Road trip Trad Turkey Hunt NE. we're back pg 4

[Don Batten]

The guys are hunting now and no cell service. However, a little bird landed on my shoulder and said that Joey mmmmmmised a big gobbler at 7 yards. shot 6" high and 5 foot to the left. Then shot at a jake and killed it. hit it in the neck with a big XXL silverflame. pretty much cut his head off. All other hunters have had close encounters.  

I told my info source to tell joebuck that I could get him an appointment with Rod Jenkins or he could just fly to NY an NC to me and Guru for help with the 7 yard surprise shot.

[Jack Denbow]

Don, tell that little bird (probably Nick)to tell Joey to "Aim down your arrow because that is where it's going".    
Jack

[Dirtybird]

Boy, this is going to get really good.

[jonsimoneau]

I've been waiting for this one. Go get 'em Joey!

[Guru]

[South MS Bowhunter]

I knew the three stooges       was opening at theaters around the country but I didn’t know they were regulars on Trad Gang who would of thunk it?

Great read!  Carry on.

[Don Batten]

I talked to joey , via nick's land line today. I think that there will be some stories to tell when they get back home. sounds like a great time and I wish I was there .  can you say " Hunt with only one bow"?????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[Whip]

I'm on the road again...
Only this time it's on the way home.  And that's a sad sad thing, because this was some kinda trip.

There will be stories to come.  
Birds died.  But more lived.
Fact: Nebraska turkeys are not stupid.  They are masters of torment.  
Shooting prowess on the target butts does not always transfer well in the field.  
You can eat pretty well and still gain weight on a JB gluten free diet.

The characters in this adventure are scattering back to where the came from today, but rest assured, you haven't heard the last from them.

[RC]

Time for some storys rednecks~!!!RC

[Jack Denbow]

I agree with Robert, spill the beans.
Jack

[joebuck]

Alright...i am coffee up!  First of all i want to thank the Klintworth's especially Nick for enduring with us.....Also It takes special people to share their private stock of fresh mountain oysters with some strangers.. Mary broke out her bag and the grease was hot.....You can see Nick in middle and his son Ryan( next linebacker for nebraska 2018) and Ed Schleif on the right.. it took Mary about 5 minutes to convince Ed it was on!!! Ed ate so many i think he could jump three strand of barb wire after a plate full.

 

[joebuck]

After 15 hours of driving and nick and whip calling me to keep me awake...i made it home..ironically i made it home same time the others did and they flew except for whip......The Klintworths ranch is one of my all time favorite places to go hunting right up there with my buddy marty who could not make it. If anyone is reading this and wants Mid West turkey hunt..THIS IS THE RANCH...Nick takes 5 hunts a year and 4-5 guys per hunt..308-367-4583..Lodge is perfect. Nick has seen over 300 turkeys die to a bow so Nick "Know Bow". thats an old Bo Jackson Nike ad..


Ok here me go....... the minute Whip,Duckbutt and Charles Storey pulled into Klintworths...they had to wait on a gobbler to get out of the driveway...So their confidence was HIGH.....Ed had never seen a Merriam so i whipped out my Wooden Hen and called him up one to the lodge.    

 

[R. W. Mackey]

Joey / Joe: Am headed to Nebraska this Saturday, will be hunting the south central part of the state around Lexington.  Was wondering if you guys could tell me what phase the hunting is in now, how are the Gobblers working, what calls worked best and what decoy set-up worked best.  Glad you guys had a great hunt, hope mine works out as well.  Thanks,  RW

[joebuck]

RW we were hunting south west/central ( Moorefield) we found the gobblers for most part busted up in smaller flocks with several longbeards and jakes in each flock of 2-3-6-9 hens. Birds were chasing and fighting. it was perfect to use Jake Strutters with a hen...Multiple times birds came running to my DSD Strutter without me calling a peep well except the time Whip was across the road and we a Yelp Down against each other ..Whip can run a scratch box!...So definitely set up a REAL Fan Strutter and have fan facing the direction the birds might come from with a hen decoy close by...I think i had 14 gobblers in 3 days brush my strutter..1 group had 3 in it.. If it is hot , forget mid day because birds lay up under cedars but if you get a rain, i would hunt all day....pasture grass is getting taller..keep your strutter smaller and closer to the groung.. You do not want your decoy taller than real gobblers......call little and promote your decoys is my advice...good luck ...your hitting it primetime

[Whip]

I drove out from WI on Wednesday with a quick stop at the Omaha airport to pick up Duckbutt and Charles.  To say anticipation was high would sure be an understatement.  

