Here i smine from last year...
It was a real crap morning... turkey season is over a month long and we are allowed two birds here.... Rain was coming in phases... one minute pelting the windows of the house the next minute coming down in a fine scotch mist... My alarm shouted at me at 5 am.... I rolled over and smashed the off button... I had already hunted 4 days straight and seen nothing but hens and a few jakes.... I had tried to roost a gobbler the night before but was unsuccessful so I would have to hit a known run and hope for the best.... all of these factors made me think it was a good day to sleep in and recharge the batts.... but being who I am I gave my head a shake.... I took a week off work for this... I bought land for this and I lived for this all year long.... and if big tom showed up on my trail cam while I was drinking coffee and watching sportsdesk I would be pissed at myself beyond belief.....
I trudged out of bed and into a nice hot shower as I hit the button on the coffeemaker.... I threw my long underwear on and went to grab my vest and gear only to realize that I left them on the deck... a quick shine of the deck light confirmed my suspicion... SOAKED.... I took a quick glance at the weather netwrok and it gave me the details.... rainy on and off all day and a high of 20 celsius.... ugh... I eyed the coffee, the remote and the couch once more and then said "screw it".... I am up now I may as well be hunting..... I went down to the hunting closet in the basement.... I looked at my options... realtree deer suit.... no... not at 20 celsius.... snow camo... no... blaze..... obviously not... cabelas trebark outfit circa 1993 .... ummm..... it'll have to do....
I slipped it on and I went upstairs and poured coffee in my thermos.... I grabbed a backpack and tossed in my waterproof box call and my decoys.... grabbed a handful of black licorice babies on my way out the door and away I went....
By this time, daylight had already broken the sky..... I had missed the fly down so I needed to get to where I was going in a hurry.... I went out the back door and walked briskly through the woods on trails I am very familiar with..... As I got to my favorite turkey run I slowed down in an effort to creep in and position myself...... at this time, the rain was fairly steady... the back of my neck was soaked with rain from branches i had pushed aside and the mosquitos were on me pretty heavy..... I now realized I had no bug spray and with no turkey vest I had no seat...
As I crept slowly into my spot I looked ahead and saw something you never want to see unless you are hidden and ready to pull the trigger... a fan.... I stood still and peeked through trees and brush to see 3 hens and a Tom on the trail.... I couldn't see how big the tom was or even if it was actually a tom or a jake... I just knew it was strutting...... after 5 minutes of observation that felt like an hour I decided to try and work into a shooters position.... I got as far as 3 steps until the birds scattered down the trail.... it's true what they say... you can't sneak up on a turkey....
I had only one chance.... throw the decoys out... get hidden and start calling out for the Tom to come back.... I rushed to get the stakes in the ground... so much so I snapped one... I carry 3 decoys and as such losing one... not a good prospect... I set up a hen deke... then a jake deke to make it look like he was trying to mount the hen and I had to improvise for the 3rd.... I buried the broken stake in backwards and just hap hazardly positioned the hen on the broken stake.... I retreated to my hiding spot and began to make an excited hen call on my box call..... no responce.... I wait 5 minutes... try again... nothing... then I see movement.....
I make a few purrs on the box nice and slow and make sure the gun is at hand.... I watch as the movement goes behind the some shrubs.... I shoulder my shotgun and get ready for the bird to come out the backside.... safety now off... suddenly the bird emerges and I put the bead 4 inches down the neck and get ready to pull.... I look closeley... this is not the bird I want nor the bird I am allowed to shoot... small, tiny head, no snood = hen... I lower the shotgun and watch as she walks around picking at the ground and doing what turkeys do..... after 5 minutes I decide to amuse myself... when the hen isn't looking I slowly pick up my box call..... as her back is turned I use the call to make an excited hen yelp.... she raises her head, looks in my direction and slowly starts to walk away... so I decide to make a few cuts and purrs... nothing.... then one more excited yelp to see if she will come back....
Out of absolutely nowhere and thin air a grey blur busts through the underbrush and lands on my jake decoy!.... my improvised hen falls over and gets the pecking treatment.... now, I don't do the finesse slowly bring the gun up approach... I have been doing this for years and I know this is a pissed off tom.... I just don't know how big... at this point... after the weather, the spooked birds, the rained on vest... I don't care.... I grab the 870 and in one upland game type move turn off the safety , swing the gun, and find the halfway point between the head and the breast and I pull the trigger....
Almost on cue the bird drops, and the flapping begins... I know I have hit it...... I chamber round two and am ready to end any suffering..... no need.... one wing now flaps slowly due to nerves.. but the bird is gone.. suffering is over.... I wait 5 minutes and enjoy the moment... I contemplate the fact that I toughed out crappy conditions and am happy that I was able to improvise my set.... I have a few swigs of coffee from the thermos and then get up to examine my trophy....
It's not the dominant bird for the area... beard is about 5 inches.... smallish spurrs... but a nice bird nonetheless.... I proceed to tag him and bring him home.... all said and done I get a pic taken and I weigh him in..... 24 pounds undressed... very nice....
Stuffed with apples and baked after being coated in lemon juice and a salt and pepper rub he was able to amply feed 6 people.... with enough left to make a soup....
If this year's hunt goes as well.... or offerws as much opportunity to challenge adversity.... I will be a very happy man soon....
