Daily Hunt Journal

First Timer ! 4-14-11 by: Craig Combs

I picked Travis up at 5 a.m. and we headed to Mimosa. We had a short walk out one of the small ridges. We got to the end and listened for about 10 or 15 minutes. Didn't hear a thing. I got out my owl hooter and blew a couple of times and then we heard him! Gobble! On the next ridge right in front of us. We head down the hill as quietly as we can. It takes us about 10 minutes or so to get to the bottom and make our way to the gobbler. We stop about half way and listen just to make sure he still there and to try an pin point his exact location. He gobbles for us one more time and that's all we need! We walk a little further to a small food plot and setup. I put Travis next to a hackberry tree and I get behind him a few yards; within a few minutes the action heats up. I apparently I make a few hens mad at me because they really get fired up and start yelping an cuttin really loud and of course the 'ole tom can't take it and just starts gobblin his head off. I can hear him druming so I tell Travis to get his gun up and get ready  cause it wont be long now! Finally the hens start making their way out of the woods to the food plot. One by one they walk through the plot just off to our left about 40 yds. I tell Travis to be still and get ready he's coming! He finally appears in full strut right in front of us! I purr with some lite yelps. He looks at his hens then looks our way. He takes a few more steps toward us; I tell Travis to shot! Then I tell him to wait. He wont break from his strutting but he keeps getting closer! I tell him to shot again but he's got his gun pointing in the wrong direction! I tell him to move his gun and shoot that turkey and hurry! Boom! Flop!  He got within 20 yds of us, that made me nervous. I just knew he was gona bust us. I'm not sure who was more excited me or Travis. You see; not only was this Travis's first turkey but it was also his first time hunting, ever! We had so obstacles going into this hunt but we over came them and had one the best hunts I can remember. He got to experience everything from the hens talking to the gobbler strutting and drumming and seeing him up close and personal. I had a blast on this hunt and the best part it was only 6:30. After a few pics on his phone and a few calls to home; we start that long journey back to the truck but it's always sweeter and a little easier when your totin a big 'ole tom over your shoulder! Congratulations Travis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Turkey! by Craig Combs 4-11-2011

I met Eric late Monday afternoon at the hotel. We were going to try an get a quick hunt in before the storms hit. We headed out to our farm in Kelso; as we topped the hill we saw two strutter's in the corner of the field. We drove down to an old farm house, put the truck in park, grabbed our stuff, and bailed off in the creek. It wasn't long till we were doin the low crawl. We eased up to the fence and peeked over the rise and there they were in full strut. I threw everything I knew at them but they wouldn't come out from behind the ceder trees. I just needed one of them to take a few steps toward us and he would be taken a ride home. I started hearing thunder in the distance. I was getting kind of worried that we would get caught in the storms and the birds started moving away from us(I thought), so I made a move to try to cut them off but when I looked up all I saw was a white head moving back an forth as it ran away! I just sat there in disbelief; about ten minutes later a hen fed within forty yards of us(insult to injury). The next morning I picked him up and we headed back to the scene of my latest embarrassment. This time we headed up the hill to where I had my blind. It wasn't long till we had one gobbling just 80 yds away from us. He pitched away from us but he quickly started headed our way. He entered the field and ran back an forth gobbling his head off. He got within 60 or 70 yds of us but never came any closer. Next thing we know he's at the bottom of the hill with his hens:(. We made our way through our Mimosa farm then it was off to the store to get a biscuit and a new game plan. We met up with Chris and Scott at the farm on Shelbyville hwy. They got on one but couldn't close the deal so me and Eric took off on a marathon hunt. After about an hour and two hills later; we got within 60 yds of him and that was all he needed to bust us... again(story of my life). Eric and I had a lot to talk about on the long walk back to the truck and I do mean a long ,long, long,walk. We get to the truck and decided to make one last round through Mimosa before we break for lunch. We top the hill and round the corner and there they are in the corner of the field next to the barn. I about run the gate over trying to get in the drive I was in such a hurry. The land owner had seen them too and had pulled up the drive. I pulled up beside him to make sure he wasn't going to go after them. We bailed out of the truck and put the low crawl on them. Finally we get within range and I start cuttin they raise there heads and BOOM! Dead Bird Ridin!!! We have been hunting these weary ole birds for what seem liked days but when it all comes together it sure is worth ever minute. It was Eric's first turkey and I'm glad I was part of it.

