TK's Hunt-n-Fish-n-Life

Deer Season - Last Day

2011-12-08T17:24:00.003-06:00

I was sitting in my office and saw some does bed down in a fence line and two more head a different direction over a hill in the next valley. I called a friend of mine (also the landowner) and we made a plan. Glad to say it actually worked out for once. We stalked em and got close enough to shoot. I have to admit I got lucky. This buck was running away full sprint up a steep hill at about 150yds. I put my crosshairs two feet in front of the deer and dropped him deader than a stone. When I came up on the deer its brains were hanging out of his skull, a head shot. At least I didnt ruin any meat. My friend was able to shoot a very nice mature doe. Im gonna try the golf ball skinning deer trick with thest two.

Red River Walleye Fishing - October

2011-11-03T22:44:00.001-05:00

Here's some video highlights of this year's trip! I recently bought a pair of I-Kam sunglasses and took all the video here with them. I now have a laptop dedicated solely to create, edit and store the hunting and fishing videos I plan on taking with the new glasses. This is my first attempt at video editing so hopefully I'll be getting better at it.

This year was great with somewhere in the neighborhood of 500+ fish caught with over 300 caught on the First Day! I'm already looking forward to next year because we not only have a new cool place to stay, but we can leave our boats in the water, not pay the daily park fee, have a fire at night, and get cheap bait without leaving our digs. Oh and the proprietor is easy on the eyes. And, thanks to Adam, we now know the mayor of Selkirk!

And thanks to Mark for these pics!

Bard's Fishing 2011 Part 1:

2011-10-24T22:00:00.008-05:00

My year started off with alot of Ice fishing. I borrowed TK's camera and check out the perch thats about ready to pounce on my jig. Perch fishing was good on Spirit Lake, I was able to go about 4 or 5 times on Spirit. Was able to fish with Brian and TK for a half day in the big shack. Fished alot on local smaller bodies of water.

I took some guys from Inwood smallie fishing at the MO river in May. We boated around 50 smallies and one 20" walleye. Fished the Big MO twice with not much luck in March. A trip in June with the guy holding the smallie below and did very well on casting jigs towards shore. And a trip in September with a few walleyes and the smallie pictured below.

The crappie and northern were caught at a local sand pit. I didn't catch either but cleaned and ate both of them. Had a decent summer with lots of bass caught at this sand pit with friends and family.
Pictured below is a mess of pan fish. Kept 40 in about six hours of fishing on East and West Lake Okoboji this fall. I spent a week in August in Okoboji and enjoyed fishing the lakes. Lots of action on pan fish just good ol' slip bobbers and worms with the chance of catching anything in play.
If anybody wants to go fishing, just call Im likely going somewhere! A big thanks to Dad for letting me borrow his boat.

2011 Wyoming Antelope

2011-10-18T07:57:00.002-05:00

2 Dads, 2 Boys, 3 Buck tags all filled. Christian shot this nice buck the second morning, he missed his first shot at 220 yds, but ran quickly to the top of a ridge and got down prone ad dropeed him at 150 yds on the second shot. A perfect shot.
We camped this year, I got nearly twice as much rest as opposed to driving back and forth from town. It was a great hunt- Again!

Christians Big Buck

2011-09-17T07:59:00.002-05:00

Am 100% sure CHristian shot the buck I sent you guys pics of, so heres what he look like when the velvets off.
11 points, hes got one little sticker off the back base of his horn, which when we zoomed in on the velvet photos, you could clearly identify.
HE came out at about 7:40 PM, about 80 yd, Christian dropped him where he stood with a .308. He disappeared(fell into beans), I wasn't watching the deer when he shot(I was watching the gun), when I looked back he was gone, but there was buck about 35 yds from where he stood, I thought how did he move so quick?, but Christian said- "hes down, I know it", then I looked a the alive buck and could see he wasn't the same one, he was nice, but lacked the giant brow tines. He just kept eating, like he'd never heard the gun shots...
hes got a 19.5 inch big spread, 9 inch tip to tip, 6.5 inch brow tines

Turkey Tri- Fecta 2 years running

2011-06-15T13:25:00.002-05:00

Same spot ,2 years in a row, 3 turkeys down! Brian graciously let the 4th one walk this year.....I gather it might be first picked next year on the last evening? Check out the difference in foiliage on essentially the same week.......yes it was colder this year...

Saltwater Slayers

2011-06-08T10:21:00.003-05:00

Not too many pics like these on this blog- you gotta drive 15 hours! OK , the fishing wasn't spectacular, but- watching your son reel in a 27lb mackerel(his biggest fish ever), and your youngest nephew reeling in his biggest fish ever (that Graham is a fishing machine I tell).......both are always a treat, .
Then- we have my youngest daughter, other nephew, sister in law, puking over the other side of the boat for chum.......ah memories.....

Nice Walleye

2011-06-02T19:54:00.003-05:00

Ahh....love this time of year! I have moved out of the hunting mode and have hit fishing mode big time.

I caught this 24 1/2" walleye from the dock in 3.5 feet of water about an hour before sunset, along with several crappie, a little northern and a couple of decent perch.

There was a tournament on the lake the weekend before and there was an 8 pounder, a 6 pounder and several other nice 'eyes taken during the day. Can't wait to get out there this weekend!

2011-04-21T21:21:00.003-05:00

Wow, what another turkey slaying year. 12 or 13 total turkeys killed out of 9 guys. Should have been one more if I hadn't missed a chip shot 20yd shot. Im convinced Joels gun muzzle blew my shot off kilter or something. Pictured to the left is Kyle's very wet turkey. Nice work Kyle!

A couple of moments stand out this trip. Killing the above pictured toms with Tim was awesome. Got set in the blind around 3PM and at that point I have not killed a turkey and was down on my luck. After a few very close encounters with toms none presented a shot. I had written 2011 off as a no turkey year but then the very last hour of light we called in 4 toms accross a crick right into our decoys. We had to wait what seemed like 10 minutes for them to get far enough apart to shot but was actually like 20 seconds.

I am making the turkey boobs into jerky as I write this, cant wait to taste.

Then of course their was the Big O four wheeler flooding event. Kelly and I lets say got in over our heads. We crossed the crick at 3pm and it was about 14 inches deep, no problem crossing. Crossed the crick at 7:45pm and it was now a river and 4 feet deep. Needless to say the four wheeler stalled and we had to bale and pull the fourwheeler to the shore. Walked almost a mile back to the truck soaking wet with 40 pounds of gear. Oh I forgot to mention it was 36 degrees and sleeting/snowing at times. Lets just say it was an experience I'll never forget but kind of want to. Dad, send Kelly the bill it was his idea to cross the crick.

Bard

2011 SD Snow Geese

2011-03-20T20:55:00.003-05:00

Jeff, Jordan, Jake, Steve, and I had a successful Saturday goose hunt on the ground by Wentworth. Jeff and Jordan had let me know when they were coming up to hunt the ever evasive sky carp. After driving around a bit they decided to set up their nice decoy spread near the big slew by Wentworth. (Needless to say their decoys were much more impressive then the first year they came up!) Friday evening they produced two geese with Saturday looking promising - it was up early for the Iowans. Wind had switched and was out of the South and decoys had to be moved as well as the blinds....... needless to say I showed up when much of that work was done... Perks of having access to great hunting ground) As you can see Jeff, Jordan and Jake ( Triple J goose hunting) must know what they are doing, geese decoyed nice and steel shot filled the air bringing down 13 geese in total. You will have to ask Jordan about his upsidedown backwards/hanging out of blind shot. It was a successful hunt and a fun time........ nothing better then seeing waterfowl flaring into your decoys...... and the words "Take Em" echoed!

Get Ready Turkey 2011

2011-02-15T07:37:00.003-06:00

It’s supposed to be 70 degrees this week! So, time to bust out the turkey pics and get pumped up! Here are a few shots around the camp and hunting last year.
Fellow turkey hunters, we’ll be having opening night lasagna provided again by Team KS Gulker again, served with a fine plastic cup of Coors light, green beans, Italian bread, and pecan pie with gobs of whip cream. Top it all off with one of Joel’s cigarettes..
Then we have Kelly’s famous vomit breakfast. Following that- some turkey hunting. You’ll then be treated to your 6” subs, chips and little debbies again for lunch, followed by some more turkey hunting.
Followed by an Iowa crockpot cook-off of some delicious recipe (which I forgot, did not write down, but am sure was delicious-Pork?), with green beans, bread, a plastic cup of day old luke warm Coors light, and pecan pie with gobs of whip cream. Top it all off with one of Joel’s cigarettes..
A little vomit breakfast, turkey hunting and subs, followed by crockpot smoked brisket, corn on my knob, bread, a cup of two day old luke warm Coors light, and pecan pie with gobs of whip cream. Top it all off with one of Joel’s cigarettes..

