Thornton's Post-Season Pictures

2017 started off with promise as my new farmer decided to plant beans. When I was in high school, he and his dad would let me hunt and fish thousands of acres before all the leasing took it away. I knew he would do a good job and I'd have a good crop. My soil is more of an upland soil and thus requires a little more attention for a good yield than river bottom soil. I decided no trail cameras this year because the bachelor herds that were sure to arrive would quickly learn my routine and disappear. In August, I climbed into a tree for a first visit and this is what I saw:

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Late August found me hunting antelope with a rifle in New Mexico. It was a very desolate area, but very beautiful. It was not a guided hunt but rather one that I purchased the tag from the rancher with access to over 5000 acres. I took note of all the abandoned old rock farm houses that seemed to be on every section.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

The rancher took this photo of a big elk that traveled through her canyon. Apparently, it is a rare sight to see them this far east.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Went to a nearby lake where dinosaur tracks were accidentally uncovered during the 1950's while constructing a dam.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Shot a nice antelope buck the first evening and headed home the third day. Despite all my work, September found me back at the farm looking for the big ones. I quickly realized most of the 13 summer bucks had disappeared. I went out 2 days in early season and had several close encounters with a herd of wary does that always blew my cover. This buck and a young 10 pt visited twice. He was a heavy 8 point with no width, tall beams, and short points. Very possibly a deer I've seen in person before and one I've had on camera 2 years before.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

October arrived and still no big ones. In fact, there were only a few small bucks and about 18 does visiting the beans. Sometime between Sept. and Oct I found this young 9 pt dead by one of my ponds. Months later in December, I talked to the Lt. Warden in Lyon county and he had already visited my neighbor who also had 2, small,dead bucks. He said due to the time frame they died and shallow waterways nearby, he suspects EHD. Such a waste. This one was 2 1/2 and had 9 uprights points and 2 kicker points.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

In the stand in late October

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Doe #1 of 18 after a small spike with a cyst on his L rear leg walked under me. He was a sad creature. His L rear quarter seemed to be wasting away but he got in the field before everyone else and seemed very mobile. I encountered him several times during the season.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Late October found my friend and I on the road to Colorado for 2nd rifle. He is a deputy and had never hunted out of state. Since I wasn't using an outfitter this year I talked him into going and bought his elk tag. We drove all night and arrived in the middle of the mountains after a short nap an hour before sunrise. At 9 am we had secured his elk tag and small game licenses and were off to the western slope! This was the hunt of a lifetime for he and I since we had talked about it for 15 years. By 2 pm we we're unloading the 4 wheelers and drove up the mountain 1 hour, then another 40 minute hike to the top. To say the least, he was not acclimated, but he was enjoying every minute! We positioned ourself above a huge burned out bowl. Sunset revealed several mule deer does and 1 elk within 600 yds of us. We hiked down in the dark.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

We hunted sage, lava chutes, hillsides, mountains, and dark timber. I saw only two bucks on public in the first 4 days and both were small. Since we arrived in the late part of the season, many hunters hunting public were going home tag unfilled.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Pot farm

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Workin dogs

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Last day, last evening of the season, I decided to take my friend to an elk meadow a mile across a canyon while I would hunt an area 20 miles away for my deer. An hour after I dropped him off, he texted me a bull was headed his way screaming. Knowing there were no hunters nearby, I told him to wait it out. In hindsight, maybe I should have said to go after him. He said the bull never appeared. An hour later, I shot my biggest deer ever and the next morning we headed home.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Did some varminting before we left. The high powers were too easy so we started using .22 rifles. They were definitely a challenge then! At 300 yds we averaged missing about 30 times before we could hit one

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Back at the farm waiting on the rut to start

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

It was still warm. In 2016 I saw lightning bugs out here on Nov. 10th.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Not a whole lot happening but I was seeing some bigger bucks. Flew to Winnipeg on the 10th and headed west in a turd 1 wheel drive Nissan. It was a blizzard

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Got to Ochre River and Craig and I started hunting. I quickly realized the body aches I had a few days prior had turned into a severe illness. So much for hunting that 200" buck I missed last year. For the next 4 days I spent hours sick on my bed and when the Tylenol would kick in, we would head out to hunt a few hours. Migraines, back pain, and fevers plagued my hunt. I had most likely come down with viral meningitis that I picked up from my patient in the ER before I left.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Saw quite a few sharp tails that are very much like our chickens except they will roost in the timber

