2011 Season “B” Hunt

take a charter boat out for some salmon fishing, catch a Brewers game and tour the Miller Brewery.

Fishing-wise, Lake MI salmon fishing is a must-do if you’ve never done it before. Inland fishing is post-peak, so not what I would call something special, but there are some nice lakes in SE WI to target bass, pike and to a lesser extent, eyes.

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How about an internal re-fi???

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Sorry Bud, no internal refi’s

I have a boat I would love to refi too

If you like musky fishing, Pewaukee is a must do lake, though it can get busy, choose your times (mid weeks, morning, evening and night) and chuck bucktails over and around the big cabbage beds. This lake heats up for ski’s mid summer better than any other lake I ever fished. Lots of follow’s, good action lake were you could stick a 30 anytime….

Looks like we are going to try to get out on lake Michigan. Trying to line up a boat now.

You will have a great time, I was reading some very diturbing trends for our Great Lakes in the Journal while visiting my mom this last week, Lake Michigan is currently under ambush from ocean frieghters and the crap they bilge into our fresh waters, because it is cheaper for them to dump in our lakes. Lake Huron is going if not allready dead and they say Lake Michigan is next. Pretty sad state of affairs considering we share this waterway with our Canadien friends. Anyways I’m off my pedestal now…..

Wow! Where to start? I have had some very memorable hunts over the years, many of which are with my brother Mike and this year will be hard to duplicate. A week ago Sunday we headed down to Fountain City to do some scouting and putting up blinds for our up coming season. We felt were in a perfect location with the blinds and could not wait to start our hunt on Wednesday.

Mike and headed down on Tuesday night right after work, got the trailer set up and headed out to put the birds to bed and grab a quick dinner. The next morning came with high anticipation of filling our tags early. The plan was to get a double on film. Mike would try with his bow, and I would follow up with my 12 gauge. Well that was the game plan any how…the birds never cooperated that day. The morning was filled with gobbles, and then there was a lull mid afternoon and they picked up again later in the day. However the only birds that showed up were a few jakes and one hen all day. The next morning we decided to sit the blinds one more time and if nothing showed up we would try another farm. Well the next morning as we walked to the blinds, we had a heavy frost and every step we took it sounded like a herd of elephants going thru the woods. There was no sneaking in that morning. And it seemed like the toms would gobble at every step we took. I thought to myself, if we kill something this morning it will be a miracle. Needless to say, it never happened and when the toms got out of the roost that day they did the same routine as the prior day. Obviously we were not in their zone and did not have permission to hunt the farm they were strutting in. Time for plan B.

We took off and headed to a farm up the road from where we were at. Game plan was to do a little runnin & gunnin. The closest we came to killing a bird was that afternoon. We were working a bird down in a valley, but he was not committed. We had a hen answering us, and she was close, but we were unsure how close she was. Mike ditched the bow and was behind the camera. He told me I should walked down the ridge to see if I could get that tom to answer me. I walked only about 20 yards and froze as I spotted a hen working her way up to me. She spotted me at the same time and quickly turned and went the other direction. She had a tom with her, but he never sounded off when we were calling. He never knew I was there a slowly turned and started to follow the hen down in the valley. After trying to get on a bird that afternoon we decided to call her quits and head back to camp.

Pat was going to join us that evening since he was able to help fill his dad’s tag Got back to camp, had some steaks on the grill, shared a few stories and laughs and at 9:30 I couldn’t keep my eyes opened and called it a night. And when the alarm went off at 4:30 the next morning I could have sworn I just went to bed.

