 |
Tips n Tales from Home |
 |
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
| I could not believe my eyes, at five yards, he put his head down, turned as if he was going to walk away and then turned quickly and rammed the decoy, the thing just exploded a leg here and a leg there his head flew off and an antler fell to the ground. I thought damn there goes my decoy! To my surprise, when I got down out of my stand to check out the damage, I was able to put him back together unharmed except for the left antler which was broken off at the base and there was a scratch about four inches long on his side! Now that is a heck of a product!! I wish I would of had my video camera with me, I could not believe it!! My hunting buddy's went crazy when I told them!! What a day in the woods!! John J Dalsing - Cuba City, WI |
||||
 |
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
| He finally came down one of the five swale trails and was looking hard for the source of the calling. I shot him with my new 300 win mag Encore at 45 yards. Thanks for creating such a great product! Fellow hunter Steve Morin |
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
| - Posted: May 5, 2009 - I want to send my thanks to Flambeau for a dream Spring turkey season. I had purchased a Master Series™ Full Strut tom decoy with no real expectations. I thought I'd try it out. I'd seen some success using this type of decoy on television and dvds. I never dreamed we'd have a season like this. I owe it to Flamebeau and thier incredible Full Strut. My son and I arrived at our hunting land and was unable to shock gobble any toms on their normal roost locations. We set up in the corner of one place where toms had had their strut zones in the past. The neighbor's cows found us very curious and stood at the fence intent on blowing our cover. After the sun rose, I thought I could hear a faint gobble coming from the other end of the property. We got up and carried the Full Strut fully assembled along with two FeatherFlex™ hens up to the place near the gate where we would normally park. I set the decoys in view of the gate but our only choice for cover was off to one side so I couldn't see down the road. After a few minutes a tom gobbled near the road and within minutes, seven hens and two toms came from nowhere and mingled right in the decoy spread. The toms began to display like they were saying, "Is that all you got!?". My 15 year old son answered with number 5s and took a fine adult bird with a 9 inch beard with 3/4 inch spurs. Two days later I harvested two fine full grown toms with 9 and 10 inch beards when after an uneventful morning I found turkeys strutting and feeding on a grassy knoll out in the middle of shinnery oak and rolling sand hills. I used the Full Strut decoy for cover and snuck up to within 20 yards. When a hen would move between the cedar trees, I'd plant the decoy and wait behind the fan until they moved behind another. Finally, two toms appear in the opening, I raise up a little and kinda waddled nearer. The toms looked at me and then went back to feeding until I just planted the Full Strut decoy and shot both with one shot. The following weekend I brought my son-in-law out. He's a Marine who served in Iraq for 10 months. He had duck hunted and deer hunted with me but had never hunted turkeys. We had another uneventful morning then drove over to a large wheat field. Luckily the turkeys hadn't moved out into the field yet so we were able to set up right on the edge. I had placed the Full Strut decoy and two hens just 10 yards out. A nice mature tom came right into the decoys and began strutting. My son-in-law missed him when he hurried his shot, but his shot shock gobbled more toms over the flood berm. I kept calling softly, then aggressive and 5 jakes came out onto the field. They came in to about 40 yrds but were unsure of the tom decoy and moved off. Soon a hen started mimicking my calls and when they appeared into the field, came running across to meet their sisters. From out of nowhere off to our right, three toms charged out over the berm and straight across and began flogging the Full Strut decoy. My son-in-law didn't miss and said he was hooked on turkey hunting for life. The following weekend, my nephew, also a Marine, was home from his duty station in Okinawa on 3 weeks leave. When he came for a visit, he hadn't imagined a turkey hunt. I had taken him deer hunting when he was younger but we had been out of touch for the last 4 years. We are 3 weeks into season now and the turkeys are harder to locate. We set up on the wheat field and got busted when two toms and a bunch of