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

The rut was just starting and I had three encounters with this young 8 pt chasing does

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Shot a decent buck the last morning and headed home. Fellow Bowsiter David Alford was in camp and it was a pleasure hunting with him. He uses a recurve and pursues deer all over North America using his STAR release method. He was off to Mexico to hunt the last time I spoke to him.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Red sun rising

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

I thought I was going to have to stop in Chicago and hit the ER. The meningitis had inflamed my appendix and I was a hurtin' unit. Thankfully it did not get too bad and I arrived in Wichita at 3PM. Hopped in the car and drove to Eldorado to dump my hunting stuff at the shop only to see a large 150"+ buck chasing does on the west side of the city limits. When I left town 30 minutes later, he was still there across from Sutherlands waiting on his doe with the south wind in his face and traffic going by. Go figure, I fly to Canada to hunt huge bucks and come home to see one bigger in town than I saw the whole hunt.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Back at it again. This guy visited me the same two days last year. He is now 3.5 yrs old. His left side is a very nice 5 point with character but the right is 4 spindly points

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

A couple days later. The camera noises really freaked this guy out. Hopefully he's much smarter.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

I almost forgot this one. He watched me for an hour after he crawled to the top to dine on hackberry leaves.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

I wasn't seeing much at my farm so the end of November found me glassing open country . This young 10 pt watched me walk by him and his doe and he never got to his feet.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

I followed this little fork horn for a mile after he left the ten point

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

This young 8 point sniffed around a doe that bedded behind a bush when she saw him. He came down the draw that I was sitting above.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

I put a camera at my place right before rifle season. It showed a few nice ones still on the move.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Opening day of rifle season I jumped this guy and a 150" ten point at 60 yards. The ten didn't see me and followed this one and the doe grunting at them while they ran. I didn't try to shoot either one. Both have great potential.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Rifle season continued to reveal several 3.5 yr old bucks and quite a bit of rut activity. I took KsHusker out and we saw does but the only buck was at 400 yds and wouldn't come into the field. Nichole was my hunter on the last day and she passed on a 3.5 yr old 8 pt that I had seen in the same draw the day before. This buck visited my field every evening

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

I wasn't expecting to see much this late honestly. An hour after I got into the stand I heard buck steps behind me. I turned my head and glimpsed 5 solid points out of my right eye on the trail that went under my stand. I quickly removed my face mask since it alters my point of aim and slowly picked my bow from the branches above my head. By this time, he was directly under my stand sniffing around. He kept walking straight away with the wind at his back. I knew I'd have to shoot him soon because I was in danger of him smelling me now that he was downwind. I bleated at him to stop and he jumped, turning his front to look at me. I released the 125 gr Rage crossbow head aiming at his back ribs. The shot was sound and he bolted off only to slow down about 60 yds away and tip over. I climbed down directly and by the time I got to him he tried to lift his head once and expired. A good death is its own reward and I was very glad he didn't suffer. The arrow went in his left, rear ribs and the tip poked out the right, front shoulder near the elbow. I am very impressed by my $200 Bowtech. It seems to shoot much harder than my Mathews Z7.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

Back to the August photo I took. He is the one on the far left.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

He had a short wheelbase and built like a bull. Not sure what he weighed but he was heavy. I drove my two door Yukon and I couldn't lift him into the tailgate with a roof right over my head. If I had my truck, I'd have had more room to lift. I ended up boning him on the field edge. I took him home and measured him at 148" with an 18" inside width.

From: Thornton

19-Dec-17

An old owl waiting on dark in a cottonwood

From: Thornton

20-Dec-17

From: sitO

20-Dec-17

You had a heckuva season bud, congrats and I hope they're all as good!

From: writer

20-Dec-17

Great stuff, but where’s the pic of that stud-muffin mule deer? Impressive animal! Thanks for taking the time for so many posts.

From: ksq232

20-Dec-17

Congrats! That's a great whitetail, gives me hope with the cold coming soon.

From: Chief

20-Dec-17

Like the picture of the geese in flight! Do you know why the V shape is always longer on one side?

From: Thornton

20-Dec-17

Thank you! I'm hoping they start landing in my bean field so I can get one for Christmas but they keep using the neighbor. Why is the V longer Chief?

From: Thornton

20-Dec-17

I was going to leave it out Writer because an invidual on here already told me I didn't hunt it because it is a rifle kill. Buck of a lifetime for me so here it is

From: Chief

20-Dec-17

Well, writer told me one time it's because there are more birds on one side.

