"We're #1" Official Site

[hugonian1]

Yea, that definately looks like a bearded hen.

I have seen those the last couple of years.

Must not be too rare.

[x1957x]

Like I said to Don. Its funny because it Gobbled in the tree and once it flew down and as soon as it hit the ground it was in half strut!! Wierd huh??? Thought so but dint know for sure. Big bird at 16.8 pounds and hen huh??? Maybe at 13 or14 pounds a hen but that is a good sized jake size! WOW, juat dont get it. My son Matt shot a bearded hen less than a half mile from there though.. Just dont get it with the gobbling and all.. (57) Board time for us though!!!!!!

[Archerysniper]

It must have been confused in it's sexuality

[DonBo]

Close last evening, close again this morning. Getting frustrating. Too much work to spend enough time at it. Twins game tonight, but I'll hit 'er again tomorrow for a last hoorah here in MN.

[DonBo]

Hey, 1957, check out this video:

[sticknstring]

Beautiful morning today and going to be gorgeous tomorrow - you'll get 'er done! Good luck!

[mattrd]

Good Job 57! Way to get us on the board! Well the weather and schedule are finally cooperating and I'm going to get out after them tonight. As soon as I get done with school today I'm going to head to some public ground and give it a go. Gonna hike into an area we saw some strutters a couple of weeks ago. With this nice weather for the weekend it might be to tempting to get the boat out rather than chase after a longbeard So, hopefully this evening brings a good hunt! A couple of my buddies went out to the Black Hills this past weekend and scored on 2 toms & a jake, so hopefully I can get after one. Good Luck to all the other members of team #1! If you guys like to see hunting & fishing pics and videos and you have FB you should check out my buddies and I page. It's all american outdoors!

[DonBo]

Tough, tough hunting. On a flock in a new spot yesterday morning, they got to about 80 yards before the hens dragged them all away. Had to go to the Twins game last night, so no hunting then. Had them all talking big time this morning, but they headed off in some other direction. A few more hours tonight and my MN hunt will be history.

Start in WS next week, hoping for better results.

Matt, step away from the boat and hit the woods!

Hunter, good luck. Hope ya shoot a monster!

[DonBo]

Last minute success! More later......

[x1957x]

Don, thats the way they were with me to. Lots of talking but no TAKERS!! Any how I have my grandson Dalton that wants to bust a Tom John!! so I am thinking maybe next weekend the 3rd or 4th of MAY we can make the 4 hour trip to Wabanona ( some where in the middle of Wabasha and Winona)LOL to try again.. He is in a boys choir out of Sioux Falls SD. and couldnt make the trip last weekend (12years old) . Should be in HEART OF THE Breeding season come then.. MOREL TIME ah!! Who knows but can hope!! 57

[Archerysniper]

Come on Don,it's been 44 min's lets here the story and see the pic's

[x1957x]

Don, thats pretty cool. I know now I wasnt loosing my mind. People told me that they dont strut and gobble. Sounds exactly like mine did when it was in the tree gobbling. As soon as it hit the ground it did it again and went in to half strut.. Pretty cool though and thanks.. 57

[DonBo]

Sorry guys, having an issue getting the photos from my camera. This was taken from a different one.

Realy busy right now, more later. Just wanted to leave this as a tease.

[DonBo]

Was a long tough week for me. Dad's bird early turned out to be a fluke, as there was not another single tom I was able to call too all week.

Got close to big flocks a couple times, but never close enough. Mostly they stayed out in the middle of bigger fields.

Thursday morning I tried a new area and was able to call a hen in pretty close, followed by a nice tome, a few jakes and several other hens, but eventually the hens apparently didn't want the competion and headed back into the woods.

Thursday night we were at the Twins game (they lost ) so no hunting then. Friday morning I set up in the woods where they came from the day before. Never did see one but they were gobbling from the came spot as always.

Friday evening (last day of season I took a page from my fall hunting tactics and set up right under their roost trees and waited.

Right at sunset I saw and heard birds starting to fly up. Unfortunetly they were flying from an open ridgetop about 75 yards away. There were way more than I thought. From past experience I knew the tom was likely going to be the last to go, so I waited till till there were just a few birds still on the ground before I let out a series of very sexy yelps, purrs and cuts. Another bird flew up, then another, then I saw one go into strut!

He and the other remaining bird still on the ground walked up the hill where all the others flew from. One more flew up. Then the last one came back down the hill and headed straight down a deer trail that led right to me.

At 30 yards he stopped and raised his head and my season finally came to a close. I looked at my watch, there was about 3 minutes left of legal time.

Not a huge bird by any stretch, basic 2 yr old. Just under 18 lbs. Spurs were 1" & 7/8". 10 1/2" beard.

A last minute success story.

[Archerysniper]

Congrats Don,I knew you would get one just didn't know if it was going to be a Mn or WI bird

[mattrd]

Way to go Don!! I passed on the turkeys yesterday and hit the water. Did catch a 15lb northern. Gonna head out here in a bit after the longbeards! I have a National Archery in the School Program trainig tomorrow, but gonna sneak out after that if this afternoon isn't successful.

[Cheetah]

Congratulations Don!

[hugonian1]

Congrats DonBo.

The perfect season, max hunting time with a happy ending.

Great job.

[sticknstring]

Day 5 birds are certainly the most rewarding - congrats Don!

[x1957x]

Congratulation Don! All birds are a trophy in the eyes of the beholder! Nicer than the one I got! Good job. It helps us as a team to!! 57

[mws4dux]

Hunter say Nice Job Don!!! Hunter has been out the last three mornings....First morning had some gobbling on the roost and just a few once they hit the ground at 8:30 had a tom come out at 60 yds. strutted for a few minutes then dipped back into the woods. Second morning heard some distant gobbles that was it. Today pretty quite until around 9:00 had some hens chattering and they came to the decoy the third hen out came out and ran by the decoy.I told Hunter to get ready,behind our blind I could hear the strutting toms.they came out on my side which I couldn't see but Hunter could He says dad two toms to our right,they walk out 10 yds away and walk to the decoy in strut but they were too close together for Hunter to shoot and they kept walking following the hen. So close, The birds have been fairly quite was on the ground.Saw two hens and a tom on a different property tonight out scouting so gonna try there in the morning.

[DonBo]

Wow, close is right! Good luck this morning.

I'm leaving soon for my WS hunt. This will be the last you'll hear from me till we get back. Good luck all!!!

[hugonian1]

Good luck over there DonBo.

[sticknstring]

No pesky work to get in the way, it's all the play - Good luck Don!

[mws4dux]

Hunter didn't end up getting a bird this year.....One really close call,saw toms on 3 out of the 5 mornings he hunted. Few hens in the decoys so had some pretty exciting hunts.The birds were pretty quite once on the ground...No work for me and no school for a few days for him so can't complain.Was able to hunt with brother after Hunter's season was done and he had one behave and do what it was suppose to do on friday morning.Good Luck