Limb Chicken
Active Member
Tuesday May 12, found me in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs, full count. Last day to hunt the black beauties this year. Set up where I worked a few birds a couple days prior and had to leave when I had three on a string. Verified by the farmer that was coming into plant when I was headed out. A call from his cell confirmed it. There were three strutting where I was set up just a half hour before... So, I at least felt good about going back there. In my back pocket I carried a trump card if I needed it. I would call a buddy that owns the ground that these birds had been coming from and set up on a ridge that I knew they used. So morning presented the same situation as the previous time I hunted this place. Birds going crazy but pitching down and doing their routine in the my friend's place. A quick phone call and "go for it" later and I was packing up and heading to my new location. It turned out to be the right call as I was taking my blind down and a big A came in to spay the field. It also turned out to be a blessing because it ran all of the birds out of the field so I could set up.
Getting over there I soon realized this wasn't going to be as easy as I once thought. I had heard the sounds of cattle over there and would catch an occasional glimpse of one but never really paid much attention. Well now up close and personal it was very apparent that I was dealing with 4 different bulls...
What to do? I don't have a problem with cattle in general but you never know what kind of mood the bulls will be in so I call my buddy back and asked him if any of them had any behavioral problems. He laughed said they hadn't had any problems with them and said as he hung up... I would probably just stay by the fence... Great! What the heck is that suppose to mean. This guy likes to joke around so I wouldn't put it passed him to get a kick out of listening to a story about running around playing rodeo clown trying to protect my equipment. Now I wouldn't generally worry but I have a blind, camera, tripod, bow, decoys, and all the other crap I carry and I was by my self this morning so it would take a while to get that crap thrown over the fence in case one of these delinquents decides they don't want me in their personal space. So I am standing there after crossing the fence then have a stare down with them and they decide to begrudgingly move off to the next ridge. NICE!
Well I finally get set up and semi comfortable that I am not going to have to play rodeo clown to protect my set up and a hen pops out from cover, then another and I look up on the hill and the two ground shakers that had been poppin off all morning were checking things out. They came in very slow one on each side of the ridge to the north of me and eventually one broke off and walked in very alert and slow. He finally got to thirty yards and turned his back to start to walk off and I figured I had better do something and grabbed an arrow with a jakhammer on it I had placed in my quiver a couple days before from my arrow repair jar in case I had to reach out and touch one. I touched the release and I could tell something was wrong, ZZZZZZZZZZHHHHHH. Ah, it became very apparent why I had placed that arrow in the REPAIR jar now. A blazer vane flapping in the wind and a spooked bird(s) later I was not real happy with myself and ready to put this season in the books when I look to my south and another tom is feeding and checking things out he starts towards the two hens up on the hill then sees my set up and starts to slowly work his way towards me. NICE! I had 25 minutes left on my tape in my camera, so I pointed it towards him and let er roll. Grabbed a good arrow out of my quiver and left the bullhead on the ground incase he came close enough. He jacks around and finally looks like he is going to bug out and I am getting ready for the shot and he decides to get tough and puts his beak in the air and comes to kick some jake butt. I grab the bullhead nock it up and wait. He is now pecking the head of the DSD jake and I am drawn and waiting so I can shoot without taking the head off of my decoy. He finally raises his head slightly and I let er eat. Knocks my decoy off the stake and lays dead doing the bicycle in the decoys. 11 am. It was good footage but I forgot to get it on the jake decoy and missed the shot on tape but nothing I can do about it now. Anyway that is the first time I have used the bullheads and I can tell you they are fun to shoot. I will continue to use these for turkeys that look like they are going to get up close and personal. 2009 turkey season closed. Bring on the Minnesota walleyes!
Getting over there I soon realized this wasn't going to be as easy as I once thought. I had heard the sounds of cattle over there and would catch an occasional glimpse of one but never really paid much attention. Well now up close and personal it was very apparent that I was dealing with 4 different bulls...
What to do? I don't have a problem with cattle in general but you never know what kind of mood the bulls will be in so I call my buddy back and asked him if any of them had any behavioral problems. He laughed said they hadn't had any problems with them and said as he hung up... I would probably just stay by the fence... Great! What the heck is that suppose to mean. This guy likes to joke around so I wouldn't put it passed him to get a kick out of listening to a story about running around playing rodeo clown trying to protect my equipment. Now I wouldn't generally worry but I have a blind, camera, tripod, bow, decoys, and all the other crap I carry and I was by my self this morning so it would take a while to get that crap thrown over the fence in case one of these delinquents decides they don't want me in their personal space. So I am standing there after crossing the fence then have a stare down with them and they decide to begrudgingly move off to the next ridge. NICE!Well I finally get set up and semi comfortable that I am not going to have to play rodeo clown to protect my set up and a hen pops out from cover, then another and I look up on the hill and the two ground shakers that had been poppin off all morning were checking things out. They came in very slow one on each side of the ridge to the north of me and eventually one broke off and walked in very alert and slow. He finally got to thirty yards and turned his back to start to walk off and I figured I had better do something and grabbed an arrow with a jakhammer on it I had placed in my quiver a couple days before from my arrow repair jar in case I had to reach out and touch one. I touched the release and I could tell something was wrong, ZZZZZZZZZZHHHHHH. Ah, it became very apparent why I had placed that arrow in the REPAIR jar now. A blazer vane flapping in the wind and a spooked bird(s) later I was not real happy with myself and ready to put this season in the books when I look to my south and another tom is feeding and checking things out he starts towards the two hens up on the hill then sees my set up and starts to slowly work his way towards me. NICE! I had 25 minutes left on my tape in my camera, so I pointed it towards him and let er roll. Grabbed a good arrow out of my quiver and left the bullhead on the ground incase he came close enough. He jacks around and finally looks like he is going to bug out and I am getting ready for the shot and he decides to get tough and puts his beak in the air and comes to kick some jake butt. I grab the bullhead nock it up and wait. He is now pecking the head of the DSD jake and I am drawn and waiting so I can shoot without taking the head off of my decoy. He finally raises his head slightly and I let er eat. Knocks my decoy off the stake and lays dead doing the bicycle in the decoys. 11 am. It was good footage but I forgot to get it on the jake decoy and missed the shot on tape but nothing I can do about it now. Anyway that is the first time I have used the bullheads and I can tell you they are fun to shoot. I will continue to use these for turkeys that look like they are going to get up close and personal. 2009 turkey season closed.
Bring on the Minnesota walleyes!
