jkratz5
Well-Known Member
Last week my brother Steve, good buddy Kyle and I headed to Kansas for our 5th year in a row. Once again we were on the birds as soon as arriving. After a quick scouting mission we spotted a lone tom on one of our farms and decided to make a move on him. After quickly sliding through a creek bottom we were within a 150yds and we hit the call a couple of times. About 10 minutes later we could see the tom, now 250yds or so away with a hen pulling him away. We decided that it was time to break out the Chicken (our version of the fan) and sent my brother on his first ever fan mission. He popped up over a creek bank at 150yds or so and almost immediately the bird turned to take out the Chicken. My brother turned to me and said, he is $#%# coming. I laughed as I watched the bird close to about 10yds and then begin strutting around my brother and the chicken sitting in the middle of a pasture. After letting the tom put on a show for a few minutes he dropped the Chicken and the big Tom just stoop there as my brother raised the 10ga. and let her bark. 15 minutes in Kansas and we were on the board. My brother is still in shock from this hunt, couldn't believe how close the bird was in the middle of an open pasture.
Bird #1 Down, Dead right where my brother stands
The next morning we headed to a spot that has been historically loaded with birds. We set up on an old logging road about 500yds from where the birds roost and in the typical direction they work after fly down. At first light we weren't disappointed, we were surrounded by gobblers, most of which were 300-500yds away. The birds hit the ground shortly after 6:45 and we were treated to a show for the next 20 minutes. About 6:55 we had 14 jakes and 1 gobbler in the dekes with 4 other long beards shortly behind them. When the boss mounted the Avian Breeder Hen it pissed the rest of the long beards off and the closest one came in on a dead run. They did the mean dance around the dekes, beat the tar out of the Avian Jake and once they had had there fun we put the 1, 2, 3.....Double Bang on the two toms in the dekes.
Double Down!!!! Bird on the left was a giant Rio, nearly 24lbs, 11" beard and 1 3/8" hooks. Bird on the right was a fiesty 2 year old that nearly lost his pumpkin from an 8yd shot
Later that morning the crew split up and my brother called about 10:00 and he had dropped the hammer on a big tom. He had birds work through his spread for about an hour straight, first hens, then a group of 8 jakes, then a group of 14 jakes, and finally a silent gobbler popped over a hill about 80yds out. Strutted right to the dekes, spittin and drummin and once at 14yds the 10ga barked again and my brother was tagged out.
The next morning we headed to another farm that we have typically had success at. The wind was blowing 30+ mph so we headed to a bottom that was out of the wind and setup 400-500yds from where we heard birds sounding off. At first fly down, the birds worked through a cut milo field and it was obvious by the number of gobbles that they were alone and looking for love. After 20 minutes or so of coaxing I heard wings flap as the birds pitched across a small creek. 5 minutes later I saw a red head pop over a hill and it was on. At 75 yards the bird went into 3/4 strut and charged his way to the Avian Jake and let him have it. The gun was ready to rain but we let the tom play a bit in the spread hoping that maybe one of the other birds we had heard with him would come to the spread. Finally, after the Avian Jake could take no more (he now had a broken stake, had been stood on at least 10 different times, and was laying upside down), I let the Xtrema II eat. 5 down and one to go.
The last bird of the trip was taken about 2 hours later when we decided to make a move to a spot that midday we almost always see birds. Well to our dismay a big tom had beat us to the spot. We were above the bird about 200yds almost straight up, so we slowly crawled to the edge of the cliff/drop with the Chicken leading the way. Once the tom could see the deke he ducked a fence and began strutting our way. Once he got to 80yds I knew it was a done deal but lost track of the bird due to the steep cliff he was coming up. About 2 minutes later I hear Kyle say he is right here. I couldn't see as Kyle was on my right and the bird had come from that side. I peaked over the Chicken and the bird was less than 2yds from us. Kyle picked the gun up and we were tagged out in Kansas. It was another great trip and I can't wait to return next spring.
Kratz
Bird #1 Down, Dead right where my brother stands
The next morning we headed to a spot that has been historically loaded with birds. We set up on an old logging road about 500yds from where the birds roost and in the typical direction they work after fly down. At first light we weren't disappointed, we were surrounded by gobblers, most of which were 300-500yds away. The birds hit the ground shortly after 6:45 and we were treated to a show for the next 20 minutes. About 6:55 we had 14 jakes and 1 gobbler in the dekes with 4 other long beards shortly behind them. When the boss mounted the Avian Breeder Hen it pissed the rest of the long beards off and the closest one came in on a dead run. They did the mean dance around the dekes, beat the tar out of the Avian Jake and once they had had there fun we put the 1, 2, 3.....Double Bang on the two toms in the dekes.
Double Down!!!! Bird on the left was a giant Rio, nearly 24lbs, 11" beard and 1 3/8" hooks. Bird on the right was a fiesty 2 year old that nearly lost his pumpkin from an 8yd shot
Later that morning the crew split up and my brother called about 10:00 and he had dropped the hammer on a big tom. He had birds work through his spread for about an hour straight, first hens, then a group of 8 jakes, then a group of 14 jakes, and finally a silent gobbler popped over a hill about 80yds out. Strutted right to the dekes, spittin and drummin and once at 14yds the 10ga barked again and my brother was tagged out.
The next morning we headed to another farm that we have typically had success at. The wind was blowing 30+ mph so we headed to a bottom that was out of the wind and setup 400-500yds from where we heard birds sounding off. At first fly down, the birds worked through a cut milo field and it was obvious by the number of gobbles that they were alone and looking for love. After 20 minutes or so of coaxing I heard wings flap as the birds pitched across a small creek. 5 minutes later I saw a red head pop over a hill and it was on. At 75 yards the bird went into 3/4 strut and charged his way to the Avian Jake and let him have it. The gun was ready to rain but we let the tom play a bit in the spread hoping that maybe one of the other birds we had heard with him would come to the spread. Finally, after the Avian Jake could take no more (he now had a broken stake, had been stood on at least 10 different times, and was laying upside down), I let the Xtrema II eat. 5 down and one to go.
The last bird of the trip was taken about 2 hours later when we decided to make a move to a spot that midday we almost always see birds. Well to our dismay a big tom had beat us to the spot. We were above the bird about 200yds almost straight up, so we slowly crawled to the edge of the cliff/drop with the Chicken leading the way. Once the tom could see the deke he ducked a fence and began strutting our way. Once he got to 80yds I knew it was a done deal but lost track of the bird due to the steep cliff he was coming up. About 2 minutes later I hear Kyle say he is right here. I couldn't see as Kyle was on my right and the bird had come from that side. I peaked over the Chicken and the bird was less than 2yds from us. Kyle picked the gun up and we were tagged out in Kansas. It was another great trip and I can't wait to return next spring.
Kratz