Short but sweet hunt! 4-4-2011 by:Craig Combs

Chris and I meet up with our guys at the hotel at 4:45 a.m. We were heading out to the farm on the river so we had to get an early start. We drove seperate because we were going to different areas of the farm. Mark and I got to our spot first with plenty of time to spear. Chris and Dale still had aways to go and a loonngg walk ahead of them. Mark and I walked out one of the many fingers of a ridge that we were on and dropped off the side a little ways to get out of the horrible wind that was blowing. It's about 6 a.m now and the birds should start gobbling any minute now. Nothing!! It's light enough by now they should be tearing it up but all we heard was the wind blowing. So I got out my slate and made a soft tree yelp. GOOBBLE!! He was about 150 yds in front of us on another finger! I grab Mark and we make a mad dash up the hill, down the field, past the truck, and out the other finger where the tom had just gobbled. I glass the food plot just to make sure he's not strutting out in it. We ease down the fence row calling every so often. We're about to the end when he gobbles again, this time we're right in front of him! We crawl under the barbred wire fence and I place Mark next to some ceder trees where he can watch the plot. He gobbles again; thier on the ground! GOBBLE!! I see one white and blue head then another!! I purr softly; the one in the back breaks in to a half strut. Then..boom...boom,boom! I reach for my gun, follow the bird into the woods an finish he off with just one shot :)! I look at my phone to see what time it is. It's 6:38 a.m  Thats a great way to start a Monday off. I text Chris to let him know whats going on, and just a few minutes later him and Dale have just scored,too. What a great hunt and a great way to start the 2011 Strut-n-Tom turkey season!

"Daddy look, it's a turtle!"

I know I am way behind on my journal updates, but I just had to post this while it's fresh on my mind.  This is a recap of Sunday morning's hunt with my youngest daughter Molly.

Molly and I headed out to hunt as soon as she got home from school Friday afternoon.  We had planned to sit in a blind in one of my best spots.  I was pretty confident that we'd get a shot but if not, we'd be in a perfect position to roost them for Saturday morning.  Well as so often happens when you are confident about turkey hunting, we totally struck out.  We heard 2 gobbles on top of the ridge about 5:30, but they never came down far enough  for us to see them - that is until they flew up.  We were able to make out 4 or 5 different birds as they flew up into some hardwoods at the top of the ridge - including at least 1 long beard.

These turkeys were roosted in the exact same spot as they had been last Sunday morning.  So I was pretty confident that they would fly down the same spot where they had that morning (that darn confidence again...).  I planned for us to sneak in very early the next morning & set up a small pop-up as close to them as I dared - within gun range of where they should land.

Miss Molly & I were up at 4:30, out the door shorty there after, and on the farm by 5.  After a short ATV ride, and a harrowing walk through a herd of black angus (scary stuff for an 8 year old), we safely arrived at the "landing zone".  I got the blind set up, decoys out, and all of our stuff situated in the blind.  We had just settled in when when he fired off right over our heads.  The grin on Molly's face alone already made this a great hunt.  She pointed and said in kind of a hushed scream (you know, that 8 year old loud whisper when they think that they are being quiet but it usually come out several decibels higher that a high school intercom.  The whisper that they usually use in the middle of church, weddings, and other occasions when they have been told to be quiet but have something that they deem really, really important to say.) "Daddy - he's right there!!!"  

