Hey talondale congrats on those turkey you just scored last week.... Wink,Wink,Wink

You hit the nail on the head!!

Seeing as how the number of people in this contest has dropped so much since years past, maybe we can suggest keeping the same teams next year? Congrats to team 1, but I am ready to challenge them to a rematch next year. As more hunters want to join the contest, we can add more teams..
Btw, if any of you wanna get together and actually hunt together I'm game to do something like that.

High overall is one of the winning category's so why wouldn't that team get to stay together? This is the best team that I have been on and it just would not be the same without all of you guys that have got us to where we were (are).

As jepco stated I would host any of this teams active members in Iowa, Missouri or Nebraska.

I agree 100% camoK. Total birds is a category. I was hoping that your offer still stood! Lol

I would love to meet up and turkey hunt with you guys. I could reciprocate with flooded timber duck hunts. Our deer and turkey are not much to brag about, but we do have excellent duck hunting.

Sorry guys I could not respond sooner as I worked last night and they decided to take everyone's internet away again..

While I like the concept that is not the way it has every been.. In my opion for what it is worth we are the best team here on HNI! We have reported all our birds in a timely manner.. We did well guys regardless how this goes down.. If that last bird on Team 1 is counted then this is over for me.. I will not be on another team again if this one is called fair play.. The way that bird was suddenly posted raises a lot of questions. When it is set up mainly by your honor.. There was no honor IMO the way that bird all of a sudden became good enough to post as it would make the team win.. I even have to wonder if that bird was even shot this year at all.. As you could clearly see in the picture that bird could not have been taken yesterday.. Let alone this past week as everything is green up this way and I am quite a ways farther north guys..

While no one can say for sure exactly what had happened there. Perhaps next years teams should hold all their birds back and post then as that state's season ends?? It appears that is the way it should be getting done now as there really is no rules on when you post it.. Just make sure you keep the info on the date and time to go with all the information.. I would keep a small note book handy and a file on either your computer or a CD with the pics for back up when posting the birds.. That way all the required info is there for all to see.. Then no team will know how many birds you really have until the last day when every one is posted..

Yes it surely was a great team to be on.. I have also enjoyed being the captain as well. Congrats everyone!!! To bad we could not find a way to get one of our unheard from to post a pic and info up on camokenny's 5 bearded bird and maybe just hide one beard and say anothe big bird was shot..

Hey guys I will probably sign up again next year regardless of how this thing turns out. I hope you guys do as well. Hopefully we can get on same team down the road.

I am still pretty much undecided.. But, if I do decide to and the rules for sand bagging remain the same I can tell you I will not post a single bird until my season runs out on May 31st.. I will make sure that the date and time of kill will be correct and posted how ever..

Well guys I was looking in to going down to Florida next year to get a Osceola and complete my slam, and then who knows what after that. Anybody been down there that could pass along some info I would appreciate it

I have been down to florida several times. Completed two slams in the venture. It will really depend on where your going and how on what to tell you. Guided or unguided? I can tell you to leave your light colored camo at home as the under brush and growth is all dark green color. The turkeys are just turkeys as anywhere but not as vocal or as loud in my opinion. let me know what your plans are. might be able to give you more info.

Thanks camoK, I defiantly don't want public, and don't want a guide over my shoulder. I like to pay a trespass fee and have someone point me in the right direction and leave me alone.

swampbuster - I got mine with a guide. Nice fellow. Good luck finding a place for trespass only. I bet they are out there.

camokenny - You have Rios?

No I don't have rios here but have connections in a couple of states that does have them.

There are several folks in the swap section for florida you might check out. I hunted non guided private land all but the first year that I hunted down there. I do have a solid connection around the gainsville florida area. He is not a turkey hunter himself but knows everyone around. Makes it handy that's for sure. Not sure if he would be willing to help others or not.

Good luck to you swampbuster if you do decide to go down to Florida in the future after an Osceola.. That would be a really decent bird to get.. I would surely want to have it mounted as well.

Camokenny, what part of Missouri do you hunt?

Ok guys it has been really great being the captain of the team..

I hope I have not been to pushy over the jake incident. I understand it will be looked into and that is all we can ask.. Whatever happens from there whether it leaves sour grapes in our mouths or not it will be time to move on from there.. That is the best we can ask for to try and make sure it was in fact a legit bird posted. Late posting or not until rules are made to insure a more timely way of posting it is what it is..

I also understand if it goes in our favor it may lead to some disgruntled members here as well. But, I have tried to make sure in light of how it all went down and that is all any of us can do..

Again I really enjoyed being on this team as well as being the team's captain..

It is what it is. We did Our best and that's all we can do. Don't worry about it Phil

So what are some of you guys plans for next year?

