We're Back From Southern IL!

[petey]

The Huntchat Prostaff had probably one of the best trips to IL this year, including myself.

This year we hunted with Hammell's Wildlife Connection in Crossville, IL. Kevin Hammell let us come down, stay in the lodge and hunt his property. He and his wife run one of the best operations I've seen in years, in fact I'd like you to find a better place around and I'll bet you won't even come close!

Very hospitable and the new lodge was a home away from home. The food was unreal and most impotant, the hunting was awesome! He's got plenty of property to hunt and I saw deer and turkey all day every day.

The Hunt:

We left NW PA at 5:00PM on Thursday and Arrive about 1:30 in the morning on Friday. Kevin left the lights on and we made ourselves at home to get a few hours of sleep. We woke up at 4:30 and Kevin took me to one of his honey holes. I walked in going off of his directions while I listened to that Deisel Ford drive off up the road to take the other two to there spot.

I got set up right where Kevin told me to be and waited. 10 Mins later the birds started gobbling about 200 yards behind me. I got spun around and listened to at least 2 birds gobble back and forth. I heard a hen fly down cackle out into the field and she covered the 350 yards to the gobblers in no time. Once she was in sight of the gobblers they flew down and I started calling. The birds started to come to me as I'm videoing myself. (The other Camera is with Olspark and bigbrother). So here I am, video camera in between my legs all set up and calling in a whole flock of birds. Aboiut 60 yards out in front of me the birds pitched off a large bank on the other side of the creek (that I didn't know was there or I would have moved) and started to call in the tree. Me and the hen were having a battle as the two longbeard were answering every time we made a peep. I saw a couple birds fly back on the hillside across the creek, then the two longbeards and hen flew down. So I'm videoing them hung up about 80 yards, with a creek between them and me and all of a sudden a bird gobbles 5 yards behind me!

I turn to my left and 3 jakes are coming from my decoys heading towards the other 2 longbeards and hen. I let these birds pass as closes as 4 yards as I'm videoing them walking away and finally out of site about 30 yards. Easy picking, but I don't shoot the young birds easpecially after just driving 8.5 hrs and it's only the first 5 mins of daylight! Well after about 45 mins of strutting activity on film. the birds pitch off the hillside out into a field about 200 yards away. I belly crawl to get a bearing on where they are heading and back on out.

Now that it's daylight, I want to see the lay of the land so I decide to take a little walk and get to know the property I'm hunting, all the while making a huge loop figuring I'll get in front of the 7 birds. Well I did just that. As I was making the rounds back towards the first encounter, I run into the back side of the field the birds flew to and there they were. OK, so know I'm setup on a huge bank, with about a 50' verticle drop and a small creek at the very bottom. 10 yards of woods to the field. It didn't take too much persuasion and I had the whole flock on their way to me. I ended up shooting my bird right around 20 yards alomst directly below me! I let him come to the edge of the other side of the creek before I shot. I was done by 9:00. Ok ok, a little longer than it normally takes me to kill my bird in IL , but that was 5 gobblers within gun range by 9 on the first morning.

Unfortunately in my haste, I didn't take the time to record the kill shot. Kind of hard hunting yourself ya know? Wonder how the other boys were doing? Sure can't hear that bow go off that bigbrother is using. Well I tag up and do some interviews and I'm on my way out......

Bird weighed 24 pounds, 10 1/2" beard and 7/8 & 1" spurs.

I'll let big brother and ol_spark tell their story. It's pretty good Needless to say we were sitting pretty good by the first morning and even had a coyote down by the 2nd evening.

I'd recommend Hamell's Wildlife Connection to ANYONE who wants a super huint for deer or turkey. I'll be posting some pictures of the lodge, property and hunt along with some video clips once I get them edited.

Check them out at http://www.huntillinoisdeer.com and give Kevin Hammel a call and tell him Petey from Huntchat sent ya! I'd give my personal gaurentee you have a great hunt on this place and that's just something I don't do. It's not just me either. I believe Kevin told me out of 38 hunters last year 31 rebooked!!! Best give him a call now as he's already filling up 2008.

[gd357]

Nice bird! Sounds like a heck of a hunt!

gd