The Good....................I took a 17lb 5" beard 7/16 spured jake late morning! PAhunterman did the calling

The Bad...................My brother got me thumping a long beard this morning on video and he also got me chasing it :'( I rolled him and he flopped around and was just laying on the ground. I unloaded my gun picked my calls turned around to see him flopping over down the field. We looked long and hard but never found him :'(

The Ugly.......................

nice pick!! sorry to hear about the other bird.....nevvvvvvvver unload that gun till you got him in your hands.....i dont care how dead my game looks....i try to stay alert and ready for something like that to happen.....i know in the heat of the moment you dont think clearly.....but thats a good habit to get into.....i know alot of guys take off sprinting...some leave there guns and everything laying there......trying to get to that bird quick.....i get there quick as i can...but im careful....and keep an eye on their heads....if it would come up id stop and get ready.....seen and heard of that happening too often.....heck....i hit a pheasant once...folded it perfectly...wasnt kickin or nothin....stone cold dead....15-20 mins later were workin the dog and all the sudden my game bag explodes.....im being beaten...kicked, spurred and flapped by a ringneck....talk about comical....my buddys reaching in there getting beat up trying to grab it.....it was nuts.....just knocked it out i guess.........thats a great pic though..i love it!

Sorry to hear about your lost bird. Sound like you had a good time though.

congrats. on the one bird,and sorry bout the other. you learned a leasson.

That's one of the reasons I double time it to my down birds!!!! I've had people on hear frown down on running to downed turkeys. Classic case

Thanks for the compliments & condolence. I usally don't waste anytime getting to the birds I shoot. I don't know why I did on this one or even why I unloaded my gun. I've shot at birds before and missed which is fine but this hitting them hard and not getting them just makes me sick.

They sure are tough customers. Oh well.

A very nice shot of New England countryside.

Congrats!

MK,

Good going on the harvest, sorry to hear about the others escape. I would like to see a clip of the video if at all possible... even the worst day huntin' is always better than a good day workin'. I'll let you know how things pan out here. It's not been very productive this first week, not for a lack of trying mind you, but I'm keeping my hopes up. Congrats again bud.