hens came in silent and I had moved. We bounced around to a couple other places and would either flush birds walking into a setup or after sitting a while flushing silent birds when getting up to move. Late in the afternoon, we moved back to the wheat field, set up in a different corner and within minutes heard gobbling on the other field. I wasn't sure they were talking to me until they had cleared the tree line and entered into our field. They cut me off every time I clucked or yelped. When they saw the Full Strut decoy, they came in and began to display. My nephew took the better of the two with a single shot at 35 yards. I've hunted a lot of years and I've not had a more incredible season. I feel I owe it to the new Full Strut decoy. It draws toms in like no other decoy. They abandon their caution due to dominance or pecking order or ego or something. I call them field turkeys. Those toms with satellite toms and hens who stand out their in a field all day never come to decoys. I watched them look over at the Full Strut and immediately run in as if to demand he pay his respect or get off his field. Thanks Flambeau for a great product in the Masters Series™ Full Strut decoy. Chip Roberts Harrah, Oklahoma |
||||
| - Posted: March 23, 2009 - William North and his large southern turkey. |
 |
| - Posted: March 6, 2009 - A few weeks ago I was involved in a vehicle accident that led to our vehicle rolling and everything in the Tahoe was thrown out, including my new bow. The bow case ended up about 30 feet from the vehicle, in a gentleman's ditch. I was expecting to open the case and discover my bow in pieces, but to everyone's surprise the only thing that happened was a loose strap securing the bow. My sights did not even move!!! I have looked the bow over several times and have found nothing wrong with it. I am 100% satisfied with your Safe Shot Series Bow Case. I just want to say thank you for the engineering of your product. I will recommend it to every one of my hunting buddies and tell my story to local outdoor stores. Keep up the good work! Thank you very much, Russell Dorsey - Arkansas (circled areas - the worst scratches on the case) |
 |
| - Posted: January 20, 2009 - Well I have had an absolutely amazing hunting season and I wanted to share it. Born originally in Alaska and growing up hunting big game is in my blood. After moose guiding and harvesting a good size interior Alaska Grizzly Bear in September. I headed back to the Minnesota Twin Cities area to start my deer hunting adventures. I had purchased a Buck Growl® by M.A.D.® Calls in the 2007 season but hadn't used it until now. By getting permission on some farm land in Pierce Co., Wisconsin and scouting for a couple of weeks, I started my bow season in mid October. After passing on many smaller non mature bucks, the rut was just starting right at the end of the month. Moving my stand to a better spot, I set out the find the big dawg in the woods. Now into November, I started using my Buck Growl® and really started to see results in smaller bucks coming in, but no shooters. Then on the morning of the 3rd of November, I heard on the other side of the canyon two bucks fighting. So I grunted, growled and then waited. About 5 minutes later, I heard something cracking through the leaves, and as I looked up, I had a 130-135 class mature buck coming right towards my stand. Coming to about 25 yards and turning, I made a great shot with my PSE bow. Running about 70 yards and falling was just a finish for my bow hunting in Wisconsin. No more than a week later, and just really excited with the results of my Buck Growl®. After scouting Pine Co., Minnesota and getting geared up for rifle season, the rut was in full swing. After opening weekend and not seeing a mature shooter. Monday morning November 10th, I really got serious with my Buck Growl®. After calling in a nice 6 point and a small basket 8 point, I had high hopes for that evening. Calling in a decent 8 point after hearing him actually growl to chase a 6 point off the field, assured me even more. I couldn't believe I actually heard it just as the DVD showed when buying the Buck Growl®. Tuesday morning at about 9 am, an 8 point (which I believed was the one I saw the night before) walked by my stand, and testing to see his interests, I growled and grunted at him and got him turned around coming back to me. All of a sudden, I heard a real deep grunt coming from behind me though some willow thickets. Never hearing a buck growl without a doe in presence, this monster 135-140 class 8 point walked into the clearing solo, grunting at my growl. Turning broad side at 30 yards, I shot right through both lungs. Running 20 yards and dropping, was the most incredible experience I have ever had. On top of that, I had just shot my two biggest bucks ever only about a week apart. |
