Team 8 "The Snoodlers"
05-13-2007, 12:58 AM
#241
Fork Horn
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Virginia
Posts: 131
RE: Team 8 "The Snoodlers"
Hey teammates! Sorry I haven't been on here in a few weeks but things have been a little busy around our house! With my wife not working(she had to go leave without pay for her internship for her Masters), I have had to work every weekend to help make up the difference. Plus my son just started t-ball this year and I am one of the coaches, so since he has games every saturday, that pretty much takes up the rest of my time! Not that I'm complaining cause the ends justifies the means! And he is definitely worth it!!!! I know that I haven't helped the team at all and I have been trying when I can but with limited time its hard to get out there. I also seem to be having the worst luck when I do get out! Lets work it up til today...
1st time= went out opening day for an early morning hunt before his t-ball game and ended up calling a nice tom out for my guest, but time was up so no bird for me!
2nd time= with only about 2 hours to hunt after sunrise(another game) I ended up making a stupid mistake... my back was to the tree with a tom going off and approaching to my left, unfortunately my attention was so much on him that I didn't see the hen approaching to my right! You guessed it... she spooked and actually flew right over me towards him and I never heard him again!
3rd time= could not have asked for a better setup except that I was perfectly between two toms that would not for the life of them cross into the others area... again time ran out(another game)
4th time= then there was today... my son had a late game so I figured today was the day. Setup in a great spot with birds gobbling all around. 4 hens fly right down around me and one of them had a beard that had to be close to 7 or 8 inches. Just as I had made up my mind to take her when she got into range(thet were working right towards me) a tom lets off a thunderous gobble not 50 yards to my right! So I decided to wait it out! WRONG!!! He flew down into the adjacent field and out of site. And by that time my hen had made it out of range and I watched her keep going out of site! Well that was early so I figure I still have more time to see if he will come back into the area. I decided to sit it out and call very sporatically. At about 9:30, after I had just let out a couple yelps, I here a gobble coming from behind me and to my left(I'm hunting on a tree line that separates two fields) so I turn around. There is a clear spot in the tree line about 15 feet long so I know I can get a shot off if he crosses within range. Just as he is about 60 yards to my right, I can see him through the trees, he spooks and starts running! I step out of my blind wondering what just happened when all of the sudden I see a truck driving up the main path. The passenger looks right at me and waves! I'm standing there thinking (1) I don't recognize this truck and (2) I know he had to see my truck at the front gate! GUESS who it was?
TRESPASSERS!!!
The farm I am hunting is my brother-in-laws and I know the guy that farms it for him so I know its not him. I ended up walking back to my truck and then driving to the back of the farm to find them! They are back there FISHING! The back of the farm is bordered by the river! I approach them and ask them who they are and who gave them permission to be here? Then one guy states that he is kin to the people that own this farm! I kinda laugh since he is black and my brother-in-law is white! Then he gives me the name of the people that owned the farm about 10 years ago! I then got his name and called my brother-in-law to make sure I wasn't making any mistakes since it is his farm and he could have given this guy permission to be here. Well I got my answer "NO!" So I proceeded back to talk to them except this time I was displaying my badge and duty weapon! Not going to take any chances since there were two of them and we were in a very secluded area!!! PRESERVATION of LIFE comes FIRST!!! Well as soon as I approach the guy states who are you, then he looks right at my badge and gun! Talk about someone's eyes about to pop out of their head!!! Well that was all I was going to take so I introduced myself and told them I knew that they weren't telling me the truth. Then the guy states that he had been fishing here since he was about 13(about 40 now) and thought it was OK. Well I politely(its the job,LOL) explained to him that once the ownership of the property changed, his permission ended and that he had been fishing here illegally since that time! I also explained to him how he ruined my hunt and that if I ever caught him on this property again, without the owners permission, I would arrest him for trespassing! I then ******ed both subjects off the property! And wouldn't you know that after all the time I spent dealing with them, I had to leave to make my son's game.
Well I know that was kinda long but I had to vent to someone that might understand and to get it off my chest! Hopefully I will get at least one more chance to help the team, but its not looking good! This is our last week here in VA and I have a lot of work to do! But I will do all I can to help the team and gain a tasty treat in the process!!! GOOD LUCK and SAFE HUNTING!!!
1st time= went out opening day for an early morning hunt before his t-ball game and ended up calling a nice tom out for my guest, but time was up so no bird for me!
2nd time= with only about 2 hours to hunt after sunrise(another game) I ended up making a stupid mistake... my back was to the tree with a tom going off and approaching to my left, unfortunately my attention was so much on him that I didn't see the hen approaching to my right! You guessed it... she spooked and actually flew right over me towards him and I never heard him again!
