So, we're hours away from July, it's 100 degrees and most of Oklahoma is under severe drought conditions. Are you thinking about deer season?
If not then you should be. Now is the time to be scouting! Yea, it's hot, so take all precautions as far as that is concerned. But what a time to be out looking at trails and preparing stands.
It's so hot that most animals are nocturnal, only moving in the day time out of necessity. It's also still 3 months away from archery season, so the deer will have plenty of time to readjust to their old familiar routines.
So get out there, find some trails. Pick out your feeder spots and start doing whatever trimming you have to for your deer stands. Now is also a great time to build some natural blinds. On my personal lease I'm going to build some fallen timber blinds that look just like timber piles, with the area you sit in right at ground level. Should be interesting to say the least, lol. Also, if you trim limbs now when they have foliage on them, you can guarantee you will have clear shooting lanes this fall when the leaves start to fall.
So pick a weekend and get to it! Just stay safe, stay hydrated, and watch for snakes!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Welcome Pro-Staffer Jarrod Hertzler
Pro-Staff Jarrod Hertzler
Staff Sgt. Jarrod Hertzler is an Army veteran who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan over a 10 year Army career. Jarrod is a Scuba Diving Instructor, and a team member on the Carter County, OK Dive Team. After proudly serving his country, Jarrod is now attending the University of Oklahoma majoring in Nursing, with future plans to enlist in the Air Force as an officer. Jarrod enjoys deep sea fishing, diving, and predator hunting.
Staff Sgt. Jarrod Hertzler is an Army veteran who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan over a 10 year Army career. Jarrod is a Scuba Diving Instructor, and a team member on the Carter County, OK Dive Team. After proudly serving his country, Jarrod is now attending the University of Oklahoma majoring in Nursing, with future plans to enlist in the Air Force as an officer. Jarrod enjoys deep sea fishing, diving, and predator hunting.
Summer Is Definitely Here
Well it's June in Oklahoma, but it feels like late August. Highs in the 90's every day, no rain in the forecast, and I'm currently rocking a sunburn.
The good news is that the fish are biting like crazy! I've been tearing them up in a little 2 acre pond in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. This pond, like many in the park, is very clear and has a clay/sand bottom, with lots of rocks. It is also home to a ton of Hydrilla, a very invasive aquatic plant nuisance that is making a big entrance into southern Oklahoma. Currently the vegetation mat extends about 10 feet off the bank, which makes it difficult to fish, but extremely rewarding also, because it provides incredibly good coverage for my favorite fish: Largemouth Bass.
Yesterday I fished some in the morning and some in the evening, and caught about 18 or 19 largemouth total. Most were in the 1 pound range, but some were in the 3 or 4 pound region. A couple were definitely keepers, but like I always say, a keeper right now is a wall hanger in a few years.
I was fishing Berkley's PowerBait worms, deep purple color with blue flakes and bright red tails. I combined that with 8lb Spider Wire monfilament, which is tough as all get out and casts so smoothly through my refurbished early 90's Zebco 33. Using a small bullet sinker and Texas rigging the worms, they were weedless and could punch right through the vegetation. Catching a decent fish every 5 minutes is fun no matter where you are. The best strikes were right in front of the Hydrilla, but I also caught some hawgs out in the middle of the pond, in the 10 foot range.
If you've got a little farm pond or are lucky enough to have public land with fishing areas, right now is a great time to get out and fish heavy cover in the shallower areas. And remember, no bass can resist a fire tailed plastic worm.
The good news is that the fish are biting like crazy! I've been tearing them up in a little 2 acre pond in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area. This pond, like many in the park, is very clear and has a clay/sand bottom, with lots of rocks. It is also home to a ton of Hydrilla, a very invasive aquatic plant nuisance that is making a big entrance into southern Oklahoma. Currently the vegetation mat extends about 10 feet off the bank, which makes it difficult to fish, but extremely rewarding also, because it provides incredibly good coverage for my favorite fish: Largemouth Bass.
Yesterday I fished some in the morning and some in the evening, and caught about 18 or 19 largemouth total. Most were in the 1 pound range, but some were in the 3 or 4 pound region. A couple were definitely keepers, but like I always say, a keeper right now is a wall hanger in a few years.
I was fishing Berkley's PowerBait worms, deep purple color with blue flakes and bright red tails. I combined that with 8lb Spider Wire monfilament, which is tough as all get out and casts so smoothly through my refurbished early 90's Zebco 33. Using a small bullet sinker and Texas rigging the worms, they were weedless and could punch right through the vegetation. Catching a decent fish every 5 minutes is fun no matter where you are. The best strikes were right in front of the Hydrilla, but I also caught some hawgs out in the middle of the pond, in the 10 foot range.
If you've got a little farm pond or are lucky enough to have public land with fishing areas, right now is a great time to get out and fish heavy cover in the shallower areas. And remember, no bass can resist a fire tailed plastic worm.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Coyote Hunting
Every now and then I like to mix it up. Deer hunting is the best thing ever invented, and I live for spring turkey season. One thing I know however is that coyotes can have a devastating effect on the wild deer and turkey populations, from eating freshly born fawns to unhatched turkey eggs and poults.
One of my favorite things to hunt are coyotes. It's a cool mix of hunting for me. Camo is essential. So is scent control. Coyote's can smell very, very well and they commonly circle downwind to try and pick up on a scent before they come in to a decoy.They can also detect movement from a long distance, and they have excellent hearing. In addition to needing to set up in a good place to begin with, you also get to use decoys and calls.
Calling can be accomplished by a few ways, by using hand calls, your own vocalizations, or electronic calls. I know many hunters are incredibly proud of their ability to closely mimic an injured rabbit, but I prefer to use electronic calls. The main reason is I can quickly switch sounds, and they project far further than I am able to with a hand call, allowing me to cover a larger distance from each stand. Calls range from hurt cotton tail and jack rabbits, to challenge howls and barks of other coyotes.