I've been following joebuck's turkey exploits for a while now, and was sure looking forward to lessons from the master.  Sharing a hunt with Julian has been long overdue, and as it turns out Charles and Ed are fine gentlemen as well and I'm sure glad they were included in this lineup.  And to top it off, Nick and his family were about as fine of hosts as I have ever had the pleasure of staying with.  No matter what happened with the turkeys, this trip was destined to be great just based on the people I had the pleasure to share it with.  

Joey had picked up Ed along the road from Mississippi and had arrived shortly before we did.  The closer we got to the ranch the more birds we were seeing.  Small groups were everywhere, and it seemed each had a strutter showing his stuff.  As we finally pulled into the driveway we literally had to stop and wait as turkeys scattered in our path.  Joey sat on the tailgate of his truck laughing his head off at the sight of the three of us sitting there with mouths hanging open.  

I must be dreaming.  This can't be real.  Was this some kind of turkey farm with pen raised birds???  

We were soon to find out that while they had no fear hanging around the ranch yard they were no pushovers.  They knew exactly what the score was, and were as wild as any birds I have ever hunted.  We were about to receive  a crash course in how many ways a bird with a brain the size of a pea can make fools of semi intellegent men.

[R. W. Mackey]

Joey:  Thanks for the reply, that place must be loaded with birds, 14 Gobblers in 3 days is unreal.  Was hoping this wouldn't be too late, never know how the weather will effect the birds.  I got just the set up for them, thanks for the advice.  RW

[Don Batten]

Enough about the turkeys. What did yall have to eat and tell me how she cooked the calf nuts?

[Duckbutt]

Joey mentioned something about Biggie hitting the road too early on Sunday morning last year.  Well, we get back from the hunt Sunday morning and we find a big old wife beater T-shirt. Joey is apparently half way across Kansas by this time. Yours, Joey, or Biggie's?

 

[Whip]

Eating calf nuts would be just so wrong on so many levels Don.  Now Rocky Mountain Oysters - that is hors d'oeuvre fit for a king.  And we ate like kings....    

I had big plans for this trip.  I wanted badly to take a turkey with my bow without the use of a blind.  I had tried last year without success, and again this spring in Wisconsin.  After reading as much as I could and picking Joey's brain for all it was worth, I thought that I had a good plan.  A Waldrop pacseat, a Ghillie longhunter coat, and a Hidden Draw bow blind would make up my system.  A new Avian X hen decoy coupled with a Spin N Strut jake would bring them within range.  Or so I thought.

One thing I hadn't taken into consideration was the difference in vegetation between Wisconsin and Nebraska.  My ghillie was mainly light colored, and the majority of the cover in Nebraska consisted of dark colored cedars.  It soon became apparent that turkeys could tell the difference.  

The afternoon that we arrived Nick took Julian and I for a ride to show us where we would head the next morning.  Nick knows the turkeys on his land on a first name basis, and told us that about 30 of them would roost in a big old cottonwood in the bottom of a draw.  And the next morning that is exactly what we found.

The tallest tree in the left center of this picture shows the roost tree.
 

Julian went high, and I took the bottom.  It was still plenty dark and turkeys were already sounding off from the tree.  I got set up and tucked back in under a cedar and listened to more turkey talk than I had ever heard in my life!

As daylight came the birds were anxious to get about their business.  I watched as one after another pitched out of the trees.  Unfortunately, they went out on the top side but away from where Julian had set up.  I did have 8 hens feed past my spot, but they seemed nervous as they went by.  The majority of the birds filtered across the hillside and were soon out of sight and hearing.

Later that morning I spotted a lone longbeard cruising the opposite hillside.  A few yelps from the Wooden Hen scratch box had him headed my way.  As he hit the bottom he puffed up and strutted directly toward my decoys.  This guy was hot, and he was coming!  

At 40 yards he stopped and his head came up, giving the evil eye to my set up.  Down went the strut, and he headed back up the hill, gobbling as he went.

[joebuck]

I am so glad I pulled a "Biggie" and hit the road early.  Nick said it was like Agincourt that morning. Arrows flying everywhere!

my first morning I hit my spot from last year. basically I set up under a cedar tree on slope of a big pasture. I was directly across the roost tree some 200 yards away. plan was , birds would pitch down , see my strutter and come running to scuffle with the intruder...Morning arrived , setup in place , and BAM!  Next thing I knew , I had 4 two year olds circling my strutter at 12 steps....only problem was my right hand was trying to cut on my movie camera and I had screwed the pooch...Caught!    ...three putts and they were gone.......I blew another dump shot.......morning over or was it