Seth's Army Basic Graduation Day

Today is the day Seth graduates from Army Basic Combat Training. I’m currently sitting in a motel room just outside of Fort Jackson, South Carolina. My tremendous wife of 34 years and our daughter Renee are here with me. I know the rest of my great family is with us in thoughts and prayers. I feel the prayers of my church family surrounding me.

It is hard to believe that just eight short months ago, Seth was walking a different aisle. It was his high school graduation. It is true. Time does go faster as you get older.

I will be proud to be in attendance today. Seth has done well, including, being the top shooter in his platoon of 200. We got to see him yesterday at “Family Day” and he looks great. Like I’ve said before, he was already a good man, but the Army has made him stand taller. When he wears that uniform he is a different person. His jaw locks….his shoulders are upright…..and he walks with confidence.

Now, as proud as I will be today, I must admit, I would rather be somewhere else. What? Allow me to explain.

I really wish Seth had chosen to do something else. I wanted him to go to college. I really wanted him to be a lawyer. Those of you who never saw him in a debate really missed it. He was good!! He was quick thinking, articulate, and convincing. He was passionate.

His mom, however, told me later on, after he left for basic, that she knew I was fighting a losing battle. She knew from the time he was age nine that he would go into the Army; he as much as told her. Whenever Seth’s friends came over to play, it was required that they come in camo. He had an armory full of play guns for dispensing and there was always a “fort” built close by to prepare for battle. Jenny said she just figured she had plenty of time to talk him out of it. It didn’t happen.

What drives Seth? “Why did he go into the military” people often ask me. Well, I have a little insight into that. We have a pretty strong military tradition in our family. I had an uncle who was killed at Pearl Harbor. My father in law landed in Normandy on D-Day. I was in the Air Force.

However, that is only part of it. I asked Seth one time why he felt so passionate about this. His response is nothing short of noble. “Dad….I owe it to this country for providing me the opportunities that I have.”

That played out the day he left for Basic on Sunday, October 17th at 3:30 PM (I remember it that well). I will admit….I lost it. I hugged him and held him as tight as I had ever held him before and told him I loved him. After a minute he pulled away and said, “I gotta go Dad.” It wasn’t a “I’m late and gotta run” statement. It was a statement of moral imperative. This was something he felt he had to do.

So, who am I to stand in his way?

Another reason my wife and I don’t want to be here today, is we know where this is going. We know that eventually we will be saying goodbye for an extended period of time as he serves an overseas deployment. As one military mother told me that is when the real ache in your heart will occur.

However, who am I to expect other parents to do this and feel that mine are exempted?

So here we are today. Very proud! The ache in our hearts will be pushed down deeper. We will smile and hug and cheer.

We will let him know that as long as he chooses this course of action that his family will be his biggest fans!!

Hooah Private Gabbard!

Seth's Graduation Day

Well….today is the day. It is the day I have thought about since the first day of school on August 4th. In fact, if you remember, I mentioned it in an e-mail that day.

It is the graduation day of my youngest/last child…..Seth.

I need to ask my congregation's forgiveness right up front. I am not going to be myself today. Don't be offended if I seem like I'm off in my own little world. It doesn't seem that way. I am. I knew this going in to today which is why I asked someone I respect very much to speak today. Brian Schulz, Seth's youth minister for the last four years/PE Coach/Chemistry teacher/Asst. Debate and Archery Coach, will be speaking.

I need to apologize up front to my "Man Class." I am not going to be the embodiment of "manhood" today. My "feminine" side is going to show way too much. I feel like such a WUSS. I may have to be dismissed as the leader of the class. I understand.

What I don't understand is….."What is wrong with me?" Today is supposed to be a "happy" day right? Why do I feel like I'm going to a funeral? All this previous week, I would just be driving down the road…and all the sudden here come the tears. I haven't known whether to be angry or "admit" myself somewhere.

Make no mistake….I could not be happier and prouder of who Seth is as person and what this represents concerning his accomplishments. Ask any student of KCA….we do not GIVE diplomas away. They are earned….and those who cannot make it drop out. We had three in April who could no longer hack it and more may be dropping out yet. It takes a lot of hard work to earn a KCA diploma. I will NEVER lower the academic standards….nor the expectations of our students to strive for excellence as opposed to mediocrity.

So as I try to evaluate what the problem is here, I can only come up with one answer. It's not Seth that is the problem here. It is "Father Time." Man I hate him!!

