Team 4: "Beard Busters"

[hugonian1]

Great story and bird.

I love the "Beam Me Up" photo.

Congrats

[FrontenacPike]

22 lbs

8.5 inch beard

A bit over 3/4 inch spurs.

[DonBo]

Great bird, and yeah, that photo is pretty cool.

We don't have anyone else hunting for over a week, but I'm gonna be helping my Dad starting Monday. He just had some eye surgery and can see pretty well again. He's excited to get out and use that good eye to sight down his fibre optics on another longbeard

[sticknstring]

Congrats FP - sounds like a very exciting hunt!

[Borch]

Congrats!

[deets22]

Nice work on the bird!!!

Was out scouting yesterday morning. Checked out our new areas to hunt. Firs spot we didn't get a whole lot, but the landowner has been seeing birds. Then we put in a little windshield time looking for birds. Saw birds all over. Also saw a gobbler on the public land by our main spot, hopefully he will stick around if we aren't having too much luck. All in all saw a few birds and I'm pumped to start tickling the slate!!!!

[rbs]

Congrats on the very nice bird! Went out and got permission from a few land owners on Friday and saw a couple toms. Can't wait till the bow season starts!

[DonBo]

Well, Dad missed one this morning. 40 yards may have been a bit too far for his old eyes. Lots of birds around though, we're optimistic.

[Archerysniper]

Get them tomorrow Don, good luck and I hope your dad drops a giant in the morning.

[Borch]

Get them tomorrow Don, good luck and I hope your dad drops a giant in the morning.

Yep, What AS saud

[rbs]

Congrats on the bird your dad got!

[DonBo]

I'm pretty sure you've all seen the bird my Dad got by now. Loads of them in the area, but still a week before I can get after them.

Danomite19 is next up. He starts this Saturday. Any word on scouting?

[deets22]

The main 160 acres I hunt has seen 4 total hours of hunting pressure and has resulted in four birds taken. The landowner has been seeing tons of birds this year plus the big boy is still strutting the place. Weather for Thursday is looking ok still. We have also scouted out some public land in the area in case our honey hole doesn't pan out. It's going to be a long 3 days of work this week. Hopefully I'll get a little time in out on the st croix this weekend as well.

[DonBo]

Still waiting to hear from Danomite. He had one nice day to work with, yesterday sure wasn't very nice.

Deets, sounds like a great spot. Good luck. I start Thursday as well, but with the archery tag good for almost the entire month, I can be a little picky with the days hunted.

[rbs]

Good Luck! I also start Thursday on archery only. Saturday may be the best day DonBo...but I might be out on Thursday morning anyways lol

[DonBo]

Can't believe Danomite has not checked in his hunt is now over. The rest of us are all hunting now keep us informed on how it's going.

[rbs]

Woke up this morning to of course...rain and 38 degrees. Decided to go out scouting instead and of course there was 5 birds about 50 yds from where I was going to set up my blind. Oh well, I will be setting up this afternoon and hunting in the morning till around noon. Good luck everyone!

[deets22]

Well the weather didn't cooperate today and the birds were pretty quiet. Hopefully they get a little more vocal in the morning. We did see a few moving in the usual areas so hopefully if they keep quiet we can ambush some.

Good like out there!!!

[DanOmite19]

Sorry fellas, work has been busy as ever. I have been spending any time not at work scouting or trying to get my son jack out.

I was able to get out the first day and had quite a few jakes around and in range with in the first half hour, but had my heart set on a couple toms I had seen earlier in the week in the same place every day... Never had anything else in range the rest of Saturday.

Sunday I was able to put the birds to bed, but the roost was across the field unfortunately.

Monday was awful, not only was it a solid down pour all day, but never saw a bird.

I wasn't able to get out Tuesday or Wednesday morning due to how outrageously busy I was at work.

Wednesday night, this was it. No rain. No wind. Birds were on the move. Got out about 230 and it was pretty slow but I saw lots of birds off in other fields. Around 5 or so I threw out a few yelps and the gobbles exploded... From three different directions, I had interested birds. I decided to move around to set up a nice tom about 150 yards out in a bean field, I was just inside the wood line. It was perfect. I spent about and hour ever so carefully baiting him in, 80 yards.... 60 yards..... 50 yards.... 45 yards.... At this point I am already thinking about if my printer needs ink or not to print the submission form for the turkey contest, this bird is as good as dead and is coming in a string....Here we go, I gave one little yelp to turn him back toward me and I hear a couple little yelps and a twig break. I was so focused on the tom in front of me I didn't notice the two hens that came up behind me to about 15 yards... BUSTED! Off they went almost flying over me to the field taking the tom with them. I sat there in disbelief for about a half hour, replaying what I did and what I should've done.

My tag soup tastes a little extra bitter this year.

I'll spend the rest of the seasons trying to get jack one hopefully, weather hasn't been cooperating much though.

[DonBo]

Thanks for checking in Dan, I feel ya, I'm super busy with work right now myself. I'm not sure when I'll have a chance to hunt near home in MN, but plan on heading to WS Tuesday night for that hunt, We'll it pretty hard there through next weekend.

Glad to hear you other guys are getting out. Looks like the next couple days will be pretty nice. Good luck!

[rbs]

Got out his morning and gobbles all around. I had these little guys come right in...too bad their dad didn't do the same thing!

Passed on them and will be back out in the morning and will probably try to sit till at least noon. Good luck all!

[DonBo]

Boy, that's a tempting target right there. Kudos for passing, hope the karma works in your favor.

[rbs]

Yes it was hard to pass on him AGAIN this morning! That is the 4th time those 3 have been in to my decoys in very close range. He is really tempting me and this morning was worse! I will be out again in the morning!

[DonBo]

Good luck this morning rbs. I haven't been able to get out here in MN yet, but am all packed for WS. We leave tomorrow night.

How about you others who hunted WS this weekend. adndoc Jr, and deets22. How'd it go?

[rbs]

Was out this morning and my 3 Jakes came out again. Passed them hoping for the Tom that was gobbling on the roost about 200yds to the East of me. Of course the Tom went East and never showed up. It just really seems the Toms want nothing to do with my calling and they sure don't want to come onto the field edge. I guess I will have to change it up and hunt in the woods.