Starting with solid rain over opening week-end...Jacob and I passed on Jakes...I hate hunting turkeys in the rain, but we did have action.....
Monday was nicer, but the bad weather had pushed birds off the "Best 40"...I was still lucky enough to have a big guy come back with his harem...One down.....
Tuesday was spend with Stefanie, my sister, and the grand kids at the new Bass Pro Shop...Nice store...Needed a day off from scouting and the 1st 3 days...I'm getting old...
Wednesday was a NWTF STTU special hunt winner...He brought a friend and we headed out (Neither had turkey hunted and needed gear)...We get to where I wanted to be and set out the decoys at about 30 yds below us...Then the same as last year, the fog rolled in...As dawn starts to break, we hear a few gobbles above us, but for this spot, really nothing much...As flydown starts, we can't even see the decoys!...I call, and get nothing...For the next 5 hours, we hear and see zip...Finally, one of them says, "How about lunch?"...Sure...After lunch, one has to leave, but the other one is for the long haul...So, we head out...I spot 2 hens way down and we get parallel...At 2:30, we finally get a gobble...The bird works below us, but except for a glimpse, he quits gobbling...Another hour goes by, when I spot him below and to our left...He's with 4 hens...They're on the bubble for TSS, but as he passes below...I tell Dan, it's now or never...Kapooow!...And, he has his turkey...Long, but satisfying day.....
Thursday was another tune-up hunt winner...Hunted out on the MCC property and I had scouted this spot many times before the opener...It was clear and cool and it was complete gobblefest...We were in the perfect position too...As they flydown, I start soft calling, the longbeard stays back, but the 5 jakes go crazy...As they get to within 30 yds, I tell Henry to take the front one...Boom!...It jumps up, but is unscathed...Boom again and all 5 just walk off...Well, let's start over...I talked to him for a minute and then start calling again...They start coming back...35 yds and I say take him again...CLICK!...He must've kicked out the 3rd shell and he didn't reload...This time, they run off with him trying to get a shell...Let's go...We pick up and get back to the truck...Then I hear a distant gobble...Let's go back...Sure enough, I see 2 super jakes walking our way...We scramble to find a hide...I call once and they roar back...Damn, they're on the run...They clear the oak brush in front of us and...Kaboom!...Bird walks away...Kaboom again...And this time, flies away...WITW!...We pick up (not many words spoken)... ...Head for another area...After driving aways and discussing breathing, squeezing the trigger etc., we get to the next spot...Walking into the canyon. I crow call a number of times, but no response...We set up and settle in for the rest of the morning...I hit the box and get an instant gobble...Hell, they're back where we just came from...They gobble all the way in and this time when they clear the brush...He let's loose and has his 1st turkey...THANK GOD!......
Friday was with Mikey...He hadn't gotten a bird this year and I thought we had a good chance at one in this spot...We get up there and it's like a white out!...Easy sneak to near the roost was the good part...Bad part it's cold, no gobbles, and windy as hell...Flydown comes and goes, but we hear a gobble...Sure enough, when I hit the box, he gobbles right back...With this wind, he can't be far...One more strike and he comes walking around the brush looking for his new girlfriend...Instead, he found a face full of TSS 9's...Beautiful, picture perfect hunt...
Saturday was a heavy snow day on the "Best 40" with Jacob...We had action up the ying yang, but like I mentioned before, they went around the decoys like the plague...Jacob had stuff to do...So, we called it early...Also, with the thought that if we got home early, he'd get to go Sunday......
Sunday, Jacob got the OK and we headed for Julian...Less snow, clear, cold, and no wind...Perfect...1st gobbles started off early in the distance and then jake gobbles to the east and north...Strong gobbles from across the valley and they're gobbling to every yelp...No decoys this time...And the 1st birds pitch down 40 yds in front of us...Then we see two birds coming up the valley to do battle...2 longs...We're back some in the dark woods...The 1st tom keeps coming and Jacob whacks him...What a difference a day makes...Great week of turkey hunting under lots of different conditions...
