Got back last night from a short trip with IDO member I Don’t Kill Much (IDKM). First set in South Dakota we had lots of birds come into gun range an hour after they flew down. Our buddy from SD shot one with the bow at 40 yards and we didnt find it. Those birds are tough. IDKM took a long shot with the gun and no birds. There were tons of birds but they didn’t seem to like our set. B-Mobile seemed to keep the toms away. Had a few jakes that I should have tried to take with the bow but I wanted to shoot at nice birds since it was my first time bow hunting.
That afternoon we headed into Nebraska. What a tremendous afternoon it was. We didn’t harvest a bird but it was so exciting. We were runnin and gunnin, emphasis on runnin. The birds were active and seemed to be responding to our calls but just wouldn’t commit to come into gun range. Mid-afternoon we came into about a 15 acre alfalfa field that is surrounded by timber with a creek running along the edge. We stopped to call and were answered by two gobblers. We quick took cover along the opposite edge the gobblers were calling from. We had two hens out and within a minute out pop two of the biggest birds I have ever seen. The first one out starts strutting then begins to come towards us. The second took a few steps out and then hung up. It seemed like the first wanted to come running but the second foiled the party. First day was a lot of action but nothing harvested. Didn’t matter though it was incredible.
Day Two we set up in Nebraska. We picked a creek bottom where the birds head to after they leave the roost. The third person in our party lives in the area and pretty much knows the birds by name. We hear them pitch down and will not come to us but we could hear two birds a long way off that seem to be coming to us. So we cut the distance and they are coming to our calls. It was funnier than heck. Since I am the rookie in our group they let me have the first crack today. IDKM and Rich set up behind me two watch for two gobblers above us. I set up a little lower than them to watch for the two gobblers that were coming to our calls. About a minute after we sit down I hear the other two say bird, shoot shoot! My response, WHERE? The bird was in clear view of them but behind a tree that covered my view. The tom then moved towards the creek and came into view. BIRD DOWN. 
Only my second bird a decent bird with a nine inch beard, 5/8 inch spurs. Bird weighed 21 pounds.
We continued the morning and early afternoon by runnin and gunnin and didn’t get anything else in range. That evening we headed to a great spot in South Dakota. Our plan was to sit in the blind with some hen dekes out. If a tom came into bow range I would take it. If any toms wouldn’t come within twenty yards IDKM would take em with the gun. Rich wasn’t with us for this evening and neither of us are very adept at calling. Thankfully Rich put us in a spot were even the two of us had a chance. We are set up near a large river on the edge of an alfalfa field with timber in front and behind us. About 45 minutes after we set up a hen comes out to our left. Then another hen and a gobbler. Those three are about 70 yards to our left. We can’t seem to coax them to us as the gobbler breeds one of the hens. How cool to see that happen. While we are watching that to our right out pop six hens, a jake and two nice gobblers. They finally get to about fourty yards and hang up. They look to start moving away so IDKM takes and nice 20 pound gobbler with 3/4 inch spurs and 10.5 inch beard. He gives me the gun to take the other tom but I couldn’t do it. Holding out for that bow shot. We decide to leave the downed bird in the field and keep calling. Now its 7:40 and the birds still aren’t leaving us to roost. We had two hens milling around the blind and there is a gobbler in the timber that won’t show himself. We decide to call it a night and force the hens out as we popped out of the blind.
Day three Nebraska. We set up with lots of birds in the roost to our south and several other birds gobbling in other areas quite a ways away. After they fly down we sat for an hour and a half and nothing. We spent the next four hours and we couldn’t get a thing to come to us. The birds got henned up and it was getting pretty discouraging. Our prospects seemed dim. We took a break for about an hour. When we came back it was like their attitudes had changed 180. Not sure what happened but the next three hours were a blast. Found three birds calling to us and another in a different location responding to us. All four were close and we didn’t put out any dekes. About a minute after we sit down I see IDKM move his barrel a little to the right and shoot. BIRD DOWN. Rich and I didn’t even see the bird pop his head up the ridge. IDKM brought that bird to the taxidermist.
About an hour later we had 5-6 gobblers talking to us so we set up in the timber. After about ten minutes I hear drumming to my left. I turn and see a gobbler in full strut. This boy came in quiet. I think I saw my heart pounding though my vest. I turn 90 degrees and boom. Uh oh, bird running then quickly flying down hill in the timber. 
Was really cool until I hear Rich and IDKM laughing hysterically 
. They had been sitting up to my right and a little behind where the bird was. Oh well it was still cool as heck. About two hours later I had to head back to MN.
What a great trip. I wanted to fling an arrow or two but boy was that fun. Now I’m ready for MN but I am already thinking about Nebraska/South Dakota next year. 