Seth's graduation is forcing me to face some issues that I didn't really want to deal with….(as if I thought I would be exempt). I think the fact that Seth leaves for the Army in October exacerbates the problem.

My beautiful bride and I are about to step off in to the "fall" of our lives…i.e., the "empty nest" syndrome.

Oh yeah….I put on a big show for years…joked about it….said I was looking forward to it. BULL!!! My bluff has been called.

I have had people tell me…."Embrace it."

NO!!!! I don't want to and you can't make me!!!

When turkey hunting in Kansas I shared with Seth a little about what I was dealing with. I was wondering if we would ever hunt in that place again. He tried to comfort me by saying…."Oh Dad….there were be lots more times."

Oh…but it's different now. No longer will I have the ability to say…"Hey….let's load up and go do this or that." No…now it will be…."Well…if I can get off then"….and "No……I got other commitments"….and then, of course, there may well be…."I'm deploying to Afghanistan next week." Gonna be hard for me to "swing by" and pick him up there.

Seth is a special child….not just because he is my youngest. He is the only one created on purpose. Renee and Deuce were accidents. (I wish all my accidents turned out that good!!)

For those of you that don't know….we named him "Seth" because of a child that we lost shortly after Deuce was born. Seth's name in Hebrew is "replacement."

Seth is his father's son……he has so many of my characteristics….good or bad….and I am going to miss seeing him in the halls of KCA everyday. He brought an atmosphere to the school that defines what KCA is and what it stands for.

Well….I gotta go. Time to put on my suit and tie and attempt to put on my "happy face." I'll try to do good….I promise.

I just hope you all at Kent will forgive me and not think less of me.

Oh…and Seth….if for some reason I cannot say the words to you today….I am so proud of you.

Where ever your life takes you in this world don't forget a couple of things…….1) Don't ever forget WHO you belong to….i.e., who bought you with His blood; 2) Don't ever forget from where you came…i.e, the morals and standards you have been taught; 3) Don't ever forget….you are and always will be a KCA Patriot!!!!

I love you son!

(Pic below is Seth standing outside the room at the parsonage in Kansas where he was born 18 1/2 years ago.)

Successful Merriam's Turkey Hunt in South Dakota!!

My serious pursuit of a "Turkey Grand Slam" with a bow began in 2005. I was unsuccessful at taking a turkey at all in 2005 with my bow. I took a Rio in Kansas in 2006......and an eastern in Indiana in 2007. In 2008 I took another Rio and an Eastern but did not have a chance to hunt elsewhere.

My last attempt at a Merriam's turkey was in Colorado in 2006. Even though it was a great hunt, I failed in my attempt to take one with a bow. I had a shot at five yards.....only to have the arrow catch the bottom of the blind and foil that attempt.

This year I decided to give it another try. However, I knew I did not want to go back to Colorado. While it was nice, they did not have the number of birds I think that bowhunting them requires. Bowhunting turkeys is a numbers game. That is, the more birds there are, the greater your chances of success.

As I began to research, there was one place that constantly came up as a prime Merriam turkey bow hunting location. That place was Double K Outfitters in Gregory, SD. This place has been used as the "field research" location for the team at DoubleBull Blinds for years.

After talking a number of times with Dave Keiser, the owner, I booked a hunt in February....and off I went on April 13th. I decided to forgo my annual trip to Kansas to hunt turkeys and do this instead.

After spending the night in Yanktown, S. Dakota I arrived in camp about 10 AM. I was met by Dave who encouraged me to get my things squared away and get ready to go hunting. Sure enough...a few minutes later my guide Josh and the videographer Bob showed up. Josh, my guide, is a well known videographer himself having worked for many big names in the hunting industry. Bob, in addition to being a videographer has guided for elk in Idaho for a number of years and is a Field Staff member of Flambeau outdoor products maker of Feather Flex decoys. At 68......he still carries his 80 lb. guide pack around like a young man. In fact, it was everything I could do to stay up with him.

Our first setup was in a beautiful draw full of oak trees. While we never saw anything....it gave me a chance to "get into the mood".......eat a sandwich...and "wind down." The sun was shining, the sky were clear.......and it was peaceful.

After about two hours.....Josh got a call from Dave that he had spotted some gobblers in another field owned by Brooks Johnson (co-founder of Double Bull Blinds). So we headed that way. We met Dave who instructed Josh where to set up.

