Opening Weekend Muzzle loader-2011

Wow! What a morning. I got the truck loaded up last night and ready for this morning. It is opening weekend for the Muzzle loader season here in Tennessee and I was ready to rock.

I got up early this morning but not early enough for the time change last night. I was running behind all morning so it was not off to a good start. I got to the woods a lot later than I had planned and my daddy-in-law was there ready and waiting on me. Needless to say, I took some good ribbing for being late and taking so long to get ready to go into the woods. 

I got to my tree  and climbed up. I got settled in about 0730. It was cool and the wind was blowing pretty hard. The tree I was in was rocking in a nice steady rhythm and I was having trouble staying awake but I did. Lol. I started hearing a lot of shots from the dove field on the WMA I was hunting and figured it would be a slow, dead morning. 

I made a few posts on Facebook about my morning and responded to several comments about my inability to close the deal in years past. All in good fun from my hunting buddies but at least I still have all my shirt tails. Lol. I texted a buddy of mine to see if he was in the woods and having any luck.

Now a little history on my buddy Sam and our texting from the field. For the last three years, during turkey season, we will text in the field and exchange strategies and just general chit chat to pass the time. Every year, while I am texting him, turkey always decide to come out in the field; always just out of range. So, with this information, you can figure out what happened this morning.

Okay, back to the story. While doing all of this, I heard a shot from the direction of my daddy-in-law and sent him a text to see if he had one down. He said no and that the shot was to my right but in front of him. I got this text while sending one to Sam, so when I got through typing and sending to Sam, I replied to my daddy-in-law. It was now about 0815.

I had just dropped my phone back into my vest pocket and caught something out of the corner of my eye to my left. I slowly looked over and down and there was this little what I thought was a spike. Now being in the middle of a good long dry spell and being on public land and caring more about meat than antlers, my decision was easy.

I eased my muzzle loader up, got him in the scope and readied for the shot. I flipped the safety off and he stepped behind a tree. I'm thinking, "Holy crap, not again", as this has happened before. It happened twice last year with not shot ever presenting itself. But I stayed on him and then it happened, he stepped out. He was about 15 yards away. I placed the cross hairs right behind his shoulder, he dropped his head to eat and I squeezed the trigger. 

I waited for the smoke to clear and he was running like crazy and stumbling all over the place. He ran to the right and circled back to the left. He was about 20 yards away and made a hard cut back to the right and that was his last turn. I watched him hit the ground and flip about 10 feet and not move again. 

I reloaded and kept my eye on him to see if a follow up shot would be needed. I sat there for what seemed like forever but was only about 10 mins. Then my phone vibrated and brought me back to reality. It was Lloyd asking if I had meat and I said "yep". I then said he was on his way.

When he got to my stand, we both started slowly walking to where the deer was laying, looking and ready for anything. He never moved again and when we got to him I realized it was a forked horn spike.

It may be small but it ends my dry spell and is meat in the freezer. I sent out a few text messages and took the good-natured ribbing about the size along with congrats all around. I got him field dressed and carted out to the truck. Then took him out to Lloyd's and got him processed, vacuum packed and in the freezer. We had dinner and came home.  

Not a bad day in the woods but over too quick, but sometimes that's how we like it. He may not be a Booner but he eats just the same. I fried up the tenderloins and a few other bits and it was just as good as any other deer I have eaten. I enjoyed being out in the woods and I'm thankful to live in a place where I can do that and I always enjoy spending time with Lloyd, my daddy-in-law and hunting buddy. 

In the end, it's always about the memories we make in the field and the people we share them with. Good luck and God Bless.

*On a footnote, while I was waiting on Lloyd to return with the cart, I had a doe bust me. What a morning it would have been to have two deer on the ground. Lol.

Tennessee’s Wild Side celebrates the outdoors. Now playing on Tennessee’s Public Television Stations.

