Ben's 2026 semi-live hunt thread

[TheBenHoyle]

I went out about midmorning Friday with the idea that I would set up in the little patch of woods I shot those two hens last fall. Got all kitted up and walked in to my spot and noticed that the far side of the woods (total size about 12 acres) there is a bulldozer pushing brush into the edge of the trees.

Maybe 3 of the acres belong to the neighbor on the west and he was grubbing up a fenceline just to the south and then pushing the branches and trunks across the field about 300 yards to the edge of the woods.

SO there was no chance I was going to encounter turkeys in those woods that day. I backed out and headed to another spot on the farm. There is still a lot of corn standing on the farm, and I think that is where the turkeys on this part of the farm are hiding. There was a pond full of ducks including some wood ducks. I sat by a tree for a while trying to figure out if I could come back in the morning with some steel shot and sneak in before first light.

Eventually, I found a tree and figured I might get lucky and have a deer walk by. It was a slow afternoon, but I could see the pond and the ducks coming and going, which I always enjoy. About an hour before sunset, I saw a little yearling buck on the far side of the field. He was looking back and I thought more deer would come out, but he was the only one.

I got out of the tree and made a trip in to Farm and Fleet to get some steel shot with hopes of duck hunting in the morning. Then I went to my parents house for dinner.

 

[Nick87]

I went out about midmorning Friday with the idea that I would set up in the little patch of woods I shot those two hens last fall. Got all kitted up and walked in to my spot and noticed that the far side of the woods (total size about 12 acres) there is a bulldozer pushing brush into the edge of the trees.

Maybe 3 of the acres belong to the neighbor on the west and he was grubbing up a fenceline just to the south and then pushing the branches and trunks across the field about 300 yards to the edge of the woods.

SO there was no chance I was going to encounter turkeys in those woods that day. I backed out and headed to another spot on the farm. There is still a lot of corn standing on the farm, and I think that is where the turkeys on this part of the farm are hiding. There was a pond full of ducks including some wood ducks. I sat by a tree for a while trying to figure out if I could come back in the morning with some steel shot and sneak in before first light.

Eventually, I found a tree and figured I might get lucky and have a deer walk by. It was a slow afternoon, but I could see the pond and the ducks coming and going, which I always enjoy. About an hour before sunset, I saw a little yearling buck on the far side of the field. He was looking back and I thought more deer would come out, but he was the only one.

I got out of the tree and made a trip in to Farm and Fleet to get some steel shot with hopes of duck hunting in the morning. Then I went to my parents house for dinner.

How far south are you? I didn't think farm and fleet had any locations south of like i80?

 

[TheBenHoyle]

Saturday morning I was up and out in plenty of time to be sat down by the pond in a decent-enough hide. I was hoping that the ducks would land into the wind, which would bring them right in front of me.

Sadly, they were landing on the far side of the pond, but in general they were spreading out in the pond so I thought they might circulate over by me. I didn't see the wood ducks, but I was willing to be patient.

There were about 40 ducks on the pond when I see something splashing around and next thing you know the ducks all get up and fly away. I put my binoculars on the splashing and I see that there are two otters out in the pond having a nice breakfast... It was a disappointing end to the duck hunt, but it was exciting to see otters. I have never seen them in the wild before.

I went back to the truck and got my recurve and did some hiking around thinking I might encounter a deer. This is a very large river bottom property and I am trying to get a better sense of it so I figured some exploring was in order.

I didn't see any turkey sign but there was plenty of deer sign. Eventually I came across a cruising buck. He got close, but not recurve range close. He was actually a deer I had on my trail camera.



Unique looking rack and that right side was very impressive in person. Would have loved to take him as my first recurve deer, but such was not the case. Keep in mind, this was about a mile or more south of the trail camera.

After that I got back in the car and drove around the farm to see if I could find turkeys in the field. That didn't yield any results, but I noticed that I couldn't hear the bulldozer up by those trees. So I took the plunge and went back into those woods hoping that the turkeys would be picking at the freshly disturbed earth and would need to roost in the trees I would be sitting in.

After about an hour sitting in there with nothing but squirrels and chipmunks it started to rain. Radar said it would be light and only last an hour, but I was tempted to pull the plug. My buddy has a kid who was playing football in the high school playoffs and I was close enough that I could go see the game... I was tired and a little cold. So many reasons to just quit, but then it stopped raining and I stood up slowly to maneuver to a spot to relieve myself and I saw movement...

I sat back down and put my binoculars on the movement. It was two tom turkeys! They must have slid into the woods to wait out the rain. And then I saw a third.

Sadly, they were about 70 yards away and slightly over the property line so I didn't do anything but wait to see where they would go. I was hoping that they would come my way, but I was willing to just wait them out and see what they did when it was fly up time.

They went out into the neighbor's field where I lost sight of them but I figured they would be back. And then I hear the skid steer. The neighbor was out in the filed grubbing up that fence line again. At first I was hopeful that his activity would push them back into the woods. And then I thought maybe they were just hunkered down and he would stop before sunset at which time they would come into the woods for roosting.

Long story short, none of that happened. He worked until sunset and I went home empty handed... I'm hoping I can get back out next weekend with my bow. Would be nice if that neighbor would be done with the ground work.

 

[TheBenHoyle]

How far south are you? I didn't think farm and fleet had any locations south of like i80?

I'm in Stephenson County. I don't live there now (Chicagoland) but I grew up out there and do most of my hunting in Stephenson and JoDavies Counties.

 

[Nick87]

I'm in Stephenson County. I don't live there now (Chicagoland) but I grew up out there and do most of my hunting in Stephenson and JoDavies Counties.

Oh gotcha. I didn't realize. I'm a stones throw. Ogle county. I just assumed you were huntig downstate.