We set up on the edge of an alfalfa field bordered by a woodline with a small creek running through it. About thirty minutes into our setup......we were greeted by a gobble response from down in the creek to one of my calls. I called again. I looked down to adjust something on my bow and when I looked back up there were three black bodies moving through the tall grass towards the field. Could this be over so quick?? When the turkeys stepped into the field we saw that they were just jakes and therefore were safe with me. Double K allows the shooting of jakes but I was going to pass and hold out for a big tom.

We watched them strut around the decoys until they lost interest and moved off. We sat there for about another hour and half and then decided it was time to move to our evening hunting spot.

Our evening hunting spot was in the middle of a stand of cottonwoods where two big toms had been seen flying down from that very morning. The plan was to simply ambush them on the way back to their roost. Well....you know what they say about "the best made plans." We saw nor heard nothing! However, it was a beautiful evening. Huh!! I arrived at 11 AM and had already put 8 1/2 hours in hunting!!!

We were greeted back at camp with a hearty meal of Swiss steak. I was beat so I headed to bed to get ready for another non-stop day. There is no "coming back to camp for nap." These guides work all day and you hunt all day!!

We were roused from bed at 5 AM. As my guide Josh had a friend coming in to hunt I was hooked up with another guide by the name of Jeff. Jeff told me we would be hunting in a spot where he had put 6 longbeards to bed the night before. Sounded good to me!!

The spot was basically a tree lot right next to a farm house. We parked the truck on the road. When Jeff told me "The longbeards are right in those trees" I couldn't believe it. Should we be parked so close?? Then to top it off.....Jeff had us set up the blind only about 50 yards from the trees. I thought to myself "Man...you would never get by with this at home." But...when I thought about it....it made sense. Roosting next to the farm house they see people moving around all the time.

We got set up....got in the blind....and since we were about 30 minutes from "show time".......we both caught up on a little bit of rest.

When the first gobble sounded off....it sent off a crescendo of gobbles down the tree row. There were obviously more turkeys in the roost than just the six longbeards. This music went on for almost 30 minutes before the birds began flying down. They came in like dive bombers....one after the other. There were somewhere around 30 turkeys altogether......longbeards, jakes, and hens. Problem is....not a one flew down to our set up of 2 hen decoys and a Pretty Boy strutting tom. They all landed in the field next to us.

For thirty minutes we watched a show of strutting toms, jakes chasing each other....and hens yelping out instructions to the flock. The only turkey courteous enough to visit our set up was, of course, a jake. After this, the flock moved into the woods line....to the dirt road to pick up gravel (at which point I realized if I was at the truck I would be filling my tag). Then they moved across the road. It went from pandemonium to silence!!

Jeff put a call into Dave who told us where to relocate. We went back to the field owned by Brooks Johnson. Dave had just spotted a number of longbeards in there.

We set up in a different location than the day before. We followed the creekline to the edge of a woodlot where the turkeys were. Fearful of bumping the turkeys, we set up in a spot that was less than ideal. We paid the price for that. About an hour later a longbeard and three jakes showed up. Though the birds were in my effective bow range.....a shot was impossible due to the heavy brush.

Jeff called Dave and told Dave we were going out to a place he had been wanting to get to. Dave gave him the "go ahead" and off we went. The wind that morning had been blowing between 35-45 mph. Jeff said the birds on this particular farm would be in a shelter belt that was lined with pines. He had gone in a few days earlier and cut out a path in the pines that would allow him to sneak in there and pop up a blind undetected.

Once we confirmed that the birds were in the shelter belt, including at least one nice tom.....we made a big circle and came in on the back side of the shelter belt. We had to walk through a foot of snow to get to our spot!! They had a blizzard the previous weekend that dumped 14 inches of snow.....and what we were walking in was the remnants of the wind drifts. Jeff peeked into the shelter belt and said we we would have to be careful. The turkeys were just down from us towards the road about 50 yards. We popped up the blind and Bob and I crawled in. Jeff said he would wait out by the road in his truck to discourage the turkeys from crossing the road. He told me not to call often but just enough to let them know we were there. He said they naturally walk up and down the shelter belt....so there was no need to un-necessarily arouse their suspicion. We did not put out decoys.

The whole time Bob and I were getting settled, I could see and hear the turkeys chasing each other around. When Bob gave me the go ahead I began calling. I simply would give a series of yelps about every 15 minutes. I didn't "cut loose"......just a few soft...."Hey...I'm over here....come and visit" type of yelps. They would look but never respond. They just kept chasing each other around. So Bob and I decided we would just have to wait.

