Late on Thursday

 Well, that must mean I have no new good news. That's pretty much right, I got some stuff done over the week that I've been putting off and got more stuff to do next week. I cooked some deer and salmon on the grill for the week and it turned out really good. I talked to mom this week and told her how I was saving all kinds of money on gas since I haven't been fishing........ and that I was spending it on fishing stuff to help me catch more fish...... she said that was smart. I agreed.... I think she was being sarcastic? Hope all is going well in your lives, I'll catch up again next week.

Black Hills round 2

 Come to the Black Hills they said.... It'll be fun they said.... Well, I gotta say both those are true. I did have alot of fun if you can see it through all the work. 

I started the second week hunting memories from the first week. I went to all the places I saw or heard birds the first week, only to be greeted with a wall of silence and apparently a cloak of invisibility. That's a fancy way of saying I didn't see or hear anything the first day and a half. 

That being said I was walking into my last memory Tuesday night when I saw 2 ladies on horseback coming up the trail from the same way I was going in. A little dejected, I greeted them and they asked if I was turkey hunting to which I replied more like hiking with a gun. I haven't heard or seen a turkey in 2 days. Well they gave me the name of a town that wasn't far, with the promise of hundreds of gobbling turkey's..... I held onto the name finished the small talk wished them a good day and continued to my last spot.... upon setting up and sitting and calling for about a half hour and not hearing anything, I picked up my set and headed out. What have I got to lose? I'm not hearing or seeing anything here, I can not hear or see anything in a new spot.

So, that's what I did I went back to the truck and headed the 45 mins to the new spot. I was kinda weird to just be able to move about so freely without having to pack anything, just go. 

THE NEW SPOT

There were deer everywhere, these ladies greeted me at the new spot

I found a good place to park up in back of the hill that overlooked the town and went to sleep. The whole night was filled with lightning, thunder, rain and wind. My alarm went off early, I hit snooze because of the rain. I didn't get out of the truck until 5am, when I did I was met with early gobbles.

I pinned it on the phone and headed out to try and set up within 100 yards or so. Come to find out my distance was wrong and 100 yards was back at the truck, I ended up 30 yards from the roosted birds who knew there was something in the trail but couldn't figure out what. I was able to slowly sit down by a tree on the edge of the trail and they calmed down and started preening. As soon as the forest started to get light I knew I was not in the right spot. Straight across from me there was a grass path that went up the hill, I knew that's where they were going to pitch to. Unfortunately I was right, after the 4 hens and the gobbler pitched down and walked out of my life. I started hearing a couple other turkey's back up tword the truck. So I headed out to set up on the another bird. I heard this bird out in a clearing and it sounded to me like he was coming my way so I backed into the woods 40 yards or so and set up. He answered to me about every other call, so I waited, he gobbled, as if he passed me. After I called again he was going back the same way I first heard him calling from. Time to move....

Come to find out I moved on this bird 3x's only to be left behind when he found some real hens. All I could do was call and listen to where he and his girls went up the hill. After figuring out the best way to get to the top of the hill as sneakily as possible, I was off. It probably took me an hour to get to the top of the hill. When I was able to see over the edge I slowed and looked for birds. I saw nothing so I took another step to get a better look and... There he was running away from me and there I was in utter shock that I caught up to him.... I didn't even raise my gun... I just watched him run across the top and out of my li.... crap 2 hens. Now I was able to snap out of it and raised my gun looking for another bird. Then I saw the last bird running away in range and in my sights... the only thing was I wasn't sure if it was a Tom or a hen so I had to let it run out of my life also. 

So, what I'll say is that was the best chance I had in my second trip to the Black Hills. I saw 14 birds that first day and had heard 5 or 6 gobbling that morning and throughout the day. That's more birds than the rest of both trips combined, even though I didn't get one and through all the work it was a really fun time. The best news is I get to keep going back out until I get my Merriams.

 

What I will say is on May 15th they open all the closed motorized trails up and it's possible to run most of the hills. 

It is really beautiful country and worth a trip just to see it. 

 

I doubt if I'll get back next year but I'll keep trying until I'm able.

My Black Hills vacation.

 We, (Jake Nate and I) spent a week in the Black Hills, chasing Merriam's turkeys up and down the "Hills".

 Jake found his birds by Tuesday and was able to seal the deal on Wednesday.

Meanwhile my days kinda went like this......

Turkey poop

Turkey tracks

I go up the hill....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And up the hill.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Beautiful views.....

 I spent alot of time on the tops of "hills"....