I got her quieted down and then for the next 15 minutes or so, we just sat back and enjoyed the symphony.  It ended up being 2 long-beards and 3 hens.  The long-beards were the first to fly down, but apparently they missed the memo about where to land.  Instead of sailing down to our designated "landing zone" to a warm, welcoming load of hevi-shot, they flew down in the opposite direction.  My heart sank!  I had just told Molly "oh nooooo, he flew the wrong way!" when the first hen flew out and sailed right over our head.  She was soon followed by the other 2.  What a turn of events!  We were now directly between the Toms and their hens.

The Toms were really fired up now.  They were answering everything that I threw at them, plus I could hear them drumming about 75 yards up the hill.  I was starting to wonder why they weren't coming close when I spotted them through the trees - strutting back and forth - on the other side of a fence...  

We sat and listened and watched for about 15 more minutes until it became painfully obvious that they weren't going to cross that fence any time soon.  I waited until they they were out of sight and told Molly "come on sweetie, we've got to move".  We got out of the blind and headed down the hill.  My plan was to circle around and get on the fence line about 100 yards down from them.  Then hopefully they could be persuaded to strut down the fence line right to us.

Apparently they had the same idea, because they started moving down the fence toward our intended destination before we ever got there.  They were gobbling the entire time, so I could tell that they were REALLY close when we got to about 50 yards from the fence.  Luckily, there was some pretty thick brush between us and them.  I spotted a log about 20 yards ahead and told myself "that's were we need to get to - if I can get us to that log, we'll get a shot."  

Molly had been hanging in there with me the entire time - she was doing a great job of keeping up and moving quietly through the woods.  I was confident that we could make it so I dropped to my knees and started to crawl.  I had probably gone about 10 yards when I heard it "PUTT PUTT".  Huh?  I know they couldn't have seen me?  I look back to make sure that Molly is still right behind me.  She is, but instead of down on her hands and knees like I expected to find her, she is standing up, grinning from ear to ear, saying in that hushed whisper / scream "DADDY, I can see his fan!!!".  Of course, I never told her to crawl - I was just confident that she would know to do what I did...

About that time, the other bird gobbled again so I didn't think that they were too scared.  I motioned for her to get down and told her that we had to crawl for just a few more feet.  I had almost made it to our log when I crawled past a box turtle.  He didn't seem to mind me as he kept inching along.  I remember thinking, "I hope Molly isn't scared of him - I won't point him out and maybe she won't see him..."  The turkeys are still gobbling, and had closed the distance even more.  They are now probably within 40 yards and gobbling every 30 seconds.  This is it - we've got them - slam dunk!

I was in reaching distance of the log when I heard the loudest "whisper" to ever come out of my sweet little girl's mouth "DADDY - LOOK - IT'S A TURTLE!!!  CAN WE KEEP IT??!!!"  

No we didn't get the turkey, but we had one of the best hunts of my life.  We were blessed with front-row tickets to Nature's greatest symphony.  We had been in sling-shot range of 2 huge Toms.  We had braved the vicious herd of cows in the dark.  We picked up some really pretty rocks and a strange looking nut.  We got to spend just about the prefect morning together in the turkey woods!

So after all of the excitement of the day, the first thing out of Molly's mouth when we got back home was "MOMMY, WE FOUND A TURTLE!!!!"

Thanks to my sweet little Molly, I was treated to a magical day in the woods through the eyes of a child.  I was reminded of a simpler time when turkey hunting was more to me than putting another bird in the freezer.  I was reminded about what I so love about turkey hunting.  

 

 

 

 

Smith's First Turkey! by Brian King

The alarm went off at 4:30, but I think I was already up.  Chris and his family had come up from Birmingham Alabama the night before for the youth hunt.  I met Chris at Auburn and it was one of those instant friendships that you know will last a lifetime.  Careers took us our separate ways at graduation, but we still tried to get together to hunt a few times each year.  Smith, Chris' son had finally turned six and could hunt the Tennessee youth hunt.  We had been planning the trip for a year with weekly discussions about shotguns, shells, and everything else. 