Decoys can also be used. There are lots of different types and models. I use a Mojo Critter Predator Decoy. It has a great action, and is tall so it can be seen from long distances.
There are also models that have the call module and speaker inside of the decoy itself, and these work pretty well too.
As far as weapons, you can pretty much use anything you want to. By far the most commonly used caliber is the .223, usually paired with good optics. Anything you use for deer gun hunting is probably acceptable, and even calibers like the .243 are often used. Most serious hunters carry a long range rifle like a .223, .243, .308, or 30-6, and pair it with a good 12 gage shotgun for close range shots. I've even seen some hunters recently on the Sportsman Channel calling in and killing coyotes with a compound bow. One would be inclined to think a crossbow would be an equally good choice.
However you decide to do it, planning out and executing a successful coyote hunt can be incredibly fun and addicting. There is nothing like calling in 3 or 4 dogs at the same time, and the frenzied action that breaks loose after the first shot is cut loose. It's also a great way to spend the day with your hunting buddies and take a break from the usual solitude of deer season.
One of my favorite things to hunt are coyotes. It's a cool mix of hunting for me. Camo is essential. So is scent control. Coyote's can smell very, very well and they commonly circle downwind to try and pick up on a scent before they come in to a decoy.They can also detect movement from a long distance, and they have excellent hearing. In addition to needing to set up in a good place to begin with, you also get to use decoys and calls.
Calling can be accomplished by a few ways, by using hand calls, your own vocalizations, or electronic calls. I know many hunters are incredibly proud of their ability to closely mimic an injured rabbit, but I prefer to use electronic calls. The main reason is I can quickly switch sounds, and they project far further than I am able to with a hand call, allowing me to cover a larger distance from each stand. Calls range from hurt cotton tail and jack rabbits, to challenge howls and barks of other coyotes.
Decoys can also be used. There are lots of different types and models. I use a Mojo Critter Predator Decoy. It has a great action, and is tall so it can be seen from long distances.
There are also models that have the call module and speaker inside of the decoy itself, and these work pretty well too.
As far as weapons, you can pretty much use anything you want to. By far the most commonly used caliber is the .223, usually paired with good optics. Anything you use for deer gun hunting is probably acceptable, and even calibers like the .243 are often used. Most serious hunters carry a long range rifle like a .223, .243, .308, or 30-6, and pair it with a good 12 gage shotgun for close range shots. I've even seen some hunters recently on the Sportsman Channel calling in and killing coyotes with a compound bow. One would be inclined to think a crossbow would be an equally good choice.
However you decide to do it, planning out and executing a successful coyote hunt can be incredibly fun and addicting. There is nothing like calling in 3 or 4 dogs at the same time, and the frenzied action that breaks loose after the first shot is cut loose. It's also a great way to spend the day with your hunting buddies and take a break from the usual solitude of deer season.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Oklahoma Weather
Been a busy last few days here in Oklahoma and my attention has been elsewhere.
Our prayers and thoughts go out to all the tornado victims. I'll have some new content up both here and on the facebook page tomorrow.
Our prayers and thoughts go out to all the tornado victims. I'll have some new content up both here and on the facebook page tomorrow.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Pro-Staff Tab
Hey everyone. At the top of the page there is a tab for our Pro-Staff. Give it a look!
And thanks to everyone who doubled our facebook likes in one days time. 7 more likes and we give away a vehicle decal to one random fan.
And thanks to everyone who doubled our facebook likes in one days time. 7 more likes and we give away a vehicle decal to one random fan.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
New Pro-Staff
I'll be announcing the names and bios of my first two pro-staff members by tomorrow. I'm really excited to have these guys on board and they'll each be a huge asset to the RDO team.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Gear Used for the 2011 Oklahoma Spring Turkey Season
Everybody's got a gear list, so here's what I used this season: I promise I'm not exactly a gear nut, but I won the Sportsman Channel Talkin' Turkey Sweepstakes in March and a lot of this equipment is from that.
Weapons: 12 Ga. Mossberg 500, 3 inch Hevi Shot #5. Barnett Quad 400 Crossbow, 22 inch Easton Power Bolts with 2 blade Rage broadheads.
Apparel: Realtree Hardwoods shirts and pants. Realtree Hardwoods Bug Suit, leafy pattern. BOGS waterproof boots. Mossy Oak fitted ball cap, Primos full face mask and summer gloves in Mossy Oak Break Up. Primos Strap Turkey Vest in Mossy Oak Breakup.
Turkey Calls: Assortment of Michael Waddell "Untouchables" Series mouth calls, Primos mouth calls, and HS Strut mouth calls. Primos "The Gobbler", "Old Crow" locator calls. HS Strut Owl Hooter.
Flextone Michael Waddell "Tramp Stamp" and "Scarface" slate calls, HS Strut Glass pot call. Primos Box Cutter box call.
Decoys: Jake Intimidator Full Strut Decoy, Flextone Thunder Chicken 1/4 Strut Jake Decoy. HS Strut Sweet Sally upright and feeding Hen, HS Strut Jimmy Jake.
Weapons: 12 Ga. Mossberg 500, 3 inch Hevi Shot #5. Barnett Quad 400 Crossbow, 22 inch Easton Power Bolts with 2 blade Rage broadheads.
Apparel: Realtree Hardwoods shirts and pants. Realtree Hardwoods Bug Suit, leafy pattern. BOGS waterproof boots. Mossy Oak fitted ball cap, Primos full face mask and summer gloves in Mossy Oak Break Up. Primos Strap Turkey Vest in Mossy Oak Breakup.
Turkey Calls: Assortment of Michael Waddell "Untouchables" Series mouth calls, Primos mouth calls, and HS Strut mouth calls. Primos "The Gobbler", "Old Crow" locator calls. HS Strut Owl Hooter.
Flextone Michael Waddell "Tramp Stamp" and "Scarface" slate calls, HS Strut Glass pot call. Primos Box Cutter box call.