Take my nephew, maybe get a Rio to finish my slam. Continue to hope to get lucky with in state draws and my one out of state hunt.

Oh and Phil, no worries! You've done a good job. TBH, I wish you were running the whole contest so the scores might get updated every so often. That has always been my gripe with the contest.

jepcho, I hunt in northwest Missouri and just picked up a lot of land in south central Missouri around the Dixon area. I lived around the Fort Leonard Wood area for several years so I hunted that area a bunch.

As far as next year it will be my home state of Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri for sure. Would like to slide Oklahoma in there somewhere as its been a few years since I have been down there.

Phil of all the teams I have been on in any of the contest on here you have been the best team captain hands down. You have done a outstanding job in all aspects of this team. Two thumbs up for you.

It has been a honor to hunt with all you guys on this team. A great bunch of gentlemen and sportsmen.

Thanks guys... I will be hunting the birds up here in this part of the country again next year.. I have also been planting a garden this year with a quite a bit of corn.. I hope next year there will be some fat birds hanging around my field out back.. That would be way cool.. The only issue with my garden spot is it was an old dumping ground that no one locally can recall. The tiller had spread part of it so it has been a huge mess. This old dumping ground would have to be over at least 100 years or better.. So I may dig some of it up this summer just to see what it may hold...

I will be hunting my home state of Iowa. I am also in the process of planning a week long trip where I will be hunting Kansas and one other state in which I havent decided yet.

Wow. Just got caught up on the scores. Its a bummer but I have really enjoyed being a part of this team. I think maybe a rule change needs to be looked at as far as sitting on your bird till the end. Maybe a 10 day limmit or something.

As far as the hunting any of yall are more than welcome to come on down to Oklahoma. Again its pubilic land but there are birds and deer everywhere and I'll point ya to the right units. Still hoping we get to keep the team since we won half the contest.

Is there something wrong with my eyes?? It looks like we will be on the same team again next year guys.. I am not 100% sure but when I looked at the scores it shows us on top of it.. While I have no idea if it is because of our issues on that last bird scored or exactly what it is?? But we are currently on the top of the scores meaning if that holds we will be a team again!!

A new rule change on exactly what is a reasonable time frame for posting a bird should be made IMO as well. This will save any issues like that last one from happening again..

I just went through team 1's total score and it is only 498 like treebeard has. As long as I added right as well, we are the champs!

I see it is currently being questioned so lets just hang on and see what happens..

Congratulations on being this years champs.
I want to say sorry for the addition mistake in my totals.

No need to apologize. It happens.. congrats to you guys on a great year. It was really close this year!

Thank You colbea! No need to appologize we all had enjoyed the contest and the hunting! It takes a good person to say they made a mistake and we all do that.. That is why they put erasers on pencils and trust me I have to use them more than once..

Hey Team, like it or not we will be all on the same team again next year!! So we will get another chance to try it again.. CONGRATS!!! To all of us on a job well done!! We are the new Champions!!

Congrats to you as well camokenny for getting turkzilla for us to carry us threw to the end of this contest!!

Looks like you will have to put up with me as the captain again next year!!

Congrats to you guys!

WOW team we did it even if it was a addition error that did it for us we will gladly take it. We earned it as a team and we deserve it. I am so happy that we can hunt together as a team again next spring.

As far as turkzilla goes, I was just the lucky one to get to pull the trigger on this bird. I had no idea that he had multiple beards till he was on the ground. As he was coming in it just looked really thick. Much to my surprise 5 is what I found. So no glory for the win for me. This was all a great team effort.

CONGRATES TEAM

Thank you car! It has been a real fun contest for us..

I am very happy to be with all of you as well whether I was your Captain or not. It has been a great team to be on.. I always try to stir no matter what team I am on.. That makes the contest more fun in my opinion..

I am also very glad we had won because of an addition area verses the late scored bird.. I feel an awful lot better about that now..

No doubt about it that the team effort is what had won this contest! But, Turkzilla surely gave us the boost we needed.. No matter if you thought it was just a really thick beard or not.. I thought my last bird was going to be a double by the way the beard was split apart on him before I took the shot.. But, that was not the case at all. Just split because of the rain the night before and the wet grass he was going threw.. But, he sure looked like it was until after the shot.. Maybe next year I can connect with that big bird I missed on the second day.. I have been trying to get him now the last 3 years..

I also wanted to post this picture for swampbuster of the cape I am working on.. I think it is coming along nicely.. This is my very first attempt at it.. I just wanted to try and do something different this year. The tail still needs to finish drying but, as you can see it is coming along nicely..

Congrats Team 5 for a job well done :)