As we pulled out of the drive, I put on a CD of Tom Kelly reading "First Time" from his book Dealers Choice.  Looking back it might have been a little presumptuous of me, but I like my odds on the youth hunt.  It seemed like the perfect way to start the morning, especially with the potential of Smith killing his first turkey.  We started out at the zoo, and it was great to see Smith's face when all those gobblers started firing off.  We popped the blind up where I had been seeing the birds fly down and of course they flew down the other direction.  Later, the landowner told us "this is the least number of turkeys I have seen all year".......figures.  We did see a lot of turkeys, they were just too far and had too many hens to be interested in us.  We tried the moo cow and everything....no luck. 

Then we hit the road checking other farms and it was slim pickins everywhere.  I last stop by a small lease near the house on the way back for lunch to see the girls and there they are in the field.  We looped around to get in front of them and set up to call.  They answered back but wouldn't come.  After about 45 min we decided to get a closer look and crawled up a low spot to peek over the hill.  We got up between a fallen tree and could see the birds in a lower field.   

There were 6-8 strutters and several hens and jakes,  We tried calling again, but nothing doin.  We did get to watch a Tom breed a hen...something I had never seen in the in the woods.  They started to ease away and we decided to move again.  Crawled back out, made a big loop to try to get in front...crawl a little closer....and a little more...and a little more.  We finally got to within about 75 yards and they just wouldn't cooperate...so we thought.  Then We see a White head pop up over the rise in the field about 35 yards.  Kill em now is what I was thinking, but the urgency in "now" is not understood by 6 year olds and we had to let the moment pass.  

At this point I had all I could stand. Jesse always said "if you ain't messin up you ain't tryin nothing", and we were about to make something happen, or mess up.  I belly crawled to the crest of the hill and could see all the birds.  Still 6-8 strutters and all the rest of the clan.  We decided if we could get around on their level, and to the edge of the field we would be in range.  We did get around them and almost to the edge when I heard "PUT...PUT....PUT!!!  A turkey hunters worst nightmare.  It was now or never and I told Smith to raise up and pick him one out and shoot him.  It was a little brushy, I was helping him hold the gun, Chris was crawling up behind us whispering as loud as he could "what's going on...why ain't he pulling the trigger?" and poor ole Smith is trying to aim at a turkey.  Through all the commotion he picks one out and pulls the trigger.  When Chris and I saw one flopping we were ecstatic!  All Chris could say was "that boy is 6 years old...I can't believe he killed that turkey".  We had to go back and gather up vests, and calls, and other things that were lost in the pursuit.  Smith wanted to stay with his bird and so we left him for a minute to get our things.  When we rounded the corner and could see where he was, he was just sitting there looking at his trophy...he had never taken his eyes off of it.  There is really no telling what was going through Smith's mind.  As Colonel Tom said in his story this morning...6 year old boys aren't put here to understand, there put here to enjoy.  After a lot of celebrating and picture taking, we headed back to the house.  There is no doubt this hunt will go down as one of the best in a lifetime of hunts...I'm so glad I got to be a part of it.

 

** UPDATED** Not again!!!! by Chris Barnes **UPDATED**

About this time last year, I had been watching up to 18 longbeards at my "honey hole" farm the week before Juvy weekend.  By Saturday morning, EVERY one was GONE - moved off on the neighbors, just far enough to be out of reach.  So I spent a very quite morning in the blind with my 2 girls & my buddy Lee.  Both of the girls did manage to kill birds later in the weekend, but Opening morning was a HUGE disappointment for everyone involved.