We decided to go back to the farm where we spent the previous afternoon runnin & gunnin…we knew the birds were there and felt we would split up to better our chances. It was misting and raining that morning and pretty breezy and it was Friday! I would say I have killed the majority of my birds on Friday, so I was filled confidence that morning. Mike and Pat took off in one direction and I went another. The game plan was go to the first gobble we hear. That worked great for Mike and Pat, but for me the gobbles were no where to be heard. I couldn’t hear anything with that wind. Then finally I heard a faint distant gobble and off I go. Got to where I thought would be a good set up and start calling and had one working down the ridge from me. Called up a hen and thought this is working perfect. Then all of sudden I had gobbles out in the field behind me. Turned slowly and noticed 7 jakes in the field…one a super jake. It was around 7:15 and I hear Mike’s 12 gauge bark. I thought I would give them 40 minutes to take some photos and get back to the truck to meet them.

Before I left I noticed a tom right where I had been early that morning . Man, these guys are not playing fair!
Met Mike and Pat back at the truck, took a couple more pics with my camera and Pat is ready for some pancakes. I told him I was on birds and that all he needed to hear. The 3 of us took off and hit a valley where Mike and Pat had heard gobbling earlier that morning. We could not get anything to respond, and decided to work back up the ridge to where I had been working a couple of birds. Get to the field edge and notice a couple of hens and one strutter. Pat was calling, but the tom would not leave his girlfriend. It seemed like every time he would call, a different tom on another ridge would answer, but would not move. I decided I was going to drop back down the ridge and try a sneak up and kill him in the field. As I got to the edge of the field, here comes Mike and Pat up the tote road. They told me the birds made their way up and over the hill before I got there and thought we could get on the tom that was gobbling on the other ridge. As were were trying to decide what to do, Pat makes another call and Boom, the tom in the field sounds off! We all made a mad scramble to get hid and they appear just as we get settled in. Well I should say…one of us could not get settled in. Pat and I tucked ourselves behind a large tree and Mike was behind us about 10 yards or so. Pat was trying to get situated before the birds appeared but they were coming too fast, so Pat was forced to kneel in the fetal position behind the tree. As he would call he would have both the tom in the field answer along with the tom on the ridge answer.
What both Mike and Pat did not realize was there was a third tom…he stayed well behind the strutter in the field. As the hen and strutter closed the distance, the hen slowly started to make her way to our left and towards the wood line. I am a left handed shooter and could not move due to the fact that the hen and non-strutter kept looking in our direction. Pat kept asking me what he should do, I kept telling him…”Don’t move”. He would asked if he should make a call to bring him out of strut and I told him I was going to take the first one that gave me and opportunity. Finally the hen and strutter were behind the tree with no shot opportunity and Pat told me to shoot over him if I have to. There was no way I was going to do that! Now the non-strutter was closing in as well, all I need him to do is get to my one shooting lane. As I see his red head appear I bear down and let fly. Let the celebration begin with a few high fives and man hugs! Went out to retrieve him and Pat asked how far of a shot it was…ranged it back to the tree we were at and it was 49 yards.

Pat was under a lot of pressure that morning as both Mike and I decided to leave our calls behind and let Pat do all the calling for us! That was a first for me as all I had to do was concentrate on making the shot and let someone else do the calling. I can’t tell you what a great feeling it was to have you guys with me on that hunt. I appreciate it more than you know and will be a hunt I will remember for a very long time.

Here are his measurements and score: Your score is 21.375 + 7.5 + 7.5 + 20 = 56.375

Definitely not the largest bird I have ever shot, but one of the most memorable birds I have taken. Thanks again guys!

Don’t want to steal Mike’s thunder on his hunt, but wanted to post a couple pics of his bird too.

Awesome story and hunt Big congrats men

It was a great day in the field for sure…even though we never did get those pancakes! You have saved me from having to make a post but I will fill in my part of the hunt.

