Nebraska turkey hunt

[Lonesome Wind]

Just wanted to say that I had the pleasure to spend last week in one of the best huntin camps I ever spent time in.
I got togather guys from Illinois, Iowa, Africa by way of Colorado, and me from Nebraska. It was great to share a camp with Bret Cagle, Brandon Abbott, Dave Thomas, and Andy Ivy. Cagle was the big killer getting arrows into 2 turkeys but we could only find one
 
 
We had a great camp set-up with a couple of canvas tents
 
 
Many stories were told around the campfire late into the night
 
We flung a lot of arrows at the practice range
   
 
 
Unfortunately Andy was killer on the range but those turkey's sure had his number. We sat togather the first night in a Double Bull and I was stunned when Andy missed a tom in the decoys. So stunned in fact that I never even thought to grab my bow and back him up, sorry bro! Andy had some other encounters but hopefully he'll jump in so I'm not the 1 dimeing him out.
 Brandon had a shot at some jakes the third day but he just couldn't decide which one to whack so he missed all of them.
Dave and I were sneakin through some cedars on Friday and saw a tom that Dave took a shoot at it but it was a little further than we thought and he fell short.
All in all we had the greatest time allowed by law. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a camp as much as I enjoyed this 1. There was never a dull moment, I sincerly hope we can do it again. Thank you guys for comin to the middle-of-nowhere Nebraska and sharin a week in camp.
Hopein Andy jumps in with some of pic's he took and his side of the story!

[EricW]

Great story Vince. Where were you hunting?

[frassettor]

Looks like a GREAT time

[Lonesome Wind]

We were camping on ground about 2 miles North and 3 miles west of Grove lake. Some huntin was done within a mile of camp and Dave and I were hunting South of my Uncle's farm up against commision ground east of Grove.

[EricW]

We're heading up there this weekend. Good to see there are some birds up that way.

[Lonesome Wind]

If you get good weather you shouldn't have any trouble findin birds Eric

[birddogdoc]

I've missed my share with the long bow!  It's much tougher than it looks on DVD!  Sounds like a great time altogether!

[Whip]

Great start to the story, but we do need more!      Sounds like you all had a heck of a good time.

Love those tents!  

[Steve O]

Sweet camp!  Looks like a blast.

[Lonesome Wind]

I don't want to steal Andy's thunder, or mis represent his shooting prowess!
 Andy, you out there?
On Brandons 2nd evening we were set up in hides Andy & I had built on a creek East of camp. We hadn't been in the hides long when I decided to lean my head forward on a limb & catch soom Z's. I was dozin when I heard the PUT-PUT of an agitated turkey very close by. I opened my eye's & looked to my right, out of the corner of my eye, & 4 jakes were just about in the hide with me! They knew I wasn't supposed to be there & they were gonna boggie out of there.
As they were leaving I drug my striker lightly accross my slate call & they spun around to check this girl out. Thank God for stupid Jakes!
They crossed right in front of my hide but I had the hide so thick directly in front of me that I could just barely even see them. I didn't dare grab my bow for fear of spookin the turks, I was just trying to see & thinking, "shoot Brandon SHOOT!" I heard the arrow clatter in the trees & saw the 4 Jakes run away, I sent a parting gift of a 900 grain ash arrow but they were 30 yards away by then so the arrow was a mute point from this guy's bow.
Brandon said he had a Jake picked out but then it turned out of his window, then he picked another but it just kept turnin so he couldn't pick a spot. He finally just flock shoot, & as usually happens, missed the whole kit & kabodle.

[huntnmuleys]

man that looks like a great time...wish id have been there.

[tradtusker]

well i got my pics loaded up ill get them up now

firstly a Big Thank you to Vince for having me along on this great hunt. Thank you Buddy!

 I thought about it all the way on the drive home and could not wipe the smile of my face, we had a Lot of Fun and the hunting was great, can't say i didnt have any chances just thought id give those beautiful birds a few warning shots you know        :D

Vince had a proper camp set up! iv seen and been in a few different camps but Vince had every angle covered, Clean, organized, efficient, beautiful, well situated the list goes on...
and we had a class act of guys in camp each a character in there own right! never a dull moment.

we mixed up the hunting nicely switching partners every few days.
Again Vince and Bret took time out of their hunt to teach me about hunting turkeys and helping me out, Thank You.

[RightTrailWrongTime]

Way to go Vince!

[tradtusker]

so the first night Vince and i set up in Bret's double bull blind we where laughing most of the time and i was surprised when a deer popped u in front of us, Vince looked at his watch and said ok we'l give it 10 more minuets, so i asked if i could have a go with the caller i hit it and a turkey gobbled, close!
next thing we see is 2 hens come out followed by a nice longbeard, Vince gets the binos on him and says "hit the caller again" so i did only this time it sounded like the turkey had just been hit in the butt with a drawing pin as the noise screeched out from my caller like a bad chalk board, we really had to hold back from laughing out loud at my effort          :rolleyes:  

after that we thought they where out of there but a few mins latter the hens where in front of the blind but the tom was way back just checking things out, finally the hens left and we thought it was all over, but Vince took over the caller than gave him a few sweat for nothing notes and his head went up and be burst out into full strut and just came strait at the decoys, Vince said " here he comes kill that bird" i said " if he makes it to the decoys consider him dead"  so there he stood full strut facing strait at us between the 2 decoys....i hit full draw,  felt solid, paused a second and then let the string rip!

[tradtusker]

so there it stuck berried in the dirt right between the bids legs! in a flash frame the bird stood there looking between its legs confused about what my bright yellow fletched arrow was doing between its legs.
i was executing a perfect follow though, thinking "Hmmm thats not good"

Vince poised on the blocks like a gazelle ready to flip the blind and Rugby tackle my bird.

seemed like all 3 of us where frozen there for a while until all hell broke loose as we about cut the blind in half trying to knock another arrow with a volley of arrows that somewhat followed the general direction of the Bird that was now doing about 40 mph in the opposite direction.

that was my first Turkey encounter we laughed all the way back to camp!


 

 

[tradtusker]

Bret Took me out for a few days I learn't a bunch from him and started to get my calling sounding a bit less like a very lonely sick old turkey hen    

ill go for a few B&W pics to fit in with the trad camp ;

Bret glassing for birds

   

on of the close by creeks

 

[tradtusker]

Bret wasted No time Hanging feathers on the camp pole

 

 

when i checked out the area on Goolge earth i thought it was going to be pretty flat but if was in fact a beautiful spot, lots of little creeks and canyons

 

[tradtusker]

over the coarse of the hunt we all had plenty of opportunity's one day i stalked right up on a strutting Tom but whilst trying to leopard crawl my way to the next tree he saw me but instead of running he walked right up to about 4-5 yards and strutted up and down was awesome! i could not believe it, long story short i ended up missing that same bird only minuets latter as he trotted passed a tree puting at his hens to get out of there        

[tradtusker]

some cool pics whilst out stalking
i was hunting with my first ever laminated longbow that i built with the help of a good friend here in Colorado.
 

 

 

well been a long day more to come tomorrow    

[Lonesome Wind]

Great pic's Andy! I knew you'd come thru.
I think I figured out your turkey voodoo, they didn't have any white styrofoam on them! You're death on that!
I enjoyed that camp as much as any I've shared. Everyone in camp had stories & jokes to tell & there were no attitudes getting in the way of having a good time. You guy's are welcome in my camp anytime!