Great start for Derby City Calls
Derby City Calls ended its first fall turkey season on a high note. On Oct. 30th, 2009, the weatherman was calling for high wind and rain to move in with temperatures in the mid 70’s. It is the last day of the season and I wasn’t going to let the weather stop me. I hit the woods early and set up near a roosting site. The wind was picking up, just as I heard a flock of birds moving through the woods. I made some soft putts and few kee-kees, alternating between my Derby City Spur and Magnum calls. I was also using one of our Old Growth strikers made from the old cabin wood we recently purchased. Our calls worked great.
In a matter of minutes, I had 5 nice birds closing in. The biggest gobbler passed to the right of me, a mere 5 yards from my blind. Unfortunately, I was set up for a shot to my left and I could not pull off a shot without spooking all of them. I had to let that big longbeard walk. I was whispering to myself, “I know where you live and I will be back for you this spring, Tommy Bird!” I sat still and waited for the others to move into position for me to get a shot. I lowered the boom on a nice, big bodied, bird. This bird, along with the hen from opening day, filled my fall turkey tags. I have learned the hard way that the breast tastes better than an unfilled tag any day.
I love the fall turkey season. Kentucky is blessed with 2 fall seasons. I love to put fresh wild turkey on the table for Thanksgiving. My family and friends enjoy it as much as I do. I have a feeling that this year’s harvest will be the best ever. Even though my fall tags have been filled, I can’t wait to meet up with “Ole” Tommy Bird this spring in his own backyard.
Derby City Calls- a great, proven turkey call.
Footnotes: for field staff and pro staff
8 birds taken this fall season with Derby City Calls
Best Bird – Dave Berry
24 pounds 12 inch beard 1 1/2 inch spurs
Best shot- Scott Crume, nice bow kill
Best Review- Clark Bush (check it out on his site, All About Shooting)
Best Time hunting- Brent Stoner, and smallest Bird!
Best Bruise- Jim Dawson (nice one)
Best Effort – Rick Denkhoff (better kill a bird in the spring or you go from Pro Staff to “No Staff”)!!
: No photo available…. check back in the spring!
Also, congrats to Jim on getting his first fall bird ever. He was a trophy bird and a very close 2nd to Dave’s trophy.
Pro Staffer Scott Crume bags a Nice Gobbler
Derby City Pro Staffer, Scott Crume, had a successful hunt last weekend. Scott is a diehard bowhunter. Even though it was shotgun season for turkey, Scott had his bow in hand and decided to test his new Magnum turkey call from Derby City. This is an account of Scott’s hunt in his own words-
“It was Sunday evening in Spencer County. I was hunting a roost that an estimated 40 birds were using. About 30-45 minutes before dark, hens began flying up to roost about 75-100 yards downhill from me. I made some calls and it wasn’t long before 2 gobblers closed to within 20 yards of me. I drew back on them without being seen, but I shot between the first gobbler’s feet (My bow limb hit my treestand when I was releasing my shot). That bird flew off down the ridge. There was enough commotion going on with all the turkeys around me that the second gobbler hung around. I made the next shot count at 24 yards. The tom only made it 40 yards before piling up. He had a 9 inch beard, 1 inch spurs, and weighed approximately 20 pounds.”
Derby City is excited to see how well our calls are working. These calls make exceptionally soft putts, purrs, and clucks. These calls resulted in the death of three birds last weekend between Scott, Jimmy and Brent.
Hey Scott, don’t worry about the miss. The boys at the shop will be teasing you a little, trust me. All I can say is, ”Scott and Jimmy be eating Turkey” At least you did not get a big bruise for your missed shot.
Congrats to you, Scott. We are glad you choose to use Derby City Calls. It is great to have you as a Pro Staffer.