Tennessee’s Wild Side celebrates the outdoors. Now playing on Tennessee’s Public Television Stations.:

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TWRA GIS - Wildlife Management Area Index

TWRA GIS - Wildlife Management Area Index:

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Tennessee Waterfowl Hunting Regulations Guide – The Official 2010 Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Waterfowl Hunting Guide | eRegulations.com

Tennessee Waterfowl Hunting Regulations Guide – The Official 2010 Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Waterfowl Hunting Guide | eRegulations.com:

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2011 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide – The Official Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Hunting and Trapping Guide | Tennessee Hunting & Trapping Guide | eRegulations.com

2011 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide – The Official Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Hunting and Trapping Guide | Tennessee Hunting & Trapping Guide | eRegulations.com:

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Clarification Made Concerning Archery Turkey Harvest

Released on Fri, Oct 07, 2011 - 8:27 am under 

• Wildlife Resources

NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is making a clarification as there have been several inquiries concerning the harvest of wild turkeys in counties that have a fall turkey gun season.

 

Archers are allowed to harvest one turkey during the archery-only deer season in each of the counties listed that have a fall turkey gun season. (A list of counties that have a fall turkey season is located on page 40 of the 2011 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide).

 

The TWRA suggests all archery hunters obtain a 2011 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide. The guides are available where hunting and fishing licenses are sold and on the TWRA website, www.tnwildlife.org.

---TWRA---

 

Archery Opener

It's opening weekend of the archery season in Tennessee. I didn't get to go yesterday (Sat) because of other obligations. But I'm out here today and ready to rock.

Didn't see anything but turkeys this morning and busted about a dozen in the middle of the trail coming in this afternoon. I'm sitting back in the woods off the edge of a bean field and pond. It's a little warmer than expected today but should be a good spot.

I am setup facing a well used trail that leads to the field. The wind is in my face and it is a perfect setup. I have high hopes for a close encounter of the venison kind.

The wind is really blowing hard. Looks like I'll be keeping my shots close if I get one. There are a bunch of crows raising cane in the field. With all of the noise, I won't be able to hear anything coming. This front was supposed to be gone by now. Oh well, that's hunting. Lol.

The end of the day:
Well the day is over. I didn't have any luck but did see a lot more turkeys. It would be nice if they would stay where they are until the spring but it never happens that way.

I did find a few more stand locations and I'm set up pretty good for the rest of the season. I feel like this year is gonna be a good year.

I also found out I'm no longer alone during bow season anymore. I guess that since the farms around the management area have changed from pasture to soybeans this year, it is becoming a little more popular. It's still good that most people don't like to walk and it's about a mile to my stand so I shouldn't run inti too many people.

Well there's always through the week and there are plenty more weekends and the season is just getting started. So here's to a great season and plenty of meat in the freezer. Later y'all.

Archery 2011

Deer season is finally here. My archery season opens this Saturday the 24th and I am ready. I have a couple new spots to hunt and might have a shot at a turkey in the process. My buddy Billy and I will be out there bright and early Saturday morning, sitting on a field edge, waiting for some magic to happen. 


My season is getting started a week later than normal. I wasn't able to make my yearly pre-season draw hunt due to other obligations but that's how it goes sometimes. The weather is supposed to be good for the weekend and there is a front moving out on Thursday and another one moving in on Saturday. Temps are going to be very nice so there should be some good activity.


So here's to the beginning of what hopes to be a great season and lots of great memories to add to seasons past. Good luck to everybody else who is already in the field or getting ready to start their season. Aim small, miss small, shoot straight and may your arrow always find it's mark.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency - Feral Hog/Wild Boar

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency - Feral Hog/Wild Boar:

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Survey Shows Hunters are Getting Kids Involved

