Team #5: Longbeard Assassins (6 for 6!)

[Tippman]

Well lets hear some names for our team boys. Also when/where you are hunting and bow or gun.

I did not get drawn this year so I will be hunting the last two seasons by archery in 223.

[paintbrush]

Hi Guys! I'll be hunting in several states this year starting down in Kansas on the 14th of this month. Looking to take a Rio's to finish out my slam. Heading out to SD. on the 23rd of this month to chase around some Merriam's. Hunt Wisconsin May 2-4 and then finish up here in MN. in zone 425, May 7-10. Hopefully I can put a bird or 2 down for our team.

As for a team name, how about "Longbeard Assassins"

[sticknstring]

I didn't get drawn for MN either but will be in NE April 4th-6th and the Black Hills the 17th-21st so hopefully I can put us on the board early... otherwise I'll try MN the last two weeks.

Longbeard Assassin is my middle name!

[Hoyt4]

Start out in NE April 4-9.Head over to SD April 16th-20,back to MN May 1-5 zone 236.End in WI May 14-18.Heart Breakers and Tom Takers

(Longbeard Assassins)

[Tippman]

Well then Longbeard Assassins it is. Good luck guys. Lets take this contest!

[sticknstring]

Hoyt - What parts of NE & SoDak you going to be hunting?

[Hoyt4]

I will be in Verdigre,NE and Sissenton SD.

[Hotspotter]

You guys make top billing in my brackets. I've got good money riding on Longbeard Assassins!

Joel

[Tippman]

Hey Joel, why aren't you on a team?

It's sure gonna help that half our team is hunting multiple states, I like how that increases our odds. Is anyone on the team using a bow?

[Hotspotter]

Mostly to avoid any conflict of interest arguments that might come up. Last year, there was a member who sent me an email to that effect. It also allows Borch another bias-free judge should he need to confer. I'm also putting on a similar contest for our local chapter of the NWTF, and it's starting to get confusing!

If I'm lucky enough to guide folks towards a bird or take one myself, I'll make sure and post pics and a story with the hunt.

Good luck to you guys and all teams, except Dittrich's . Cooter's too.

Joel

[Hoyt4]

I have the bow all packed up.The count down starts.I will use in NE but most times I come back and want my shotgun in my hands to get even with them critters.

[DonBo]

 Originally Posted By: jnelson

Good luck to you guys and all teams, except Dittrich's . Cooter's too. Joel

Cooter's? Hey wait a minute...That's my partner! We don't need your good wishes to win this.

[Hotspotter]

 Originally Posted By: DonBo

 Originally Posted By: jnelson

Good luck to you guys and all teams, except Dittrich's . Cooter's too. Joel

Cooter's? Hey wait a minute...That's my partner! We don't need your good wishes to win this.

Fine, just Dittrich's then! No offense to any of his unlucky teammates

Joel

[sticknstring]

Strictly bow for me... shot my first one with the shotgun and the rest have fallen to arrows. Sliced a bunch of cucumbers in half with the Bullhead last night. That head is wicked! Leaving tomorrow at noon. Will have an update on Monday. Wish us luck!

Good luck Hoyt... supposed to be a beauty of a weekend down there.

Where's 8pt and Mnpurple?

[paintbrush]

Hey sticknstring, best of luck to you out there in NE. You to Hoyt! Tag a big one!

The one thing I'm not real fond of in this contest is that we can't up grade on our bird if we take more then one. Suppose to register the first bird taken. Most of the Merriam's I've taken over the years don't score as high as an Eastern will on average. Can kind of penalizes the guys who hunt for Merriam's first. This is just a miner thing tho as I just love to hunt these birds! It's what I start thinking about back in November, Turkey hunting that is.

[Tippman]

Good luck to both you guys. I wouldn't worry much about not being able to "upgrade" your bird. I don't think any team had a turkey for each person last year, so just registering a bird is what we need.

[Hoyt4]

Good luck sticknstring.I can not wait to hear that gobble in the morning.This is well needed break I needed from the work life.If I get one bonus if not I'm just needed to be in the woods.

[Deitz Dittrich]

My team doesnt need luck!, they have me, thats all they need!... I was the winner winner turkey dinner last year, and fully plan on it again this year!

[MNpurple]

Hey boys! I'll be hunting 346A, coming up pretty quick. My plan is to hunt with the bow although theres always the possibility of some frustration and me flinging some lead.

This will be my first attempt with the bow and I was just going to use my deer heads, Magnus Stingers with the motto, hit 'em high watch 'em die, hit 'em low, watch 'em go. Am I playing with fire using this head and not an expandabled?

Go luck to the rest of you guys.

[sticknstring]

Purple - stick with those Stingers... they'll get the job done.

Well we're back from NE... rolled in at 2am this morning. Had a great trip. Battled the wind and some spittin snow last night but wound up killing 4 birds nonetheless. Got a lot of good pictures and some great video as well. My girlfriend who has never hunted before started off the trip right opening morning with a stud of a bird! Most of the birds in the area are hybrids but this one had almost pure Merriam blood. 22# 9 1/2" beard and 1 1/4" spurs. That made the trip for me... I didn't even have to shoot a bird after that. But as luck would have it... opportunity presented. I shot a jake with a Bullhead later that afternoon and we each shot a jake the 2nd day. I only had two toms within bow range, one of which was missed and the other one... well The jake crop was unbelievable. You'd have 7-10 come in at a time. But not many toms. Should bode well for next year though. Birds are still bunched up pretty good. You'd have smaller flocks of 15-25 birds coming in. The hens should be starting to nest though and the hunting should only get better in the upcoming days. Here's a story for ya as if this isn't getting long enough! So the 2nd morning we both shot birds but remained in the blind as both birds ran off. Wanted to give them some time. So after a hew hours pass... we start tracking our birds and come up mine and find a bobcat by him! Cat runs off... he had the bird completely covered with leaves and dirt. Pickup the turkey and the heads gone! No head, neck, beard... nothing - all gone. I guess he decided to eat the head and save the rest for later. Pretty wild. So the pictures of the 2nd bird weren't very nice. I didn't get the measurements on my birds for the contest. A jake is a jake to me... both were a little over 14bs with 3-4" beards. Here's a few from the trip... Bring on SoDak!

Anyone good with editing video? I got all this footage on my cam and need to start doing some editing and getting it on youtube or something. If you know of a freebee or cheap video editing software - please let me know.

[Hotspotter]

Very, very cool. Glad to hear you had a good trip. Great to see the girlfriend getting her first bird, and a dandy at that.

NE is loaded with birds, esp. the primarily private land portion of the state!

Joel

[8point]

Ight boys lets win this thing. Im headin to SD in 2 weeks and southern MN in 3.

[8point]

And with a gun

[huntmup]

sticknstring

Congrats to you and your girlfriend on a successful hunt. That is one very nice Merriam your girlfriend killed.

That stirred the pot!! I was not going to go to NE this year but now I might have to slip down there for a couple days .

Dan

[MNpurple]

Great hunt you had!! Way to start the season off!