luck I got a nother glimps of him for a couple seconds thou.

I found his roost so the next morning I snuck in the woods to make something work and as I sat down he let out a gobble and it made me jump cause he was with in 50 yrds I tried calling to get his intrest then a jake chimmed in in the tree in front of me.

The jake flew down about forty yrds to the east of me then I heard the wings of the Tom and plop he was on the ground Darn near in my lap but smack dap behind me.

I made a few soft clucks then a hen joined in and the jake and Tom started moving along the ridge around my right side but still behind me I couldnt move they were coming around and about 35 yrds away so I seen theis big ash tree and when they got behind it I turn and threw up my gun then I waited and waited and when they appeared they were 60 yrds away they quarterd away from the tree. I got to watch this big Tom again do the strutt for the hen or he was just letting me know that he slipped by me again.

I had a great time hunting and learned some new stuff and as always wished I would have done tings a bit different.

Next year Don I will be a force to recon with

[sticknstring]

Well it sounds like you had some good action anyways and that's really what it's about. Anyone still left hunting or are we all done?

The season sure went by fast.

[DonBo]

Next year Don I will be a force to recon with

I have no doubts. Sounds like you had some excitement though. It really is more about the gobble than the gobbler.

[Borch]

Sounds like you had a few great hunts even though you didn't get to pull the trigger.

Lots of fun and frustration all wrapped into one neat package.

[mrklean]

well theres always cats out there for you to get

[Gordie]

gotta love the cats.

Don thats it excatly the Gobble, when he is so close and he lets out a gobble that sends shivers thru your spine its that adrenline rush that keeps me going.

[Nightcrawler]

Bird down, Friday morning one hour in the hunt. 20.14 lbs,11.1/8 in.beard and 1 5/16 in. hook other 1 1/16 in. hook tip broken

have to down load yet and e-mail to some one to post.

sorry on the tag soup Elwood, looks good but taste's bad. that S.D. tag had a gluey flavor and stuck to the roof of the mouth.

[mrklean]

good job nightcrawler looks like we should be sitting fairly well on the standings, when will they be updated???

[Nightcrawler]

probley when the season is over at this stage of the game, there is only one left standing.

sounds like Elwood needs a new long range heat seeker.