In recent surveys conducted on  www.HunterSurvey.com,  www.ShooterSurvey.com  and
www.AnglerSurvey.com, responses revealed sportsman overwhelmingly take the time to introduce kids to the joys of hunting and fishing. Asked if in the past 12 months they had taken a child hunting or fishing, just over 45 percent of hunters said they had taken a son, daughter, nephew, niece or other young person hunting, while a whopping 61 percent of fishermen said they had taken a child fishing.
While the relation of the child to the angler would be assumed to most often be a son or a daughter that is the case only half of the time. The survey revealed 30 percent were nephews, nieces or another young relative; 15 percent were an unrelated child and 4 percent was as part of an outing with a Boy Scout troop, church group or other youth organization.
Where hunting was concerned, the relation of the child to the hunter was a son or a daughter 54 percent of the time. The survey revealed 29 percent were nephews, nieces or another young relative; 14 percent were an unrelated child and 4 percent were as part of an outing with a Boy Scout troop, church group or other youth organization.
“These numbers certainly boost the future of hunting, fishing and conservation as more young people are introduced to and learn the joys of these sports,” said Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, which designs and conducts the surveys at HunterSurvey.com, ShooterSurvey.com and AnglerSurvey.com. “While every child taken hunting or fishing may not continue doing so as an adult, it’s expected a good number of them will.”
To help continually improve, protect and advance this treasured way of life, all hunters and anglers are encouraged to participate in the surveys at HunterSurvey.com, ShooterSurvey.com and AnglerSurvey.com. Each month, participants who complete the survey are entered into a drawing for one of five $100 gift certificates to the sporting goods retailer of their choice.

Slaughter on the Island: Highjacking the Flag of Conservation

By Lacey Biles, NRA-ILA Hunting Policy Liaison
Nestled in the Pacific Ocean approximately 30 miles from the mainland of Santa Barbara sits a beautiful island where majestic Roosevelt elk and Kaibab mule deer roam free. Ferried across a treacherous channel, these grand species were brought to Santa Rosa Island some 80 years ago, but their days are officially numbered. A complete slaughter of these magnificent animals is scheduled to occur before the midnight tide rises on Dec. 31, 2011. Sharpshooters will be en route to the island soon to comply with a 1996 court settlement and 2007 legislation that reinstated the extermination order.
The 83-square-mile island was privately owned for more than a century before being sold to the National Park Service in 1986 for $30 million. Used as a cattle and sheep ranch for much of its modern history, overgrazing disrupted the balance of the island`s ecosystem. The 1996 lawsuit settlement required the removal of all cattle, sheep and feral hogs from the island, followed by a phased reduction of elk and mule deer to culminate at the end of 2011 with complete extermination.
As this is a government-mandated animal slaughter, you may ask where the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have been in the process. They have been curiously absent, giving us a clear picture of their definition of "conservation." In fact, HSUS` congressional allies, U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and U.S. Rep. Lois Capps, blocked NRA`s efforts to prevent the slaughter in 2007 by inserting a provision into the omnibus appropriations bill that reinstated the extermination order. The animal-saving law blocked by the three lawmakers would have allowed disabled veterans to hunt the majestic elk and mule deer based on biologists` harvest recommendations.
The battle over Santa Rosa Island illustrates diverging definitions of "conservation." Theodore Roosevelt was largely responsible for sparking America`s conservation movement after witnessing the detritus left behind by the 19th century`s commercial big game slaughter. An avid hunter throughout his life, Roosevelt could not countenance big game populations dwindling below sustainable hunting levels. He helped to create the North American Wildlife Conservation Model, which used regulated hunting as an essential tool to bring back numerous species from the brink of extinction and help them thrive again.
Regulated hunting of Roosevelt elk and Kaibab mule deer on Santa Rosa Island has been employed and celebrated for decades, keeping populations in check that have no natural predators. Although the presence of such majestic beasts enriches the experience of all who visit the island, HSUS and PETA seem to prefer total extermination of the elk and deer populations rather than allowing one more hunter to take to the field. Again, these anti-hunting extremists refuse to acknowledge that hunters are largely responsible for preserving America`s wild lands and the wild things that Roosevelt held sacrosanct.
Animal "rights" extremists have tried to seize the word "conservation" and change its definition to remove hunting as a tool. Unfortunately, they have had some success and Santa Rosa Island may be their next victory.
The impact that domestic cattle and sheep, and feral hogs, can have on a unique landscape such as Santa Rosa Island is well known. A total of 1,175 hogs were killed during the `90s, but estimates put the number of hogs as high as 3,200 prior to a major drought in the late `80s. With voracious appetites, it is no wonder that the flora and fauna suffered tremendously. Some states see significant habitat impacts with similar hog populations. After the removal of domestic cattle, sheep and feral hogs, Santa Rosa`s ecosystem dramatically rebounded.
So why have the elk and mule deer been sentenced to die when the island`s ecosystem is rebounding? No reasonable answer has been given; the only explanation is that the two ungulate species are "non-native." Allowing the North American Wildlife Conservation Model to prevail through elk and mule deer management would mean a modicum of impact on the island`s environment. That is apparently too tall an order for HSUS and PETA because it would mean continued hunting of a few animals. The animal "rights" folks instead sit idly by as government-paid sharpshooters are scheduled to perform a 19th century-style slaughter, with the modern twist of using helicopters instead of horses.
There are only three native terrestrial mammals on Santa Rosa: the deer mouse, island fox and spotted skunk. With the domestic cattle, sheep and feral hogs gone from the island, a proper ecosystem could be easily maintained with the continued inclusion of scientifically managed elk and deer herds.
Roosevelt elk and Kaibab mule deer are only found in a small segment of North America and they are a celebrated part of Santa Rosa for a multitude of visitors from hikers to hunters. The isolated island population of these magnificent animals represents an important insurance policy if disease ever broke out on the mainland that could lead either species to extinction. Having an isolated species pool, a Noah`s Ark of sorts, can prove invaluable as proper elk and mule deer habitat on the mainland continues to erode because of urbanization, leaving species` health prone to widespread disease events.
President Roosevelt eloquently wrote of elk in 1902:
"Surely all men who care for nature, no less than all men who care for big game hunting, should combine to try to see that not merely the states but the Federal authorities make every effort, and are given every power, to prevent the extermination of this stately and beautiful animal, the lordliest of the deer kind in the entire world."
I believe that the president who sparked the American conservation movement would write the very same words about the Santa Rosa slaughter today. The elk and mule deer herds could be so managed through hunting and other means as to have minimal impact on the island`s various flora and fauna with a continued existence as balanced members of the island`s ecosystem. This would continue the North American Wildlife Conservation Model that has become the envy of the world, albeit to the angst of the animal "rights" crowd simply because hunting would continue. It makes one wonder if these anti-hunting extremists would prefer to see more animals exterminated so that, in their twisted minds, no "suffering" would exist. It is hard to see any other way they would be satisfied given their inaction on Santa Rosa.
Rest assured that NRA will continue the fight to save the Santa Rosa elk and mule deer to the final hour. Join the fight;contact your United States senators and representative and ask them to call off the sharpshooters. If all concerned NRA members join forces, perhaps we can prevent the senseless slaughter of these remarkable animal populations and keep the animal "rights" extremists from taking hunting out of conservation.