2010 Bow Buck

2010-11-25T16:41:00.000-06:00

After losing the spot I've hunted for the last 5 years, it took a while to get out to the woods this year. I only hunted 5 times over a period of 8 days. After moving my stand 100 yards downriver from my old spot to the neighbors ground, I only hunted it one time. After watching 5 different bucks parade up and down the other side of the river one morning, I thought it would be a good idea to hunt over there. I already had permission so I went out with Wyatt for a few hours on a Friday afternoon. After a 3 hour sit we hadn't seen any deer and when it began to get dark we started packing up. As I picked up the tent I happened to see a couple does about 80 yards away so we hit the ground. After they started to walk away from us, I heard a grunt from the switchgrass field. Wyatt had my pack, so he got out the grunt call and laid out a really nice grunt sequence, which the buck responded to and started coming toward us. By the time I saw him, he was about 70 yards out and it was getting dark but Wyatt got a good look at him and told me 10 times over the next few days that he couldn't get that big buck out of his head. He has the fever! I saw this buck again on Monday morning bounding through the switchgrass after a doe. On Tuesday morning, I had a little 8 pointer walk by at about 20 yards and disappear out into the switchgrass. About 30 seconds after he was gone, I looked that direction again and there was a deer standing right where he had gone. I figured it was the same buck until he lifted his head and it became obvious it was definitely not the same deer. It only took about a minute for him to close from 70 down to 15 yards where I let him have it. He still ran about 200 yards before piling up but left a pretty good blood trail. He is a main frame 10 with 4 kickers, gross scored 144" and netted down to 136 which will easily make P&Y He is by far my biggest deer ever by score. I'll put some more photos up when I get the euro mount back.

2010 Rifle Buck

2010-11-23T19:09:00.004-06:00

Was a cold windy day on the opening morning. Decided the night before that Mark would sit by the stock dam on Virg's and I would go somewhere else. Well I wasn't feeling good when I awoke, so I merely went behind my dads place and just sat in my vehicle and watched the draw from about 7-8. Saw one deer, then proceeded to drive around a bit....... swung by Mark and saw him headed to his truck. Mark and I decided to push through a couple of draws on Virg's ground and had no luck. Drove to my dads place and saw a deer coming from the North headed into the draw....... Then we planned on how to work the draw....... decided to push it into the wind. Well didn't make it 20yards up the draw and I saw a doe bedded down. Decided not to shoot...... thinking there was a buck bedded down too. Good thing another few yards and I saw this buck bedded down..... so I let him have it with the .30-06! And missed...... 3 deer bolted from the corn/brush.... I figured one was the buck so I wind sprinted to the end of the corn to try and get a look...... but of course deer were halfway across the field by then. Mark lobbed a shot.... and I turned around and began to head back to the truck. But at that same instance I saw the buck... not 20 yards in front of me just a starring right at me. I put him in the scope, decided he was big enough and let him have it again! Mark was confused at this point... wondering why I was aiming and then shooting in the opposite direction the deer had just run......and totally surprised when I yelled big buck down! A 20 yard shot with a .30-06 lets a buck like this run about 5 yards before it falls dead. Best I can figure I ran within 7 yards of this buck after the first shot... kind of weird that he never bolted...... must have sensed my great hunt and stalk skills!

Another Des Moines River Walleye

2010-11-02T21:41:00.002-05:00

Chellie and I closed the cabin this past weekend, but I had a chance to go to the dam with a buddy and caught this nice 22" walleye along with a couple smaller ones in a little less than an hour. The nice part is people around there and at the bate shop say the fishing is dead there lately, yet I've managed to catch something there every time I've gone out. I actually stopped today to check the cabin over the noon hour and spent about 30 minutes fishing (in my suit!). Two guys were leaving and they said nothing was biting. Undeterred, I went to my honey hole and caught a 16" walleye after about 15 minutes!

I don't know if it's the secret, but I use a 1/8oz jig with a white gulp minnow body and no bait. Everybody I've seen there just reels in slowly. I actually jig it in and always get the hit on the drop. I love fall fishing, but now it's time to concentrate on duck and pheasant hunting. But I do hope to get back to the dam next week over a noon hour again.

We Kansans Do Antelope Too!

2010-10-19T09:39:00.005-05:00

Christian had an antelope tag for area 32 in Wyoming, a great bargain for a youth hunter at about 150 bucks.
Christian and I and a friend put the stalk on a few, and got to about 4-500yds, too far for Christian to shoot, but the fella with us gave it a try, and missed. the antelope moved off. About an hour later we got to within about 220yds of a small buck, Christian tried but also missed. About an hour later, they moved off over a hill- we followed. we crested the ridge and I couldd see antelope a long way of, but suddenly there was a buck at about 100yds moving uphill towards us. We crept to the edge of the hill on our bottoms, but Christian just couldn't see him. I determined to just wait a second and he was coming right up the hill to us, which he did. Christian dropped him at 53 yds right in his tracks- he was really excited. The other fella got his antelope in the same area the next day- Christians buck measures in at 11 inches- seems "The Specialist" does it again. I am worried about him(TK)- if he really deer hunts, he could be the next deer king at this rate! Next year we'll look for the 12.6 buck. But Tim is right, they are difficult to judge.

Harding County Antelope

2010-10-12T18:12:00.003-05:00

Getting this up a little late, but was busy fishing as you can see below. We finally worked it out this year to go out opening weekend this year. Weather was good, but windy on Saturday. Mark got his buck on Saturday afternoon. We saw them about a mile and a half from the road and the plan was for Mark to put the stalk on, get seen, and they would run toward me laying on a butte another mile away. Well, Mark got to within 400 yds without being seen and decided to take a shot figuring if he missed, our plan would still work. He adjusted for wind and distance and gut shot the goat. We both could see it was lethal and he figured he could get his doe tag filled at the same time, so he did. Nice shootin', Tex!

No luck for me on Saturday, however I did manage to slam my thumb in the truck door getting out to put a stalk on. The nail should fall off in the near future. Ouch!

Sunday morning we went back out and saw a buck with two does about a half mile from the road, just over a knoll that would give me a pretty easy stalk to within a couple hundred yards. Make the stalk and only had to belly crawl about 20 yards to the top of the knoll. When I got to the top, the grass was too tall for using my bipod on the shortest setting. Even fully extended, I saw mostly grass through the scope. The buck looked a long way out so I raised up a bit on the aim. I fired and got nothing! Tried again with the same result. Just before I shot there was a lot of gunfire in the distance, and my shots must've blended in because the antelope were on alert, but didn't know where to run. I ended up missing again, reloading and getting really pissed. So, I just sighted right on him and let it go. He was kinda quartered to me, but I did hit where I was aiming. Dropped him without so much as a kick as he hit the ground.

After dropping him, we extimated that he was only 200+ yards out. Tough to tell when you're looking through grass without much experience.

We dragged him to the road and just got done taking a couple pictures when the DNR officer showed up. He checked the tags on our goats and we asked if he would take our picture. He did and then got his camera and snapped a couple for himself. Who knows, maybe Mark and I will be on the cover of next year's hunting atlas.

We decided to donate the animals to "Hunter's for Hunger" and are getting european mounts done on our bucks. All in all, a great weekend. We love the country out there. Truly beautiful! Can't wait until next year. By the way, Mark's goat antlers measured 10.5" and mine was 12.5". Guess that means I get to add more "bling" to my hunting shirt!

Selkirk 2010

2010-10-12T12:24:00.008-05:00

Well it was a tough year to fish the Red River this time. We tried it on day one and only two sauger were caught (and some huge bullheads).