Decoys: Jake Intimidator Full Strut Decoy, Flextone Thunder Chicken 1/4 Strut Jake Decoy. HS Strut Sweet Sally upright and feeding Hen, HS Strut Jimmy Jake.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Weirdest Turkey Season Ever
Ok, it's not over exactly as I'm writing this, there are still about 5 hours left. It's over for me though, I just spent the last 6 hours in the woods.
This will go down as the weirdest, most contrary turkey season I've ever hunted in. The first 3 weeks were oppressively hot, and incredibly windy. Average highs were in the low to mid 80's, winds were generally 15mph to 25mph and gusty, up to 40mph on most days. Southern and Western Oklahoma were in a severe to extreme drought, and it hadn't rained more than an inch since New Years.
During all my pre-season scouting, I was having serious trouble locating gobblers, and had only heard a few gobbles off of roost. Short of that, it was like the birds had disappeared. I even wrote a blog talking about going "ghost hunting."
As the season progressed, I finally closed the deal on an Oklahoma gobbler. After sitting for 3 1/2 hours I had 3 gobblers come into my decoy setup. Never made so much as a putt. I was actually about to stand up when I just barely caught them out of the corner of my eye. They went into full strut, but never yelped, clucked, or gobbled.
During the last week of April the woods came alive. After thinking that the turkeys had all migrated north, they started opening up and really gobbling hard. I had many close encounters, and the only thing that kept me from sealing the deal was the birds coming in from the weird directions and rookie mistakes on my behalf. I tried to get up and move on one and got busted. Another I should have shut up calling and didn't, and the gobbler was able to locate me and wouldn't come in close enough. The rest they came in at my back and I couldn't get a shot on them. Those 4 days they were gobbling was the most fun hunting I'd ever had. You could go anywhere and yelp, and they'd gobble back at you. Most of the time though, they were henned up and wouldn't budge, but it was just nice to hear something.
At the end of April we had some very severe weather move through the state. Western Oklahoma stayed dry, but most of Southern and Eastern Oklahoma had torrential rainfall, heavy winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes. Then all the birds shut up again. During the last week of the season I've seen a lot of hens and heard almost nothing. My working theory is that a lot of eggs were lost during the bad weather and the hens went into a late breeding season, thereby shutting the toms up and keeping them busy.
All in all I learned more this year than I ever have. I had a blast hunting, and actually got to hunt nearly 4 days every week. I found a dozen excellent deer hunting spots, and got to know a good portion of the woods that I hadn't been in before. They say only 20% of turkey hunters are successful, and I know if you managed to take a bird this year you are in very elite company.
This will go down as the weirdest, most contrary turkey season I've ever hunted in. The first 3 weeks were oppressively hot, and incredibly windy. Average highs were in the low to mid 80's, winds were generally 15mph to 25mph and gusty, up to 40mph on most days. Southern and Western Oklahoma were in a severe to extreme drought, and it hadn't rained more than an inch since New Years.
During all my pre-season scouting, I was having serious trouble locating gobblers, and had only heard a few gobbles off of roost. Short of that, it was like the birds had disappeared. I even wrote a blog talking about going "ghost hunting."
As the season progressed, I finally closed the deal on an Oklahoma gobbler. After sitting for 3 1/2 hours I had 3 gobblers come into my decoy setup. Never made so much as a putt. I was actually about to stand up when I just barely caught them out of the corner of my eye. They went into full strut, but never yelped, clucked, or gobbled.
During the last week of April the woods came alive. After thinking that the turkeys had all migrated north, they started opening up and really gobbling hard. I had many close encounters, and the only thing that kept me from sealing the deal was the birds coming in from the weird directions and rookie mistakes on my behalf. I tried to get up and move on one and got busted. Another I should have shut up calling and didn't, and the gobbler was able to locate me and wouldn't come in close enough. The rest they came in at my back and I couldn't get a shot on them. Those 4 days they were gobbling was the most fun hunting I'd ever had. You could go anywhere and yelp, and they'd gobble back at you. Most of the time though, they were henned up and wouldn't budge, but it was just nice to hear something.
At the end of April we had some very severe weather move through the state. Western Oklahoma stayed dry, but most of Southern and Eastern Oklahoma had torrential rainfall, heavy winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes. Then all the birds shut up again. During the last week of the season I've seen a lot of hens and heard almost nothing. My working theory is that a lot of eggs were lost during the bad weather and the hens went into a late breeding season, thereby shutting the toms up and keeping them busy.
All in all I learned more this year than I ever have. I had a blast hunting, and actually got to hunt nearly 4 days every week. I found a dozen excellent deer hunting spots, and got to know a good portion of the woods that I hadn't been in before. They say only 20% of turkey hunters are successful, and I know if you managed to take a bird this year you are in very elite company.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Busy Couple of Weeks
Been a very busy last few weeks. I'll get back to posting this week with the imminent end of Oklahoma Spring 2011 Turkey season.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
First Tag Filled!
Well I knew it would happen eventually.
Tuesday morning I got up before daylight and went to a green field I had seen some birds in the day before. After setting up my decoys by flashlight, I sat against a huge Oklahoma pecan tree and settled in. Shortly after daylight I had two hens come into my setup. They ambled on into the woods and the wind really started to pick up. Not sure if anyone local has noticed, but the wind has been pretty terrible the last few weeks. That morning, they were steady out of the south at 24mph, and were gusting to 40mph.
At 9am I started calling some, at first with a slate but then I picked the volume up with a box call because of the wind. I went through a few call sequences and was getting ready to leave when I saw a tom and a jake coming in from my left. I settled back down and a larger tom came in right behind him. It was obvious he'd seen my decoys and was walking straight to them, which put him on a perpendicular path to me. When he passed behind some limbs I raised my shotgun and let him walk into my shooting lane. One trigger squeeze later, and it was all over for that bird.
The other two birds ran off before I could take another shot. Excited that I'd finally sealed the deal, I stand up and start walking to the bird, and see movement near my feet. A copperhead was coiled back on me about a foot away from me. I took his head off too with the shotgun.