 |
Chad Georgell - Eden Prairie, MN
| - Posted: January 5, 2009 - It was November 19th at 7:45 a.m. I was hunting a 5 acre woods in Morgantown, Indiana. I saw a deer accross the road in a corn field, heading towards the woods. I used the M.A.D.® Heat Bleat® and he dissapeared, then I heard him jump the fence, knowing he was heading towards me. He came straight at me at 50 yards and stopped looking for the doe, from the call. The only shot I had was a chest shot head on, so I took it. He ran 20 yards and fell like a tree. His chin fell on a barb wire fence and the weight from his neck and head broke the fence. I thought he was only a 4 or 6 point or maybe a small 8. I was in shock when I got out of my stand and got a good look at him. He was the 3rd buck I've called in with the M.A.D.® Heat Bleat® this year. I called in a small 8 point and a spike buck in early bow. I'm just sending this to say thank you for making a great call. I'm going to have him scored when I get the head back, but we think he will score between 130 and 140 and he is 3-1/2 years old. Thanks again for such a great call. Sincerely, Keith Ford |
 |
| - Posted: January 5, 2008 - My brother Breck killed a very nice 8 point a few days ago and he said he owed the credit to the grunt call he was using. It is the M.A.D.® calls Buck Growl® and I know Mark Drury created it. He took a picture with the deer while he held up the "growler", I immediately thought it looked like an add and I thought ya'll might be interested in seeing it. Posted by Jeremy Stringer for his brother Breck |
 |
| - Posted: January 5, 2009 - I was on a 4 day hunt near Holdenville, OK about 90 miles south of Oklahoma City (private land). I saw several deer on that hunt but it was on my 3rd afternoon when I saw this nice 8 pointer trailing a doe, and as I turned around retrieving my Rifle for a shot the buck went in behind some small trees and then straight out of my sight. Although the exciting moment faded fast, I felt sure that deer would be in that same general area the next day so I went back the following morning prior to day break. After a couple of hours of nothing moving the time was 7:30 a.m. and I decided to make a little nose. First I used a Doe in Heat call thinking that this might get a buck on his feet. after about 10 minutes I followed up with a Buck Growl®. After I sounded the Growl for the third time I saw a buck come over a rise on a dead run, and just when I thought he was going to pass in front of me I growled toward him gain, and this turned him in my direction. |
 |
Now the only problem was I am right handed and had to shoot him left handed (That was not easy). Well as you can tell I was able to take the shot, and placed in the right location he turned and ran straight out of my sight, but I heard him when he crashed and fell. I knew I had my buck!! He only went about 40 yards (I was a happy hunter).
To those who don’t think the (M.A.D.®) Buck Growl® works, I assure you it worked great for me. And also the strength and quietness of the Summit Viper SS is the best equipment any hunter needs for a successful hunt. Thanks for the opportunity to share my story with you and your captive readers.
P.S. I just retired from The Milton Police Department a few months ago, and I could not ask for a better retirement gift.
Jimmy Barnes - Milton, Florida
| - Posted: December 22, 2008 - This was a tough bird to kill. We located him in the morning and he was henned up. Went to church, and then hunted the afternoon. He would gobble occasionally, but wouldn't leave the hens. As we sat and listened, the birds gradually got closer. When they finally got in sight, there were two toms, and 8 hens all together. I knew that we didn't have a chance at pulling these gobblers away from those hens. Since my uncle is not a very seasoned caller, I gave him a M.A.D.® Heavy Metal™ Box Call to use and I used the Heavy Metal™ Pot Call. Together we started some gradual calling and got the flocks attention. The gobblers would gobble nearly everytime we called, but of course they stayed with the hens. Eventually we started working together with the two calls and all of the sudden two of the hens started mocking us and calling back. The whole flock would stick their necks up in the air wondering what was going on over there. |
 |
11 5/8" beard and 22 pounds. That's big for a northeast Oklahoma bird! But not too big for the Mad Max choke and the Heavy Metal Aluminator.
