EQUIPMENT:
Sponsors
of the Grand Slam |
OUTFITTERS:
|
Wells
Creek Outfitters |
2005
Grand Slam 6-Pack
 Grand
Slam 6-Pack HOME PAGE
Illinois Bowhunt For Easterns
|
Day
1 | Day 2 | Day
3 | Day 4 |
 
Guides Bob McNeff
and Fred Lutger
|
Our
host for the Illinois Hunt is Wells Creek Outfitters. Famous
for its trophy whitetail buck operation they also have spring wild turkey
hunts guided by Fred & Bob McNeff.
For
Information on Wells Creek buck or turkey hunts call 217-894-6804,
or Email:
wellscreekoutfitter@yahoo.com.
Visit the web site at Wells
Creek Outfitters. |
Fourth Day
Fred Lutger - More
gobbling than the previous day, toms were gobbling all up and down the
creek. When the birds came out of the trees the gobbling stopped and Fred
never heard another gobble the rest of the morning.
Robert Hoague - A
jake stopped to admire my decoy as it crossed the field. At 7:44 things
got real interesting and I found a new use for the Double Bull Blind. To
The Hunt...
Doug Crabtree - He
heard gobbles on the roost. When they flew down they shut up. Three hens
walked past the blind at 20 yards. No gobblers would answer his calls today.
Fifth Day - The Last Day
Fred Lutger - Again
lots of gobbles in his area. Fred called in 2 different boss longbeards
and a group of jakes. They stopped on the other side of the creek from
Fred and wouldn't fly over.
Doug Crabtree - Birds
gobbled all around before daylight but only one was close. Doug moved to
the east end of the field and set up the Double Bull Martix and made tree
yelps. The close gobbler and a hen responded from the same tree. They flew
down and Doug called but the longbeard tom would not leave the hen.
At 8:30 four jakes walked
up the hill and stopped at 20 yards. Doug thought the big longbeard might
do the same and passed his shot opportunity. But the longbeard never
came in.
Doug added, "I enjoyed my
first turkey hunt in Illinois with Fred Lutger. I heard anywhere from 5
to 15 gobblers a day and I had chances on Day 1 and Day 5 ... but that's
bowhunting."
Robert Hoague - All
the pre daylight gobbles were distant. I turned up the volume on my Pro
Ears to be sure the faint noises were actually gobbles, and they were.
As the morning progressed 3 gobblers kept on gobbling when I called on
their gobble but I never saw them.
 
My bow rests against
the side of the blind, the Fine-Line quiver supports the bottom. Today's
view from the blind.
The first turkey in sight
was at 9:50, a hen walking along the fence I was set up on for the opening
day hunt. When I took its picture I noticed that it was a bearded hen.
At 10:36 another hen came
along the fence. A doe walked up on the opposite side and followed the
hen.
I called at 11:30 and heard
gobbles in the ravine. We were going back and forth when I noticed a gobbler
by the fence at 11:41. This picture is through the mesh on the Double Bull
blind.
 |
I looked at the gobbler
with my binoculars and got a surprise. There were two birds here. A longbeard
and another with a short beard, which frankly, in the excitement of the
moment, I took for a jake.
Chances were good that I
could call in both male turkeys. Things looked good for a last minute rally. |
I cut and yelped at them.
The big gobbler snapped to attention. The other bird didn't seem interested.
I figured this was probably
the last dance in Illinois so I covered him up with the Woodhaven diaphragm
call. He moved towards me. The other bird moved ahead quickly and the longbeard
looked back and forth from me to his partner. When 15 yards got between
them the gobbler went to the other bird. I looked with my binoculars and,
yikes, it was a bearded hen, but with a shorter beard than the one I saw
earlier.
The two birds disappeared
in a draw. Before 1:00 and the end of the day's hunt 5 more hens passed
through along the fence. Two of them are below.
At 1:00 I broke the blind
down and checked the fence and found a perfect place to put the blind next
year.
| This was a good hunt. Both
Doug and I released arrows with the intention of taking a gobbler.
These eastern gobblers are
very vocal on the roost and you hear them during the morning too. There
is a large wild turkey population in the area.
Fred Lutger and Bob McNeff
have a well organized wild turkey hunt. There were two hunters who hunted
with shotgun and both bagged a gobbler.
For
Information on a Spring turkey hunt call Freddie Bear Sports at 708-532-4133
or Email fred@freddiebearsports.com. |
 |
Back To Where You Were
At
Bowhunting.Net
Sponsors
For The 2005 Grand Slam 6-Pack
Our Grand Slam 6-Pack
with the bow created excitement with several manufacturers and they stepped
up to the plate to sponsor the event.
SPONSORS
OUTFITTERS:
|