The turkey weighed in at 19 pounds, 6 inch beard, 1/2 inch spurs. He was a 2 year old bird.
Equipment used was a 12 gauge Mossberg Model 88, Remington 3 inch Hevi Shot Number 4, and H S Strut jake and hen decoys. Shot was taken at 35 yards.
Tuesday morning I got up before daylight and went to a green field I had seen some birds in the day before. After setting up my decoys by flashlight, I sat against a huge Oklahoma pecan tree and settled in. Shortly after daylight I had two hens come into my setup. They ambled on into the woods and the wind really started to pick up. Not sure if anyone local has noticed, but the wind has been pretty terrible the last few weeks. That morning, they were steady out of the south at 24mph, and were gusting to 40mph.
At 9am I started calling some, at first with a slate but then I picked the volume up with a box call because of the wind. I went through a few call sequences and was getting ready to leave when I saw a tom and a jake coming in from my left. I settled back down and a larger tom came in right behind him. It was obvious he'd seen my decoys and was walking straight to them, which put him on a perpendicular path to me. When he passed behind some limbs I raised my shotgun and let him walk into my shooting lane. One trigger squeeze later, and it was all over for that bird.
The other two birds ran off before I could take another shot. Excited that I'd finally sealed the deal, I stand up and start walking to the bird, and see movement near my feet. A copperhead was coiled back on me about a foot away from me. I took his head off too with the shotgun.
The turkey weighed in at 19 pounds, 6 inch beard, 1/2 inch spurs. He was a 2 year old bird.
Equipment used was a 12 gauge Mossberg Model 88, Remington 3 inch Hevi Shot Number 4, and H S Strut jake and hen decoys. Shot was taken at 35 yards.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Finally, A Gobbler
Sunday morning, after my weekend warrior debacle the day before, I decided to go to a spot I had never been before. I've also never seen any vehicles parked there.
I walked in about a mile and was coming down a slope between two ridges. There was a small pond in between them. I stood and watched a couple of does walking up the opposing slope. The does kept pausing and looking above them. Suddenly, I hear a thunderous gobble ahead of me. I then see what the deer were looking at. A gobbler coming down the ridge towards them in full strut. I don't know if those deer owed him money or not, but he was not happy with them.
Of course I was standing out in the open, so I got down on my stomach and crawled to some tall grass. There I watched the gobbler keep coming towards me. When he got to the dam of the small pond, I scrambled to a rock outcropping to my left. He came around the pond and then walked behind some cedars. I grabbed my box call and threw some yelps towards him. He cut me off mid yelp with a gobble. I could tell he was getting closer, but I still couldn't see him.
Much to my dismay, he popped out at an elevation level to me and to my immediate left. There was no way I could turn to him without being busted. Had I known the terrain better I could have moved down the hill and behind some cedars and had a good shot on him.
I let him pass, but it was sure nice to actually have a tom gobble back for once.
I walked in about a mile and was coming down a slope between two ridges. There was a small pond in between them. I stood and watched a couple of does walking up the opposing slope. The does kept pausing and looking above them. Suddenly, I hear a thunderous gobble ahead of me. I then see what the deer were looking at. A gobbler coming down the ridge towards them in full strut. I don't know if those deer owed him money or not, but he was not happy with them.
Of course I was standing out in the open, so I got down on my stomach and crawled to some tall grass. There I watched the gobbler keep coming towards me. When he got to the dam of the small pond, I scrambled to a rock outcropping to my left. He came around the pond and then walked behind some cedars. I grabbed my box call and threw some yelps towards him. He cut me off mid yelp with a gobble. I could tell he was getting closer, but I still couldn't see him.
Much to my dismay, he popped out at an elevation level to me and to my immediate left. There was no way I could turn to him without being busted. Had I known the terrain better I could have moved down the hill and behind some cedars and had a good shot on him.
I let him pass, but it was sure nice to actually have a tom gobble back for once.
Weekend Warriors
Saturday morning I got up early and went to an area I've been hunting since turkey season opened. Not remembering it was a Saturday, I didn't think of anyone else being in this area. It was on public hunting land, but I hadn't seen many people in the area. I also waited until 10am to get out there to let any early morning hunters clear out and head for the local breakfast buffet.
I walked nearly a mile down an old abandoned road, and out into an overgrown field at the very end of it. If this field was brush hogged or mowed, it would be turkey strutting paradise. There is a small creek that borders it on the south and west, and the same creek flows into a nearby lake on the south west corner of the same field. As it was, however, much too grown up to be of much use. Where I was headed was to the south west corner near the lake. There I knew the woods would be clear of underbrush because the lake was low, and I also "knew" it was far enough back there wouldn't be any other hunters. To the east of the area are several wooded ridges that flow down to the water.
I found a good spot, and rather than setting out decoys decided just to call. The trees were just close enough together I didn't think decoys would be necessary. After letting the woods settle down, I made a few yelps on a mouth call. After 10 minutes, I made a few more yelps. I immediately got a response the second time. And it wasn't very far away, maybe about 50 yards to my east. I stayed quiet, because obviously the turkey knew where my "hen" was and was heading my way.
This is when the fun started. First I heard some loud crashing through the woods. Then I heard some coughing. Then just like they were beside me, I hear "I think the turkey is just ahead of us!" Yea, seriously...
Safety first, so without moving I said "Hunter in front of you, hunter directly in front of you." and then got up from my tree. I go up and introduce myself to the guys, who look like they just stepped out a Bass Pro catalog. Everything they had on was brand new, new shotguns, new turkey vests, new boots. Seemed like nice guys though, they were down from Oklahoma City. They had both gone to OU, although several years before me. Before leaving, they kindly asked me which way their truck was and where a good restaurant in town was.