Some time later I looked up to see deer moving through the shelter belt. There were seven of them just milling around with the turkeys. A few minutes later I see the deer jerk their heads up to look at something. I see it it too. It's a rooster pheasant running through the shelter belt. For some reason, the deer thought they should follow him. I guess they thought he knew where there was a good source of food. So all seven of them paraded by our blind while we prayed they did not wind us or get spooked by the blind thus alerting the turkeys to the danger. When the last one passed by we breathed a sigh of relief.

I pulled out my HS Strut "Cuttin 2.5" mouth call and gave a series. I was cut off by a gobble!! Awesome!! That usually means...."I hear ya and I'm comin." I called again and the gobbler responded.....closer!! I decided to shut up.

A couple minutes later, after hearing nothing, I lifted my head to look above some cedars and sure enough just thirty five yards away and getting closer I saw a full fan heading our way. Showtime!!! I reached for my bow and hooked on the release. Bob turned on the camera.

When the tom stepped out we saw he actually had a buddy with him. I now had two longbeards at 25 yards. Bob whispered....."Hold off a little so I can get some footage." I told him I would draw when they stepped behind a tree that we had ranged at 25. When they stepped behind the tree I drew and waited. The birds continued on their path that took them into a clearing. The clearing was between the tree I had ranged at 25 yards and another I had ranged at 20....so I guessed about 22.5. I just have started wearing my glasses when I shoot and I must admit it made a big difference. The sight picture was clear and as a result I was having no "panic." I settled the pin and let fly at the lead bird who was standing upright. The arrow was perfect. He was slightly quartering away.

Picture of where the turkey was standing when I shot him. The thick tree to the right with all the heavy limbs hanging down is where the turkeys walked behind when I drew my bow. When they walked into the clearing dead center in the middle of the picture is when I shot.

The arrow hit right behind the wing butt, went through the chest and out of the neck. He tried to fly but couldn't because the arrow was still in him. He made a sharp turn right, tumbled and went down just 40 yards from the blind!!

This is a picture from the blind looking at the spot where the turkey dropped. Even though you can't see him he's laying about 40 yards out.

The other turkeys had no idea what happened. They continued to strut around the blind and chase each other around. Not wanting to spook them so that other clients could hunt there, Bob snuck out the back side to go get Jeff to drive the truck up to drive them off....which he did. They all paraded behind my blind. There were probably 40 turkeys including 7 longbeards and 2 hens with eight inch beards. Once they were gone I finally got to go see my turkey.

My bow killed Merriam's!! 25 lbs.....9.25 inch beard!!!

Shot on April 15th.....2:15 PM in Gregory, SD. Gear: Browining Verado set at 56 lbs. Carbon Force Stealth Hunter 300's tipped with 125 grain Rocket Steelhead's.

Me & Guide Jeff

Me along with Bob Mussey, videographer

Jeff not only congratulated me but made my day further by informing us that he filled his tag while waiting for us. Some jakes kept ganging up on a big gobbler and running him off....so Jeff grabbed his bow and waited for the next time they ran him out of the shelter belt. When they did it again Jeff let the air out of him at 30 yards!!

Me and Guide Jeff's turkeys!!

So it was a great hunt in South Dakota. I now have three down and one to go (my Osceola) for my bow grand slam. I'll be going after that next year.

I cannot say enough good about Dave Keiser and Double K Outfitters. If you are looking to finish a slam.....OR....simply want a great place to bow hunt turkeys......check out their website and give them a call.

CLICK HERE FOR THEIR WEBSITE

A Very Memorable Hunt!!

Tuesday, December 16th.....has to rank up there as one of my most memorable hunts............EVER!

It was late season muzzleloader in Indiana. I knew there were big ones out there.....but after weeks of busting my butt....sitting for hours in stands passing smaller bucks.....being shot at (yes!!...both me and the deer!!).....and a less than spectacular Kansas trip....my enthusiasm level was pretty shot. I was running on empty...and fighting a cold wasn't making it any easier.

However, we had a nice two inch snow that day and it stopped by 1:30. It was one of those days you just "knew" you should be out. So I decided to go out....if nothing else to enjoy the peace and quiet after a snow. I knew the deer should be feeding after the snow...and the impending cold. But....the deer SHOULD HAVE been doing a lot of things this year.

I got home from the office about 2 PM...and realized I had not purchased my muzzleloader tag. Got online....filled everything in....and when I got to the "submit" button...I hesitated. "Do I really want to spend the money? After all I have a bow license...and bow is open as well." Knowing that I usually regret not doing stuff like that...I pushed submit...and got the license. The printout read...."Purchased at 2:04 PM."

