[Charles Ek]

in reply to: What ya got goin'? 2 #125718

May 3rd was opening day for spring turkey hunting in New Hampshire. I set up at the end of a monster hay field, 550 yards long, surrounded by mixed forest. Access is by foot only, and on this morning it required knee boots to get there, so I had 2500 acres all to myself. 🙂 Heard early gobbling at the far end. Eventually called him down the length of the far side of the field, but right when he would have crossed to me, a group of coyotes started choir practice a few hundred yards away. He was done moving in the open, and I didn’t have enough time free to try later in the morning. (Shooting ends at noon during the spring season.)

I went back last Friday and had the most fun possible without actually shooting a bird. Called in the same gobbler and a jake from the opposite corner of the field. The jake came into the midst of my decoys, at ten yards or so. Passed on him as I waited for the gobbler to commit.

Which he didn’t do, preferring to hang back about 12 yards from the decoys. The two of them hung around for the better part of an hour, but I never had a shot on the gobbler. He was gobbling but not thundering, almost continuously. I had two hen and three male decoys – might have been too much maleness for him. He had a very heavy breast but a moderate fan and beard. In other words, not Boss Gobbler.

I’m going to give him a few days off and try a less threatening decoy setup.

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Replacement String for Martin Recurve #89071

Rolling your own gets way easier after the first one. I found this guy’s tutorial very helpful:

http://poorfolkbows.com/flemish1.htm

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Changes to Tradbow.com #89070

I have no idea why, but suddenly the new website appears here as it should. 🙂

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Changes to Tradbow.com #42768

I use this computer and this browser professionally on a daily basis to access websites all over the world. Sorry, not interested in Chrome.

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Changes to Tradbow.com #27729

Webmother wrote: I was wrong, that is the new site. But maybe clearing the cache or refreshing the page will work.

No change after refreshing and then clearing the cache.

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Changes to Tradbow.com #25807

Robin,

I’m using Safari on a Mac. Here’s what the new site looks like for me:

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Hunting 2016 #8365

The big brother version of rattling worked on a bigger cervid this fall … to a point.

My partner called in a moose for me with a moose scapula which I found years ago and held onto, waiting for a tag that came this year. When he scraped a bush with it a few dozen yards behind me, I nearly jumped up, it sounded so realistic. Less than thirty minutes later, the real thing showed up but winded us when it was about 60-70 yards from me.

Our deer and turkey seasons end tomorrow. I got out one last time yesterday. (My head is down to look at the deer track, not because I’m dejected!) Thought you Texans should get a chance to see it’s not all sunshine and open range. 🙂

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: "Harvest" #52016

Deer are killed. Potatoes are harvested. I’ve done both and I know the difference.

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Things That Happen Out There #49296

Steve Graf wrote:

Somehow I ended up leaning back over the void looking into the wide eyes of one of my buds. Nothing between me and the rocks below but my heels on the ledge.

And somehow, against the laws of physics it seems, I leaned back into the rock and reattached myself to the wall.

Been there, done that. On a rock face outside Bergen, Norway, that I had no business being on. Alone. Without protection. Without a soul in the world knowing where I was, and an ocean plus half a continent between me and the next person who would have cared about the outcome. Thirty-nine years later, I’m still convinced that the only reason my hands came back into contact with the rock was that I tilted my head forward.

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: 2 Good PA Bucks #35715

Nicely done!

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: winter target range #33764

Ptaylor wrote: Yeah I definitely don’t miss that freezing rain. We don’t get that strong of winds. When the wind does blow it’s nerve racking with all the tree limbs falling. But the tarp won’t get blown around too much. But if that member we have on here from the Nunavut chimes in he’ll put us all to shame complaining about our winters.

His fingers might be too stiff: https://www.facebook.com/CBCnunavut/videos/922484334552832/

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: a little sad today. #16104

grumpy wrote: Thanks ed. I’ll let you know when I find it at my local used books dealer.:D:D

Right back at ya: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/mobile/marketplacelisting/finding-wounded-deer-john-trout-jr/1113981409?ean=9780970749307

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: a little sad today. #10805

For future reference, in case you’re unaware –

Several states have recently allowed the use of blood trailing dogs to find wounded game. I don’t know where you are, but you might want to check. The dog handlers are frequently volunteers.

The above-mentioned Mr. Trout has written “Finding Wounded Deer,” an expanded and advanced sequel to his “Trailing Whitetails.” The former should be required reading for any hunter, IMO.

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: winter target range #10563

Ptaylor wrote: Memories of the frigid cold have recessed deeply into my brain, it’s hard to extract them. Nice video, I don’t think I could shoot with all those clothes on.

Thanks. One of the great benefits of a backyard range and working at home is the chance to shoot on a nearly daily basis. This helps in getting used to different clothing setups as the seasons progress.

The wobbly video was shot with a smartphone firmly attached to a leafless four-inch maple …

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: winter target range #63311

grumpy wrote: OR freezing rain….

C’mon you know what WINTER is, you used to live here, and you know just how easy you have it out there. 😕

Perchance this will tweak his memory:

[Author]

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