From: Thornton

20-Dec-17

lol

From: writer

20-Dec-17

Since when have you ever listened to anything I’ve said, Chief? :-) Jason, people can argue about hunting technique, but a 180-inch typical mule deer is always worth looking at.

From: Kicker Point

20-Dec-17

Great season! congrats!

From: Habitat for Wildlife

21-Dec-17

Congrats!

From: JLeMieux

21-Dec-17

Congrats on a heck of a season! Out of curiosity, what day did you get your Ks buck on?

From: Thornton

21-Dec-17

12-14

From: KsHusker

22-Dec-17

Now it's time for bird season Jason. Buy ya a pointing dog already Or one of those expensive combo duck fetchers and pointers.

From: Thornton

22-Dec-17

My friend's Britanny is the best duck dog and pointer I've seen in years. As much as I've been walking and not finding anything lately, I wish I could get a long range dog. I've only shot 4 quail and 1 duck this year.

From: Lord o' horns

23-Dec-17

thanks for sharing

From: Trebarker

24-Dec-17

Great shots and animals Jason

From: Thornton

25-Dec-17

Thank you

From: One Arrow

25-Dec-17

Awesome!

From: Paul@thefort

26-Dec-17

Fun stuff Jason. my best, Paul

From: z hunter

27-Dec-17

Nothing hypocritical about being a former outfitter, then bashing outfitters, then using an outfitter, nothing to see here folks..move along..

From: Thornton

27-Dec-17

You missed the bigger one I got the year before Z. You really need to get a handle on your jealousy issues. I bash Outfitters that overhunt everything, screw people out of money, or lease far more than they should. If that shoe fits you then wear it. I got out out of the business over 10 years ago because it is greed driven and does nothing to making hunting for the common man better in this state.

From: z hunter

27-Dec-17

No, you missed the bigger one the year before, then you killed the smaller one.

No jealosy here jason, if i was jealous, i would be trying to keep everything i have for myself. Id be upset with others who killed bigger bucks ,..like yourself. Im happy for you, truthfully..im glad you were able to experience the hunts which you did.

From: Quinn @work

28-Dec-17

Thornton,

LOL. You traveled all the way to Canada and paid how much to shoot that average deer with a GUN?

Z has a great point......Why are Canadian outfitters different than the Kansas outfitters you trash/bash or you once were?

You are the biggest rifle hunting hypocrite on BOWSITE! Next time save yourself a lot of money and shoot that 130" buck with your rifle in Kansas. I hope that gun was loaded in the Facebook picture.

From: Craig

28-Dec-17

It was a tuff week hunting bucks that were in the bush with doe's. I would like to see everyone go home with a 150 or better but the reality is we tried as hard as we could with the circumstances. Ended up getting this respectable deer. Hunting is supposed to be fun and bring people together and meeting new people. Happy New year guys Happy hunting.

From: Thornton

28-Dec-17

I'm curious why you even care what I do with my money? I travel all over to see new country and hunt. I suppose the whole uncontrollable urge to see other areas comes from me being related to Daniel Boone. No hypocrite here, I have always proudly told everyone I rifle and bowhunt. In fact, my handle used to be 7mag but people bawled about it so I changed it out of respect. If you read my thread, I mentioned I contracted viral meningitis while on this hunt. That being said, I really did not get to hunt much especially with the extremely low temperatures and my condition. Craig could not stay around and hunt after I left because he went to the airport at the exact same time as I and got on a plane destined for a business conference in Vegas. It was the last day and I had only spent a few hours hunting in the entire week because I was sick and he said he wanted a deer for sausage. So I shot it and everybody was happy. Good job on the score though- he was 130" and I think he was only 12" wide.

As for hunting up there being like KS, there is no comparison. First off, you have to get a firearms permit and have it filled out before you get there. When you get there, they check your guns and verify you have no pistols or rifles with a barrel less than 21" if I remember right. You have to carry the firearms permit the whole time. The outfitter has to be licensed, and it is very regulated unlike KS. Craig's concession is 30 sq miles and he only get 6 tags and there are no other outfitters around. The last two years he only took 2 hunters total (Me and David Alford). He will not be taking anymore for a few years due to the slow rebound of the big winterkill a few years ago. Baiting is not allowed. Last year David hunted 5 days before he saw a buck and he stayed in the stand from dawn till dusk. I went there to hunt a 180" 10 point that I found the sheds to last year and was a very visible buck after I left. When I got up there, Keystone pipeline construction had begun behind the 650 acre hayfield I was supposed to hunt. The buck had vacated the property and left 4 does that came out every evening. They were bringing in supplies via helicopter 4 or 5 times a day and the deer hadn't gotten used to it yet even though it was a mile away.