Redemption
After agonizing over missing that nice longbeard on Saturday, as well as nursing a bruised shoulder, I redeemed myself Sunday morning. Brent Stoner and myself hit the woods again early on Sunday. At 8:09, a lone gobbler came strolling into the field. Brent could tell I was getting excited. My heart was about to beat out of my chest and I had to control my breathing. Brent said he thought I was about to hyperventilate. Although I looked like a nervous wreck, I was very much under control. One shot was all it took this time. (No Bruises either). We decided to sit tight for about 30 minutes, hoping another bird would come in for Brent. However, the anticipation got the best of Brent. After 5 minutes, we had to go see how good of a bird he really was. He was a limbhanger: 11 inch beard, 1 1/4 inch spurs, est. 23-25 pounds. This was my first fall bird ever. I would like to thank Brent for taking me with him to his honey hole. Those were two outstanding days of hunting and I look forward to many more hunts with Brent.
After this weekend, Brent and I are stoked about Derby City’s line of Turkey Calls. We are anxiously awaiting the Spring season to see how well our calls will perform. If this fall is any indication, Derby City will be the demise of many lovesick gobblers this Spring.
2009 Bird and a Bruise!
The 2009 Fall Turkey season started with a bang and ended up with a bruise. First the bang, DCC Field Staffer Jimmy Dawson and myself Brent Stoner took to the field opening day of the fall season. We got to the blind well before day break and it wasn’t long before the action got started after first light. Twelve nice birds came across our opening, four were nice trophy birds but being fall season (the only time you can take a hen) I decided to save the big Toms and go for a nice Hen (to me they are better to eat anyway). So Bang, the combination of Remington shells and my favorite shotgun the bird was in the bag. Of course the birds flew in different directions that’s when I broke out the “Old Growth Striker” and a prototype “Old Growth” Spur design pot and started calling the birds back together. The call worked wonders, in less than five minutes the birds began to assemble back to our opening. It’s Jimmy’s turn to shoot, he blast’s not one but two shots at a bird and Missed! Jimmy turned 40 years old yesterday, he must have lost his youth and aim all in one day (sorry for the bad luck Jim) come to find out Jimmy wasn’t using my favorite shotgun brand or the Remington shells. (some time you have to learn the hard way) so Jimmy takes home a trophy bruise instead of a trophy bird. Needless to say we are going again tomorrow and I’m going to let Jimmy rent my gun and shells for the day. This is my first bird with DDC calls and I couldn’t be more proud of the way they preformed. DCC, a great Turkey Call.
It is not always bad being in a Rut
I have not been sleeping much here lately. I get these uncontrollable urges to roam around at all hours of the day and night. My wife, kids, and neighbors are really getting nervous. I don’t understand why I am freaking them out so much. I think I am acting perfectly normal. I mean, what is wrong with-
*marking my property with surveyor’s tape every 3 feet. (I tried rubbing some trees in my yard and lost most of my hair. I still have scabs all over the top of my head. Surveying tape is cheaper than ER visits.)
*urinating in the travel corridors of my neighbor’s house and mine. (OK, bad idea. The police did not like that much either.)
*running up and down the aisles of the local Wal-Mart and Kroger, sniffing the air each time a woman walks by. (I’m sure the Alpha Doe at home will not like reading this one.)
*snort-wheezing at my neighbor for talking to my wife. (He had better stay in his own yard, if he knows what is best for him.)
Besides the swelling in my neck, I think I am as normal as any other territorial, testosterone-laced, mature buck. There is just something about late October-Early November that does this to me each year. I think that everyone else…. HEY! YOU BETTER GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF MY YARD RIGHT NOW! GET AWAY FROM MY WIFE! YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH ME LITTLE BOY?
The Whitetail Rut is finally upon us. For everyone who is a fanatic about hunting whitetail deer, you will relate to this blog very well. For everyone else, I’m really not crazy. If I was really acting this way, I am sure they would write about me in a Psychiatric Journal somewhere. Good luck and safe hunting this year. We hope to have a link for you to post pictures of your successful hunts this year. Stay tuned for more updates on this. Check out our website and our line of Turkey Calls and Strikers.
