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We didn't have a lot of hope this year due to my wife tearing her mcl and ACL 2 weeks before the hunt. After a miss on the first stand, we regrouped and moved about 500yds up the mountain. The box call brought this guy in strutting. He paused at 65yds and she let him have it. We were done before 630am.

Up for sale is my Remington 788 chambered in .222 Rem with two boxes of ammo. Rifle is in great condition with only 2 small rubs (seen on last picture) on the metal. Great little rifle. Scope and rings not included. $400

https://www.nba.com/celtics/video/originals/havlicek-tribute-042519

Looking for elk found some mulies. This past Easter weekend. Two matching sets.

We got lucky and turned one up yesterday. It was my sons first time shed hunting. Completely made his and my day, he was tired and riding on my shoulders back to the truck when we found it. Quiet ride home

I’m 50 years old. These attacks on our freedoms have commenced less than 10 years ago. This new, younger generation is the catalyst. Unfortunately, it’s your generation that’s ruined hunting. You guys can’t piss in the woods without posting a status update on Instagram! Hunting and the outdoors was so much better before social media. It was shared with only those people that were important to us and not every Tom, Dick and Harry on Instagram or Facebook! We’d go out, kill a few coyotes, sit around the campfire and talk about the fun. And that’d be it! Fast forward to today, and every second of every day HAS to be posted on Facebook or Instagram so you poor snowflakes can get some instant gratification or base your self-worth on others’ opinions. If guys would just go out, kill some coyotes and STFU, this wouldn’t be an issue. Sorry, but that’s the truth. Hunting here was so much better in the 70’s and 80’s and before the addiction to phones and social media that we see today.

Heres my OTC Buck, shot him Monday just after noon, took about 8 or 9 days of spot and stalk/sitting. Have a shed of his and last 4 months of cam pics. This is my biggest coues and my first archery coues...addicted.

Hay that looks like the one I was on, he made a u turn to your call.. Lol. Was a vocal morning, heard at least 10 birds. Awesome congratulations to the wife..