My mid afternoon hunt being over, I went back to the house for a few hours. That evening, I went out to a green field where I have seen some birds feeding before going to roost. I set out a full decoy spread, and backed into the tree line about 5 feet. I called infrequently, mostly just making some clucks and purrs on my Flextone Tramp Stamp slate call. I watched another hunter walk right out from where my truck was and take off through the middle of the green field I was sitting in. He walked directly across from me and stopped in the tree line. He must have seen my decoys, because he sat there and called to them for an hour. Yes, an hour. I sat there and watched him through my binoculars. He was calling pretty decent, so I shut up and let him do all the calling for me.
I was surprised that he didn't think it was weird that the turkeys weren't moving at all. When it was time to leave I walked out to my spread, waved at him, and headed back to the truck.
Got to love weekend warriors.
I walked nearly a mile down an old abandoned road, and out into an overgrown field at the very end of it. If this field was brush hogged or mowed, it would be turkey strutting paradise. There is a small creek that borders it on the south and west, and the same creek flows into a nearby lake on the south west corner of the same field. As it was, however, much too grown up to be of much use. Where I was headed was to the south west corner near the lake. There I knew the woods would be clear of underbrush because the lake was low, and I also "knew" it was far enough back there wouldn't be any other hunters. To the east of the area are several wooded ridges that flow down to the water.
I found a good spot, and rather than setting out decoys decided just to call. The trees were just close enough together I didn't think decoys would be necessary. After letting the woods settle down, I made a few yelps on a mouth call. After 10 minutes, I made a few more yelps. I immediately got a response the second time. And it wasn't very far away, maybe about 50 yards to my east. I stayed quiet, because obviously the turkey knew where my "hen" was and was heading my way.
This is when the fun started. First I heard some loud crashing through the woods. Then I heard some coughing. Then just like they were beside me, I hear "I think the turkey is just ahead of us!" Yea, seriously...
Safety first, so without moving I said "Hunter in front of you, hunter directly in front of you." and then got up from my tree. I go up and introduce myself to the guys, who look like they just stepped out a Bass Pro catalog. Everything they had on was brand new, new shotguns, new turkey vests, new boots. Seemed like nice guys though, they were down from Oklahoma City. They had both gone to OU, although several years before me. Before leaving, they kindly asked me which way their truck was and where a good restaurant in town was.
My mid afternoon hunt being over, I went back to the house for a few hours. That evening, I went out to a green field where I have seen some birds feeding before going to roost. I set out a full decoy spread, and backed into the tree line about 5 feet. I called infrequently, mostly just making some clucks and purrs on my Flextone Tramp Stamp slate call. I watched another hunter walk right out from where my truck was and take off through the middle of the green field I was sitting in. He walked directly across from me and stopped in the tree line. He must have seen my decoys, because he sat there and called to them for an hour. Yes, an hour. I sat there and watched him through my binoculars. He was calling pretty decent, so I shut up and let him do all the calling for me.
I was surprised that he didn't think it was weird that the turkeys weren't moving at all. When it was time to leave I walked out to my spread, waved at him, and headed back to the truck.
Got to love weekend warriors.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Oklahoma Spring Turkey Season: Week 1
You hear that? If you said no, then you heard what I've been hearing in the woods. Absolutely nothing.
I hunted hard for 5 days straight. Morning hunts, afternoon hunts, and evening hunts. One day I stayed out 12 hours. Yet not one gobble. Last Thursday was my first day to hunt due to work, and I got out to a likely looking green field at 5pm. I made it about 100 feet away from my truck before seeing my first turkey. I walked over a little rise and up to a hen that was feeding about 50 feet away from me. I managed to keep her from seeing me by ducking through the woods and continuing further into the field. The area I was hunting was a 50 acre green field bordered on the west and south sides by the same creek, so I went to the southwest corner thinking there would likely be a roost site nearby. After setting up and calling for a while, I called up 3 hens on their way to roost. They came within 5 feet of me walking into the woods, so I at least knew my calling skills and camouflage were good to go. So far things were looking good!
The next 4 days were spent in the same general area, sometimes hunting along the creek and sometimes along some ridges that feed down into these big green fields. I kept calling up hen after hen, but neither saw nor heard a gobbler.
Sunday morning late I found a well used strut zone actually down in a creek bed. That evening I set up about 10 feet away, and had 3 hens come in a roost. Thinking a gobbler surely must be roosted nearby, I quietly extracted myself and decided to come back Monday morning. A few hours later I was already waking up and headed back out to the same spot. In the pre-dawn chill, I walked down to the creek and slid down the bank. The creek has about 8 foot banks with reeds growing heavily on the sides, so I sat down in the sand with my back to the bank. It was actually the most comfortable place I'd sat down in a week. With the strut zone 20 feet away from me and the roost trees beyond that, I sat quietly and waited for daylight.
Just when I could see the ground I heard a fly down cackle, and readied my shotgun. A hen glides effortlessly towards me and lands within 10 feet of me. I slide the safety off and wait for the tom to hit the ground behind her. And wait. And wait. The tom never shows up. The hen pecks around the strut zone for a while then takes off towards the big green field. I waited another 15 minutes, then tracked the hen out into the green field. By now she was 400 yards away from me. I believe she was headed to either sit on a nest or lay an egg.
Since that had turned out so dismally, I decided for the rest of the day to do a little fishing and hang out at home since I had to work the next 48 hours on the ambulance. My dad and I go to a pond that adjoins a green field that is about 1 1/2 miles south of the field I hunted that morning. The fishing was pretty good, and after about an hour we decide to leave. After sitting at the back of the truck shooting the crap for a bit, we get into the truck and start to back out, almost running over four 2 year old jakes. Ok, they were 50 feet behind us, but they still surprised us. My dad throws me a shotgun and hits the box call, and they cut loose a gobble that shook the hills. Being in shorts and a t shirt I decided not to pursue them through the woods. This was at 4:30 in the afternoon of all times.
At least I finally got to hear a gobble. Tomorrow I'll be in near that pond in a one man blind for sure with my decoy spread. Maybe I'll get to hear a gobble followed by a boom?