Next question was "where?" I had been perusing a book on hunting "Post rut" bucks. The author said that you must hunt the thickest cover you can find near a food source. Well....there was one place I was aware of that has served me well through the years. It's a ridgetop lined on one side with lots of honeysuckle. It's so thick...the rabbit beagles struggle in it. That honeysuckle served two purposes....food and cover. So...I decided for the ridgetop...although this year I had seen ZIP up there! However....it just seemed the logical place this time.

I got my gear together. As I walked out I told my wife..."I know I'm forgetting something since it's been about two weeks since I've been out...and I'm not in the groove right now." (Prophetic words!)

I pulled into the field...and the turkeys were everywhere...scratching up the snow...looking for something to eat. When I stepped out to start getting my stuff together...I noticed how nice and quiet it was....and how soft the snow was. I decided I better "hunt" back to my stand instead of just "getting there." The wind was in my face....perfect!

I walked slowly to my stand....noticing how well you could see a good distance with the snow on the ground. I crossed the creek bottom and began my ascent to the ridge. I started noticing a lot of tracks....which due to the snow had to have been made in the last two hours.

As I climbed...there were more and more tracks. I began to feel real good about my decision. When I reached the crest...I started moving real slow looking through the honey suckle where I could. Within sight of my stand now...I caught movement down to my right. It was a doe feeding along. She had no idea I was there. I decided I better watch her for a bit...at least till she moved out of sight so I could get to my stand undetected. As she fed....she would keep snapping her head back to the left of her. That meant there were either other does in there....or maybe a buck. Since she was a yearling doe....she could have been attracting attention. I never saw anything.

After about 15 minutes...she moved out of sight...and I progressed to my stand. When I got to my stand...I realized what I had forgotten.......hangers....to hang my gun and pack on in the tree. It was a ladder stand. Normally....I'll climb it with my muzzleloader capped...because I've got somewhere to hang it on as soon as I get up there. But this time for safety sake....I decided to "uncap" until I figured out what to do.

So I "uncapped"...and began my climb. I laid my gun against the seat...laid the pack on the seat...and climbed under the shooting rail. I took out my seat cushion and sat down. I had a problem. I had nowhere to hang my pack. So I decided to get everything out I needed and simply hang it upside down on the shooting rail. Normally....I leave everything in there and just hang the pack on a hanger off the tree where it is easily reachable.

First I pulled out my gloves....then my neck gaiter...and then my knit cap. So here I am....gun between knees (uncapped)....contents of backpack in lap....back pack on top.

I catch movement out of the corner of my left eye. I turn to catch a deer's rear end...because it's behind a big tree...but moving steadily toward me. When he stepped from behind the tree I freaked out!! "O man....that's a good one!!" (I determined this year I wasn't pulling the trigger unless I had that reaction.)

The buck is in that "buck in rut" trot. His tongue is hanging out and he has obviously been "chasing." (That's what that doe had probably been watching!)

He's now 20 yards away...in front of my stand...moving to my right. I'm able to get my gun up. Oh...no!! No cap!! I rip open the zipper to my handwarmer pouch....and pull out the 35mm bottle full of caps. He doesn't notice all this noise and movement. He's on a mission!!

I decided to forget about watching him and concentrate on getting the gun capped. I figured if I hurried up....I could catch him within a 100 yards.

I finally got the gun capped. When I looked up to locate him...he was 50 yards away to my right....beginning to move downhill. As I turned in my stand to put the gun on the shooting rail...I can't believe what happened next. My pack and all my gear fell out of my lap and hit the ground with a resounding "whap!"

That was the best thing that could have happened. He stopped dead in his tracks...slightly quartering towards me trying to figure out what that noise was. I settled the crosshairs of my .50 cal. muzzleloader on him...."Boom!" Right on!! He ran downhill favoring his right front leg so I knew the shoulder was broken. He disappeared...but I knew right where to find him. Same spot we have recovered a number of deer through the years.

I sat there in my stand in a state of shock trying to figure out what just happened!! I had only been there 5 minutes. After hours of sitting in various stands this year...and now it's over in 5 minutes!!! Bought my tag at 2:08....and filled it at 3:30!! Unbelievable!!

Like I said, the deer ran downhill out of sight....but I knew the snow would make an easy tracking job. Here is the sight I was greeted to.....

This is my third best deer ever! He is a main frame 7....with a kicker. Gross score is 130 & some change. He has the widest spread of any deer I've shot at 21 1/4 inches.....and the G-2 on his right side is a foot long.

I'm a blessed man!!