Days 2-4 were much better as we fished Traverse Bay in Pine Falls. Fishing in Pine Falls meant driving about an hour each way (got up really early and got home pretty late each day). We voted before going out on Wednesday to start the annual fishing tournament on that day instead of sticking to the 3 day tournament. Good thing for Brian (he won) because I would have crushed the competition otherwise. I ended up losing by a slim 3/4" margin. I've posted the results below. Now, you tell me. Who had the best year this year?

Anyway, the weather was great, winds light, sun high and fishing pretty steady in the mornings. Orlan did battle with what had to be a HUGE sturgeon on Friday. He caught one later that morning (pictured above) that was a master at 46.5". We figure the first one had to be at least 18" to 24" bigger. Both Brian and Adam latched on to one later that day, but didn't get them to the boat.

Here are this year's results. Enjoy!

Orlan Tim Mark Adam Brian Bard

Day 1 0 0 12 0 14 0
Day 2 29.25 24.5 23.25 16.5 18.5 20

Day 3 19.25 20.5 21.5 20.5 21 22.5

Day 4 22 28.75 10 15 21 15.5

Ave 17.63 18.44 16.69 13 18.63 14.5

2010-09-23T22:02:00.002-05:00

We caught these walleyes on Saturday afternoon during "adults only" weekend at the cabin. Caught these pitching jigs with twister tails below the dam at the head of the DesMoines river.

It's important to note that everyone in this picture contributed to the stringer. I've fished there a several times and usually pick up at least one nice walleye each time.

Des Moines River Walley

2010-09-16T22:43:00.003-05:00

I caught this 18.25 inch walley in two feet of water about three feet from shore w/ jig and minnow. Tim got a tip from a cabin neighbor that they have been catching walley at the spill over dam. We went down there and on my second cast I caught this walleye. My eyes were surprised when I seen this eye come out of the water. Tim caught a few small perch and a bullhead and was very jealous. But Tim claims he caught a few more this week but no proof, as always... Does he really have a job?

Pickstown Walleye

2010-08-16T22:42:00.002-05:00

Had a good day on the big MO. A couple shy of our limit. Pulled plugs along the shore w/ planer boards. Ran one up shallow, one out the back and ran one deep. We were getting a little impatient since we didnt get our first fish in the boat until 12:30pm. After a front blew through it got HOT and fish stopped biting and it was time to get off the water and go home.

Clearwater Lake, Ontario Canada

2010-08-01T21:37:00.007-05:00

Here are a few pics from Canada this year. We (Brad G. Family) went to Canada with mom and dad. Fishing was good from 7:30pm - dark. The rest of the day was spent R&R, picking berries, doing shore lunch, etc. Pictured here is dad's 1st of TWO 28" walleye, my pike, and a mess of fish my family caught one night. It was fun to see Zoe catch walleye on her own. I also caught my first muskie on this trip but never got a pic. The only species that I tried for and did not catch was lake trout. I deep trolled for them and never got any hits. Caught some nice fish off the dock as well.

2010-07-12T21:27:00.004-05:00

Here are some of the catches at the cabin so far this year. All of these were caught from the dock. The crappie that Chellie caught was just over 15" long, making it a trophy. I did bait the hook, so it's half mine, right? However, I did catch the trophy bullhead, for what it's worth.

Finally, the snapping turtle was caught on a minnow on a slip bobber. It was estimated at 22lbs plus. Exciting time bringing that one in. I gave it to a neighbor at the lake who eats them. He said there is 7 kinds of meat in a snapper.

More Summer Bass

2010-07-04T15:32:00.003-05:00

This is a couple of fish that me and a buddy caught. His was in the 4-5pd range. We have started a weekly fishing outing for the summer. We fish smaller bodies of water around N.W. IA. (sand pits, lakes, rivers). We keep track of conditions, # of fish caught, and largest fish. Who ever catches the most fish gets the win. It has been alot of fun so far. Like my new hat? Sure does keep the sun of my bald head.

Summer Bass Fishing

2010-06-08T22:11:00.003-05:00

These were some nice bass caught at a sand pit near Hudson SD. The bass pictured are the average size bass with a select few pushing 2-3pounds. It's rumored that bass of 6-8 pounds exist in this sand pit. I also caught a nice crappie. As you can see Wyatt can catch fish bigger than his dad. Sorry Brian, I can't help but make fun of you every chance I get. Jacob and Zoe were along but spent most of their time tangling lines and eating candy. We enjoyed a supper of hot dogs and chips over a fire that put a nice touch to the night.

Ice Fishing at the Refuge

2010-03-06T17:57:00.004-06:00

Went ice fishing up by Waubay in South Dakota on the annual trip with guys from church. We fished the refuge up there. Motorized vehicles are not allowed on the refuge (not that we could've driven on it anyway because of the snow) so we had to pull shacks out to the fishing spot. We trudged through snow that was pretty deep. It was the kind of snow that when you step, you think you will just walk on top of it, but then you'd break through. We walked and pulled our gear about a half mile this way! It was brutal and I could really feel the burn on the thighs. Made me realize how out of shape I really am. We did this two days in a row.

Anyway, you can see the work was worth it. About 10:30 on the first morning Jason, the other guy in the picture above caught a 7 pound 1 oz walleye on a tip-up. That was the biggest walleye but we caught a 17" and 19" as well. Fishing was slow at times but we managed to get 15 or so perch like the ones above over the two days. We added many smaller ones as well to make quite a few good meals. Mark N. went too and, really, we were the only two shacks that caught any fish to speak of.

Of course, the equipment we used made the difference if you ask me. The following is on my Christmas list for next year: Vexilar FL-20 (it's like cheating to see exactly how far off the bottom to fish), a Voyager ice shack (room for 5 holes and two large guys to move around in), and an underwater camera (most of the perch caught didn't even pull on the line, the only way you could catch them was by watching them bite and then setting the hook).

Awesome time with a good group of guys, even though Mark drank all the beer on the ice and never offered me one.

UNDISUPUTED Turkey Champ 2009

2010-02-22T08:26:00.003-06:00

I got sick of looking at Big Louie, so wanted to honor my partner from last year & get pumped for Turkey! What a day. Mark and I set up the big luxurious blind and stretched out to watch the daily turkey parade at you know where. It began with an empty field, I had seen the turkeys that morning leave and head up to the road. Like clockwork, they came out by the old barn, at least 30 turkeys. They came a runnin but mostly gave the blind the evil turkey eye and stayed away. Some hens got close, and one Tom for some reason actually started a B-line for our dekes for some reason, but was his interest was interrupted by a group of jakes that intercepted him and beat him away by numbers, and then he seemed to forget about us. Not long after, Mark took a peek behind us as the turkey moved to our right, and told me there was a big tom moving in the trees. We turned around, and Mark said he couldn’t shoot because of some trees, I had a clear shot and he was rapidly departing gun range. I fired and hit the turkey, and he moved a few feet where mark could shoot, and he dropped him. My shot was merely a little help to get him in plain view, as a master turkey guide, you can do things like that! Waidmansheil!

Big Louie Passes On

2009-12-10T08:51:00.003-06:00

It was 9 DEC, 9 degrees, with about 6 inches of fresh snow, and a light? Breeze. I crawled up in my tree stand and put my blanky over me, wondering with all my bulk if I would be able to adequately see behind me. At about 4:00pm, I looked over the creek about 90 yds away, and down from a ridge I saw a deer coming straight down to the creek and headed in my direction. He was in some small saplings, head down, I recognized him as a small 8 pointer I’d seen 10 OCT, not a shooting deer. Up on the ridge behind him I saw another deer moving, and could see with my eye he had horns and they were larger than the 8. I looked thru my glass- and immediately saw a double pointed drop tine- Big Louie shows his face in daylight.! I have photographs of Big Louie- about 4-5, starting 5 Sep in velvet, and a nice shot about 15 NOV I’ve also attached. Big Louie followed the path of the 8 pointer, and they crossed over the creek to me about 50 yds and stopped, looking around. Big Louie looked straight up at me for about a solid minute- I thought I was busted, tried not to breath for fear he’d see my steam, but chose blowing thru my mouth like a whistle to lessen it, also wondering if my fingers retained the dexterity to draw my bow after the exposure. A squirrel danced across the bottom and diverted his attention; he never looked at me again, or any other human being for that matter. The small 8 went over to him and licked his face a few times over and over, then they gently racked their heads, & Big Louie moved out. He went behind a dead branch at about 30 yds, and I drew, he kept walking but away, so I made my best grunt call with my mouth- he stopped, I released- bingo! My SHOT was back a bit(maybe 6 inches) the arrow sticking out of him as he ran away. It was 4:10. The 8 pointer just looked at me for about 2 minutes before running off. I came back about an hour and a half later, Big Louie only made it about 100yds before collapsing. It was nice to know Big Louie- Christian and I mulled over his photographs and dreamed all fall, now it is a reality.