I hunted hard for 5 days straight. Morning hunts, afternoon hunts, and evening hunts. One day I stayed out 12 hours. Yet not one gobble. Last Thursday was my first day to hunt due to work, and I got out to a likely looking green field at 5pm. I made it about 100 feet away from my truck before seeing my first turkey. I walked over a little rise and up to a hen that was feeding about 50 feet away from me. I managed to keep her from seeing me by ducking through the woods and continuing further into the field. The area I was hunting was a 50 acre green field bordered on the west and south sides by the same creek, so I went to the southwest corner thinking there would likely be a roost site nearby. After setting up and calling for a while, I called up 3 hens on their way to roost. They came within 5 feet of me walking into the woods, so I at least knew my calling skills and camouflage were good to go. So far things were looking good!
The next 4 days were spent in the same general area, sometimes hunting along the creek and sometimes along some ridges that feed down into these big green fields. I kept calling up hen after hen, but neither saw nor heard a gobbler.
Sunday morning late I found a well used strut zone actually down in a creek bed. That evening I set up about 10 feet away, and had 3 hens come in a roost. Thinking a gobbler surely must be roosted nearby, I quietly extracted myself and decided to come back Monday morning. A few hours later I was already waking up and headed back out to the same spot. In the pre-dawn chill, I walked down to the creek and slid down the bank. The creek has about 8 foot banks with reeds growing heavily on the sides, so I sat down in the sand with my back to the bank. It was actually the most comfortable place I'd sat down in a week. With the strut zone 20 feet away from me and the roost trees beyond that, I sat quietly and waited for daylight.
Just when I could see the ground I heard a fly down cackle, and readied my shotgun. A hen glides effortlessly towards me and lands within 10 feet of me. I slide the safety off and wait for the tom to hit the ground behind her. And wait. And wait. The tom never shows up. The hen pecks around the strut zone for a while then takes off towards the big green field. I waited another 15 minutes, then tracked the hen out into the green field. By now she was 400 yards away from me. I believe she was headed to either sit on a nest or lay an egg.
Since that had turned out so dismally, I decided for the rest of the day to do a little fishing and hang out at home since I had to work the next 48 hours on the ambulance. My dad and I go to a pond that adjoins a green field that is about 1 1/2 miles south of the field I hunted that morning. The fishing was pretty good, and after about an hour we decide to leave. After sitting at the back of the truck shooting the crap for a bit, we get into the truck and start to back out, almost running over four 2 year old jakes. Ok, they were 50 feet behind us, but they still surprised us. My dad throws me a shotgun and hits the box call, and they cut loose a gobble that shook the hills. Being in shorts and a t shirt I decided not to pursue them through the woods. This was at 4:30 in the afternoon of all times.
At least I finally got to hear a gobble. Tomorrow I'll be in near that pond in a one man blind for sure with my decoy spread. Maybe I'll get to hear a gobble followed by a boom?
New Logo
Well I spent a little time and finally got around to redoing my logo. The old one I threw together in about an hour, and although it was ok, it wasn't nearly as modern or professional as I wanted. So I spent about 4 hours with my computer and put together what you see at the top of the page. I was an advertising major in college so it felt good to get a little graphic design work done. Hope everybody likes it!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Ghost Hunting
Ok, not really hunting ghosts, but it sure feels like it.
First weekend of turkey season, and I've been hunting hard since Thursday evening. It's now Sunday, and it already feels like I've been at it for weeks. I've had some really great set ups, and have been very successful in calling hens up. So far I've called or seen 11 hens.
But the bearded ghost of the woods has so far eluded me. I thought I had a pretty good idea of where the roost is, and I still think I know. During pre-season scouting I purposely kept away from the area and trying to find the roost tree because the public land I'm hunting gets a lot of pressure, and I didn't want to push the birds to another area. I've been set up at the edge of the woods near dark and have had hen after hen walk right past me into the creek bottom, so I know I'm within 200 yards or so.
Where the toms are going after fly down continues to elude me. I'm seeing hens at all times of the day, and common knowledge leads me to believe the toms aren't far away from the hens.
The weather here in Oklahoma has been incredibly dry and incredibly windy. We're in the middle of an extreme drought. Personally I think the toms are staying in the creek beds. There is still some water there, but they are high banked so they are out of the wind and they still have easy access to food, water, and hens. The hens I've been seeing I believe are feeding and nesting.
Tomorrow I switch up tactics. I've found a strut zone down in the creek bed, so tomorrow morning I'm going to ease in there well before daylight, keep quiet, and see who shows up. Might just be that old bearded ghost.
First weekend of turkey season, and I've been hunting hard since Thursday evening. It's now Sunday, and it already feels like I've been at it for weeks. I've had some really great set ups, and have been very successful in calling hens up. So far I've called or seen 11 hens.
But the bearded ghost of the woods has so far eluded me. I thought I had a pretty good idea of where the roost is, and I still think I know. During pre-season scouting I purposely kept away from the area and trying to find the roost tree because the public land I'm hunting gets a lot of pressure, and I didn't want to push the birds to another area. I've been set up at the edge of the woods near dark and have had hen after hen walk right past me into the creek bottom, so I know I'm within 200 yards or so.
Where the toms are going after fly down continues to elude me. I'm seeing hens at all times of the day, and common knowledge leads me to believe the toms aren't far away from the hens.
The weather here in Oklahoma has been incredibly dry and incredibly windy. We're in the middle of an extreme drought. Personally I think the toms are staying in the creek beds. There is still some water there, but they are high banked so they are out of the wind and they still have easy access to food, water, and hens. The hens I've been seeing I believe are feeding and nesting.
Tomorrow I switch up tactics. I've found a strut zone down in the creek bed, so tomorrow morning I'm going to ease in there well before daylight, keep quiet, and see who shows up. Might just be that old bearded ghost.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Traditions
It was 7:50 PM on a cool March evening. I had been walking for about an hour, stopping periodically to wipe the sweat from my brow and blow on a crow call. I had been scouting turkey for about 2 weeks, and this was one of my last places to go. Official sunset was 10 minutes ago, and as I dipped below yet another ridge it was getting pretty dark.