More women receiving gun permits in Tenn.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – More women are going through the proper training to obtain their gun carry permits in the state of Tennessee.

Retired Metro police officer Buford Tune runs the Academy of Personal Protection and Security and teaches a training course that allows gun owners to obtain a carry permit.

According to Tune in recent months he has seen an increase in the number of women going through the training to receive their permits.

"We've had a big increase in classes for the Tennessee gun permit as far as women go.  We get calls daily from women and men as well, but we've seen the classes go up big time," he said.

Tune told Nashville's News 2 he believes more people, particularly females, are turning to guns for personal protection largely due to crime and economic fears.

"People see this on the news, in the paper, on the web and they're concerned and want to be able to protect themselves," he said.

Women give reasons such as living alone, working late at night or having husbands who travel as some of the main reasons why they want to take the class.

Local gun dealers also said they've noticed a change too in what customers are buying. 

Instead of hunting guns, they're selling more handguns for home protection and many of their customers are women.

Tune tells Nashville's News 2, "It's kind of like the old saying, 'Seconds count when help is minutes away, so what are you doing in the meantime?' You've got to be able to protect yourself and your family while you are waiting for the police to get there."

Nationally, FBI background checks for gun sales are up. 

Statewide, the TBI reports the total number of background checks for individuals trying to buy guns has increased every year since 2002.

So far in 2011, gun sales have also increased over last year.

NRA-ILA :: Heads Roll In Wake of BATFE “Fast and Furious” Scandal

Friday, September 02, 2011

In the latest development in the on-going Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) “Fast and Furious” scandal, the Department of Justice announced this week the appointment of U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota B. Todd Jones to serve as Acting Director of BATFE, replacing Kenneth Melson. The DOJ also announced that Dennis Burke, U.S. attorney for the district of Arizona, has resigned. And the Wall Street Journal reported that Emory Hurley, the assistant U.S. attorney responsible for the day-to-day operations of “Fast and Furious,” has been removed from his post and reassigned to the department’s Civil Division.

