I'll be heading to IL with the Huntchat Prostaff in tow on April 19th. 2 Cameras and 3 hunters hunting on Kevin Hammell's property this year.
It's always nice to try someplace new, although I'll be right next door to Lamont's, where I've hunted the past 3 years. Kevin is an upstanding fellow and I met him down at the Esatern Outdoors Sports Show this year. Of course he's been a good client and sponsor of Huntchat since August last year. I never pass up a chance to hunt spring turkey some place new. I talked to him last week and he told me he had 17 longbeards in one group between his house and the lodge. Must be nice! Although I love hunting IL. Nothing like calling in a whole flock of longbeards which I've done numerous times down there. They just don't get the preasure like here in PA. I think I've killed 3 birds in 3 years in less than a morning's worth of hunting... Last year I did call in 9 different birds just to get video and to string out the hunt a little longer. The only thing I'm hoping for is dry weather (yeah right) It always seems to rain when I go and there's always major flooding in the area, which can make things a bit difficult.
Check out
http://www.huntillinoisdeer.com (shameless plug!) I'm sure you'll be seeing the Huntchat crew with a few birds in his photo gallery in about a month.
I've been seeing local flocks daily, but I don't get to excited about my PA bird till mid April. It normally doesn't take me too long to locate the bird I want.
With the new job I took, it puts me back in my old stomping grounds, so I may get to hunt some places I haven't hunted in years on the way to work now. My second favorite thing to hunt, next to archery elk.. well maybe sitting in the stand with my bow in early November. That ranks right up there too.
Almost time to break out the golf clubs too. A guy almost has too many hobbies.