I knew where I was in relation to my truck, and also knew if I backtracked it would an hour and a half before I made it back. So I had a few options. Go back the way I came and cover old ground, keep following the fence line I knew would take me to a road over 2 miles away from where I parked, or strike out through the middle of woods I'd never seen, in the dark. Of course I chose option 3.
When I was a kid, my dad had me in the woods every weekend hunting whatever was in season. My dad always said by the time I was eight I had heard more turkey's gobble than most grown men, and he was probably right.Heck, I slept through more turkey's being shot than I can remember. My father and uncle were (and still are) epic turkey hunters. The whole year is spent waiting and obsessing over where the birds are and what they are doing. Even deer season is merely tolerated after a few weeks, just killing time until April. There I was, 7 or 8 years old, walking around behind my dad with him stopping from time to time to tell me "Pick your feet up" or "Don't yell if you see something, just tap my shoulder." At the time I couldn't even touch his shoulder, and was prone to kicking leaves while I walked through them. One time we were spot and stalking deer during bow season, and when I saw one I yelled "There's a deer!" at the top of my lungs. That particular doe nearly turned inside out getting the heck out of there.
One of my dad's favorite things to do was after a few hours in the woods, he'd turn around and tell me to lead us back to the truck. Of course, I was always too busy having fun to keep track of where we were in relation to the truck, but nonetheless he would insist that he was lost and it was up to me to find our way back. Most of the time I would boldly strike out in the wrong direction, but he did it often enough it forced me to start paying attention to my surroundings and making mental notes on how to get back. Something tells me that was the way he learned too, and I can imagine him and the grandfather I barely knew walking around the woods back in the 1950's, with my grandpa telling my dad "Pick your feet up" and "I hope you know where the truck is."
Now here I was some 23 years later standing in the dark all alone, grateful that I had those orienteering skills. Thanks to the skills and traditions my father steeped me in, I was able to cut across the woods, find a few landmarks, and walked directly back to my truck. Didn't even have to use the flashlight I had in my backpack, nor the GPS in my Blackberry. To me, technology is great, but I like to challenge myself.
I'm proud to come from a self-reliant family, and I am eagerly awaiting the day in the next 5 or 6 years when I tell my soon to be born son to pick his feet up while we're walking through the woods, and pass on a few family traditions.
I knew where I was in relation to my truck, and also knew if I backtracked it would an hour and a half before I made it back. So I had a few options. Go back the way I came and cover old ground, keep following the fence line I knew would take me to a road over 2 miles away from where I parked, or strike out through the middle of woods I'd never seen, in the dark. Of course I chose option 3.
When I was a kid, my dad had me in the woods every weekend hunting whatever was in season. My dad always said by the time I was eight I had heard more turkey's gobble than most grown men, and he was probably right.Heck, I slept through more turkey's being shot than I can remember. My father and uncle were (and still are) epic turkey hunters. The whole year is spent waiting and obsessing over where the birds are and what they are doing. Even deer season is merely tolerated after a few weeks, just killing time until April. There I was, 7 or 8 years old, walking around behind my dad with him stopping from time to time to tell me "Pick your feet up" or "Don't yell if you see something, just tap my shoulder." At the time I couldn't even touch his shoulder, and was prone to kicking leaves while I walked through them. One time we were spot and stalking deer during bow season, and when I saw one I yelled "There's a deer!" at the top of my lungs. That particular doe nearly turned inside out getting the heck out of there.
One of my dad's favorite things to do was after a few hours in the woods, he'd turn around and tell me to lead us back to the truck. Of course, I was always too busy having fun to keep track of where we were in relation to the truck, but nonetheless he would insist that he was lost and it was up to me to find our way back. Most of the time I would boldly strike out in the wrong direction, but he did it often enough it forced me to start paying attention to my surroundings and making mental notes on how to get back. Something tells me that was the way he learned too, and I can imagine him and the grandfather I barely knew walking around the woods back in the 1950's, with my grandpa telling my dad "Pick your feet up" and "I hope you know where the truck is."
Now here I was some 23 years later standing in the dark all alone, grateful that I had those orienteering skills. Thanks to the skills and traditions my father steeped me in, I was able to cut across the woods, find a few landmarks, and walked directly back to my truck. Didn't even have to use the flashlight I had in my backpack, nor the GPS in my Blackberry. To me, technology is great, but I like to challenge myself.
I'm proud to come from a self-reliant family, and I am eagerly awaiting the day in the next 5 or 6 years when I tell my soon to be born son to pick his feet up while we're walking through the woods, and pass on a few family traditions.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Early Season Turkey Scouting Report
For the past two mornings I've been doing some turkey scouting here in Sulphur, Oklahoma. I'm not sure I'll be doing a ton of hunting here in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area, but I'm going to use it as a back up for the days I can't get out of town so I wanted to get a good idea of where the turkeys are.
Saturday I went to an area that is a 7 mile long by 3 mile wide strip of CNRA that runs along the east side of Arbuckle Lake. I was there at 0600 hours that morning and started along the trail. A creek runs along the west side of this strip that is open to public hunting. There are numerous tall trees along the creek, and the further you go east the more uphill it gets. The whole area is basically lots of ridges and some open fields, bordered by the creek to the east. There is a trail that goes from the north end of this strip all the way to the south end. Not many hunters bother with this area because there is no vehicle access and if you kill something, it's a long way back along pretty tough terrain.
I hiked about 1.75 miles south, and around 0740 started hearing some gobbles. It was pretty light out, but they sounded like they were still on roost. About 0745, I heard a call down and assembly call from some hens, along with some light yelping. At one point, I ducked into the woods because I could clearly hear some soft yelps, and expected the birds to top over a little ridge towards me at any time. I stayed hidden for awhile, but didn't hear anything else. I got out and started moving a bit, and blew my owl hooter and my crow call, but didn't hear any other gobbles. Not too surprised however, because when these toms are with hens in the early spring, they aren't going to be too vocal after fly down.