It was a real crap morning... turkey season is over a month long and we are allowed two birds here.... Rain was coming in phases... one minute pelting the windows of the house the next minute coming down in a fine scotch mist... My alarm shouted at me at 5 am.... I rolled over and smashed the off button... I had already hunted 4 days straight and seen nothing but hens and a few jakes.... I had tried to roost a gobbler the night before but was unsuccessful so I would have to hit a known run and hope for the best.... all of these factors made me think it was a good day to sleep in and recharge the batts.... but being who I am I gave my head a shake.... I took a week off work for this... I bought land for this and I lived for this all year long.... and if big tom showed up on my trail cam while I was drinking coffee and watching sportsdesk I would be pissed at myself beyond belief.....
I trudged out of bed and into a nice hot shower as I hit the button on the coffeemaker.... I threw my long underwear on and went to grab my vest and gear only to realize that I left them on the deck... a quick shine of the deck light confirmed my suspicion... SOAKED.... I took a quick glance at the weather netwrok and it gave me the details.... rainy on and off all day and a high of 20 celsius.... ugh... I eyed the coffee, the remote and the couch once more and then said "screw it".... I am up now I may as well be hunting..... I went down to the hunting closet in the basement.... I looked at my options... realtree deer suit.... no... not at 20 celsius.... snow camo... no... blaze..... obviously not... cabelas trebark outfit circa 1993 .... ummm..... it'll have to do....
I slipped it on and I went upstairs and poured coffee in my thermos.... I grabbed a backpack and tossed in my waterproof box call and my decoys.... grabbed a handful of black licorice babies on my way out the door and away I went....
By this time, daylight had already broken the sky..... I had missed the fly down so I needed to get to where I was going in a hurry.... I went out the back door and walked briskly through the woods on trails I am very familiar with..... As I got to my favorite turkey run I slowed down in an effort to creep in and position myself...... at this time, the rain was fairly steady... the back of my neck was soaked with rain from branches i had pushed aside and the mosquitos were on me pretty heavy..... I now realized I had no bug spray and with no turkey vest I had no seat...
As I crept slowly into my spot I looked ahead and saw something you never want to see unless you are hidden and ready to pull the trigger... a fan.... I stood still and peeked through trees and brush to see 3 hens and a Tom on the trail.... I couldn't see how big the tom was or even if it was actually a tom or a jake... I just knew it was strutting...... after 5 minutes of observation that felt like an hour I decided to try and work into a shooters position.... I got as far as 3 steps until the birds scattered down the trail.... it's true what they say... you can't sneak up on a turkey....
I had only one chance.... throw the decoys out... get hidden and start calling out for the Tom to come back.... I rushed to get the stakes in the ground... so much so I snapped one... I carry 3 decoys and as such losing one... not a good prospect... I set up a hen deke... then a jake deke to make it look like he was trying to mount the hen and I had to improvise for the 3rd.... I buried the broken stake in backwards and just hap hazardly positioned the hen on the broken stake.... I retreated to my hiding spot and began to make an excited hen call on my box call..... no responce.... I wait 5 minutes... try again... nothing... then I see movement.....
I make a few purrs on the box nice and slow and make sure the gun is at hand.... I watch as the movement goes behind the some shrubs.... I shoulder my shotgun and get ready for the bird to come out the backside.... safety now off... suddenly the bird emerges and I put the bead 4 inches down the neck and get ready to pull.... I look closeley... this is not the bird I want nor the bird I am allowed to shoot... small, tiny head, no snood = hen... I lower the shotgun and watch as she walks around picking at the ground and doing what turkeys do..... after 5 minutes I decide to amuse myself... when the hen isn't looking I slowly pick up my box call..... as her back is turned I use the call to make an excited hen yelp.... she raises her head, looks in my direction and slowly starts to walk away... so I decide to make a few cuts and purrs... nothing.... then one more excited yelp to see if she will come back....
Out of absolutely nowhere and thin air a grey blur busts through the underbrush and lands on my jake decoy!.... my improvised hen falls over and gets the pecking treatment.... now, I don't do the finesse slowly bring the gun up approach... I have been doing this for years and I know this is a pissed off tom.... I just don't know how big... at this point... after the weather, the spooked birds, the rained on vest... I don't care.... I grab the 870 and in one upland game type move turn off the safety , swing the gun, and find the halfway point between the head and the breast and I pull the trigger....
Almost on cue the bird drops, and the flapping begins... I know I have hit it...... I chamber round two and am ready to end any suffering..... no need.... one wing now flaps slowly due to nerves.. but the bird is gone.. suffering is over.... I wait 5 minutes and enjoy the moment... I contemplate the fact that I toughed out crappy conditions and am happy that I was able to improvise my set.... I have a few swigs of coffee from the thermos and then get up to examine my trophy....
It's not the dominant bird for the area... beard is about 5 inches.... smallish spurrs... but a nice bird nonetheless.... I proceed to tag him and bring him home.... all said and done I get a pic taken and I weigh him in..... 24 pounds undressed... very nice....
Stuffed with apples and baked after being coated in lemon juice and a salt and pepper rub he was able to amply feed 6 people.... with enough left to make a soup....
If this year's hunt goes as well.... or offerws as much opportunity to challenge adversity.... I will be a very happy man soon....