Orlan's Pheasants Trifecta

2009-11-26T22:18:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving morning could not have been better. The weather was beautiful, cool with the sun shining, one I will not forget in a long time.
For a 61 year old guy with a 9 year old dog, well it is not often that a person gets to shoot a triple, but that is just what this is.
I have hunted this draw for 45 years, went to the back where the cover is the best. Babe was birdie immediately, I saw the grass moving ahead of me when the 1st bird went right, one shot and it dropped, Babe went to retrieve it when the 2nd one went left, one shot and about the time I saw it hit the ground #3 went straight ahead. Well this is the easiest shot and of course I missed the first shot but dropped it with the second. Babe dropped the bird she was retrieving and went for the 3rd bird, I went and got # 2 when Babe brought me #3. I took the bird from her and told her to "find the bird", she went right over to where she had dropped the 1st and brought it to me, I had my tripple in hand.

It was maybe the finest morning hunting I have had in a long time, a guy just does not get to shoot that many triples in his life time and when they go perfect, well that is a bonus and why we hunt those beautiful birds that the Good Lord created. "Thank you Lord"

Bards IA Bow Buck

2009-11-18T22:25:00.003-06:00

Wow! What a memorable day this was. I get to hunt on this property one day a year, deer heaven. This is 1 mile to the south west of the recliner Im sitting in now. Its a ravine wash out with steep banks on both sides(deer funnel) that runs east to west and stands are all set up for N.W. winds but winds were from the south. So I had to set up on the North side of the ravine on the ground(I wasn't that far off where I wanted to be). I took my turkey chair and that leafy fake branches you jerks all made fun of me at one of the turkey hunts. I sat in my turkey chair,covered in the fake leafy branches, for the first hour and got busted by a small buck at 10yards. So-I logically decided that I need to abondone the fake leafy branches and stand up against the tree to not get silouetted. So I proceeded to stand up against the tree for the next 3 hours--This is where I started to loose concentration and then all of a sudden the deer shown in this post appeared. I did calculate my yardage if a deer walked by on the path that it did. I shot and hit the deer hard w/ my 40yd pin, the deer ran half way up the steep ravine, stood there a moment like it wasnt feeling good. Started to sway back and forth like it was dizzy and then crashed. On the way down it got its rack caught in some roots and hung there. Right now Im Enjoying a piece of home made deer jerky (had to throw half of it away) and MGD light as I write this-does it get any better???

Duck Opener

2009-11-04T11:24:00.002-06:00

What a great way to start our process of collecting our livery meat! Gorgeous day, Hot sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits in the blind, mostly cooperative birds, and a really fine duck blind!

Sucker

2009-10-18T22:22:00.004-05:00

My brother called and wanted me to post this picture of his trophy sucker he caught. He caught it with a left over piece of corn from lunch. "Corn Call"

Bling Bling - Champ 2009

2009-10-18T22:09:00.002-05:00

Attached is the reason why I have defended my Championship. Selkirk was tough fishing conditions this year and safe to say it takes a real solid angler to stay focussed enough to catch a big fish like this one (28.5 inches, 9-10pds). I caught this sow on the Storm version of a mimmic minnow. By the end of the second day I think everyone was fishing with mimmic minnows. My brother was using a bait that was bigger than some of the sauger we were catching and he actually caught a few nice walleye on it. BIG bait=BIG fish.

Early Season Goose

2009-09-14T20:26:00.002-05:00

This a the result of our early goose season hunt on Adam VZ's patch. He did a great job of building this "natural" looking blind.

It was effective, however. The only thing that kept us from limiting out was poor shooting, of course. I know for me, once I dropped the first one I was shooting at, I just flock shot at the rest. A bad habit that is typical for me on the first hunt of the year. Oh well! It was a great time. Love that first hunt of the year and the fun has just begun!

Shetek Walleyes

2009-09-14T20:17:00.004-05:00

I put Brad on these walleyes at Shetek last weekend. We were trolling with shallow diver #5 shad raps in about 5-7 feet of water. We varied trolling speeds and Brad had out at least 150' of line.

We went out the next morning too, but the only action was Brian snagging a carp in the dorsal fin. A nice fight, but not exactly what we were looking for. I am heading back this week. Hopefully things improve and bigger/more walleyes are yet to be caught. But, still and nice job by Bard!

Colorado Trout

2009-09-05T19:52:00.003-05:00

Was out in Colorado Springs for a work meeting and found an extra day to stay and do some fly fishing for the illusive rainbow trout. A friend of mine from there chouffered me around to different spots. I learned a ton from him about presentation and what flies to use when. Average fish was about 14 inches but fites like a 23 inch walleye. Great weather, awesome scenory, and catching fish, doesnt get much better than that. Its the same thing with trout, fish early and late and not so hard in between.

Dove hunt 2009

2009-09-02T09:52:00.002-05:00

The morning dove hunt for 2009 was the best 53 minutes of dove hunting I’ve ever experienced. You either shot your limit or ran out of shells or both. We hunted over some prepared sunflower seed field’s and I was limited by 7:18. I ten became bird boy and gun reloader for Christian, who finished his limit55 minutes later, and 7 boxes of shells later! My thumb was blistered from reloading the 870. Theres 45 doves in the pic, it included Troys birds, he finished early too. We had 7 other guys, and as I said they either shot their limit or ran out of shells!

Katherines Africa Hunt

2009-08-17T10:00:00.003-05:00

We chased Blue wildebeest around for days, Christian and I could never get close enough, and when they ran- man, what a noisethey made! Easy to track if you felt you could get another chance. Katherine, the guid and I went to the range to see if she could still shoot well enough after not hunintg for 3 years. After one shot- the guide said, “I feel sorry for the wildebeest.”
We walked about 1 hour- and as we crossed over a huge rock, we spotted them from about 1000m away. Katherine made a good stalk while I filmed from the rocks. She got close- about 50m and Katherine dropped him with one perfect shot with the CZ 500 .308 Win. After the shot, the remaining animals ran right over the rock by me, made for some good filming. I didn’t feel sorry for the wildebeest- he tasted good. This animal seemed so ugly on TV and in books, but was really quite beautiful and will make a fine mount-………. in Katherine’s home!

2009-08-07T16:51:00.002-05:00

Went out last Sunday night to Brant Lake near Chester,SD and caught these two nice crappies, but with closer look I think they might be bluegills, what do you think? I haven't caught alot of panfish to really know..... 9 and 10 inches respectively!

Weekend Walleyes

2009-06-29T20:41:00.005-05:00

Okay, no great size here. But we did catch a few walleyes from the dock last weekend. The crappies have mostly left our little area (I think we caught them all), but we did catch a few fish. Big O had an impressive weekend. Since there wasn't much for size, he set out trying to catch as many species as possible. I think he ended up with a crappie, a catfish, a bullhead, a bluegill, a walleye, a perch and a carp. Impressive, huh?!? If I got one wrong, I'm sure he'll correct it.

Chellie and I have a little fishing tournament on the lake this Saturday, so it should be interesting. We actually haven't done much fishing from the boat yet this year. Oh well, no BIG prize money at stake. I'll post our finish when I can get around to it.

Crappies Still Biting

2009-06-22T23:12:00.003-05:00

The crappie fishing was still hot at the cabin. My mom and dad came up on Saturday and we had a nice time. It was pretty hot, so Dad and I caught most of these fish while sitting under the boat canopy. Lazy, I know. But we had nice shade, a little breeze, and padded seats. Not a bad way to go.

We were fishing with just a hook and minnow and having some success. Then my dad suggested putting on a light jig and twister tail combo. I always listen to my dad, so I did it and ending up catching most of my crappies with that setup.

Later that night Chellie, Eric and I went out on the pontoon and cruised. We stopped at a couple of new places we hadn't fished before. Not much doing, but I did manage to catch a crappie and a walleye that was about 14".