From: z hunter

29-Dec-17

Baiting is not allowed? Lol

Thats a lie hypocrite.

From: z hunter

29-Dec-17

Why do YOU care what anyone spends THEIR money on? Hypocrite.

You think everyone can afford the Hashknife?

From: z hunter

29-Dec-17

Only 2 hunters in 2016? Thats a lie, hypocrite

Heres 4 of them, plus there was a 5th..want the pic?

From: z hunter

29-Dec-17

Where do you come up with this garbage? You kill a buck at 507 yards.

Then make some bs statement about not shooting "barnyard animals",..giving them a chance to "outsmart you"??

From over 500yards gives them a chance!? Hypocrite

From: z hunter

29-Dec-17

Just so we are clear,...you are fine with the State of Kansas dividing Kansas into approximately 1750 "30,000acre" concessions for outfitters.??

From: z hunter

29-Dec-17

Heres a great post from the past..lol Once a baiter always a baiter. Just because you say you dont do it now, doesnt give you the right to bash people who legally do so. Hypocrite

From: Quinn @work

29-Dec-17

Thornton will spill whatever garbage, lies, etc out of his mouth so he can bad mouth or rip on other hunters and Kansas NR's that don't do things the same way as him at that exact time in his life. I'm really surprised his ego would fit on those face book pages.

FTR Thornton, I have no problem with rifle hunters. In addition to my bowhunts I enjoy the rifle hunts I go on too.

From: Ksgobbler

29-Dec-17

That escalated quickly

From: Thornton

29-Dec-17

You two must be really dense. If you would have read the description on the FB photos you stalked, they explain their selves. If you remember, Craig posted hunts on the Nat'l Forum the summer of 2016 at discounted rates. He was starting the deer guiding part of his very successful bear operation. David Alford and I bought the only two hunts he sold this year and last year.. The young guy and the lady are his cousin and wife and they shot their deer on land in his area but on their own personal tags. He used their photos as an example for what the area holds and for advertisement. They own their own farms and hunt on Crown land as well. The old guy named Willie hunted with Craig's father last year along with his son and grandson from MO. They stayed and hunted on Craigs Dad's operation about 20 miles away. His dad did not have any hunters this year.

As for the buck I killed, he was very hard to hunt. Day three of not seeing him, he pushed a doe across the corner at 900 yds. I took off running as soon as the doe ran across the field because I knew he would be behind her. I ran from bale to bale and closed the distance to 600 yds before he appeared briefly and followed the doe's trail into the dense poplar forest in the field corner. 2 young bucks followed and immediately ran back out into the open in fear and stared into the timber while he bred the doe. The last evening I shot him, We had walked into a canola field at sunset a little over a mile from where I saw him on day 3. Unbeknownst to us, he was smack dab in the middle of the field, and one of his does saw us took off for the woods. He stood up, trying to decide if he should leave the other does. This gave me about 30 seconds to range him at 507 yds and take a shooting position off my knee. At this point, the second doe ran off and he was very nervous still with the third, bedded doe. I adjusted my scope 9 MOA if I remember right and shot him. This buck never spent much time in the open and when he did, it was because of a doe. In 5 days, I saw him less than 3 minutes total while hunting two fields totaling bout a thousand acres. He stayed in the poplar forest almost exclusively

As for the corn feeder, I realized how worthless they are and have not used one for 6 years. Bears are legal to be baited in Manitoba, not deer. I do not hunt bears....yet. Manitoba doesn't get the attention Saskatchewan gets because of the no baiting law. It is very difficult to hunt compared to almost anywhere else. The natives road hunt everything to the point that even young does will vanish from a field when they see a truck over a mile away.

Z- As for hunting places like the Hashknife, I'm sorry you don't have the money. I have found in this life, if you are a well-abled, hard worker, you can achieve almost anything you make a priority. This recommendation I made for a world class whitetail ranch must really get under your skin, seeing as how it would cut into potential sales you make under the table here on Bowsite without paying the $700 sponsor fee? Either way, I have hunted with some very wealthy people here on Bowsite that would gladly hunt the Hashknife if there is an opening. There is a fellow on this forum that just bought a 1.4 million dollar nursing home and is enjoying his new endeavor. Pretty cool considering just a year ago he was a $60k a year insurance guy.

