Post by bsutravis on May 6, 2010 12:56:31 GMT -5
He was about to molest my decoy!!! Day 2 of my draw hunt and I went and set up on a field where I know there were birds. Yesterday was totally uneventful other than hens, so I knew that where the girls are, eventually the boys will come out and play.
After a morning full of hens and a longbeard coming out into the field at 100 yards, but never coming closer I got into the groove for a sit till 1pm. As the 9am hour passed with no longbeards I told myself, "Self....shoot the first bearded bird that walks by". I only had the remainder of my hunt this morning and a few hours in the morning before my season was over.
I'd been calling VERY soft ever 20 minutes and I just figured eventually one would come out....but I took that strategy yesterday with no birds answering my call. Anyway at 1045 I heard walking behind me, like RIGHT at my blind. From the corner of my eye I watched this bird come out less than 4 feet away from my blind... he eased out in front of me and went into a half strut for my 2 hen decoys. I sat and contemplated letting it go, but went ahead and got the gun ready.... it was about then that he literally walked up my hen and brushed against her. I knew then that I couldn't let him have his way with my rubber hen, so I gave him a little yelp to throw that neck way up high and squeezed the trigger. He never even flapped, just fell straight back and laid there....
He's a jake, but he puts me into the "successful hunter" category so I'll gladly take him! The pic isn't the best, my digital died on me as I was trying to take the self portraits...so this pic is with my cell:
After a morning full of hens and a longbeard coming out into the field at 100 yards, but never coming closer I got into the groove for a sit till 1pm. As the 9am hour passed with no longbeards I told myself, "Self....shoot the first bearded bird that walks by". I only had the remainder of my hunt this morning and a few hours in the morning before my season was over.
I'd been calling VERY soft ever 20 minutes and I just figured eventually one would come out....but I took that strategy yesterday with no birds answering my call. Anyway at 1045 I heard walking behind me, like RIGHT at my blind. From the corner of my eye I watched this bird come out less than 4 feet away from my blind... he eased out in front of me and went into a half strut for my 2 hen decoys. I sat and contemplated letting it go, but went ahead and got the gun ready.... it was about then that he literally walked up my hen and brushed against her. I knew then that I couldn't let him have his way with my rubber hen, so I gave him a little yelp to throw that neck way up high and squeezed the trigger. He never even flapped, just fell straight back and laid there....
He's a jake, but he puts me into the "successful hunter" category so I'll gladly take him! The pic isn't the best, my digital died on me as I was trying to take the self portraits...so this pic is with my cell:
