My season in a nutshell

HuntnMa · Post by **HuntnMa** » May 16th, 2015, 7:50 am

I thought I'd share my hunting season with y'all...short and sweet, lol.(lies, all lies lol)
Hunted 16 days in Florida, missed a bearded hen and passed on a jake opening morning, then nothing too exciting...as soon as our season ended I jumped on a plane with my boss/friend and headed out west for another week...Oregon. We always try to go out west together for a hunt. Came home birdless and with poison oak (Satan's plant). It was everywhere out there and on me, lol.
Went to some nice Breweries and small pubs...

It was beautiful...conquered mountains, called a monster gobbler in with my natural voice, he didn't come in where I thought he would, I knew it was a long shot but not as far as it was , missed...kinda knew I would...had a gobbler coming in only to have atv's run him off, then I had to these 2 guys set up right next to me after spooking my bird off the roost but I was in between the gobbler and hens

only to have 2 more hunters come in and spook them only after crawling up the mountain on my hands and knees to get a shot but saw so much. The hunters out there were just rude, never in my life have I experienced the arrogance and disrespect for a fellow hunter.
The flight attendant loved me and gave me a going away gift, lol.

My hunting buddy

First had a mountain lion scream at us, it was un-nerving and then I found these rocks piled on stumps, creepy.

creepy 7'' penis-like slugs

saw cat tracks, 3 different sets... elk about 20 , rubs, deer, birds, both turkey and songbirds,the Stellar jay is beautiful but what a pain in the butt, loud, obnoxious....and sea lions

I had deer around me every hunt, they'd bed down 30-40 yds from me...it was amazing.One day I saw 17.

Lazuli Bunting

Bearded beauty

some scenery

sucks when you have a bird gobbling at the top, you get up there and you see him glide down to the bottom, lol...I can tell you I'm much faster going down, lol.

Took 264 pics and then we said Good-Bye in style...it was an adventure I won't soon forget.

Pendleton's on the rocks at Mcmenamins pub
It was a hard hunting season and I enjoyed every day of it...it's been a blessing to make the memories I made.

Spuriosity · Post by **Spuriosity** » May 16th, 2015, 7:54 am

Sorry you had such a rough season, but you did get some cool pix and memories. It'll just make next year's bird that much sweeter.

HuntnMa · Post by **HuntnMa** » May 16th, 2015, 8:01 am

Don't be sorry, I enjoyed making the memories and sharing my hunt days with my Florida hunting buddies and Tom. I helped 2 people get birds...saw birds and many other of God's creatures...and my back didn't go out

it's not about killing ( obviously, lol )... it's about the hunt

I do regret not helping my fellow Swindlers out but not because I wasn't out there trying.

pullit · Post by **pullit** » May 16th, 2015, 8:05 am

Sorry your season went down in flames but you have some great pictures.

Bigspurs68 · Post by **Bigspurs68** » May 16th, 2015, 8:10 am

Some nice pics there. Too bad you ran into slob hunters.

Gobbler · Post by **Gobbler** » May 16th, 2015, 8:17 am

MA your pictures are the best, Glad you had fun on your trip.

Site seeing and visiting cool paces while out of state has become as much fun as hunting for me. At my age the killing is not as important as the experience and the fellowship with other turkey hunters.
I also had a slow year on killing but allot of fun hanging out with friends and family while hunting.

Next time you go out of state take a turkey call with you.

HuntnMa · Post by **HuntnMa** » May 16th, 2015, 8:27 am

Hahahaha I did Doug...butthead, lol... after the morning from hell with the other hunters I got so pissed that they wouldn't leave, I grabbed my gear and took off on a 3 mile hike to the other side, I sit down and I go to get my power crystal and it's not in my pocket...sitting in poison oak, I cried like a lil baby, I was so pissed...then I found it in the inside vest pocket...happy day again

I did get on that ridge bird after the morning hunt so it ended up a good day and yes, that's sweat on the lens in the pic, lol... it kinda sucks to have to wait another year before I get a slam

Grumpy · Post by **Grumpy** » May 16th, 2015, 10:35 am

Ma come out to get a Montana bird next year, me and a friend were the only 2 that hunted this ranch with plenty of turkeys. We both got our birds and saw and heard plenty. You fly into Gt. Falls and I'll pick you up and the wife and I would be happy to put you up with a place to sleep and we can damn sure feed you. I got the gasoline covered to go to this ranch too. You don't even need a gun, I got several that kill turkeys with ease. The Bear Paw Mountains is where the ranch is located and has plenty of hay fields and fenced in hay yards with roofs that make great blinds if raining.

Jaybird · Post by **Jaybird** » May 16th, 2015, 11:18 am

Lot of great memories with beautiful pictures included. As far as Oregon, it is always hard to hunt out of state for the first time. As big as the hunting area is there, you would think running across others hunters would be rare, but evidently not. Sounds like you ticked off the locals by being in their spots, which I have seen before. Would you hunt Oregon again, or was once enough?