Fast forward to this year, the week before Juvy weekend.  I have been watching a flock down in the river bottom behind my house practically every day this week.  So I ease down to the bottom well before daylight this morning.  I have no doubt that they'll be there - I just want to see where they fly down so I can go back & set up a blind mid-day.  I started to get a little worried when they hadn't gobbled by 6:15.  I got real worried when they hadn't gobbled by 6:25.  I felt sick to my stomach when they finally gobbled at 6:30 - about 300 yards on the OTHER side of the river.     NOT AGAIN!!!  I know they'll come back, but it sure is disappointing thinking that I had a "slam dunk" all ready for one of my girls.

After I got over the shock, I hit the road about 7:30 to start checking my other farms.  Found these guys about an hour later: 

Much harder to get to than the river bottom birds and lots more hens, but at least it's a place to start.  If nothing else, we should hear lots of gobbling fairly close (as long as the thunder storms hold off) so it  should make for an exciting hunt!  Stay tuned....  

UPDATE

Well I saw the forecast for Friday night / Saturday morning, but for some reason I thought if I ignored it, it might not happed :) WRONG!  I awoke to heavy thunderstorms & a radar picture on my phone that was lit up like a Christmas tree.  I knew that I didn't want to get caught out in a storm with the kids so I decided to let everybody sleep & try again about 10.  

Lee had graciously agreed to hunt with us & try to get some video.  He met us at the farm at 10.  I'll condence the rest of the day into 1 word - WET!  The girls were real troopers - never complaining - even when we spent 5 hours straight in the blind.  We saw some birds - heard some birds - but had no shot. Still, I think everybody had a pretty good time considering how bad the weather was.

Sunday morning we got up extra early & loaded up the Kawasaki mule.  I knew we wouldn't be able to get to the blind I set on Friday in the truck after all the rain.  The rain had stopped, but temps were in the 30s with a COLD North wind!  Once again the girls were real troopers even when their Daddy made them walk through a herd of cows in the dark without a flashlight!  :)

We were settled in extra early & shocked when we heard the first gobble well before daylight!  Not sure how many gobblers were over us, but we were treated to quite a symphony as daylight approached.  We soon had sevaeral Toms strutting & drumming in front of us.  They hammered back at every yelp, but never came quite close enough for a shot.  Just when I was thinking that we were going to have to leave to get to Church on time, 1 of the Toms broke away & started strutting in our direction.  Sensing some division, 3 Jakes started chasing the Tom... in our direction!  

The rest happened so fast it surprised everyone.  Elizabeth nailed him at about 10 yards (with more than a little encouragement from her Daddy to pull the trigger)! :)) 

We went back Sunday afternoon to try to get Molly one.  We saw several gobblers, but none came quite close enough for a shot.  I don't think she was too disappointed, but she is already planning for our next hunt!

It was an awesome weekend spent with my girls, despite the dreary weather! 

 

 

Back to Bama... by Chris Barnes

After the Strut'n Tom team finished up our hunt on Wednesday of Opening week, Brian, his buddy Shawn, Lee, & myself headed back down on Friday.  We had 2 hunters from MS booked to hunt with us on Saturday & Sunday.  Everybody but me got there in time to do a little scouting Friday afternoon.  Lee actually located a big Tom right after he got to the property.  He watched the longbeard feed for an hour or son & then quickly set a pop-up blind at the edge of the field.

We met our hunters early the next morning.  Scott & I headed back to the field where Lee had seen the Tom the afternoon before.  Brian carried Eric to another property where he had seen some gobblers on Tuesday.

Scott & I didn't have to wait long.  This old Tom actually flew down into the field where we were set up & came straight in to our setup.  Scott's first turkey ever!

Brian & Eric got real close to a bird on the roost but just couldn't get him to come quite close enough.

Sunday morning, Scott & I set up real close to where I had killed my bird Tuesday afternoon.  We heard a couple of gobbles in the dim light & quickly moved closer.  It turned out to be 2 Toms roosted together.  They were kind enough to give us a full show of strutting, drumming, & gobbling before Scott put the hammer down on his 2nd Alabam gobbler in 2 days!

Once again, Brian & Eric got real close, but just could close the deal.  Still, 2 big Toms in 2 days is a very good hunt & a great way to start the season!

