Earlier this month, I went to bow shooting school. It cost $250 and was the very best money I have ever spent for hunting!

Think about it. We spend $250 dollars or more every year on arrows or broadheads–disposable items! Knowledge from someone that knows what they are doing is everlasting.

How many of us cannot improve out shooting?

I shoot stickbows. I started with them, shot compounds for a while and have come back to them exclusively forever more. I taught myself everything I know about shooting a bow–that is BAD!

Reading, watching videos, learning from guys at the archery club or hunting buddies can help, but why not learn from a proven professional.

I was amazed at how much I learned about proper form and technique and how much every single student (from hunter to top level target shooter) during the two day course.

It does not matter is you shoot traditional or compound, there are qualified instructors that will make you a better shot.

My instructor was Rod Jenkins, he is an IBO Champion, and he can be contacted at:

http://www.safarituff.com/contactus.html

I truly wish I could go back in time 30 years and STARTED shooting with a coach.

This gobbler made me look like a fool several times but in the end I got the last laugh.

The OK spring turkey season has come and gone, and while  I didn’t quite chase gobblers as rabidly as I have in the past I did manage to put this old bird down.  Way back on April 11 I was able to get everything right and was rewarded with this nice eastern bird.  A veritable cussing match between myself and an obnoxious hen was more than this old bird could take, and he paid dearly for it.

Right at 1 1/8'' long, not bad.

This spring has proven to bring other quarry my way at seemingly every drop of the hat.  Over the last 6 weeks I have killed numerous hogs, the photo is of the first of two boars I killed in a two day span.  I guess to some people hogs are a great game animal and a joy to hunt, however, I view them in a slightly different light.  In addition to my main business, my family and myself have always been in the cattle business.  Owning several thousand acres and running a registered seedstock operation has made my disdain for hogs literally drip with every word spoken concerning them.  When hogs first started to become prevalent the sportsman in me thought it would be great; something else to chase throughout the year.  Trust me, any excitement I once harbored for these animals is now completely gone and I view them now as nothing more than a pest.  The destruction they reek wherever they go is terribly devastating and in fact there are certain areas of our ranch that have been completely decimated.  Simply the thought of trying to take a tractor in there and fix it makes my back hurt and the fact of the matter is it would be pointless.  At some point they would show back up and destroy it, thus continuing a cycle that I really want no part of.  So, I will continue to trap, kill, and do whatever is necessary to battle the other white meat. 

Shot this tom at 12 yards on the next to last day of the MI early turkey season. The week before I had a shooting tune up from my coach, Rod Jenkins and it paid off with a perfect placement and quick recovery. 25#, 1 1/16″ spurs and 9 3/4″ beard.

This one is a long time coming…four hunts over three seasons and “we” finally got it done!

Before daybreak we were set-up in my Double Bull Darkhorse on 4 big longbeards that I’d roosted Saturday evening. I was very confident that we’d be “knee deep” in gobblers soon after fly down. Not to be!

The one hen that was roosted right with them took them all away from me. I couldn’t believe it!

But I could hear birds gobbling in the distance in another part of the orchard, we packed up, and where off to find a more willing participant.

A short time later we where set-up about 150 yds. away from a hard gobbling, lonely sounding gobbler.

Some calling back and forth and soon we could tell he had crossed the creek and was on his way!

Five minutes later I could see him. I purred lightly to pull him in a little further so he could see the decoys. There was no doubt when he did, he blew into strutt, and started right toward “Floyd”, my strutting jake decoy!

As he walked behind “Floyd”, quartering away at about 12yds., the arrow, tipped with a Snuffer 160, from my #58 Kempf Kwyk Styk “Cy” hit him perfect!

He cartwheeled for about 15yds. and in seconds was still….”we’d” finally accomplished something very, very special! A successful hunt shared by a Father and his son!

Approaching “our” fallen foe…

They sure don’t go far when hit just right…

My 9 yr. old son Cade….

A long overdue picture, what an awesome feeling!

A heavy load! Yes, he’s wearing one of my Core tops…

He was a beautiful 2 yr. old gobbler with 7/8″ spurs, and an 8 1/2″ beard…

I’m still at a lose for words to describe how much this hunt means to me….