From: Thornton

29-Dec-17

From: Thornton

29-Dec-17

From: Craig

30-Dec-17

Wow! Not sure whether to say thanks for all the attention or not. We by no means want to be involved in any discrepancy here but would like to clarify that the details of the hunts and pictures that Jason has described are accurate. We are not able to bait deer in Manitoba though are able to bait for bears. The deer pictures harvested, other than jasons, are from family and friends in our area and wanted to showcase the variety of deer in the area. Having said that, we have chosen not to continue to deer hunts as we've expanded our bear operation this year and thoroughly enjoy it! Looking forward to another successful year of hunting!!

From: Thornton

07-Jan-18

Smoky Hills sunrise

From: Thornton

07-Jan-18

This dog is ready to hunt!

From: Quinn @work

10-Jan-18

Thornton,

Don't worry about trying to justify your story as it relates to Craig's business. Everyone can read between the lines. From what I can see Craig seems to be a great outfitter and your story just had different chapters as to what actually happened.

I can see where you got confused with what was actually a client harvested deer vs an outfitter family's deer picture. :)

Thornton, you however seem to have provided a lot of contradictory statements which in turn questions the validity of your integrity. As stated before, you seem to freely express your cut and dry "perceived" values based on what's best for Thornton. Even if it means attacking other Bowsiters.

In regards to your threatening PM"s ...... I'm not concerned as to your marksmanship or how many guns you claim to have and know how to use.

From: Shawn

12-Jan-18

Thorton we rarely agree but I want to congratulate you on a couple great bucks. Escsp. the muley buck. I agree, kill what makes ya happy and let everyone else worry about it. Again Congrats on some fine deer!! Shawn

From: Thornton

12-Jan-18

Thanks Shawn! The bird hunting is starting to pick up. Saw 7 chickens and two coveys of quail on a 160 acre permission I have in Butler County. Could have easily shot more quail but I take the dogs out there several times a week on my days off in January . I shot 3 birds leaving 22 between the two coveys.

From: Thornton

12-Jan-18

It's in the evening flight path of Dozens of flocks of geese. We managed to sneak in between two large flocks already in adjacent fields. When they took off and circled to a new feeding spot I was able to pass shoot two.

From: writer

12-Jan-18

What’s the shotgun?

From: writer

12-Jan-18

What’s the shotgun with the geese? Looks nice. Are there 4 quail in the pic? Have a pheasant spot like that near home. Try to not take more than one bird, and keep going back. By mid-season they’re kicking our tails pretty bad.

From: Thornton

13-Jan-18

Beretta Onyx Pro in12 gauge. There are just three quail in the picture. I'm up To ten this year so far because the few birds I'm finding around Eldorado lake aren't very big coveys.

From: Thornton

14-Jan-18

Went quail hunting at the farm this evening and saw 3 deer herds on the way home totaling 21 deer. I noticed they were all feeding in big pastures rather than crop fields. Another small buck joined after I took this photo at about 900 yds

From: Thornton

14-Jan-18

Beautiful sunset

From: Thornton

15-Jan-18

Took the lab out after work today but the strong north wind was driving the flocks several miles apart. I found most of them congregated near a field that was my second choice to go to. On the way there, I spotted a flock of 15 prairie chickens that I hadn't seen in several years. This flock used to have 34 birds in it.

From: Thornton

15-Jan-18

From: Thornton

27-Jan-18

I thought I'd give the birds a better chance and used a .410 the other evening. Found 2 coveys of 16 birds and one small on of 6 birds on a public field ten minutes from the shop.

From: crestedbutte

27-Jan-18

When I was a kid, I used to hunt them with a single-shot .410.....good times! Is that a pump/semi-auto?

From: writer

27-Jan-18

Making your season last. I have a place like that for roosters near home.

From: Thornton

27-Jan-18

It's a mossberg pump I bought it to have a repeating .410. I have a couple single shots as well and I'm always on the look out for a nice double. We found two roosters this evening in Butler County and got one

From: Thornton

12-Feb-18

From: liktobowhnt

12-Feb-18

You should make a book of all these photos good stuff

From: Thornton

13-Feb-18

Thank you. I went to Oklahoma to a friend's ranch to scout a potential new deer hunting spot when he gets an opening. He cut down on his deer hunters after the EHD killed a bunch during the drought. He used to put 8 hunters on 5000 acres now he just does 3 or 4 .Did a little exploring and quail hunting around some windmills. Found two coveys of about 30-35 birds and knocked down 3 before in the morning before the wind picked up to 20 mph.