As we have frequently noted in this Alert, the reckless and utterly failed BATFE operation known as “Operation Fast And Furious” was run out of the BATFE’s field office in Phoenix. The bungled operation put thousands of guns into the hands of violent criminals in Mexico.

The more information comes out about “Fast and Furious,” the more clear it seems that knowledge of the operation, and approval for it, went higher than the Phoenix field office, or even BATFE. There is clear evidence, uncovered by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee headed by Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), that senior Obama Administration officials were aware of this disastrous operation. And as the evidence continues to mount, it’s looking more and more likely that what we’re seeing unfold is a large-scale cover-up.

A Thursday Fox News story reported that federal officials quickly tried to cover up evidence that a gun found at the scene of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry’s murder was one the government intentionally helped sell to the Mexican cartels via the “Fast and Furious” program. The article also reported that late Thursday, the office of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, revealed that 21 more “Fast and Furious” guns have been found at violent crime scenes in Mexico, up from 11 the agency admitted to just last month. According to the article, Sen. Grassley and Rep. Issa said Thursday they are expanding their investigation into the scandal, and have sent a strongly worded letter to Anne Scheel, the new U.S. attorney for Arizona, requesting interviews, e-mails, memos and even hand-written notes from members of the U.S. Attorney's office that played key roles in the failed program.

Regarding this week’s shake-up, Rep. Issa released the following statement: "While the reckless disregard for safety that took place in Operation Fast and Furious certainly merits changes within the Department of Justice, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee will continue its investigation to ensure that blame isn't offloaded on just a few individuals for a matter that involved much higher levels of the Justice Department. There are still many questions to be answered about what happened in Operation Fast and Furious and who else bears responsibility, but these changes are warranted and offer an opportunity for the Justice Department to explain the role other officials and offices played in the infamous efforts to allow weapons to flow to Mexican drug cartels. I also remain very concerned by Acting Director Melson's statement that the Department of Justice is managing its response in a manner intended to protect its political appointees. Senator Grassley and I will continue to press the Department of Justice for answers in order to ensure that a reckless effort like Fast and Furious does not take place again."

Sen. Grassley released this statement: "[This week’s] announcement is an admission by the Obama administration that serious mistakes were made in Operation Fast and Furious, and is a step in the right direction that they are continuing to limit any further damage that people involved in this disastrous strategy can do. There's a lot of blame to go around. As our investigation moves forward, and we get to the bottom of this policy, I wouldn't be surprised to see more fall out beyond the resignations and new assignments announced today. The Justice Department and the ATF have yet to answer a majority of the questions and still must produce many of the documents Congressman Issa and I have asked for. We're looking for a full accounting from the Justice Department as to who knew what and when, so we can be sure that this ill-advised strategy never happens again."

And House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) said: "The announcement by the Department of Justice to reassign Kenneth Melson is not the resolution Congress and the American people need. This move by the Administration indicates that Director Melson may be being used as a scapegoat for a much larger problem within ATF and DOJ. It appears that other senior officials at DOJ may have been involved in this deadly operation. The American people and Congress will not be appeased until we have the whole truth about how and why Operation Fast and Furious was authorized. Congress will not ignore an agency so out of control that its decisions and operations cost American lives."

Meanwhile, Attorney General Eric Holder has insisted that he knew absolutely nothing about “Fast and Furious.” As the investigation continues, hopefully we’ll find out if that unlikely insistence is the truth.

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Your right to self-defense shouldn’t end at state borders.

This Labor Day weekend, many families will pack up the car for one last road trip to the beach, lake or park before summer ends. Unfortunately, many of them will have to check their right to self-defense at the state border. Thankfully, there is legislation making its way through Congress that would fix this.

The bill is the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act (H.R. 822) and it would allow any person with a valid, state-issued concealed firearm permit to exercise their right to carry a firearm in any other state that affords that right to its own residents.

The bill was introduced by Congressmen Cliff Stearns (R-FL) and Heath Shuler (D-NC) and it currently has 242 co-sponsors and the full backing of the National Rifle Association. By any benchmark, H.R. 822 has overwhelming bipartisan support.