3rd time= could not have asked for a better setup except that I was perfectly between two toms that would not for the life of them cross into the others area... again time ran out(another game)
4th time= then there was today... my son had a late game so I figured today was the day. Setup in a great spot with birds gobbling all around. 4 hens fly right down around me and one of them had a beard that had to be close to 7 or 8 inches. Just as I had made up my mind to take her when she got into range(thet were working right towards me) a tom lets off a thunderous gobble not 50 yards to my right! So I decided to wait it out! WRONG!!! He flew down into the adjacent field and out of site. And by that time my hen had made it out of range and I watched her keep going out of site! Well that was early so I figure I still have more time to see if he will come back into the area. I decided to sit it out and call very sporatically. At about 9:30, after I had just let out a couple yelps, I here a gobble coming from behind me and to my left(I'm hunting on a tree line that separates two fields) so I turn around. There is a clear spot in the tree line about 15 feet long so I know I can get a shot off if he crosses within range. Just as he is about 60 yards to my right, I can see him through the trees, he spooks and starts running! I step out of my blind wondering what just happened when all of the sudden I see a truck driving up the main path. The passenger looks right at me and waves! I'm standing there thinking (1) I don't recognize this truck and (2) I know he had to see my truck at the front gate! GUESS who it was?
TRESPASSERS!!!
The farm I am hunting is my brother-in-laws and I know the guy that farms it for him so I know its not him. I ended up walking back to my truck and then driving to the back of the farm to find them! They are back there FISHING! The back of the farm is bordered by the river! I approach them and ask them who they are and who gave them permission to be here? Then one guy states that he is kin to the people that own this farm! I kinda laugh since he is black and my brother-in-law is white! Then he gives me the name of the people that owned the farm about 10 years ago! I then got his name and called my brother-in-law to make sure I wasn't making any mistakes since it is his farm and he could have given this guy permission to be here. Well I got my answer "NO!" So I proceeded back to talk to them except this time I was displaying my badge and duty weapon! Not going to take any chances since there were two of them and we were in a very secluded area!!! PRESERVATION of LIFE comes FIRST!!! Well as soon as I approach the guy states who are you, then he looks right at my badge and gun! Talk about someone's eyes about to pop out of their head!!! Well that was all I was going to take so I introduced myself and told them I knew that they weren't telling me the truth. Then the guy states that he had been fishing here since he was about 13(about 40 now) and thought it was OK. Well I politely(its the job,LOL) explained to him that once the ownership of the property changed, his permission ended and that he had been fishing here illegally since that time! I also explained to him how he ruined my hunt and that if I ever caught him on this property again, without the owners permission, I would arrest him for trespassing! I then ******ed both subjects off the property! And wouldn't you know that after all the time I spent dealing with them, I had to leave to make my son's game.
Well I know that was kinda long but I had to vent to someone that might understand and to get it off my chest! Hopefully I will get at least one more chance to help the team, but its not looking good! This is our last week here in VA and I have a lot of work to do! But I will do all I can to help the team and gain a tasty treat in the process!!! GOOD LUCK and SAFE HUNTING!!!
05-14-2007, 06:49 PM
#242
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 5,076
RE: Team 8 "The Snoodlers"
Well team I had a pretty good day for the first day of my hunt although I didn't get a shot at any of them it was awesome just to be out there and seeing them.
I got out to my happy hunting grounds around 5 am , got all my gear and headed into the woods , picked a spot for my Double Bull T5 brushed it in a little and put out one Bobb'n Head feeding hen decoyabout 15 yards in front of my blind.
Just arounnd first light at 6 am I heard the first fly down so I got my mouth call and start with a fly down cackle followed by some soft yelps.
Got a response right off the bat so I yelped some more and againI heard another gobble , every time I yelped that bird gobbled back , then I saw him he was about 50 to 60 yards in front of me and coming in.
I get my bow ready to draw and continue to call with some soft yelps and purrs and he stops at 35 yards looking at my decoy and my blind.
He starts moving side to side going into half strut and gobbled one more time then went into full strut at this point I could clearly see that he's a jake.
Even though I was some what disappointed about the jake , I was still excited to see him ,we played a waiting game untill a doecomes walking thru.
When the jake sees the deer he breaks out of strut andwalks away and out of shight ( darn deer ) so Iput my bow down and call again with no luck , thats jake is gone.
Then around 8:00 I saw the big off colored tom that I've been hoping for , only he comes in quietly and off to myleft whereI didn't have a clear shot.
He's at 40 yards and walking by so I gave a cpouple of soft yelps with no reaction at all to my dismay he didn't seemto looking for love this morning , and continued to goe about his day leaveing me just sitting in my blind in disbelief.
Then everything went quiet and still for a long time , saw some more does walk thru but no more birds untill 12 noon.
One lonesome hen walks towards me , see's my decoy and goe's off in a diffrent direction and then to my surprize I find out why ... that hen saw something.
It was a little fox ... thats right I said fox , I thought it was a rabbit being so small but rabbits don't have long tails and pointed noise's.
This little fella must have been a baby , it walked right by my blind and when it saw my decoy the little guy goe's into stleath mode and attacks it.
It was the funniest thing I ever saw , that baby fox jumped right on the top of that decoy and then jumped off and looked, then sniffed at it then ran away.