Rewind to early December of 2018. My phone rings and I get a call from Justin Watts, our regional director of the NWTF. He called to inform me that Draysen's entry into the NWTF's JAKE'S National Essay Contest had won, and that he and a chaperone would be going, all expenses paid, to the NWTF convention in Nashville and to El Dorado, Kansas in April where he would attend and participate in the Kansas Governor's One Shot Turkey Hunt/Competition. Rather than go on for paragraphs and paragraphs about all the lead-up, the convention, etc. (which I believe I posted about previously) I will jump to this past week. We got up about 2:00 AM this past Wednesday morning to head to the airport only to receive reports about potential problems with our Dallas connection on to Wichita. Fortunately, we were a little ahead of the worst weather, and despite some bumpy flights met up with Pat Post in Wichita just a little before noon. Pat and his wife Janet, the director of the Kansas Governor's One Shot Turkey Hunt, have been in volved with it for the past 32 of it's 33 years. Talk about great people!!! We had met and spent time with them while at the convention in Nashville, and enjoyed getting reacquainted on our drive to El Dorado. The Kansas Governor's One Shot Turkey Hunt is a by invitation only event. It is largely made up of leaders of industry, celebrities, pro athletes, a handful of "hunting hero" vets, a few Kansas youth hunters, and of course our Draysen. Each of the 78 hunter participants is pre-paired up with a mentor-guide for the experience. Lucky for us, the JAKE'S essay winner gets one of the best, Melinda Duff. Melinda helps maintain a very special piece of property owned by the Raymond Criss family. Many people told us that this property may be one of the finest pieces of turkey property in all of Kansas. Having spent two days on it, I am inclined to agree. Sadly, the owner, Raymond, passed away in a tractor accident a few years ago. Raymond was one of the founders the Governor's One Shot Turkey Hunt 33 years ago, and was a major part of the JAKE'S essay winners inclusion into the event. As a memorial, the family spread his ashes on the top of a hill in probably the most prime spot of their 400 acre property and have designated this as a spot to only ever be hunted by the JAKE'S winner. Not even family and friends are permitted to hunt to spot. I don't have the words to express how humbled and honored Draysen and I were to be there. The first afternoon was spent getting checked in, getting Draysen's licenses and tags, passing Melinda's shotgun shooting test she implemented a couple of years ago. She has a special name for the test, but I probably shouldn't mention it publicly 😉. During the shotgun test, we had a BIG Tom come into the field across the property line to watch us while strutting across the field. That really got the excitement going. We then had a get together social with all the other hunters. We finally we hit the sack about 10:00 PM exhausted, but super anxious. The next morning, Melinda picked us up about 3:45 AM. After a breif stop at headquarters for breakfast and sack lunches we were on our way. It was only a short 10 minute drive and 10-15 minute walk to the blind, but we ended up doing a circle or two around the hill as we fumbled through the dark. Once set up in the blind it wasn't long before we began to be treated to a pre-dawn gobble party. I've never before experienced so many gobbles coming from so many directions at the same time. It was incredible! Shortly after shooting light, the birds began to show themselves. First wad a big group of jakes to fed 10 yards right in front of our blind for what seemed forever (video below). We saw a couple of really nice Toms beyond the group of jakes and slightly down the hill. They were absolute shooters, but wouldn't commit to coming in. At one point one of the jakes began to sense something wasn't right, alerted the group, and the did a slow walk away. About 30 minutes later, they were back! This time the big boys trailing the group came in! Draysen lined up for an easy 10 yards shot waoted for a nearby jake to clear, pulled the trigger, and "click" but no "boom" (video below)! I had one job, properly load the shotgun, and I totally blew it! The shell wasn't fully chambered. By the time we cleared the shotgun, the birds had heard the click, and again had done a slow retreat. Would he get a third chance? Absolutely, and only 20-30 minutes later. This time the biggest Tom was in the lead. Draysen wasn't going to wait for him to get too close and get mixed up with all the rest of the birds preventing a clean shot, and took him with one clean solid shot at about 25 yards. Tag #1 filled! But rather than going to get the bird, we decided to sit tight and work on a double. There were way to many birds still in the area. It about 45 minutes later a new group of 3 big Tom's were spotted and on their way. As the lead bird approached, he began strutting and heading for Draysen's first bird. Draysen had pre-determined to memorialize this trip by getting a bird mounted if he got a good one, and his first bird was awesome! So he didn't want to allow this second Tom to beat up on the first and took his shot before the second bird got the chance. "Boom", second tag filled. As we celebrate, the other two Toms that came in with his second bird, being the bullies that Toms are, came and started beating up on their downed buddy. We also wanted to keep this second bird in good shape and tried to shoosh them off, but they weren't having it, and lingered for another 10 minutes until we started to get out of the blind. Even then, they only went another 50 yards down they hill. But at that point they had cleared the JAKE essay winner hunting only area. Melinda had her own tags, so we encouraged her to go after them. Eventually we convinced her. Only a few minutes later, a third bird was down. Draysen's first bird had 10.5" beard, a really nice long spur on one leg, and slightly rubbed down spur on the second. The second bird had a 9.75" beard but huge sharp 1.25" spurs. We headed for competition weigh in, measurements, and lunch. The Kansas Governor's One Shot takes amazing care of their guests! While we ate lunch they completely plucked and processed Draysen's second bird to look like a grocery store cleaned whole turkey (we froze the first whole for taxidermy), and put it in camo soft sided cooler for him on dry ice to take home. That afternoon we got a good nap and headed in for the evening banquet and auction. For that night's auction master turkey caller Preston Pittman had brought 20 custom box calls. Preston was there guiding the hunting heros. With his tags filled, Draysen got the opportunity to play the part of guide the following morning to help Melinda fill her second tag. We sat the edge of a recently planted corn filled and again were treated to a symphony of pre-dawn gobbles in the full moon light. Our blind was almost directly below the roost trees. So in the low light of the morning, we watched an estimated 50-60 birds fly down and work their was across the field in front of us. It was a scene we will never forget. The many Tom's were all hened up and didn't seem interested in our calls as they strutted hundreds of yards across the field in front of us, but just out of range. Once they were all out of sight we determined our best opportunity would be to set up a couple of hen decoys and try to call a Tom back when his hens left to lay eggs. While I was dozing off, Draysen and Melinda spotted a lone gobbler about 500 yards across the field. Game on! With a little coaching Draysen called this gobbler clear across the field to about 200 yards. Then a hen showed up that got his attention. So Draysen shifted gears and called in the hen with him cutting the distance. About the time the hen was about 5-10 yards from us, she began to sense something was up and alerted the Tom. He stopped dead in his tracks, puffed up, but wouldn't come any closer, but he had already come to close. A great 40 yard shot from Melinda and our hunt was over. More banquets, auctions, thank yous, and farewells that night. Draysen didn't win the top gun contest for biggest bird, but was given a beautiful rifle from the C.O.O of the NWTF who said some very nice thing about Draysen to the crowd. We then returned to our hotel packed up and went to bed. It is now the following morning. We are now at the Wichita airport and have a long wait for his flight, hence the long write up. This has been an experience of a lifetime for Draysen and me. So many great people did so many great things to make this great experience happen including: Mark and Kathy Nixon who kead out local East Valley Toms NWTF chapter. Janet and Pat Post of the Kansas Governor's One Shot Turkey Hunt. Mark Elliot who foot the bill for the trips. Melinda Duff, Draysen's mentor and guide. Mom, (my wife) who had to stay home with the siblings. So many more, sorry I can't begin to name them all. I know the write up was long, hope you enjoyed it, the videos, and pictures.