My dad cleaned the fish since I struggle with the little ones (probably because I'm so used to catching the biggies!). He also sharpened both my fillet knives and my son's pocket knife. Nice...thanks Dad!

Cabin Crappies

2009-06-15T23:06:00.005-05:00

Bard and family came up to the cabin last weekend and I put him on the crappies! Okay, we didn't have to go searching too far. All these were caught off our dock. Well, actually, from under our dock and pontoon lift.

We fished the old fashioned way, with just a hook and minnow (of course Bard had some crazy mini-spinner blade on his hook and swore that was the "secret" to his success). But we did have to jig the minnow a bit to trigger the aggressive bite.

It was kinda goofy because we literally caught these in about 20" of water. The kids caught several of these fish, so everybody got in on the fun. We ended up cleaning 14 of them and let many go. By the way, they were delicious!

2009-06-01T22:14:00.002-05:00

Went to Pickstown SD last weekend and did pretty well. Went with 7 guys and came up 2 fish shy of our limit. It was hot so we had to keep ourselves well hydrated. Slow and steady all day long. Lindy rigs and nightcrawlers were the key. Big thanks to my dad who lends me his boat to fish with.

Brian-Brad Turkey Double

2009-05-04T20:41:00.003-05:00

Hey Guys,
I thought I would post a pic of me and Brians turkeys since most of you didn't get a chance to see them. It would at least be a moral victory for me since I didn't get to register a turkey for this years championship run. Turkey Hunting in IA hasn't been nearly as fun.

Early season walley

2009-03-28T08:40:00.005-05:00

I thought that I would forward on this pic of me and Dave. I know its tough but this is part of my job description. Fishing was slower and bite was soft with a cold front moving through but expert walleye angling skill allowed us to take a limit of eyes. We fished deep wintering holes with jig and minnow.

Christians Oryx March 2009

2009-03-26T15:04:00.006-05:00

For months we prepared. Christian spent several months on the range tyring to perfect his shooting, all he wanted to do was shoot an Oryx. We spent most of our time shooting from sticks- its not real easy. When the day finally came- we set out- walked about 4 hours, and got surprised by an Oryx at about 30m walking, the PH grunted and the Oryx stopped- "Click"- the set trigger made the noise, the Dad left the safety on when I put the rifle on the sticks for him. Naturally- the Oryx bounded off- unharmed.

Later that day around 5:00 PM, we came upon another, after about 12 miles of hiking,-hot-sweaty-bugs...ah....Namibia in March. This time the Oryx also stood broadside but at 80m, the Dad put the rifle on the sticks- safety off this time. The bush was too thick, Christian had to move, and move the sticks & rifle. The PH set everything up- "click"- again! This time Christian set the safe during the move....the Oryx turned and faced them- "pow" went the CZ 550 .308 WIN with 180gr bullet--The Oryx ran off. Christian was a bit nervous, but the Oryx was found about 100M away dead!- a perfect shot right thru the chest! The Dad nearly cried! Christian went on to shoot 3 more animals- all great shots on their own- but with the safety off!

The horns measure over 3 feet long! A gold medal Oryx!

2009-03-10T18:35:00.001-05:00

A good day at Waubay is definitely better than working.

First Pheasant

2009-02-26T21:12:00.004-06:00

This was a decent morning of hunting near Lebanon. We killed two birds up until noon where we got five out of a thick grove right near Lebanon. I was told 50 - 75 birds got out. I didn't know since I was the one walking through the grove. It was worth the effort b/c the youngster in this photo got his first rooster.

Late Season Ducks

2009-01-21T21:39:00.000-06:00

Awesome late season duck hunt. These birds actually decoyed and responded quite well to call which I thought was unusual for this time of year. 12 ducks total. 11 mallards and a goldeneye. The weather was perfect but I swear that walk to and from the truck gets longer every season!!!

2009-01-09T09:37:00.003-06:00

Jordan shot this big texas pig day after we shot the ducks. 250lbs on foot and a lot of meat. We were worried about the meat tasting bad but the guy that took us hunting said soak it in ice water for three days and it will taste fine. We did, we ate, and it is very tasty. Jordan Shot this thing with a 22-250 and it went down hard so he started walking up to it(mistake) it was not dead it charged him so he shot it from the hip and hit it in the butt, still not dead took out a 9mm pistol and shot it 7 yes 7 times in the head before he died. These are tough animals but fun to hunt. I missed my shot enough said.

Texas Ducks

2009-01-09T09:28:00.002-06:00

Jordan and I shot these ducks down in Aransas Pass Texas over Christmas break. Can`t see it real good but there is a nice wigion in there that is going on my wall. 2 pintails, 2 wigions, 4 reds, and a spoone(oops).

2009-01-08T08:36:00.002-06:00

Last evening, last 30 minutes, cold and snow….just like last years deer I shot, even from the same spot, and the similarities in rack is amazing, cept this one is a little larger and didn’t have a broken point.
Ryan was hunting with me in my 2 man Tree stand, that made it that much more fun. For what its worth I offered twice for him to shoot it, but, he ethically chose to let me! Fell dead at the shot. It was great.

KS Pheasants

2008-12-18T19:47:00.002-06:00

So I havent been able to hunt much this year but this is a nice photo from opening day in Munden this year. Way too warm and way too much cover etc but we did manage a few birds adn got to unt with my Dad and Jim in a place that holds a lot of memories for us all. A little bitter sweet as found out a friend of kellys from high school had passed away minutes after taking this picture.

Game Giveaway

2008-12-17T22:47:00.002-06:00

Gents,
If you don't want your game I have a good home for it, literarly. You now must clean and keep all waterfowl, pheasants, antelope, and deer. I have a connection to a church in Sioux City IA that will take all the meat it can get. Give it to me (meat only) and I will find it a way down there. If it's freezer burnt, throw it away.
Bard

IA has pheasants too!

2008-12-15T22:38:00.003-06:00

I got these birds Saturday morning. I parked my truck in Lebanon and walked the creek behind mom and dads house and then the draws across the road. 2 of these birds were part of a triple I shot. I couldn't find the 3rd bird so I guess it only counts as a double. Babe caught the hen. I'm not sure if it's legal to keep a hen your dog catches but I kept it and it was delicious. Better for me to eat it than a yote. Wyatt came along with me but decided he'd rather hang out with grandma than have to walk so far. Good thing too because by the time I got back I was tired and soaking wet with sweat.

More SD Birds

2008-12-14T19:05:00.004-06:00

Another great day in South Dakota. The weather was great and the birds were a little jumpy. Decent day. Lots of birds again.

IA Doe Down

2008-12-07T22:07:00.003-06:00

Two years ago I purchased a rifled barrel w/ a 3x9 scope for my 870. It came in handy this year. Shot this doe at 7:15AM and would have been hard to see with out the scope. 75 yard shot, hit her high on the shoulders and she fell down, straight down. We hot skinned and got her quartered out in about 45 minutes. Dad volunteered to make chislic, needless to say I was a bit nervous. Dad took one of the ribeyes, marinated them, and cooked them on the grill in a cast iron pan. Very delicous and tender and put a great ending to a good day. We also cleaned up 2 extra pounds of bacon in the freezer. Oh, Brian missed badly all day, I think he went through 10 shells. A great day, even if I was the only one to harvest a deer.

Specialist

2008-12-04T23:30:00.003-06:00

Thought you guys would like to get a sneek preview of my new shirt "bling". That's right, I have been the distinguished title of "Walleye Specialist" by the province of Manitoba. Remember, anyone can win the yearly competition once (I've won twice, back to back). Anyone can get lucky and land a big one once in a while. But only true masters of the art of walleye fishing get the title of "Walleye Specialist"! Enjoy.

No, Deer

2008-11-30T11:55:00.004-06:00

Okay, the last day of deer hunting for me didn't produce a doe, but Mark and I did end up getting our limit of pheasants in just one field. Bird hunting is greatly improved now that Adam and company have finally gotten down to business and started getting the corn out of the field!

Yes, Deer

2008-11-16T22:52:00.004-06:00

Well, here it is. My first deer taken on the first day. Saw him go into the corn from my stand in the morning and went back that afternoon to try and get him. About 20 minutes to sundown he comes out of the corn about 150 yards from where he went in. He played around in the bean stubble for a while and I didn't shoot him. He then went back into the corn for a few minutes and came back out. I figured he was giving himself up for me, so I shot.......and missed! He stood tall and I shot again and he took off running. I panicked because I only had one shot left in the clip (the only thing I don't like about my Tikka T3). I fired, he ran another 50-70 yards and made a goofy jump as he disappeared into the corn.