Monday was nicer, but the bad weather had pushed birds off the "Best 40"...I was still lucky enough to have a big guy come back with his harem...One down.....
Tuesday was spend with Stefanie, my sister, and the grand kids at the new Bass Pro Shop...Nice store...Needed a day off from scouting and the 1st 3 days...I'm getting old...
Wednesday was a NWTF STTU special hunt winner...He brought a friend and we headed out (Neither had turkey hunted and needed gear)...We get to where I wanted to be and set out the decoys at about 30 yds below us...Then the same as last year, the fog rolled in...As dawn starts to break, we hear a few gobbles above us, but for this spot, really nothing much...As flydown starts, we can't even see the decoys!...I call, and get nothing...For the next 5 hours, we hear and see zip...Finally, one of them says, "How about lunch?"...Sure...After lunch, one has to leave, but the other one is for the long haul...So, we head out...I spot 2 hens way down and we get parallel...At 2:30, we finally get a gobble...The bird works below us, but except for a glimpse, he quits gobbling...Another hour goes by, when I spot him below and to our left...He's with 4 hens...They're on the bubble for TSS, but as he passes below...I tell Dan, it's now or never...Kapooow!...And, he has his turkey...Long, but satisfying day.....
Thursday was another tune-up hunt winner...Hunted out on the MCC property and I had scouted this spot many times before the opener...It was clear and cool and it was complete gobblefest...We were in the perfect position too...As they flydown, I start soft calling, the longbeard stays back, but the 5 jakes go crazy...As they get to within 30 yds, I tell Henry to take the front one...Boom!...It jumps up, but is unscathed...Boom again and all 5 just walk off...Well, let's start over...I talked to him for a minute and then start calling again...They start coming back...35 yds and I say take him again...CLICK!...He must've kicked out the 3rd shell and he didn't reload...This time, they run off with him trying to get a shell...Let's go...We pick up and get back to the truck...Then I hear a distant gobble...Let's go back...Sure enough, I see 2 super jakes walking our way...We scramble to find a hide...I call once and they roar back...Damn, they're on the run...They clear the oak brush in front of us and...Kaboom!...Bird walks away...Kaboom again...And this time, flies away...WITW!...We pick up (not many words spoken)...
...Head for another area...After driving aways and discussing breathing, squeezing the trigger etc., we get to the next spot...Walking into the canyon. I crow call a number of times, but no response...We set up and settle in for the rest of the morning...I hit the box and get an instant gobble...Hell, they're back where we just came from...They gobble all the way in and this time when they clear the brush...He let's loose and has his 1st turkey...THANK GOD!......Friday was with Mikey...He hadn't gotten a bird this year and I thought we had a good chance at one in this spot...We get up there and it's like a white out!...Easy sneak to near the roost was the good part...Bad part it's cold, no gobbles, and windy as hell...Flydown comes and goes, but we hear a gobble...Sure enough, when I hit the box, he gobbles right back...With this wind, he can't be far...One more strike and he comes walking around the brush looking for his new girlfriend...Instead, he found a face full of TSS 9's...Beautiful, picture perfect hunt...
Saturday was a heavy snow day on the "Best 40" with Jacob...We had action up the ying yang, but like I mentioned before, they went around the decoys like the plague...Jacob had stuff to do...So, we called it early...Also, with the thought that if we got home early, he'd get to go Sunday......
Sunday, Jacob got the OK and we headed for Julian...Less snow, clear, cold, and no wind...Perfect...1st gobbles started off early in the distance and then jake gobbles to the east and north...Strong gobbles from across the valley and they're gobbling to every yelp...No decoys this time...And the 1st birds pitch down 40 yds in front of us...Then we see two birds coming up the valley to do battle...2 longs...We're back some in the dark woods...The 1st tom keeps coming and Jacob whacks him...What a difference a day makes...Great week of turkey hunting under lots of different conditions...