Travis Fox - Springdale, AR
| - Posted: December 22, 2008 - Good morning, I just wanted to thank you for your Buck Growl® call and the DVD that came with it. Our hunting season in upstate New York just ended. During the 2nd week of November while bow hunting I had one of the greatest hunting/outdoor experiences that I have ever had during my 43+ years of hunting. If it had not been for your DVD and call, I wouldn't have known what I was hearing. I had moved from one stand to another around 10 a.m. one morning. I had already seen 5 different bucks chasing 5 different does, but was not prepared for what I was going to experience. When I got to the second stand, a doe was standing about 10 feet away from my stand, with her tail up. Suddenly, I noticed one side of a bucks antlers, which blended into her tail. The buck was licking her. The doe spotted me, and they both took off. I climbed up into the stand and settled in. Within minutes, I heard something that I have not heard before. At first it sounded like a bear growling. Then I remembered your DVD and the call. This buck would growl about every 2 minutes, and I could hear him running around, assuming that he was chasing a doe. I stayed put for an hour hoping that they would come toward my stand. They didn't and I decided to move toward them and try my luck. As I moved closer, I started to shake. I could located the buck every couple of minutes as he continued to growl. This went on for almost 2-1/2 hours. I kept moving and was able to see the buck and the doe, but it was too thick to get off a shot. Next he came our roaring with another deer that I thought was a doe, but it turned out to be another smaller buck, which he stabbed in the backside. Within 30 seconds, the doe had run past me at about a distance of 30 feet, and this monster buck was right behind her. Although I missed this monster, which I hunted for the rest of the season unsuccessfully, it was truly one of my most exhilarating experiences in the outdoors. I just wanted to share this with you. Douglas Trush |
| - Posted: December 22, 2008 - I have a great success story with the M.A.D.® Buck Growl®. I have been hunting mature bucks for a long time and this was a nightmare of a season. I was a big Primos call user but after the way the season was going I thought I could use a change of luck, that is when I bought the M.A.D.® Buck Growl® on Nov. 16th, 2008. I went out on Nov. 18th, 2008, I got in the tree at 2:25 p.m. and I hit the rattling horns then I did a series of grunts and a couple of growls. I hung up the horns and grabbed my bow only to hear something running across the cut cornfield from 300 yds. |
 |
Levi Mason - Avon, IL
| - Posted: December 16, 2008 - On November 22, 2008 I shot the biggest buck of my life after I prayed to my deceased mother in law, using one of your Heat Bleat® calls and your Buck Growl® call. It was a 14 pointer that nets in to the 180. On your Het Bleat® DVD you said to contact you on our hunting season so here I am. Thanks for your great products. Thanks, Robby Peterson - Elgin, MN |
 |
| - Posted: November 24, 2008 - I live in Alberta and am an avid hunter, with both rifle and bow. I also call coyotes through the winter so am not unfamiliar with calling. I bought your Buck Growl® call approx 2 weeks ago, watched the supplied DVD, and set off for a five day hunt in Central Alberta. The first time I used it, the call stopped a running whitetail buck that would score 135-140 for a few shootable seconds from a distance of about 500 yards. I had not spooked it and it was unaware of my presence. The second time I used it was awesome. I saw a deer, very briefly from a stand I had set up. I was not sure if it was a buck or a doe. This is in a very thick patch of willows that harbor some great deer. With my Leica® ULTRAVID® I could just make out the deer, deep in the shadows. When it's tail flicked, I knew it was a whitetail, but still not it's sex. This was at a distance of over 300 yards. I figured with daylight fading, that I had nothing to lose by calling to it. The wind was swirling, but predominantly blowing in the direction of the deer. I pulled out the