Thanks guys all my stuff is ready and the truck is all gassed up. So hopefully you will hear about one from me early in the afternoon as our days all end at noon for our hunting trips. I have to keep in mind that most the birds show up the best between 9 and 11. I have no idea why, except that they must be looking for other hens..

Heres the field that I've been watching over the last couple trips including this morning. And from this cam is where I got the guys walking out. But it was before these were taken.




And this is at the other end of the property. Cool pic though.

That looks like a place to waiting for the birds to me Mottz! Good Luck with getting another tag filled..

As everyone on our team should know by now I get to go after them this morning! Yahooeee! I have been waiting for this day to begin! Wish me luck guys! I hope all of you hunting them right now or soon will be has some great luck as well! I hope to have a story for you when I get back.. It will take around 45 minutes to get to my blind so I will be leaving here around 4 this morning..

Good luck Phil!
Man, i came sooo close this mornin!!! Tried out your fan trick Mottz. I got him to about 50 yards But had a lot of cover between me and him, think he came a bit closer yet but just didn't have a shot. Gonna get in trouble with the wife, but think i'm gonna head back out with the popup blind and sit on that front feild again, thats where he was this mornin, and just wait em out.

I am upset with myself from this mornings outing.. I saw 8 moose, 6 deer, and a black bear which were all great to see. I saw 3 bearded toms, one which I messed up on very badly!!
I am still ticked off at myself over that one. It was a very big tom with 2 beards for sure. Prolly 12 + inches on the longest beard.. I was heading up to my blind and there he was! He flew up on a big rock and before I could do anything he jumped down the other side. I ran up to the rock and there he was around 25 yards from me. I haul up and of coarse I still have the safety on. I kept pushing the safety in the on position like numiss.. When I realized it and got the safety off the bird headed into a small brush pile. So I waiting until he came out of it. Then he was around 45 yards away and I fired. The bird flew and I do not know how the heck he could of. I watched where he went and searched it over for 2 hours. That is how sure I was that I had hit him.
When I decided I was not going to find him and got to the truck he gobbled. I was not sure if it was him so without thinking about my calls I went to check without them.. Stupid on my part again, and I went searching for where the gobbling was coming from because he continued to gobble. I found him he was around 100 yards east of where I shot at him. He was around 60 yards and we saw each other about the same time and he flew off.
I feel great about the fact if I did hit him he never got hit to awfully bad. I just feel like crap over that whole situation. The other birds had a much better chance due to my messing up on that first one.. Then on my way home I saw a jake and after a while I saw 6 jakes all in one group..

That is how day one went down and I am blaming it on my shotgun. So that one is staying home and my long tom will be going for now on.

Good Luck to you j76!

Well Phil, i definately know the feeling! I'm sure i hit mine too, but they are sure some tough birds and i have no doubt he's one of the birds i've been playing with the last couple days. Tomorrow is another day, sounds like you have lots of birds to go after, good luck

Thanks j76, I am hopeful I will make it to my blind tomorrow so as I can set back and do some calling and just wait them out.. I know that there is a big long beard hanging around that area. I hope he comes in decent if he decides to come out and play that is.. I currently know that big one is there..

I hope everyone still hunting has some great luck as well.

Phil and j76 u guys are getting close. It is just a matter of time.

When Are you guys getting out again?

How is everyone else doing?


John

That's unacceptable Phil. I vote you off the team. WHo shoots and misses??? Just bustin your balls bud!! you'll get another chance at him easily! He doesn't know what even happened. Think of it this way. Your 21,single and at the bar. Hittin on a nice lookin lady and pow, someone (probably her boyfriend)hits you in the back of your head. You drop to the floor, get up and say what the hell just happened and then say ooohhh look at her, I'm going over there. Were all men. One thing on our mind. Unless your at the bar cause beer ranks right up there, but anyways, he'll be back.

j, if they start going the other way, grab the fan and go after them. Unless its mid morning when the hens ditch the toms, they will stay with them unless they get provoked. I'm not feeding you a line of BS. It works!!