 

ALABAMA March 15-16,2011 by Craig Combs

Where do I start? Chris and I drove down on Monday evening in the rain. We met up with Lee and Brian who had been scouting out this place. After dinner we made our plans on where to hunt. Lee and Brian would go to the back of the property and Chris and I would hunt the front and work our way to the back. Did I mention Lee and Brian had roosted a gobbler in the back field. Well when we got up it was rainnning. When we got to the property it was still rainning. We sat in the truck till daylight and watched a wheat field while it was rainning. Lee and Brian made a mad dash to the back field slipping and sliding the whole way. After watching the field for a while we drove down to another one, by this time the rain had easied up a little. It wasn't long after we had gotten out of the truck that we heard a BOOM!  Shotly after that we got a texted " dead bird ridin"! The rain finally broke around noon. The sun came out an thought the birds would get fired up and be in the wheat fields, but nope that didn't happen. We drove around checking every field on the property. Time was running out for Chris. He needed to head back with or without a turkey. We met up with the others and Brian told us about some more property. So we headed that way! We checked one field; nothing! Went on down the road to check another field and just easied down an old road and there they were! I yelped ever so softly. Chris heard one drumming and raised his gun found his mark and pulled the trigger. With just an hour to go we managed to get it done before he had to leave. With a short celebration, I load everything up in Lees truck and Chris heads back to Tenn. For rest of the afternoon and half of the next day we look, call, walk, and ride looking for turkeys. They were locked up and tight lipped. Frustrating to say the least. All in all it was still a good hunt; tough, but still good. We manged to knock down two birds and got to spend sometime with some great friends. It was a great way to start the 2011 turkey season!

 

Scouting Report 3-18-2011 by Craig Combs

Went to one of our farms this morning to do a little scouting. I was running a little late but I still should of heard something when i got out of the truck. I waited,waited,and waited dead silence! So I started walking like any trukey hunter would do if he doesn't hear anything. I walked past a good looking wheat field, the kind of field that holds a gobbler. I made my way up a hill where I could hear better; but I got about 3/4's of the way up and heard yelp,yelp,yelp GOOOOBBLE!! I stopped in my tracks got my binos up and started looking. I found them on up the hill about 150 to 200 yds in front of me. I made my way up the hill ever so slighty, keeping my eyes on the birds. I close the distance and just set still listining and watching the show in front of me. After they all made there to the field and out of sight, I easied on down the hill and made my over to where we got our camera. Here are just some the pics we got.

 

 

Someday we'll get it right, until then we'll keep tryin! by Lee Tadlock

Grab a pen.

Get a sheet of paper.

Think of a Turkey's gobble.

Now write it down exactly how it sounds.

There are a million different ways that you could have done that. "Gobbleeeee, Gobbleeee" or "Gobble - obble - obble - obble" or even "YO-BLE, YO-BLE, YO-BLE" ... and we're just talking about one sound. Every turkey hunter knows it, loves it, and I would probably be right is saying that it's 75% percent of what makes it addictive. However writing it down so that when another turkey hunter sees it and he/she says "That's it!" is darn near impossible.

Now I had planned to write this great peace about how a bastian of our way of life was being two-faced and taking the easy way out in a compromising situation. In truth, I actually did write it and still may post it one day. However, I realized that my "complaining" was no better than theirs and it went to accomplish nothing. So I'll say this ... as the youngest member of our team ... remember the idea of writing a sound in a million different ways. Remember it, then read Chris's laws of turkey hunting where nothing is ever definite, and keep them in the back of your mind this season when you're hunting with someone and they have a different idea than you. Remember why you're there in the first place - to have fun. Is it really worth getting upset over just because their methods differ from yours and today theirs didn't work. I will borrow a phrase from the afore mentioned "Crusader" of the outdoors ... "Just shut up and Hunt!"

God Bless and Good Luck!

Lee T