Team 1 ~ Beard Bandits
05-12-2013, 02:24 PM
#362
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Tuscaloosa AL
Posts: 609
Lol!! To be doing so good, we had a awful lot of misses this year! We humbled ourselves down I guess.
Doetrain, hope your out there right now with a love sick Tom struttin in range!
Matt, still have you and your family in our prayers
Doetrain, hope your out there right now with a love sick Tom struttin in range!
Matt, still have you and your family in our prayers
05-12-2013, 05:23 PM
#363
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Sulphur,Indiana
Posts: 1,350
Well Team Saturday was so much better than Friday with the all day rain and no birds. Got in position Saturday morning hunting a new section of a friends property I'll put some pictures up later. About 6:45 the silence was broken by 2 Toms seeing who could out gobble the other. I was on the wrong side of the property so I hustled over and got within 60 to 70 yards to the closest bird. We talk back and forth for 20 minutes before he came off the roost in front of me. I got ready and shut up waiting for him to pop his head over a little rise in front of me. 15 minutes later I heard him moving up the hill and to the left then he went silent then a Jake flew down and went to the right of me about 60 yards away. He left and then I headed to the field where they go gather hens one was still hammering the 2nd. bird I heard so I worked my way to the field were I could see him. It was the monster I missed Monday and I was blown away with just how big he really was a truly huge bird. He was moving left in the field so I dropped back and moved left with him and got about 60 yards or more in front of him and settled in behind a root ball. I looked to the left and 2 Jakes were 100 yards out and heading right, once they got in the tall grass I raised up to see the big boy who stopped gobbling. The Jakes did an about face and headed the opposite direction. I though I had spooked them until I saw a dog in the field who had went after the big Tom in the field! And guys I'll stop here because that was my last opportunity for the weekend. I hunted from dawn to dusk Saturday and 2 hours before church this morning then till dusk this evening. I'm sorry guys but after 14 days of hunting my 2 misses cost us a good bird not to mention a dog on a bird of a life time. My Buddy Kent came to hunt with me later that afternoon and shot the first bird that came off the roost in front of me. 22lbs. 11" Beard and 1 1/2 Spurs I was happy for him he had given up because of so many people messing up his hunts in public hunting areas. He offered to let me submit this bird as mine but I said Kent that's not my bird and I won't cheat other teams by doing so. He understood but said do it for Matt but I said Matt would not want me to do that. All my friends got birds some I helped get them and I am truly happy for them all. Well Team once again I sorry I did not help our score but with GOD as my witness I gave it my best effort.
Last edited by doetrain; 05-12-2013 at 05:40 PM.
05-13-2013, 03:27 AM
#364
Typical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Hatton, Alabama
Posts: 520
Hey guys. Good to read about some of the success stories and even the misses. I think we all had our share of misses this season.
An update on Alison- She is still not responding but we have seen some positive signs. She opened an eye yesterday but doesn't appear to be responding to that. We have a long road ahead.
Thank you guys all for you prayers and thoughts. I'll try to check in every now and then to let you guys know how we are doing.
Matt Martin
An update on Alison- She is still not responding but we have seen some positive signs. She opened an eye yesterday but doesn't appear to be responding to that. We have a long road ahead.
Thank you guys all for you prayers and thoughts. I'll try to check in every now and then to let you guys know how we are doing.
Matt Martin
05-13-2013, 03:42 AM
#365
Typical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Hatton, Alabama
Posts: 520
A story to share with you guys about one that got away.
I had been hunting a hollow for a few days and had already taken one out of there. This one bird across the hollow had been gobbling just a few times before shutting up every morning. I decided to make my way around and come in from the opposite side. On this particular morning there wasn't much gobbling on the roost. I waited till fly down time to see if I couldn't find him then. After about 30 minutes I decided to go toward another bird that had sounded off a few times on further in. I walked off the ridge a bit and was surprised when I saw a bird sitting on the ground about 10-12 steps away. My first thought is that this was a hen on a nest. My second thought is that this hen looks nothing like a hen. I wasn't about to shoot the bird even though I'm thinking gobbler. What's a gobbler doing sitting on the ground and not running off?
I thought I would try to sneak around this "hen". The bird had been staring at me for a couple minutes. I took about 5-6 steps to get around it when the bird stood up and had a big full beard! Needless to say the sling kept me from getting a shot and the tom walked off unscathed. He never putted and never ran off. My guess is he was injured and couldn't fly. I kicked myself for not recognizing him sooner. I guess I was shocked by the fact that I had walked that close to a bird that was sitting on the ground.
I had been hunting a hollow for a few days and had already taken one out of there. This one bird across the hollow had been gobbling just a few times before shutting up every morning. I decided to make my way around and come in from the opposite side. On this particular morning there wasn't much gobbling on the roost. I waited till fly down time to see if I couldn't find him then. After about 30 minutes I decided to go toward another bird that had sounded off a few times on further in. I walked off the ridge a bit and was surprised when I saw a bird sitting on the ground about 10-12 steps away. My first thought is that this was a hen on a nest. My second thought is that this hen looks nothing like a hen. I wasn't about to shoot the bird even though I'm thinking gobbler. What's a gobbler doing sitting on the ground and not running off?
I thought I would try to sneak around this "hen". The bird had been staring at me for a couple minutes. I took about 5-6 steps to get around it when the bird stood up and had a big full beard! Needless to say the sling kept me from getting a shot and the tom walked off unscathed. He never putted and never ran off. My guess is he was injured and couldn't fly. I kicked myself for not recognizing him sooner. I guess I was shocked by the fact that I had walked that close to a bird that was sitting on the ground.