Sorry to goe on an on but I just wanted to share with every one on how my first day went , all in all I had a nice day out there.
I'll try again tomarrow maybe this time I get that big off colored tom that I saw this morning.
I got out to my happy hunting grounds around 5 am , got all my gear and headed into the woods , picked a spot for my Double Bull T5 brushed it in a little and put out one Bobb'n Head feeding hen decoyabout 15 yards in front of my blind.
Just arounnd first light at 6 am I heard the first fly down so I got my mouth call and start with a fly down cackle followed by some soft yelps.
Got a response right off the bat so I yelped some more and againI heard another gobble , every time I yelped that bird gobbled back , then I saw him he was about 50 to 60 yards in front of me and coming in.
I get my bow ready to draw and continue to call with some soft yelps and purrs and he stops at 35 yards looking at my decoy and my blind.
He starts moving side to side going into half strut and gobbled one more time then went into full strut at this point I could clearly see that he's a jake.
Even though I was some what disappointed about the jake , I was still excited to see him ,we played a waiting game untill a doecomes walking thru.
When the jake sees the deer he breaks out of strut andwalks away and out of shight ( darn deer ) so Iput my bow down and call again with no luck , thats jake is gone.
Then around 8:00 I saw the big off colored tom that I've been hoping for , only he comes in quietly and off to myleft whereI didn't have a clear shot.
He's at 40 yards and walking by so I gave a cpouple of soft yelps with no reaction at all to my dismay he didn't seemto looking for love this morning , and continued to goe about his day leaveing me just sitting in my blind in disbelief.
Then everything went quiet and still for a long time , saw some more does walk thru but no more birds untill 12 noon.
One lonesome hen walks towards me , see's my decoy and goe's off in a diffrent direction and then to my surprize I find out why ... that hen saw something.
It was a little fox ... thats right I said fox , I thought it was a rabbit being so small but rabbits don't have long tails and pointed noise's.
This little fella must have been a baby , it walked right by my blind and when it saw my decoy the little guy goe's into stleath mode and attacks it.
It was the funniest thing I ever saw , that baby fox jumped right on the top of that decoy and then jumped off and looked, then sniffed at it then ran away.
Sorry to goe on an on but I just wanted to share with every one on how my first day went , all in all I had a nice day out there.
I'll try again tomarrow maybe this time I get that big off colored tom that I saw this morning.
05-14-2007, 08:19 PM
#243
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Redford Michigan
Posts: 593
RE: Team 8 "The Snoodlers"
Well Mr. RD! Sounds like you had a great day full of excitement. I wish I could have been out there with ya! You know I have that disease still called "work and responsibility"! I am going to be checking the forecast here in a minute and if it looks no good for this week I will pull out Monday and Tuesday of next week. I intend on talking to the farmer that owns most of the fields behind my property for some run and gun permission. He owns the other side of the road as well where the 8 birds went that day we were out and where I saw 2 last night, although both hens there are birds over there. I noticed a drainage ditch there that I hadn't noticed before and have suspicion they are working both sides of the road through that cut. My weekends are booked with the girls and their hunting but, we will get out again and soon.Talk to ya soon!!!!
Sorry Team 8 for the intrusion but, had to read RD's day!!!!!!
Sorry Team 8 for the intrusion but, had to read RD's day!!!!!!
05-15-2007, 05:39 PM
#245
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Boardman, Ohio
Posts: 1,184
RE: Team 8 "The Snoodlers"
Great stories fellas........I two have not been out much but I will be out this last weekend! HOPEFULLY........I will let you know how it goes and if I get the big one.
05-15-2007, 07:12 PM
#246
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 5,076
RE: Team 8 "The Snoodlers"
Has any of you looked into the teams score card lately .... where not in Kansas any more.
Teams # 1and 3 has got the jump on us , I guess we need to put a little more effort into it if we don't want to let Tee Jay down.
For those of you that haven't scored yet inculding my self , we need to get out there and bag a bird for the team.
I'll be out every day for the next two weeks but we need the rest of you to make it , you all know who you are so come on get out there and get your tom.
Ok .... enough with the captain's peep talk
, I had no luck this morning but thats not going to stop me , like I said I'm going out everyday rain or shine.
Teams # 1and 3 has got the jump on us , I guess we need to put a little more effort into it if we don't want to let Tee Jay down.
For those of you that haven't scored yet inculding my self , we need to get out there and bag a bird for the team.
I'll be out every day for the next two weeks but we need the rest of you to make it , you all know who you are so come on get out there and get your tom.
Ok .... enough with the captain's peep talk
, I had no luck this morning but thats not going to stop me , like I said I'm going out everyday rain or shine.
05-16-2007, 09:25 PM
#247
Fork Horn
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Virginia
Posts: 131
RE: Team 8 "The Snoodlers"
Well guys, I finally scored!!! I wrote about it on the main turkey forum! RD, he ended up scoring 66.125. Hopefully that helps to get us back to the top were we belong!!!!! GO SNOODLERS!!!!!!!!!!!
