St. Jude Turkey Hunt (from last year) Realized

[ber643]

I was priveleged  and honored to attend the Turkey Hunt (for 2) offered by Don "batman" Baten on last year's St. Jude auction, and just returned this AM. The hunt was won by Michael Langehans and he was accompanied by his son, H. Woods Langehans, both of SC

I was to make both of the hunters one of my custom Turkey wingbone calls and present them to them at the hunt, as an additional benefit of the package. When I got there I mentioned that I guessed I'd get my camera out and take a pic or two. Don told me that I'd better, as that was a part of my duties also - taking pics and writing up the pictorial report - he's such a kidder   :D   . Actually, my pleasure.

Another added feature of the hunt was that Don's friend (and a professional chef), Corey Matson, of NC would come and add to the pleasure with his significant skills. Boy did he ever do that! Yummy for the tummy - in spades!

The pics gave me a little trouble on PhotoBucket today, as PB kept locking up.  I finaly Figured out it would work but only let me upload 5 pics at a time. That was the holdup on this post. I'm ready now, and will do the best I can, in 5 photo increments here also (as usual). I hope y'all enjoy it.

The hunt was to take place at/near Ft, Barnwell, a small community in beautiful NC farm country not too far from where Don and I live. The farm was bought by Don's Father, Tom and some friends quite some years back. They built a fine hunting camp on it and lease the fields to local farmers. We'll take some looks at it in the following pics.

Hang in there, everyone, and please bear with my losey spelling and poor memory    

[rastaman]

   

[jcar315]

[ber643]

This is the outside/front of the camp - and what a fine place it is. You can tell redily that the owners put hard thought and work into it:

   

Turn around and look across the yard out towards some of the fields, bordered by woods areas:

   

Our more than "Host With The Most", the "batman" himself. Don was the man behind the original idea and the planer/executor of it all. IMO he couldn't have done a better job or made a more pleasant hunt. Here he is teaching a "samich" it's main purpose in life. He'll probably appreciate me catching him with his mouth full:

   

On the inside, in the excellantly appointed kitchen area, Don and Corey discuss the technical workings of the coffee maker - very important stuff here, for sure:

   

This is the "bunk house", an attached room housing about 20 bunks with innerspring mattresses, and two (count 'em, 2) full bathrooms. Fine, comfortable quarters - and that's just the start of it:

   

(More to come)

[Don Batten]

patience friends. Bernie probably went to the restroom and got lost on the way back to his pc. LOL. I'm looking forward to his pics as well.

I will say that we had a blast. I had met Michael down at pig camp. His son Woods is a pleasure to be around and a good hunter for his age (10). He was shootin Bernie's/my widow better than we were. I was really flatterd when he called me mister Marty a couple of times. Guess I'm a nicer guy than I thought.

Food was great. company was better. Hunting was ok too. I snapped a few pics I'll try to load up tomarrow. Alright Bernie, you got the floor

[Bel007]

[ber643]

Thank-ee, buddy. Yep, Don and perhaps Cory, and Michael will be (I suspect) adding some pics and comments as we go along. The rest of you members feel free to insert your comments as I stumble along also. Be rat beck!

[John Dill]

I heard Bernie and Cory shot turkeys...is this the right scoop?  :D

[Bowferd]

Beginnings of a good story will keep a few of us up later than normal on a Sunday evening.  

[ber643]

Just ouside the door to the bunk room, an owner's mounted Bobcat from past years stands guard over us, the camp, and his captured quail:

 

The side and front walls show a beautiful well-made fireplace, and more treasured mementos and mounts, adding to the beauty and atmosphere of the "camp":

 

We'll see more of the main room and its walls in following pics. Here is young Woods, a fine good-natured, well-behaved youngster that is raring to go all the time. You don't see one rise up so ready to go early in the AM all the time, as this one does. We had just met and I told him to give me a smile - another great kidder - LOL:

 

Mike, Corey (sitting), and Don discuss plans for the afternoon and the evening hunt - or were they talking about fishing near Charlestown, SC? There was plenty of varied and interesting conversations about mutual interests, I can tell you that:

 

Along about then, Don and I decided it was a good time to present my calls to Mike and his son. Here, they (and I) are beaming after the presentation. They were most appreciative and again it was my pleasure. I think Don got another pic also:

 

(More to come.)

[HARL]

Great Stuff Bernie !!!!!!!!!

[ber643]

Thanks, guys. John, I don't recall that but I do know that we "shot" a lot of bull, if that counts -        

Corey spent a lot of time (no wasted time or movements though - a pleasure to watch him perform his considerable skill) in the kitchen, even though he does a lot of pre-preperation of the basic steps befor hand, Here he starts to cook the delicous Alligator Stew. Using the great looking meat from the 9+foot gator he shot, in SC, with his trad bow:

   

Corey is always up, interested, and intense at listening or showing - a real pleasure to be around. He said, "Here, get a picture of how quick and nice that ('gator) meat browns. That's how you tell when meat is fresh!" Sure makes a pretty picture:

   

Corey and Don discuss the finer points of discussin':


   

The fine point of the hunt, that Mike bid so much worthy finacial help for the Children of St. Jude hospital for, was that both he and son, Woods (with Don as his personal guide), got a jake Turkey for their first ones of an NC limit. Now due to our agreement on this site we can't talk too much about those, but let's just say it was justly deserved, for a greay cause - and after that, they got down to business and tried for number 2 with their bows. Unfortunately, the Turkeys quit cooperating just about then.