From: Thornton

13-Feb-18

From: Thornton

13-Feb-18

From: Thornton

13-Feb-18

From: Thornton

13-Feb-18

There are no cottonwoods on this 5 mile stretch of the river so tower blinds have been placed every mile.

From: Thornton

13-Feb-18

From: Thornton

13-Feb-18

The landowner's 190" gross that netted 178". He said the same year he shot it in the late 90's, his neighbor killed one that he had seen in person from horseback at 30 yards. He said he estimated it at 30" wide and 24" tall. The neighbor never entered it in the books. That being said, somewhere in Northern Oklahoma on a wall in an isolated ranch house, there is very likely a world record hanging on a nail...

From: Thornton

13-Feb-18

A nice 8 point a different neighbor shot with a muzzleloader. Why do these Oklahoma guys think KS is the only place to shoot big deer?

From: liktobowhnt

13-Feb-18

Yep we got deer to! I dont hunt okla because we have nowhere to hunt same problems down here as ks. Leases are very high so we hunt my buddys dads place in sedan its free

From: crestedbutte

13-Feb-18

Frank... no where to hunt in OK...how can that even be? OK has one of the best WMA controlled hunt programs (by limited draw) in the nation. When I was growing up there in the 80’s & 90’s that is all we hunted and we bow, muzzle, gun killed some dandy bucks! Back then Cookson Hills and Mc Alester were a few of the best, followed by Hickory Creek (near Lake Murray) and Spavinaw. Great memories from all those hunting trips!

From: liktobowhnt

13-Feb-18

Yep me to im 60yrs old now and dont get around like i did back then, private sutes me better now if you know what i mean. I wish i could still do the things i could 20yrs ago. But i agree we have great deer hunting

From: liktobowhnt

13-Feb-18

Crest my moms old home place in telaquah is 40 ac right on the river good little huntin spot but if i hang a stand its gone two days later. Poachers and thieves

From: crestedbutte

13-Feb-18

Love Talequah! We float the Illinois River every year in late June. Spent a lot of time in that area...more so in the Stilwell area. You ever eat at Jincy’s Restaurant down the road a ways south of Talequah in Qualls, OK? It is Grandpa’s store from the movie “Where the Red Fern Grows.”

From: liktobowhnt

14-Feb-18

I know the one your talking about havent ate there in years i dont know if its still there is it?

From: writer

14-Feb-18

Jason, chased down quite a few “new world record”. 30” x 24” discriptions. So far few have even scratched book minimum. A 160 in the hand is better than a 220 in rumors.

From: crestedbutte

14-Feb-18

Yes...still open but only on Fri., Sat., Sun.

From: liktobowhnt

14-Feb-18

Great home cookin

From: Thornton

14-Feb-18

But "what if" Writer? That's what keeps us looking :) Speaking of good food, I was busy eating a delicious breakfast and watching the sun come up out his dining room window when I should have been hunting

From: crestedbutte

14-Feb-18

Nice sunrise. Now go out and move all those vehicles out of the way, Ha!

From: Thornton

15-Feb-18

I was looking oking for the coyotes that were howling in the front yard the night before

From: writer

15-Feb-18

Always a chance Jason, just saying most don’t pan out. It’s highly probable there’s an unentered world record out there, somewhere. Glad you had fun in Oklahoma. Hope it’s a start of a great year.

From: Thornton

24-Feb-18

First fish of the season

From: Catscratch

25-Feb-18

Nice fish! Crappie fishing has been great since Christmas. Bass good too the last couple of weeks. Caught many over 20 inches with one monster that was 24.25in.

From: Thornton

25-Feb-18

6 pounds? Fishing ponds or public water?

From: Catscratch

25-Feb-18

Didn't weight her, but she was bigger than any 6lb I've ever caught. There are charts that say how much a bass that long "should" weigh, but I don't put a lot of faith in them.

Pond's and watershed...

From: Thornton

26-Feb-18

She looks bigger. I've never caught a bass that big but then again, I lost all my good fishing spots when I was 12 years old when we sold my Grandpa's farm. I did catch a 4 or 5 pounder last summer in a pond saturated with small bass.

From: Thornton

04-Mar-18