When we split with Dan, Pat and I set up on a bird that was in the bottom of a ravine. The plan was for this bird to make his way up a logging road and we would kill him in the field above. Well the gobbler never budged so we decided to slip over the edge to make the calls a little louder and closer to the tom. Well as we set up and did some calling the bird never seemed to move but did answer Pat’s calling. After about 5 minutes I thought I heard that the bird moved to our left…I turned to Pat and had him call again….BOOM, he answered and he was moving fast to the top. It was a mad scrambled to get back up to the field. I tried to get to the stump I originally set up on but it was too late so I had to settle for a dead stump. There was a sharp drop off the field and when he gobbled he was in the field but couldn’t be seen. I had the 12 gauge ready and pointing at the tote road when out of the corner of my eye I see the tom 60 yards out to my right! Not know Pat can not see anything he notices me making a move to get on this bird. Pat makes some sweet music on his mouth call and this boy turns, struts and walks down the end of my gun barrel! He gets 30 yards and then he gets a face full of 3 1/2 turkey load! Again a great hunt! Pat was so jacked up that the first pics he took were all blurry from shaking..thanks bud for coming along! Here is a few more pics!

Great Recap. sounds like a great experince and alot of fun, great looking birds

Thanks you so much for letting me tag along on a pair of great hunts Mike and Dan

It’s a day in the turkey woods I will never forget

Nice shooting to both of you and great ideas with the pictures

Yeah, speaking of pictures!?!? What the heck Mike? Did you have to post that last picture? Come on Man!

Great bird Mike ….. Oh and the pants picture = I wouldn’t stay in a camper wit him Mike

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Oh and the pants picture = I wouldn’t stay in a camper wit him Mike

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Pat had a pair on that gave Dan a run for his money too…but he wouldn’t get out from this sleeping bag to get a picture! Sorry Dan but we here on IDO want the entire story…not just bits and pieces! You would’ve made a lot of brownie points if you had your Viking ones on!

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Great bird Mike ….. Oh and the pants picture = I wouldn’t stay in a camper wit him Mike

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Pat has a pair of pants that were pretty loud too. I was kind enough NOT to snap a picture. Fortunately his pants did not end up costing us that bird that morning…laying in the fetal position he noticed his bright colored pants sticking out of his camo like a sore thumb!

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Oh and the pants picture = I wouldn’t stay in a camper wit him Mike

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Pat had a pair on that gave Dan a run for his money too…but he wouldn’t get out from this sleeping bag to get a picture! Sorry Dan but we here on IDO want the entire story…not just bits and pieces! You would’ve made a lot of brownie points if you had your Viking ones on!

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Next year if he shares the camper with us…I will be breaking out the Viking Zubaz!

Awesome gentlemen, simply awesome.

Well, except for those pants!!!!

Good stuff guys

Congrats on your hunt you guys awesome story, and awesome birds.

Sounds Like a great hunt Good friends, good Birds Good times

Great job guys !!! Your story made me feel as if I was right there Dan And them pants.. man I miss the 80’s…..

It doesn’t get much better than that! Congratulations Mike and Dan and kudos to Pat for helping out with the calling. Awesome pictures too!

Pretty sweat hunt fellas !!!

Sounds like one of those hunts you wish you could be there for. Constantly joking until game-time, love it! Congrats to the both of you guys, you’re getting it done this year.

Joel

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Constantly joking until game-time, love it!

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Is there any other way with Pat in camp?

This is a quote from Pat during the hunt for Dan’s bird…about 45 minutes before he killed his tom…”Hey, we can’t hunt here…I don’t have a signal on my phone!” I now know why he doesn’t use a box call….he needs his hands freed up for his texting!

We should just mic him up, put a helmet cam on, and live-stream it to save him the trouble. Between him and JP, I was wishing dead batteries to both of them.

Joel

Yes. That’s similar to what it sounded like in the blind.

Joel

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Yes. That’s similar to what it sounded like in the blind.

Joel

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Good thing neither one of you shared a blind with Mike! Between dropping his slate call while and trying out his new “Locator Call” (good thing my blind was upwind) the birds weren’t having any of it.

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Good thing neither one of you shared a blind with Mike! Between dropping his slate call while and trying out his new “Locator Call” (good thing my blind was upwind) the birds weren’t having any of it.

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Really Dan…you want to go there!