Big congratulations Draysen. It was fun following along on your hunt. Definitely a good memory in the bank for sure. Big kudos dad. 😊 TJ

Looks to me like I'm going 4 fletch , arrow weight ended up at 524 on the dot. Brass insert and 100 heads. Added a 7 in custom wrap on the back end and man do these hit hard and with tight groups. Super quiet vs what I started off shooting. 30 yard group

.270 is sold

That rifle and caliber are a perfect match in my opinion. The three calibers I continually consider in the Featherweight - 257 Roberts, 7mm Mauser and 7mm-08, with 7mm-08 being the most practical and 257 Roberts being more nostalgic (in my opinion), 308 is classic in that rifle as well. Any women would be proud to carry that rifle into hunt camp. Very cool.

Really is a nice rifle, regardless of Hunter/Huntress status. Kent

So, no chicks for you?

I wish Nosler would make a .284 180 standard Accubond.

I'm a fan of the 160 grain Accubond (non-LR) out of my 7mm Tikka. You may want to revisit the post titled "Noslar LRAB" from 12-5-18. A ton of useful information.

I would use Mike Vaccaro with A Head of the Game taxidermy. I have known him for years and he has completed a javelina, coues, and elk for me, which all turned out great. I currently have a mule deer with him as well. All of the animals have been done in a reasonable time and again, turned out great.

right, like how the millennials voted out trapping in AZ? Oh wait.... I also have more bad news for you, if you’re 50 right now you’re generation x.

As you type on social media, a bit of irony eh!! You are correct that social media changed everything but there isn’t an age group at fault. Some poor decisions by a few have made huge ramifications for all of us. Hopefully we can get smart and quit lighting torches on our own a$$

Building the house we had a lot of critters come and go. A calf was born in the living room, the cat killed rabbits and hid them in the bedrooms, and birds loved the attic. The spookiest one was the javelina. Middle of the night the dogs went crazy! I woke up and could smell the musk and knew exactly what it was. A flash light and piece of lumber was all I could grab since I was groggy still. I counted about a dozen but there might of been more. I have doors and windows now so all that crap stays outside.

Looks like Daisy is a little miracle. She talking a little which is great news! She knows her name and remembers her hamster! Please continue to keep her in prayer.

Didn't feel like going out this morning but when I looked outside I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Walked a couple two tracks looking for tracks just to see what the deer would be doing. Saw this guy a ways ahead of me and was able to work my way up and around pop up over a slight rise and let one fly. I knew right away he was mine. I won't say how many arrows I let fly I over the last few weeks. It felt great to finally connect. Momma even came out to take pics and help me drag him out. Now I got to help momma get one!

Never posted him before but this is the buck from the fish tank fire I just posted about in the campfire. It's been 6 years since I killed this buck and today was the first deer I killed since then.

Many of you know I had one of my guys die in a bad accident. His wife and him were killed and their daughter Daisy is still in the hospital. Found out no one had yet made a go fund me account for the family so I took it upon myself. Please read the story in the link and help out if you can.. https://www.gofundme.com/wzjze-please-help-daisy?pc=em_co_shareflow_m&rcid=r01-155623648261-9ef9d9cd692b4f87 Here's a couple pics from the accident. It's a miracle Daisy even survived