I called Adam and lamented that I missed my buck, but I was going to check for a blood trail in case I hit him. I found him in the first row of the corn right where he jumped. I think he was dead when he hit the ground on that jump. Oh yeah, I did launch a couple long shots at a doe before I went to check for the buck.

Anyway, that's the story of my first buck. It was a nice buck and I'm glad I got it. But looking back on it, I kinda wish I would have let him go and tried for a bigger one. There's lots of corn in up there and in a week or so there would be less cover and more of an opportunity to see bigger bucks. Oh well, it's a decent 4 X 4 and I've given myself a good chance to get a bigger one next year.

You know, looking back on that night, I kinda had the "buck fever" I've been hearing about for years. I don't think I could have passed on this guy anyway. Oh yeah, probably shot him at about 150 yards.

If you want to hear a good story, ask Adam (farmingdakota) about the doe he got that day.

2008-11-10T15:51:00.001-06:00

Great duck hunting in Kansas—what a great day! 16 ducks- mallards and green wing teal, sausage and egg biscuits in the blind, perfect weather and no other hunters!

2008-10-29T19:13:00.001-05:00

Just another great day of being me. Sure glad I was using my shot gun and not my rifle.

Pheasant Recipes

2008-10-25T15:27:00.002-05:00

To all that visit this site:
I am in search of pheasant recipes. I have 8 birds in the freezer already. Posession limit in IA is 12 so I am legal. I want your favorite ways of cooking/frying or whatever.

My Sympathies to Bard

2008-10-22T21:54:00.002-05:00

Bard,

My sincerest sympathies in the passing of a VERY close friend. We all know how "into" Tony you were. You know after so many years of taking it in the rear from the Democrats, its nice to know you were giving some payback. Stay strong brother.

Tony Dean
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Tony Dean, a nationally known outdoor enthusiast who promoted South Dakota with his radio and television shows, died Sunday. He was 67.The Hofmeister Isburg Funeral Chapel confirmed that he died Sunday morning.Dean, whose real name was Anthony DeChandt, returned to his Pierre home last week after being hospitalized for complications from appendix removal.Dean was host and producer of "Tony Dean Outdoors," a regional television show that aired across the Upper Midwest. His radio show "Dakota Backroads" was heard across the region.Dean won more than 160 regional and national awards for his programs. He also served as a press secretary for former South Dakota Gov. Frank Farrar.Dean had been criticized for backing Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign.Darlene DeChandt said her husband's final work before his illness was recording commercials for Obama's campaign. She said if Obama won, Dean was to have been on his transition team.Jason Mitchell of Devil's Lake, N.D., recorded several TV shows with Dean. He said Dean had the courage to stand up to the National Rifle Association when it backed candidates who he felt did not have conservation at heart.

Pair of wet cocks

2008-10-22T18:44:00.003-05:00

Today was the last day of my 5 day license in SD. (What a screw job) Today was windy, rainy, and cold. After ignoring common sense of wanting to stay home and dry I braved the cold and wet weather. I get to a walk in area near fairview SD and realized I forgot non toxic shot. Like an angel a truck come over the hill and put his blinker on wanting to pull in the same drive that Im in. Turns out he's checking the large pond for ducks. I bartered 10 lead shot for 6 - 3 inch -1 shot steel. Not ideal for pheasants. I walked the edges of this piece all the way around and end up walking through some burrs that stuck to my pants something awfull. I was pissed off, wet, and crabby. Walking back to my truck, busy picking the cockle burrs off my pants, a pair of wet cocks burst from cover. After almost dropping my gun from being scared half to death I manged to bang this double. On cue the third cock flew up as the 2nd one hit the ground. I fired and heard - click. SHIT! I thought I would only load three shells in case I would waste shells on frustration shots at a bird that was getting away. Needless to say a little frustrated on missing the triple I continued towards the truck to miss another cock - three times, the ironic thing was the last shot was definitely a frustration shot.

Incredible Trophy Room

2008-10-19T22:16:00.013-05:00

These are pictures of a rancher's trophy room just into Montana. These aren't all the animals in the room, and the pictures don't do justice to what it was like actually being there. The guy has traveled the world to get these animals. It was simply amazing! What is not pictured is a full bar and a TV area along with other mounts. From the outside, the place looks like a rundown old farmplace. But inside, there must be over $200,000 in wildlife mounts. We got put on to this guy because Mark's brother dealt with him on some cattle a few years ago. His son-in-law actually showed us the room because the rancher was breaking a horse a few weeks ago, was bucked off and trampled. Pray for him as he in intensive care in Rapid City. He has had 4 surgeries and really needs another one, but they don't know if he can take it. Meanwhile the kids are running the ranch.

Oh yeah, Mark and I are thinking of becoming ranchers so we can travel the world, go hunting, and have a trophy room like this. Enjoy!

Antelope Hunting in Harding County

2008-10-19T21:32:00.004-05:00

Here's a picture of the doe antelope I shot this weekend. Mark and I went the northwestern most county of South Dakota. Hunting was tough because it was the second weekend of the season and the goats really knew where they were safe and where they weren't.

I had a shot at another doe at about 120 yards, but passed it up. I had another doe tag, but really wanted a buck, so I didn't fire. I won't do that again! A guy really gets only a few chances a year to shoot his rifle at game and he should make the most of every opportunity. Mark really made me realize that. By the way, Mark had a tough year. Missed a decent buck because he couldn't "hold steady" while leaning on a fence post. He also missed a doe twice that didn't even startle at the gunshot! Why did he only shoot twice you ask? He only brought two bullets with him on the stalk. Hilarious!

Okay, the story on the doe above. We were driving down a blacktop with public hunting on both sides. About 5 or 6 does were running to the fenceline and I dropped Mark in the ditch to the west of them. I sped east and got on that side of them and dropped into the fenceline. A doe came within 10 yards of me, but I was not ready and it spooked. It ran the other way and crossed the road. I ran over to the other side of the road, but saw only a white butt running away fast. I started walking back to the truck in the ditch and suddenly saw a doe walking straight for me about 50 yards away, coming over a rise. I sat down, turned down the scope to 4 power and sited her in. She was walking quickly. I grunted and she stopped. I squeezed the trigger when she was probably only 40 yards away.

Mark talked me through the field dressing process (first time for me) and I appreciated it greatly.

Mark and I hunted hard for two full days. We walked miles and miles. We drove miles and miles. We stalked, belly crawled and ran for many hours each day after these "ghosts of the prairie". I'm tired, I'm sore, my knee is killing me, and I only shot my gun four times in two days. But it was awesome! The country was beautiful, the sky majestic, the ranchers quirky, and the companionship memorable. Mark, I had a great time! Thanks for another hunt that was successful in ways other than bagging a trophy.

The Smurf and Tony Dean

2008-10-13T21:10:00.005-05:00

I can't believe I let Mark and Brad have my boat one day at Selkirk. Mark is the Smurf, of course. And we all know what Brad is doing with Tony Dean.

Selkirk 2008 Pictures

2008-10-13T20:54:00.010-05:00

Here's a few pictures from this year's Selkirk fishing trip. It's the only picture of Adam that I have. He did catch a few walleyes, but seemed to specialize in bullheads. How far he has fallen. Oh, well. The weather was rainy early in the week, and off and on rain the last part of the week. Not terribly cold up there yet, so we may have been a little early this year. Enjoy the pictures and be jealous.

The Two Biggest at Selkirk 2008

2008-10-13T20:42:00.004-05:00

Here are the two biggies caught this year on our Selkirk fishing trip. Mine was 30" and Brad's was 30.75". Brad did win the fishing contest, but actually caught the fish that put him over the top after the usual stopping time of 6:00pm. Granted, that wasn't written in the rules of the tournament, so I didn't complain too much. But don't you think there's a trend with Brad. Remember his first turkey hunt victory, when he shot his bird on the wrong property to get the win, and now pushing the limit on quitting time during the walleye tournament. Brad, gotta let go of this "win at all costs" attitude. Anyway, it was a tougher year, but we still had a lot of fun and are looking forward to next year.

