9th Annual Northern Castkill Longbeards Wounded Vets Hunt - 18 Birds

[TauntoHawk]

Past weekend was the 9th Annual Northern Castkill Longbeards chapter of the NWTF Wounded Vets Hunt. I have been involved for 5 years and guiding the last 3, I also got my father to help this year as well and he had an incredible time with his young man. We smashed all previous records, diligent fundraising allowed us to be able to host 24 vets for the weekend. We had 18 kills and only 2 misses in just two days of hunting with 4 Vets tagging out going 2 for 2 on their hunts. It's honestly my favorite weekend of the entire year and has forged some incredible friendships.

The Vet I had I consider it a true honor to have simply met, he taught me a great deal by example about attitude and an ever positive outlook, having faced multiple active duty injuries over 30 years of service only to return home to be diagnosed with lymphoma. He is two months from his final treatment and is getting excellent results back. He is a hunter but being from Rhode Island has done more salt water fishing and had never taken a turkey. We had a close encounter off the roost Saturday morning but the gobbler stayed to his single hen like glue, the next few hours I showed him some of the nicest river bottom ground in Greene County NY but without raising a single more gobble. We kept moving and ended up shifting to a property that birds rarely ever roost on but very often hit mid to late more as it has multiple secluded hill top fields perfect for gobbling up hens. We pulled in at 11:15am against a Noon end time. Walked down the edge of the first of 6 fields and called, a chorus of gobbles erupted 200yds to the north we looped into the woods thinking we would need to get closer but they were already on their way gobbling so we made a set up giving us both the timber and the field edge of a small 2 acre hay lot for shooting. 6 gobblers appeared in the far corner bar way glistening in the sun taking turns strutting, sending multiple volleys of gobbles at every call I fed them. Soon 4 birds had looped down into the timber with us and the other two were slowly strutting down the edge of the field. I don't believe anyone could witness such a hunt and walk away indifferent about spring turkey hunting. There was at least 5min of waiting while they swarmed like bees too close together for a shot only coming out of strut to scream in our faces at 40yds eventually a bird broke and stepped to the side at 11:42am my spare 870 and the Hevi 6's made short work of a nice 20lb 2yr old in the hands of a trained professional. It would have been an easy double situation but I was solely focused on the task at hand and my 20ga was sitting on the ground behind us. Sunday was slated for light to moderate all day rain so we knew things would probably be slow for gobbling but the birds should be consistent and hit the fields. By 7am we had located a large flock in a corn field and made our move. With no traditional cover for hundreds of yards we used the only rise in a near by alfalfa field to crouch walk/crawl into 160yds. My first call promptly got the boss hens attention and she turned and marched directly away from us. The two dominant toms stood in the field looking at her then looking our way then back at her before they turned to follow their matriarch hen. I figured if love wouldn't work maybe jealously would and fired off a gobbled with my mouth call and both birds gobbled back and went into strut with bright white heads. Had to paint quite the scene launching excited yelping, cutting, lots of gobbles and jake yelping to draw them from 160 to 75 but it took taking my hat off and running fighting purrs while slapping my legs with my hat which prompted the ol tough guy march into a 31yds stoning. We were soaked from lying out in the grass field but entirely worth it. Just when we thought we couldn't have improved from the previous days hunt we got our hands on the bird to find him Hooked up with a solid set of spurs (1 3/8th and 1 ¼). This bird was good enough to be the highest scoring (NWTF system) of the weekend which gifted him a free mount from a local taxidermist and friend of mine.

My father had an unbelievable weekend as well, kind of asked him last minute to help being down a guide and he agreed. Saturday they started in his best spot, 5 longbeards pitched right to field and worked right to the decoys vet done at 5:54am, they got breakfast at a local diner and later he doubled with his best friend on another property. Sunday they went blind to another property just hoping for a bird but was greeted by 4 or 5 gobbling from a back ridge and a few calls had another bird roll right off the roost to them done again by 5:56am and back out for breakfast. He will be back next year as a volunteer and wants to sponsor the cost of a guy next season as well.

My wife also put together another wonderful piece of feather painting that we presented to the man who organizes and drives the fund raising for the event each year as they pour months of work lining up guys, getting donations and sponsors, recruiting guides and volunteers, finding farms ect.

[TauntoHawk]

Having trouble with pictures bare with me and my Google drive

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[TauntoHawk]

Took a while to find a limb but you can't not hang em up when you get the chance

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[TauntoHawk]

My father and his vet

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[TauntoHawk]

Some pic from Saturdays BBQ

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[Happy]

Congrats. That looks like an excellent trip and I am sure it was greatly enjoyed by all

[arrow1]

That's fantastic! Congratulations to all those involved. It's great for you to offer up your service to vets as well.  Is that a Steve Mann purple Heartwood over cedar box? Looks similar to one I have of his.

[spaightlabs]

You win Old Gobbler today my friend.  Thank you so much for giving back and for sharing the joy and love!

Best thing I've seen on the internet today so I'm gonna shut it down, sip a little glass of Clase Azul and get ready to head to the woods tomorrow.

God bless you - may your kindness be returned 100 times.

[Cut N Run]

Great post!  Good for you and congratulations to you & all who helped our veterans. What an outstanding way of thanks those who sacrificed for all of us. Nice job!

Jim

[tomstopper]

That's awesome. Thanks for what you do. As a Marine vet myself, I can't tell you how much that means to those vets you take out. In today's world, not enough thanks is offered to them and hanging out with people who appreciate what they sacrificed and top it off with hunting gobblers with like minded people is just priceless and cherished. Thanks again.

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[MK M GOBL]

I truly commend you and all involved in the program! Has to be an awesome experience to share with those who have served for our country, have all the respect in the world for those Vets.
God Bless

And some great success!


MK M GOBL

[Sir-diealot]

Thanks for such an uplifting read. Love reading about hunting things being done with kids and with vets.

[squidd]

Nicely done and thanks for taking care of the Vets!

[TauntoHawk]

That's fantastic! Congratulations to all those involved. It's great for you to offer up your service to vets as well.  Is that a Steve Mann purple Heartwood over cedar box? Looks similar to one I have of his.

No actually it a bloodwood butternut from Terry Baker.

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[TauntoHawk]

That's awesome. Thanks for what you do. As a Marine vet myself, I can't tell you how much that means to those vets you take out. In today's world, not enough thanks is offered to them and hanging out with people who appreciate what they sacrificed and top it off with hunting gobblers with like minded people is just priceless and cherished. Thanks again.

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I've had some very influential men in my life that served and not all of them are with us today. From that I have a great deal of respect for any service men and look to offer support where ever I can. This is but a small thank you that I get to share my passion for turkey hunting each year.

Thank you for your service as well tomstopper

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