This morning I went to another area of CNRA, that gets pretty heavy deer hunting pressure. My father and I have also hunted nearby for coyote. After walking along a sandy creek bed in the dark for 30 minutes, the sun finally came up. I scouted some of the most promising looking areas today but couldn't buy a gobble. I was pretty windy after daylight, so I don't know if it was the wind or there just weren't any turkeys around.
Tomorrow morning I'm sleeping in, but Tuesday morning my dad and I are heading down to Tishomingo, Oklahoma for some scouting. At the very least I know there are actually turkey in Murray county, and I know where to get at them if I have to.
Saturday I went to an area that is a 7 mile long by 3 mile wide strip of CNRA that runs along the east side of Arbuckle Lake. I was there at 0600 hours that morning and started along the trail. A creek runs along the west side of this strip that is open to public hunting. There are numerous tall trees along the creek, and the further you go east the more uphill it gets. The whole area is basically lots of ridges and some open fields, bordered by the creek to the east. There is a trail that goes from the north end of this strip all the way to the south end. Not many hunters bother with this area because there is no vehicle access and if you kill something, it's a long way back along pretty tough terrain.
I hiked about 1.75 miles south, and around 0740 started hearing some gobbles. It was pretty light out, but they sounded like they were still on roost. About 0745, I heard a call down and assembly call from some hens, along with some light yelping. At one point, I ducked into the woods because I could clearly hear some soft yelps, and expected the birds to top over a little ridge towards me at any time. I stayed hidden for awhile, but didn't hear anything else. I got out and started moving a bit, and blew my owl hooter and my crow call, but didn't hear any other gobbles. Not too surprised however, because when these toms are with hens in the early spring, they aren't going to be too vocal after fly down.
This morning I went to another area of CNRA, that gets pretty heavy deer hunting pressure. My father and I have also hunted nearby for coyote. After walking along a sandy creek bed in the dark for 30 minutes, the sun finally came up. I scouted some of the most promising looking areas today but couldn't buy a gobble. I was pretty windy after daylight, so I don't know if it was the wind or there just weren't any turkeys around.
Tomorrow morning I'm sleeping in, but Tuesday morning my dad and I are heading down to Tishomingo, Oklahoma for some scouting. At the very least I know there are actually turkey in Murray county, and I know where to get at them if I have to.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Took My Son Hunting Today
Yep, the little guy ain't even out of the womb yet, and I had him out in the woods today. Of course I had to drag his mother along too.
Today was actually the first time LaChelle (my wife) has gone hunting with me. We went with my dad out to a place in Northern Murray County, Oklahoma. On the north side of this property is an egg farm with chicken houses and lots of goats. There are tons of predators out here. We saw plentiful sign of coyotes and bobcats.This property has lots of draws and pastures, and is a really neat mix of stock ponds, pastures, and heavy post oak shrubs.
We sat on the east side of the field and had a good north wind blowing at us. Honestly, once we got set up we realized this was not the best place on the property to be set up, but we were there so we decided to call. My dad called for a while with a mouth call, then I launched into a Wally Taber Weems All Call with a cotton tail reed in it. After calling for awhile, I saw what looked to be like ears up a ridge. Now, looking through my Bushnells, this didn't look like more than 200 yards. I confirmed my target through my rifle scope, and once I determined it was a coyote and not something else, then decided to shoot. I aimed about 3 inches high, squeezed the trigger, and watched as my bullet fell some 30 feet below the coyote on the ridge. Yes, I shot that low... I wasn't very proud of myself as I watched those ears and face disappear into the brush.
After I dropped my scope, I realized why I had missed. I had misjudged the distance by about 300 yards. I was so excited to take a shot in front of my wife, that between my binoculars and scope I forgot to pull back and make sure it was a shot I could make.
Well at least we got out of the house, and LaChelle was happy to be out hunting. I asked her if she had a good time, and she said the only thing she was upset about is that we didn't kill something. I knew I married her for a reason.
Today was actually the first time LaChelle (my wife) has gone hunting with me. We went with my dad out to a place in Northern Murray County, Oklahoma. On the north side of this property is an egg farm with chicken houses and lots of goats. There are tons of predators out here. We saw plentiful sign of coyotes and bobcats.This property has lots of draws and pastures, and is a really neat mix of stock ponds, pastures, and heavy post oak shrubs.
We sat on the east side of the field and had a good north wind blowing at us. Honestly, once we got set up we realized this was not the best place on the property to be set up, but we were there so we decided to call. My dad called for a while with a mouth call, then I launched into a Wally Taber Weems All Call with a cotton tail reed in it. After calling for awhile, I saw what looked to be like ears up a ridge. Now, looking through my Bushnells, this didn't look like more than 200 yards. I confirmed my target through my rifle scope, and once I determined it was a coyote and not something else, then decided to shoot. I aimed about 3 inches high, squeezed the trigger, and watched as my bullet fell some 30 feet below the coyote on the ridge. Yes, I shot that low... I wasn't very proud of myself as I watched those ears and face disappear into the brush.
After I dropped my scope, I realized why I had missed. I had misjudged the distance by about 300 yards. I was so excited to take a shot in front of my wife, that between my binoculars and scope I forgot to pull back and make sure it was a shot I could make.
Well at least we got out of the house, and LaChelle was happy to be out hunting. I asked her if she had a good time, and she said the only thing she was upset about is that we didn't kill something. I knew I married her for a reason.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Inaugural Post
I always seem to want a blog but then I almost never have time to keep one updated. We'll give it a try though.
Right now I am working hard at getting RDO up and going. I'm about to start working on getting some shirts and window stickers made up and available for purchase.
Turkey season is rapidly approaching and I've been working on my calls and finding good spots to hunt.
Right now I am working hard at getting RDO up and going. I'm about to start working on getting some shirts and window stickers made up and available for purchase.
Turkey season is rapidly approaching and I've been working on my calls and finding good spots to hunt.
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