A Gander ole Day!

2008-09-30T12:56:00.003-05:00

Jeff and I had a good morning on the 30th of September.......... Jeff had been out the previous evening and set out the decoys....... and took 5 teal! But the morning hunt brought some excitement! The ducks weren't flying like they were on the opener, but with Jeff's two goose decoys and his excellent job of calling we were able to persuade four Canadians to the decoys! The first two came in over the corn and locked in on the decoys, we actually waited for the first goose to land so the 2nd could get into range before we opened fire! The final bag was the four Geese, a hen bufflehead, and a drake and hen wood duck........ If you ask Jeff we had some good luck too!

South Dakota 2008 Duck Opener

2008-09-27T12:22:00.003-05:00

South Dakota Duck opener........ Mark and I enjoyed a successful limit out opener this year. The slew by Wentworth proved a good place to be yet again! Mark made it out and had the decoys set up by 6:50, I on the other hand overslept and didn't make it until 7:35, Mark had already slayed 4 by that time...... However Ducks kept flying in and Mark and I were able to fill our limit. Had another hunter been there whose name I will not say, (lakefly) we most likely would have had 15 ducks! Mark did a good job at retrieving said ducks! Ducks shot were mallards, wood ducks, pintail, red head, canvasback, and the coveted teal! A nice mixed bag! Weather was cloudy and quite foggy until about 9:00 when it cleared off, ducks were mostly flying in pairs, but did have a fewer bigger groups fly by as Mark was clearing off the decoys! Also saw a good number of Canadian Geese flyin by just out of range!

Would you shoot it?

2008-09-18T20:17:00.003-05:00

Okay, we got this picture by the deer stand we put up last week. If you had never shot a buck before and saw this one on the first day, would you shoot it or wait for something better??

I don't know for sure, but I think I'd wait and see if something better came along. Am I being too greedy?

South Dakota Doves

2008-09-04T17:25:00.003-05:00

Well guys, looks like we need to start a new tradition. Dove hunting in SD! Orlan, Mark and I were expertly guided to a dove hot spot by Adam VanZanten on Wednesday night. Things started a little slowly, but really picked up around 7:00pm.

We shot fairly well (except for Mark, but that's no news flash) and got 21 doves. Not bad for it only being about 65 degrees or so. Babe and Mandy did a great job retrieving for us, even though Mandy developed a taste for the birds as the night went on.

The best part of the hunt was when Orlan decided to take all the doves home and clean them for us. A swallow did give his life for the hunt early on. You can guess who did the honors on that one. And Mark managed to flock shoot some blackbirds. Orlan didn't want to clean any of those. Mandy wouldn't even eat those.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know how hunting was up here in South Dakota. We plan on going again some night next week.

Doves 08

2008-09-02T22:30:00.004-05:00

Could defintely have used some shooters this year..shots fired to kill ratio i would say ran about 18 to one for most of th egents and young boys in this photo. I didnt do that bad but only fired my weapon baout 1/10 as much as most here LOL.

Northern Pays Back

2008-07-29T12:21:00.002-05:00

I caught this northern a couple weeks ago on a shallow running shad colored rap in about 3.5 feet of water trolling into the inlet on Shetek. Decent fish at about 3 lbs, but as you can see in the picture, it had another lure hooked in its jaw when I pulled him out of the water. Under the gill was a shallow running perch colored rap that looked brand new. Don't know how long he had the lure in him, but it sure didn't affect his appetite. So, while I normally hate the slimey snakes and would never put one in my livewell, it was nice to get a useable $5 lure from this guy.

2008-07-29T12:14:00.002-05:00

Chellie and I were in a small fishing tournament (only about 8-10 boats) on Shetek July 5th. We had a few small fish, but this guy won the tournament with a 7lb 9oz walleye. Pretty windy that day and the bite was slow, but most boats came back with at least one keeper to weigh. All the fish were caught up in the inlet to Shetek which is where we've caught most of our walleyes. Been talking to a few more fishermen lately though and I gotta fish a couple new spots they say produce fish.

Dock Fishing at the Lake

2008-07-10T23:02:00.005-05:00

Here are some pictures of fishing from our dock at the lake. Walleyes from the dock have been small, but last week we fished a local tournament on the lake and one of the guys caught a 7lb 9oz walleye pulling plugs. We pulled plugs too and caught several walleye but only one keeper. I'm still learning the whole plug pulling thing. Apparently I need planer boards now because that's what everyone else was using. Kinda funny because the other guys had no idea how to jig fish. Anyway, we caught all kinds of other species too. Northern, catfish, bullhead, and crappie. Trolled between 2 and 3 mph. Seemed pretty fast but was the most effective at about 2.5 mph. By the way, the big walleye was released in our bay, so I'll be fishing for him soon!

The bullhead pictured is from Memorial Day when the family was up to visit for the day. Don't know how Jacob caught him with his dad helping him. The kid must just have natural ability.

It was really windy that day, but the fish were biting (carp and bullheads) on the Smith Lake public dock and the kids had a great time. We're headed up to the cabin again tomorrow and will be trolling the inlet where we caught 'em last weekend. Hopefully we have some nicer walleye pictures to post next week.

Eric's Graduation

2008-07-09T22:39:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I know it's a little late getting this up here, and it's not about hunting or fishing, but I wanted to get this picture up here so those of you who haven't seen Eric for a while can at least see what he looks like. He's going to Winona State University in the fall and majoring in Composite Materials Engineering (geek). And no, I don't know what that is exactly.

Anyway, been doing some fishing at the cabin and will try to get those pictures up soon.

"Working" turkeys

2008-05-21T23:07:00.002-05:00

It was another stressfull work day. I was sitting in my office working on account plans. I figured I could be doing the same thing while sitting in a turkey blind. I packed my computer and headed out to the blind. After a few yelps and 20 minutes of working on account plans I noticed a turkey behind a cedar tree about 45 yards away. All I saw was a beard and got very excited. Made a few more calls and it came right for me. It got about 30 yards away and dinner was served. Turned out what I thought was a young jake turned out to be a bearded hen. That would be my second hen turkey taken in IA. The first, was a strutting hen(video proof), the second shown here. I finished up account plans and headed home. Maybe next year I'll do the same, if Im still employed.

Really Late Season KS Turkey

2008-05-19T11:00:00.002-05:00

Shot this nice and soon to be yummy tasting jake this morning. No dekes, no blind, no calling (well maybe a little calling but not at the birds). Hunted last night watched the birds go into the treeline. Came back in the morning and set up against a tree to wait. Now since turkey camp I havent fired my weapon and I must say that I have probably logged at least 70 hours in the bush since then. Turkeys were gobbling everywhere but AGAIN none stepped out into the field. I moved into a bunch of fall downs and and of course fall promptly into nice little nappy. I woke up to find a group of 4 jakes and 2 hens just entering the field about 50 yards to my left. They began to move across the filed and were maybe 45 yards away when desperation got the best of me. I wish I could tell you that I killed him that far away but after I shot the "stupid" birds didnt know what to do. They spread out all over the field and this moron runs about 30 yards to my left. If I have to say I did anything spectacular its that I shot him on a dead run at that distance. I am thinking maybe the good lord was feeling a bit sorry for me this morning.

Late Sesason Ks Turkey

2008-05-17T10:31:00.003-05:00

Heres a pic of a friend of mine Brian from work who shot this respectable Tom about 4 miles from where Brain and I shot the jakes earlier this year ( 10 inch beard 1 inch spurs). We gambled on some new spots and he walked off but couldnt find a good area so he was walking back along a road and saw a large group of jakes and a few toms fighting in a field. He set up on the edge no blind, no dekes, no calling. 2 hours later one of the toms came close enough. I on the other hand struck out completely and have pretty much ever since turkey camp. I have enjoyed a great amount of time in the woods this spring though and I still got a few days left to bag another and truly have become a turkey hunting junky going 2-3 times a week much to the chagrin of my wife. Fortunately this is one bird my wife loves to eat so I have that on my side!!!!