Currently, 49 states have laws that permit concealed carry in some form or another. In all but eight of those states, the average, law-abiding citizen can carry a firearm without having to navigate an overly restrictive — and in some cases intentionally impossible — bureaucratic process. Only the state of Illinois completely forbids its citizens from carrying concealed firearms outside their homes and workplaces.

The problem is that interstate recognition of these various permits is not uniform. Some states have broad laws in place that liberally recognize permit holders from other states. Other states are more restrictive, and still others refuse to recognize any state’s permit but their own. This can create issues for travelers.

The National Right-to-Carry Act would solve this problem by requiring the various states that allow concealed carry to recognize each other’s permits — much in the same way they recognize each other’s driver’s licenses.

Imagine if America treated state driver’s licenses the same way we treat the right to carry, and every time you drove across a state line you weren’t sure if you were allowed to legally operate a vehicle in that state. If you knew you weren’t allowed to operate a vehicle in a certain state, you simply couldn’t drive there.

There are some who agree with the spirit of H.R. 822 but are concerned that it would create a “federal gun licensing” system. This is simply not true. The bill explicitly protects the right of each state to issue its own permits and determine its own rules and regulations with regard to concealed carry — such as where carrying is prohibited and where it’s allowed.

This is similar to how one highway can have different speed limits, depending on the state in which you’re driving. You can drive on the highway regardless of which state you’re from, but you are required to obey each state’s basic rules of the road.

Others have voiced concern that H.R. 822 would violate the Tenth Amendment right of every state to make its own laws. Again, this is not the case. The Second Amendment guarantees the fundamental, individual right of every law-abiding citizen to bear arms. This is an inalienable right that neither the federal government, nor any state government, may infringe upon. And in fact, the 14th Amendment gives Congress the power to protect citizens from state infringement of their constitutional rights.

Our basic right to self-defense has been recognized in law for centuries. We shouldn’t be forced to forfeit this right at the state line. Call your representative today and ask if he or she is a cosponsor of H.R. 822. If the answer is yes, please thank them and urge them do what they can to push this bill forward.

If the answer is no, then please urge them to become a co-sponsor today, and to support your fundamental right to defend yourself and your loved ones … regardless of which state you happen to be passing through.

Chris W. Cox is the Executive Director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) and serves as the organization’s chief lobbyist.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/08/30/your-right-to-self-defense-shouldnt-end-at-state-borders/#ixzz1XPkSUrZ3

NRA-ILA :: Tennessee: Alexandria to Vote on Gun Ban Resolution

NRA-ILA :: Tennessee: Alexandria to Vote on Gun Ban Resolution

Turkey Season-'11

From the field:

2:30 pm-
Well, it's Sunday afternoon and I'm set up and ready to rock. The weather was too bad yesterday morning to get out and I got busy in the afternoon so my original plan didn't quite work out.

After watching the birds here, I decided to wait until this afternoon and not this morning to come out. I'm trying something a little different today. I'm set up at an ambush point with no decoys or anything. I am sitting just inside the woods off the edge of a field they like to feed in. I'm in a back corner where they generally come to in the evenings. I can see them across the field but they seem to be quiet so I'm just gonna sit and wait quietly for them to come this way.

It's pretty warm but at least there is a light breeze to keep things tolerable. The skies are clear and the sun is beating down on my little clear spot in the woods. Everything is quiet for the most part like the woods are taking a collective nap, but I know from experience how quickly it can wake up in the afternoon and evenings. For now I'm gonna sit back and enjoying the beauty and tranquility of nature and give thanks and respect for these gifts.

4:00 pm-
Well, I just had either a couple of dogs or coyotes come out in the field between me and the birds. I'm not sure which because I just found out I forgot to put my binos in my vest. (Note to self: double check gear every time.) The birds went into the woods but have since returned to the field since the intruders went back in the woods. They are about 150-200 yds out in the field now.

