July 2006 Hunting Updates

10 July

The message with this picture involved a dog that sleeps in her box in the garage when left unsecured she hunts about the garage during the night finding remnants of the past hunting season and takes them to her box. In this case two spent 20 gauge shells. Perhaps dogs go into withdrawals during the off season?

7 July

Traveling from Mississippi

[location deleted] April 27, 2006

This was one of those “ I’d rather be blessed than smart” type of hunts. If you believe that your Creator can make hungry lions keep their mouths shut when there’s meat in the den, and I do, then its easy for Him to make a turkey gobbler be suicidal. And that’s about what happened on this hunt. I wish I could report that I called him away from another hen on the other side of the hollow and that he sashayed right into gun range. Instead he walked up and down the hollow on the neighbor’s property the previous day, gobbling often, until I gave up in frustration at 1 o’clock. Today I moved the blind to the bottom of the hollow just inside the property line ………….and he was roosted 400 yards into the neighbor’s property and never came much closer all morning. Around 11:30 I packed up the blind and puffed out of the hollow. When I got to the field edge at the top, I pushed the carrying case strap over my head and let blind fall to the ground with a “kawuuumpf”.

Immediately there was a gobble from 40 yards away in some scattered cedars. I dove for the cover of a big oak, got my vest off with the noisy decoys inside, and managed to get my gloves and face mask back on. Peeked around the side of the oak and there are two gobblers walking toward me. I made sure the first one was a mature gobbler and squeezed. When the smoke from the muzzleloader cleared, he was graveyard dead, but his buddy was ready to jump on him. The gobbler I killed weighed 19-1/2 pounds with a 10-1/2” beard and 1” spurs, but his buddy looked like he was easily 30 pounds.

This hunt capped a seventeen day, five state trip (MAHA plus AR and NE) and produced seven gobblers; the largest a 26-1/2 pounder in KS.

Tom Y

Thanks Tom for reminding us how we all need to be lucky once in a while.

Nature

An interesting snake of stripes and checks found by the better half (Marcie) of the John Wenzel Team while out looking over a Kansas pond.
P.S. July 10, Ken from Mississippi identifies this snake as a Western Terrestrial Garter.

6 July

Jacks Again

Apparently, jackrabbits are more popular than we thought. This one was captured during late spring turkey season by Joanie who has sent in some nice bird pictures in the past years.

Thanks Joanie and we agree as far as jacks are concerned this one is "cute".

Spring Turkey

"...A big thank you to all at MAHA for the great work you all do for us traveling hunters. Three days hunted: 4 mature gobblers, 65 total inches of beard, 99 pounds of turkey, 9&3/4 inches of spur, a 5 bearded tom..."

Read the rest of the account.

Thanks for the great hunting account Greg, a good read. Good luck to you and Jeremy during deer season.

5 July

Upland Birds

We are seeing and hearing plenty of quail and pheasant both this spring while out surveying land. This picture is from earlier in the spring captured by Jon in Kansas.

Turkey

The majority of the Missouri spring turkey season produced rain and cool weather, but the last couple of days the sun popped out and for a good end to a tough season.

Same young man as pictured with the fish below.