Shooter · Post by **Shooter** » May 16th, 2015, 11:38 am

You may have not got to pull the trigger, but you got to see some things you never saw before,... me either.
It is a dam shame bout the other hunters. I hear horror stories all season from most of my turkey Bud's, with other hunters.
I must have been lucky this year. Not once did I have someone dick with me, accident or not. I was too busy messing the hunts up all by myself!!!!

HuntnMa · Post by **HuntnMa** » May 16th, 2015, 11:58 am

Shooter, I messed up a few too, lol
I would so hunt it again Jay.... this time was a learning process and I did learn, what to do and what not to do. The locals were weekend warriors... I'd go weekdays only and I wouldn't go to the first place we went to again.
The joys of hunting public land

Grumpy, that is the sweetest invite ever and hopefully one day I will take you up on it but I know me and I won't rest until I get that Rio
My dream is to kill a bird in every state after I get my slam so Montana will be coming up soon

timbrhuntr · Post by **timbrhuntr** » May 16th, 2015, 12:08 pm

Hey ma too bad about not getting a bird and the other problems but like you said at least your back was good and you were out there hunting I know it gets tough for old Florida folks like you and Doug

but you still took it to them !

turkey_slayer · Post by **turkey_slayer** » May 16th, 2015, 12:12 pm

Beautiful pics ma. Buddy of mine just returned from hunting Washington, Idaho and Montana and said he had never ran into so many rude hunters. Said he could care less if he ever goes back to Washington. They killed birds tho and one was banded

KPcalls · Post by **KPcalls** » May 16th, 2015, 1:58 pm

Like you said Ma.....you had a good time and that's what counts. I always enjoy your pics and stories.

HuntnMa · Post by **HuntnMa** » May 16th, 2015, 2:34 pm

Doug and I are both getting fragile in our old age, lol...gotta hunt hard while it's still possible

I walked a min. of 4 miles a day and one a couple of those days I walked twice that....I should of died hahahaha but I'm still here to torment y'all

There was this kid about 16 yrs old. out there that shot a gobbler @ 5yds. with his bow in the head...it was banded. I was so tickled for him. It was a nice bird. I met him the day before, I was texting as I was walking out and I looked up and there he was ... scared the crap out of me, lol. Met his dad the next day when he came to get his son and his bird...they were both really nice people and the staff at the game and fish office were amazing so it wasn't all bad experiences with people out there.

GOLD HUNTER · Post by **GOLD HUNTER** » May 16th, 2015, 8:51 pm

WV Ridge Reaper · Post by **WV Ridge Reaper** » May 16th, 2015, 9:35 pm

Well that almost makes a person wanna fly haha.

What's up with the rocks on the stumps? That is weird

Like your hunting buddy cute and funny.

Like others said it's neat to see the country while your out to kill.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

HuntnMa · Post by **HuntnMa** » May 17th, 2015, 6:30 am

I wasn't so sober when we flew out but coming back I was totally sober and it sucked...I hate flying.
And it was such a long flight.
My hunting buddy was a gift from someone dear to me and since he couldn't go...that was the next best thing.
I don't know what the deal was with the rocks, all I know is I was creeped out. I have read that bigfoot will stack rocks ... and I have video of this whooping sound because I didn't know what it was and it sounds like BF audio, lol...so I'm thinking BF, lol.... part of the adventure for me is trying to identify the different birds and plants/trees that I don't get to see here in Florida.

Jaybird · Post by **Jaybird** » May 17th, 2015, 12:42 pm

Forgot to mention the rocks. They are called cairns. Cairns have many meanings from marking property, pointing direction of travel, to spiritual with some American Indian tribes. I have seen many Cairns in Canada, and they are felt to bring good luck for those building them.

HuntnMa · Post by **HuntnMa** » May 17th, 2015, 3:18 pm

Thank you........I wish I would of not been creeped out by them.

Stinky J Picklestein · Post by **Stinky J Picklestein** » May 17th, 2015, 5:46 pm

HuntnMa wrote:Thank you........I wish I would of not been creeped out by them.

Now you'll know to build your own next time.

Jaybird · Post by **Jaybird** » May 17th, 2015, 7:55 pm

Stinky J Picklestein wrote:
HuntnMa wrote:Thank you........I wish I would of not been creeped out by them.
Now you'll know to build your own next time.

Exactly. It almost gurantees a successful hunt.

HuntnMa · Post by **HuntnMa** » May 18th, 2015, 5:17 am

hahaha I will too, lol.

hookedspur · Post by **hookedspur** » May 18th, 2015, 6:27 am

Great Pictures Ma ..

Gobbler Nation