It's 4:30 and I just had three big jakes come in from my right, quiet and unseen until the last moment. I leveled on the closest one and dropped the hammer but didn't drop the bird. I know my shotgun is good to 50 yards but I was pushing it. It was gonna be a good hit or a clean miss and it was the latter. I may have misjudged the yardage too since it was a quick shot. I did call after the shot and they paused at the edge of the woods. I'm gonna sit tight until dark and see what happens.

5:15 pm-
Now there there are some deer feeding at the edge of the field about 40 yards from me. Why can't this happen when deer season rolls around. Lol! I wish I could move and get a picture but I'm sitting in a blow down and using it as a natural ground blind. If I move they will be gone. This 2500 acres is really a great hunting spot, not heavily hunted and full of wildlife and it's only about 10 minutes from the house. It just doesn't get better than this.

6:00 pm-
It's starting to get dark in the woods so I'm gonna head out. It's time to go home and fire the grill up for supper. I think I have a better plan for next weekend and hopefully it will work out so I can go in the morning and make a day of it and do some running and gunning. They may have won today but I'll be back hopefully wiser and luckier. Good luck y'all and God Bless.

P.S.
I get back to the truck and find this. Fresh deer tracks 3 feet from the truck. Unbelievable, LOL!

Turkey Season-'11

We have had severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail and high winds all day today. I went to check out my spot this evening to see what I would be facing in the morning and two dozen birds were in the fields, about 200 yds. out, and heading for the corner I'll be set up in. If I had my gear when I went, I would probably have a bird in the freezer. I can't wait for morning. Gonna Get 'Em, Rain or Shine!

Turkey Season-'11

Well, it's been two weekends since turkey season opened. I missed opening day due to ball practice so I went Sunday. The turkeys were gobbling hard since it had been raining and storming for several days prior. When I got to the woods, two other hunters were already there and set-up. I knew who they were because I have ran into them on previous seasons and we are pretty much the only ones who hunt this area during turkey season. I know where they set up so I knew where to go.

As soon as I got out of the truck I heard the long beards hammering and then, BOOM! I figured there was a bird down and that they were working them good and hard so I held up on going in for a bit as to not bust their set-up. A few minutes later, one of the guys came walking down the gravel road with a very nice jake who got a little too curious. 

I congratulated him on a nice bird and confirmed where him and his buddy were set up. I let a few yelps go from my K&H Slate Hammer and some started hammering in the opposite direction of where his buddy was. I was getting ready to go down the road and circle around in the woods and maybe push the birds to his buddy when another BOOM! rang out. The other guy came out with another very nice jake.

More congratulations were in order then they left and I headed into the woods for my turn. The birds were still hammering but they were moving the opposite direction. I moved trying to get in front of them but it just didn't work. I had to cut my day short due to my wife and oldest daughter going to Nashville so I headed out and left them for another time.

The other guys and I had made plans to meet up this past weekend and triple team them but I had to work on Saturday and was tied up on Sunday so I'll be there this weekend early and staying late and hoping to get the first one out of the way with my shotgun and then go for one with my bow and hopefully have a good story to tell.

Good luck y'all and keep on putting 'em down. God Bless. 

Off Season-'11

Howdy ya'll. It's been a quiet off season as far as hunting goes but it's fixing to pick up. Work has been crazy and I have been working a lot of overtime so I haven't had much time for very many hunting related activities. I did get a new truck and it will get it's first hunting use when turkey season opens up next month.


I'm gonna try to get out next week and start checking on the local turkey groups and see where they are at and start roosting them in the evenings. One group I hunt has some new agriculture in the fields around where they stay so I have very high hopes for that area. I am so ready for opening day and getting back in the woods and so is my gear. I'm still looking for my first archery bird and hope it works out this year.


I am coaching my daughter's softball team this year. They don't usually play many games on the weekends so I shouldn't lose many full weekends and if we do play on Saturday, there is always Sunday. I may have to skip my Prentice Cooper turkey hunt but it's not a big deal. It's an open hunt and not a draw hunt.


After spring turkey is spring squirrel then it's time to get ready for deer season and my Prentice Cooper draw hunt. A buddy is supposed to go with me this year and it will be his first trip and hopefully not his last. I'm really looking forward to it more than the last couple of years. I hope to have some good stories this year and I look forward to sharing them with ya'll.


Good luck to everybody in the upcoming seasons and God Bless.