Buck Growl® and called on it the way the DVD had suggested. I tried to inflect frustration into the sound. The deer disappeared, only to reappear at 180 yards a few minutes later. The deer had definitely come to the call as it was locked onto my location. I could see it was a great buck, and I shot him when he turned to rub a willow bush. He is a 6x5 that grosses 165 B&C pts. There is no doubt that he came over 125 yards, through heavy willows, to source the origin of the call. I am a believer. Thanks to your call, and a great location, I harvested the second biggest whitetail I've shot to date. Sincerely, Grant Schaber - Alberta, Canada Lecia® and ULTRAVID® are registered trademarks of Lecia Camera AG (Solms, Germany) |
| - Posted: November 19, 2008 - I called this deer in 3 times, missing him 2 times using the M.A.D.® Buck Growl®. I am a 100% believer in this call! On Sunday, November 16, 2008 I killed the buck of my lifetime. My dad owns 80 acres near the town of Greenville, MO. We have hunted there for years, in the hills in Southeast Missouri. We typically kill what we call hill bucks, not much mass and pretty small racks compared to the bucks across the river in Southern IL. That morning I killed what I consider a monster buck. We had hunted the day before and I didn't see anything. Winds 25 miles an hour out of the WNW, so needless to say on the morning of the 16th, I was not near as pumped up. I just had surgery less than 3 weeks prior so I couldn't climb one of my stands. I set up a ground blind half way down a big ridge. At 8:30 a.m. I felt my phone vibrate, it was my dad. He asked if I had shot, I hadn't. He said he had just killed a big doe, but he was going to stay in his stand to see if a buck comes by (landowner has 2 tags). |
 |
On their 4th pass when I blew my Buck Growl®, I heard another buck off to my right grunt back. I looked right and 50 yards away in the thick brush I saw a deer, I could not tell how big. To be honest, at this point, I could hardly breathe because my heart was about to beat out of my chest. I turned with the deer looking right at me and took a shot, not a good one. I missed the deer and it took off immediately. I blew my Buck Growl® again and he stopped about 75 yards and grunted back. Again all I had was a neck shot so I tried it, shaking like you wouldn't believe. Another miss. I blew another long blow on my Buck Growl® and to my surprise the buck stopped, grunted and started coming toward me at about 40 yards, so I hit the grunt again and he stopped. This was the first good look I got at his antlers and I quickly took a shot at his shoulder. He dropped.
I quickly called my Dad, shaking and honestly almost unable to breath. I told him I killed a big buck. He asked, "How big?" and I said, "I think it's a monster". Still on the phone with my Dad, I quickly made my way to the buck, ready for the ground shrinkage that normally happens. When I got close to the deer, I started screaming, "DAD, IT'S A MONSTER!" He told me to calm down before I had a heart attack. I got to the deer and (still 10 hours later to my disbelief) it was a 13 point with massive spread. My dad said, "Meet me on the logging road. I am on my way over there". I told him no, I was not going to leave the deer there. He said, "Ok, I'm on my way now, calm down". I quickly tagged the buck and I am almost embarrassed to say, but I got down, lifted the head and hugged it. We got him back to the deer camp and in all the years of hunting there, he was the biggest ever killed out of all the hunters that hunt that camp.
I had him unofficially scored 2 times that day and he grossed 187.5 and netted 161, by far the biggest deer I have seen in person. I am going to take him TOMORROW to the taxidermist. He has triple G2's on both sides and is just a beautiful buck. I am going to have him checked to see his age, but several people who saw him guess he is at least 5-1/2 to 7-1/2 years old. I am still amazed I missed twice and he just kept coming back when I would grunt at him. His left main is 25.6, right is 26.2 with a 19.5" inside spread and almost 12" G2's and G3's.
Thanks again for making such a Great Call!