Then there was...... 

I go down the hills...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I go down the hills....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now it wasn't all up and down hills, I did some walking in the ravines during midday.

Actually the first gobble I heard was just down this path on my first day. Jake and I were both having problems calling the birds in. It was really weird, if you got on the call they would gobble once, maybe twice then silence. They were just done talking, it is really hard to find a bird that isn't talking. 

I did see some critters.....

I was walking down a path midday and I saw a turkey 50 yards up on the path. So I got to the side of the path and started calling.... and calling..... really soft calling..... And nothing... nothing at all so I got up and walked to the corner of the path where I thought I saw the turkey.

Yep, I was calling to a skunk, and to make it worse I had to walk within 5' of the little guy... he watched me just as closely as I watched him.

And I saw Elk tracks...

And the coolest part of the trip....

THIS IS A VIDEO......

So after all the walking I did I gotta tell ya it was pretty cool... oh yeah talkin' 'bout cool we made a little side trip one afternoon.

Don't think I have to tell you what this is.

This is the unfinished Crazy Horse monument.

So now I'll ask... anyone for tag soup?

Even though I didn't get a shot at a bird, I had a really good week and I hope learned enough to get a bird my next trip out. Yep that's right I have to go back out, next year we're putting in for The Black Hills, Wyoming and Nebraska. They are all draws and we're starting on the bottom next year again. I really hope to get back out within the next couple years.

Finally something to say.....

The marina text me on Friday letting me know my boat was done. I asked if they found the leak in the live well output hose. They told me no, but the leak was in my intake so they fixed that, and it is working fine. So, I asked them to dip it in and see if the leak was taken care of, he said they would. I got up Monday morning paid for the repair and IMMEDIATELY headed over to the public launch to see if it was fixed or not. 

Turn up your sound and listen to the water rush in.

After I took a couple more videos I went straight back to the Marina to let them see them. The lead wanted to immediately get his guy and dip the boat. I slowed his roll and let him know that when I get back from SD and have the boat tore apart, (jack plate raising) I'll bring it back and show them. Then they can fix the leak and switch my steering from cables to hydraulic. So, that's what going on with my boat. 

Hopefully one day I can go fishing.

These last couple of weeks I have been getting ready for SD and most of my gear is packed up. I did however leave out my turkey hunting essentials because today was opening day in Indiana. I got up early and headed to the local public spot to sign in for the no show draw since I didn't get drawn..... again. There were only 4 spots with a room full of hopeful hunters, my sign in number was 17. When they read off the lucky numbers the closest I got was 16.... not my number. So I went with plan B, which is to hoot a small section of public to see if a bird gobbles. It took some convincing but I was almost sure I heard a gobble deep in the private next to the public. So I went down parked my truck and walked the mile back up the road and into the woods. This spot is sooo small there is only one place I can sit and hunt, there is no moving around, so if he doesn't commit and stays on private your SOL. 

Well, I got set up and eased into a couple loud yelps and cuts. I heard nothing for the first 34 minutes except my calls echoing off the trees. I called every 10-15 minutes or so just to try and perk a birds interest. Then it happened I called and had a bird gobble 75-80 yards away, it was so quiet I questioned whether or not I had heard it. I gave it a couple minutes and called again, and he fired right back, closer this time. So, I slowed the calling down and kept my eyes on the raise in elevation that was 50 yards in front of me. Finally I saw something move left to right he disappeared behind some trees and brush. I called and he fired, right up on the little hill right at 50 yards. He stayed hidden but when he moved a little right I was finally able to see him.

I know it's a crappy video but I took it when I thought I was going to lose him, and to make it worse as soon as I stopped recording he gobbled. Anyway, the reason I thought I was going to lose him was, he wouldn't break. I called, he strutted and gobbled in the same spot not moving, I think the problem was that he could see my decoy plain as day. So he kept trying to get her to come with him, when he did move he started out the wrong way, so I reached into my bag of tricks and started soft calling. Soft putts and yelps and I deflected the call off to my left, where he couldn't see. I was trying to give the impression that their was another hen there. Well that was the hot sauce, he started moving over to the left behind the trees and shrubs and finally raised his head to see over the rise. Unfortunately for him he did it at about 35 yards and in the clear. 

One shot, and I was ready to go to South Dakota.

He had 1 1/4" spurs, a 10" beard and weighed in at 24.5 pounds.

Just a really good turkey that gave me a super good hunt.

ran out of time

 feelin' better

boat at marina

turkey hunt moved up

more next week.