In any event, Don demonstrated to Mike the prceedure for plucking a bird quickly, and cleanly, by dipping the bird in boiling water first. As batman said, it takes longer to boil the vat of water, than it does to pluck the bird. Even as it cools it still gives up it's feathers easily. (Way my Pop used to do it, way back when, too.):

   

   

(More to come)

[ber643]

Bless your heart, Tom (Harl). How long it's been since we've "talked". Glad to hear/see you here.

I'm close to half way through so anyone who doesn't stay up that late may have to catch up in the AM - but i will try my best to stay awake and finish tonight -      

[ber643]

After Friday's evening hunt we gathered back at the lodge to gorge ourselves on Corey's outtttt- standing Alligator stew. Man it was so good. I can't hardly think of anything to compare the taste of the meat to (as folks like to say things taste "just like" chicken or fish). I guess the closest you might come would be fresh roast pork - perhaps. I can tell you though it is not an experience to be passed up, if you ever get the chance, and like good food. Lots of tater and carrot chunks and penty of onions too. Mmmmmmmm-mmmmmm good! Bless you Corey!

   

After the repast folks spread out for easy livin' - not sure if it was a "gas" thing, or what - LOL

   

Then Don and Woods settled in for a bout of their continuing game of "football", played with folded triangles of paper. I think Don stayed a little ahead all weekend but Woods did beat his Dad (for the first time) once during the period.

   


Saturday there was a lot of bow competition going on, between hunts. Don got Woods to shooting the bow he has so generously loaned me (to try to get me shooting more consistently). As Don said in his post, Woods was yanking that bow back and really making some fine shots (I went and hid - LOL). Actually I just stayed on the camera - duty calls, you know:

   

Woods at full draw (for my Traditional Bows At Full Draw pages of my web site), with "my" Black Widow:

   

(More to come.)

[ber643]

Corey at Full Draw for the "competition" (and for my pages), with a really sweet laminated bow that Don made and gave to him. He really loves it too.:

 

And Don at Full Draw with one of his Ricky Welch bows (also for my pages - LOL):

 

More competition:

 

Competition pics, shots, and chatter:

 

Finally Woods fertile mind came up with a shot off the top of another target, so Don told him to go in and get an apple and that they'd do some William Tell shots off the Turkey target. Woods was away in a flash, and back. The "Target":

 

(More to Come.)

[ber643]

Shoot the apple - the apple!:

 

A lot of close shots from all three of our erstwhile archers but only one (of Don's) arrows actually clipped the apple:

 

After the next "volly" of shots were fired, and retrieved, I got them to leave thr one perfect arrow in "the target" - also one of Don's. Respectable shooting by all though:

 


Yes, I did some practice too but it was off a stool, at about ten yards, such as I would stand a chance of getting in the blind Don had set up for me. I got to hunt Fri eve and Sat AM and eve. I didn't see any turkeys but I sure enjoyed being out there in a perfect spot to see one (or more). It just wasn't in the books this time. I did get to see a couple Owls fly by, a beauty of a big red Fox Squirrel, and a Nuthatch came and kept flitting between a window "sill" of my blind and a small bush right in front. He kept cocking his head at me and entertaining me for about 5 minutes or more. I wonder if he was trying to tell me something? - LOL I believe Don took some pictures from the blinds, with Woods, but I didn't take a camera out hunting with me - on purpose. I did see a jake on Sunday morning as I was headed home. Right after I got about a mile from the Camp gate. He crossed the road in front of me from a field to the woods. I couldn't help but laugh and I told him that he was a day late and a dollar short. I really loved it all though.


This is a picture of an arial picture on the wall in the camp. It shows the property. The river line in the middle background is the back property line and most of the width is included. Neat to have it on the wall:

 

(Just a few more to come, now.)

[ber643]

Sorry this has taken so long - two finger typing (stumbling) is a trial, and I seem to keep getting slower all the time - LOL

Three more pictures for my part.

On Sat evening we were treated to a sumptuous supper, prepared by Corey. Prime Rib Roast, Baked Butternut Squash, Special Baked Potatoes in tinfoil, and a raw carrot salad with Corey's special citric fruit juce flavoring, topped off with a fantastic Bannana pudding. For this meal Don's Father and his wife Wendy, Don's wife Trish, their son Bryan and his son Taylor, and also their son William with his girlfriend Wendy (not a typo) had been invited to join us. Also John Dill and his wife Cindy but sadly they couldn't make it.

It's not often you get a bevy of beautiful women to join you in a hunt camp. At the head of the table, Don's Father, Tommy and Mike to his right. To Tommy's left, his wife Wendy. Down from her is William's girlfriend Wendy (again, not a typo), and closest is Don's sweetheart of a wife Trish. Such pleasant additions to any get together.

   

Don, Mike, and Tommy in the kitchen area after the fabulous meal. Don's neat grandson Taylor reaches for his arm - can't believe that's the only picture I got of one of my favorite young archers - LOL.

   

Trish, Son Bryan, and Son William (seated).

   

AND a great time was had by all, I do believe!!! Thanks for looking, folks, and remember it was all for the Children of St. Jude, traditional archery, and good fellowship. Thank you Tommy, Don, Mike, and Cory for one of the best and most meaningful hunts of my life, and thanks to the rest for their company.

Good night, all.

[Guru]

Excellent all around guy    

[Biggie Hoffman]

There was no mention of alligator stew back when the auction was going on or Michael would've had to pay even more dearly for this trip.

Looks like a great time!

[ber643]

LOL, I'll bet he would've too, biggie. I know he really enjoyed that stew also. Mike turned out to be a fine, friendly camp-fellow. Always ready with a smile, and a good word.