Tyler Russom
| - Posted: November 19, 2008 - This fall got me hooked on bowhunting. My best friend bought me the Buck Growl® for my birthday. When I got home I watched the dvd that came with it, and I felt confident that it would work. I saw this 8 pointer hop out into the field at about 300 yards away and it was getting dark out so I knew there wasn't much time. I growled as long I could, and he came a running. Made a good shot and found him right away. If I didn't have that grunt call I wouldn't have got him. Thank you, Andrew Davidson |
| - Posted: November 6, 2008 - I bought the new Grunt-Snort-Wheeze® before bow season, and I just had this good feeling about it. A couple of days into the season I called in a nice buck. I shot at him, but he dropped right down to the ground and the arrow went right over top of him. It was a sad moment, but now I know the call really works. On Friday October 31, I hunted the morning. I didn't see anything until 11, and right there to my left about 70 yards away was this monster buck just laying there. All I could see was his head and a massive rack. So I hit the Grunt-Snort-Wheeze, not even 20 seconds later he came trotting down the hill with 4 other doe. He got about 30 yards away and stopped right from my doe scent. So I decided to take the shot. I'm kind of glad I missed the first buck, because I never would have had the chance to take the buck of a lifetime. Thank you M.A.D.® calls for giving me these 2 amazing experiences. Joey Hribar - Krayn, PA |
 |
| - Posted: November 6, 2008 - On October 28th, 2008 Tyler harvested this deer by bow kill, using the Boss Buck™ Decoy. Submitted by Zackery Rednour (Tyler's Brother) |
 |
| - Posted: November 6, 2008 - When I first saw the buck he was about 100 yards away. With just a couple of growls through the call, he closed the gap to about 40 yards in about five seconds, where he stood trying to find the "other buck" (that being me). I watched him for a couple of minutes before I took the shot... it worked just like in the DVD that came with the call. I'm glad that you didn't keep "the growl" a secret; it is the MOST EFFECTIVE call I have EVER used. Honestly, I don't normally hold much stock in these things, but when I saw it featured at the end of one of your DVDs it really caught my eye. I'm so glad I bought it, and I won't hunt again without it. Thanks again, and I hope you also have a great season! Best wishes, Dan Wilkinson in Massachusetts |
| - Posted: October 24, 2008 - Using a Flambeau CommAndelope™ Brock Boldt was able to take this Antelope last month. |
 |
| - Posted: October 10, 2008 - On November 7, 2007 of the Ohio deer bow season I stopped at a mom and pop store and purchased your Buck Growl®. On November 8, 2007 I hit the Buck Growl right at daylight and shot this buck of a lifetime as he ran in. Thank you for such a great call and making my deer hunting dream come true. I just received him back from my taxidermist and everyone said that they are predicting a score of 160 to 170. He is a main frame eight pointer with stickers. His G 2'S are thirteen inches long. I then gave the call to my hunting buddy and told him to try it and the following day he said that he called in five bucks and took a real nice nine pointer. Yours Truly, Richard Constable P.S.- THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SUCH A GREAT CALL AND MAKING MY DREAM COME TRUE. |
 |
| - Posted: October 9, 2008 - Is this for real?? That's what I was asking myself when I got my new GRUNT-SNORT-WHEEZE®. After watching Terry whack that huge 190 plus inch Illinois buck I thought it just may work. Well it is October 1st in new Hampshire, about 30 days away from the peak of the rut. I asked my dad to stand by the house as I walked down the old cart road out back. I wanted to see how far away he could hear the call. I had gone about 100 yds from him grunting and snorting as I walked. To my shock over the steep bank behind me came a nice 8 point and he was not a happy camper, THIS THING WORKS! I cant believe it, when he saw me he hit the road and was not stopping for anything, WOW what a show.. Dave P. |
| - Posted: September 5, 2008 - On June 8th of this year I lost my home to the flood in Spring Green Wisconsin. My home was under water for 2-1/2 months. On Labor day I finally made an excursion into my still flooded basement. My expectations were very low of finding anything salvageable. As expected all of our valued personal possessions had been destroyed. But, much to my surprise my very valuable bow and accessories were floating on top of what amounts to 3 ft. of raw sewage. I carefully picked it up and carried it out of the basement. I was fearful to open it to say the least. When I did I was amazed to find the interior completely dry and my bow and accessories were in perfect condition. This was a bittersweet discovery. Obviously I would trade my bow for any of the more personal items that were lost. But, it was still a great moment to realize that not all was lost. Thank you so much for a great product. I am now and forever a loyal Flambeau customer. Respectfully, Greg Femrite |
| - Posted: March 10, 2008 - I am writing this letter to tell you how great your bow case is. On February 14, 2008 I was on my way to Gander Mountain to have some work done on a brand new Diamond bow that I had bought on my Birthday. About half way there I was involved in a very nasty car accident. A man crossed the road and hit me head-on. My truck was destroyed and I suffered a badly broken leg. I was very worried that my bow was also destroyed. When I got out of surgery my girlfriend told me that my brother-in-law had my bow, but did not know if it was broke. |
 |
Jeremy Tennant - Greene, NY