My first 300 lb pig

2008-05-08T20:27:00.001-05:00

Where to begin. I hunted my butt off (hundreds of hours at night) for 2years in Deutschland to get this pig. My friends in Baudenbach werekind enough to let me hunt on their property every full moon for years(pig hunting in Deutschland is mostly done at night). After a hardymeal and a few drinks with Eberhard, Rudy, and "Big" George at the jagdcabin, I took George's advice on stand selection. Rudy was kind enoughto show me where it was. On this particular night, 8 Nov 03, there wasan eclipse scheduled at about 11:00 PM. My friend Shawn and I werestaying late, and he said he wanted to hunt thru the eclipse. So wecrawled into our stands at about 7:00 PM. I remember thinking theeclipse could maybe last an hour. It was a very still night, no snow onthe ground. At about 11:00, the eclipse started. I saw a fox anddebated shooting it, but feared the rifle fire would scare any pigsaway. Hours later, the eclipse was still going, I was quite frustratedafter sitting so many days. My rifle was pointed to the left in myseat. After hearing nothing for 7 hours, I heard one twig snap to myright. I picked up my rifle and pointed it out the right window.Looking thru my binoculars, I saw a shadowy shape moving at a brisk walkfrom front right to rear right. I quickly identified it as a hog, hadenough time to pick up the rifle, swing, sight, and shoot. It was aperfect heart shot. I went to my friend Eberhards house for help, Itold him I had shot a pig and he said "where is it?" I told him we needthe trailer- he said- "oh." We got back to the pig, Eberhard wasexcited as well, he blew the "Sau is Dead" song thru his horn, it echoedthru the spruce forest, it was beautiful. Truly my favorite memory fromDeutschland, and the hardest trophy I ever earned. It's weight was 266lbs field dressed, and had a very fine set of teeth.

For Our German Friends

2008-05-07T09:35:00.009-05:00

Kelly finally bags one!!

2008-05-05T11:22:00.002-05:00

After weeks of guiding others and watching ALOT of turkeys walk around our blinds Kelly bagged a young jake last night. Not alot to look at bu YUUUUUUMMMMMMYYYYYY!!! I pretty much decided that whatever (tom or jake) walks in front of my blind is ending up on my grill.

Two Kansas Toms

2008-04-26T11:22:00.005-05:00

Here's two nice toms that Mark and I shot on Friday evening after watching Ryan and Adam slay a couple nice ones in the late afternoon. We watched a bunch of them mill around a couple hundred yards in front of us for almost two hours. Finally, my "turkey skins" decoy was too much for them to resist and they came into range and Mark and I lowered the boom. Ryan and Adam counted 52 turkeys in the field at one point. Amazing! Can't wait 'til next year.

By the way, I have a '98 Tahoe for sale really cheap!

2008-04-21T09:41:00.001-05:00

Of course its about this too. A hard days hunt followed by good food and fellowship..

2008-04-21T09:38:00.002-05:00

Id tell the story but most of you have heard it, lived it, or will get to in person. Suffice it to say that Brian and I worked hard fro these two jakes. We had the right plan we stuck to it and were successful. Thanks for a day Ill never forget Brian...."give em the crinkly bag"

Turkey Camp 08"

2008-04-21T09:36:00.002-05:00

Only took 13 hours to kill these...

Turkey Camp 08"

2008-04-21T09:34:00.002-05:00

PSSSTTTT Brian wake up I see big foot!!!

Turkey Camp 08"

2008-04-20T14:33:00.002-05:00

Heres some of the photos from Turkey camp, we never did get the group photo taken

Prelude to a Kansas Turkey Hunt

2008-03-26T18:51:00.005-05:00

Thanks to Kelly for this picture of a few "soon to be deceased" toms (hopefully). This really gets me going. Just a few short weeks and we'll be there. Time to get the tent ready, Mark! We've got longbeards to slaughter!

2008-03-18T23:29:00.002-05:00

This picture was taken near Mound City MO. This is also part of my new job description...can it get any better. We did above average compared to the other groups in the outfitter. We took somewhere around 80 geese in two days of hunting. We set up in mostly corn fields and a pasure near water. The decoy spreads were all around 1000 "deadly decoys". We all went through an insane amount of shells b/c alot of the times when the wind wasnt blowing we would have to reach out pretty far. When the wind was blowing the birds came in like crazy. It was truly a memorable hunt and will no doubt do it again. I have to mention it....During this trip I actually saw one of my customers friends eat a goose heart. He likes eating dove hearts and we dared him to eat a goose heart, he did.

2008-03-04T20:22:00.002-06:00

After a long stalk through a corn field and a belly crawl across a pasture, Tim and I were able to successfully kill this Canadian. Unfortuantely the neighbor did not enjoy this hunt as much as we did. Long story short is the lady that came out of the house had a mouth like a sailor. Fortunately for us Adam was able to smooth over the situation. I am sure that if we are presented with the opportunity again, we will take the shot and will get swore at.

2008-03-04T20:10:00.002-06:00

Kansas turkey hunting at its finest. There is nothing like discussing the days hunt, warming by the fire and sharing a wealth of knowledge over a cocktail. Hopefully in 6 short weeks when it is time to kill the long beard it will be somewhat warmer than it appears in this picture.

SD Rifle Buck

2008-02-28T23:56:00.003-06:00

Two weeks later after harvesting the below bow buck, I managed to rifle this monster. Just shy of 150 class deer. A classic 10, and massive. What makes this hunt memorable is I took my brother in law Tim to video tape and be a pair of "extra eyes". After about an hour of sitting, I had to relieve myslef. I hadnt even zipped up and I saw this buck trotting through the grass. Put the cross hairs on him and it was over. I dont think Tim saw the buck until it was down. Thanks Tim. Possibly the biggest buck I'll ever take. Thanks dad for letting me borrow your 30-06.

SD Grand Rack Master

2008-02-28T23:32:00.003-06:00

This pic is my bow buck from 05. Shot it in Dad's field. One of the greatest hunting days in all my life. Wife was gone shopping, I talked my nephew Erik K into watching my daughter, glad I took the risk.

I watched the buck come in from about half mile away. Lost site of him below some terraces. I heard him grunting, so I logically grabbed my grunt call and no more than two grunts on that thing and up he came over the terrace. He was clearly looking for a fight. Steam billowing out of his nose and looking around in all directions. He decided to follow the terrace right to me. My blade cut right through an artery, went 100yds and died. Very fortunate b/c I hit him way high and way back, I think my arrow probably hit some switch grass b/c even my dad could have made that shot (15yds). Adam came out and helped me follow the blood trail/gut/and load him. The cool thing is, VanZantens hired man found my arrow two years later while pheasant hunting. This is a day I will remember all my life.

Rackmaster

2008-02-25T22:25:00.003-06:00

These are the first two bucks I shot with my bow. The smaller one in 05, the bigger one in 06. In 07 I let one go that was bigger than 05 but smaller than 06. I did get video of him though and will post that sometime. 06 I have on the wall and enjoy looking at him every day. The day I shot him was a perfect November day. Wind was still, temp around 32. He came down a trail I had only ever seen one deer on before so I didn't even have a shooting lane cut. I picked out a small hole in brush and managed to stop him in just the right spot. He was 30 yds out and my Thunderhead sliced him good. He never got more than 60 yards from my stand and I was fortunate enough to watch him expire. It was the longest 30 minutes of my life.

IOWA HUNTING

2008-02-19T09:24:00.003-06:00

Just a preview to let you see what 20 minutes of Iowa hunting can do if you know where the birds are. This is Jordan and a friend with 6 birds. The dog is JJ (jordans dog) 2 years old and becoming a great hunting dog. More later.

My first Buck!

2008-02-18T16:59:00.003-06:00

Here is a pic of my first buck ever! I have only been hunting deer for 4 years and only really got into it because of Brad and a few of my friends. I realize it is just a basket rack....... But it was on the last day of Buck season and the only deer we saw that day. Shot him out of the slough by the stock dam on Virg's. I also shot another younger doe with my rifle this year and two more with my muzzleloader. All in all it was a decent year hunting whitetails! I always have a good time when Brad, Tim, and Mark come down and hunt.... whatever it may be.

IA Pheasant Hunt

2008-02-16T23:20:00.004-06:00

This is more like a days hunt in IA. I saw nearly 500 birds this day, no kidding. The guys to the left of me and the guys to the right of me missed their limit 3 times over. Its hard seeing that as a guide. I bet I have this same photo twenty times over with the same guys in the same spot over the years, thats what makes it cool.