15 August Spring TurkeyDear Mid-America Staff, I'm writing to tell you about my 2007 turkey season on Association ground. I know I'm a little late in writing to you, but better late than never. This is my third season on club ground and it was my best year turkey hunting season to date. I ended up shooting all four of my turkeys in two states. Here are my stories for each of my birds.
4/16/2007 First off, let me say that this was the coldest turkey season I've experienced in my life. It was crazy; I was wearing my burr suit in Kansas during the early bow only season! At one point, I was actually in a semi snow storm! I fought this ridiculous weather and frontal pattern for many days, but I could not close the deal on a bird I wanted. Opening day in Missouri came around an I had already patterned several toms. I set up on a typical strut zone but the birds were predictably "henned" up. Around 9 AM that morning, I heard a gobble fairly far away and prepared for a calling sequence. I gave quite the calling sequence where I imitated two different receptive hens. No gobbles at all! I waited patiently knowing the birds would come tot he strut zone eventually. Around 10 o'clock that morning, a group of four toms came sneaking in from out of the thick brush. The toms came along a steep creek drainage; when the first bird came into my shooting lane, I let him have it but I didn't see the bird! I got up and ran toward the area where I shot but did not see my turkey. I eventually looked down at the creek and seen my gobbler floating down the creek! It was pretty funny to say the least. After laughing for a bit, I waded in and got my prize. He was a 22 pound tom with an 11 inch beard.
4/24/2007 After some unsuccessful hunts out in Kansas. I returned to Missouri after the required one week waiting period. I set up on a couple of roosted toms and hoped that I cold call one of them into me. The birds flew down as planned, but they met up with a large group of hens. The two toms sat out in the field and strutted in front of me for hours and hours. While watching these birds with my binoculars< i spotted a lone tom that came to the field from another direction. He came out into the field and gobbled at my decoys for awhile but did not come any closer. I was disappointed when he went back the way he came. I figured that he was an older tom that had been beat up by these two big toms that were in the field. This all occurred around 10 o'clock that morning and I had pretty much figured my hunt was over for the day. After nearly falling asleep, something caught my eye; that same tom that had left the field earlier, went all the way around the other birds and came into the field. He was coming my way slowly and steadily. After 10 minutes he worked his way into 30 yards and I harvested him. He was almost identical to my first turkey; he was 22 pounds with a 10 inch beard. In two hunting days in Missouri, I had shot both of my birds. The crazy thing was that these birds were quiet toms. Neither of these birds came in gobbling like so many people are used to. I've been experiencing these quiet toms a lot more the last few years.
4/27/2007 My third bird was extra special to me. Everyone has their thing that they like to do in life; mine is bowhunting. As much as I bowhunt, I have never harvested a wild turkey with my bow. The year started out in Kansas with their special 10 day bowhunting only season; I hunted very hard and had many close encounters but I couldn't quite put it together. After filling my tags in Missouri, I was dedicated to getting my first bird with a bow. I set up on a travel corridor where two different chunks of timber and feed fields came together. The spot I picked is usually best suited for late morning or early afternoon hunting. This is because the roost trees are on private property. Around 10 o'clock that morning, I finally called in a big gobbler and jake but I could not get a shot at them through my blind. My blind was faced the wrong direction of course. This is what is so fun about bowhuinting, because everything has to be perfect for success to occur. After these birds came in I heard no gobbles at all! Around noon that day, I was ready to pack it in. I had my release in my pack and was about to close my blind up. All of sudden here comes a whole group of toms. I had to fumble around and get my release on just in time for a tom running to my decoys. I drew back and released the arrow at 7 yards! The turkey fell over dead five yards away. I finally got a turkey with my bow! I went over and got him and he ended being a 16 pound jake. I usually pass all jakes, but this one fooled me. It was great to finally get my first bow bird.
5/11/2007 My fourth bird was out in Kansas and it was a classic hunt. The birds did not gobble at all on the roost that morning. I was really surprised to say the least. Around 10 o'clock that morning, I heard a gobble so distant you could barely hear it! I made a call and he answered back. I played cat and mouse with this bird for 30 minutes. He finally came near the small grown up field I was hunting; I shut off my calling and waited for him to find me. He came 25 yards away from me on a cattle trail and seen my decoy spread. He actually started going away from me when he saw my jake decoy. I ended up shooting him 30 yards. We was a 21 pound tom with an 11 inch beard. This was the first time I've limited out in two states.
Thanks to all the MAHA staff for your help. I especially want to thank John Wenzel for recommending some new ground. I also want to thank Shaun for putting up with all of my land requests and questions. You guys do a great job and I just wanted to remind you of it.
Sincerely, Chantz
Thank you Chantz for the detailed hunt account and the opportunity to share with others. Every story counts. Congratulations on your bow harvest, can not do it any harder!
CRP Release & DroughtA concern for Kansas pheasant hunters that prefer Kansas tall grass pheasant hunting. Another indicator that there will not be any emergency CRP release for pasture or harvest: "...All hay production in 2007 is forecast at 145 million tons, up 3.6 million from 2006 because of increased area harvested and yields than last year. The all-hay yield is expected to be 2.35 tons per acre, up from 2.33 tons per acre in 2006. Harvested acres are unchanged from last month at 61.8 million acres, up from 60.8 million last year...." While there may be some localized drought release in some states the overall national average forage production does not indicate a wide coverage CRP release. Cattle Network, Stanley Kansas, All Hay Production To Increase, August 14, 2007
The Other SideHSUS campaign against USA horse slaughter plants for meat hurts zoos trying to meet nutritional requirements of meat eating zoo animal. If horse meat becomes unavailable then more expensive alternatives must be found. Local zoos caught in horse slaughter controversy, KoMoTV.com, Tracy Vedder, August 14, 2007.
Humane Society of the United States Misled Americans With Fundraising Pitch, Animal Rights Group Falsely Claimed It Would "Care For" Michael Vick’s Dogs. The title says it all. The Center for Consumer Freedom, August 2, 2007, press release.
13 August DeerOur observation is there will be a lot of deer for the upcoming season...
and next as well.
The Other SideUCLA Researcher Targeted for Death, 08/11/2007, ID: 64188, The Short News, The News Community. "...Dr.Rosenbaum, a pediatric opthalmologist, has been targeted for death by the "Animal Liberation Front."...for his research on rhesus monkeys and cats at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute....A makeshift gasoline bomb was placed under a vehicle at Rosenbaum's L.A. home on June 25th, and a recent statement claiming to be from the Animal Liberation Front confesses to the attempt. The bomb failed to detonate due to a faulty fuse.
Canada. Minister says animal rights groups mislead about nature of annual seal hunt, Friday, 10 August 2007. "The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has just released a list of 60 South Florida restaurants supposedly joining its boycott of Canadian seafood. But the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) has already exposed HSUS's phony boycott as a dishonest attempt ...CCF surveyed more than 80 companies HSUS claimed were involved with its boycott, and found that 78 percent of respondents were not actively participating....Overall, 31 percent of the companies CCF surveyed said they were still serving Canadian seafood. And 62 percent said they were unaware that HSUS was publicly describing them as boycott participants." BYM Marine Environment News, Climate change, weather phenomena, nature and other environmental issues.
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