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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2020 12:47:44 GMT -5
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2020 12:49:46 GMT -5
Jake, 37yds, left handed with no rest. Shot and he jumped/flew up into the field edge. I crawled out and snuck over that way. He was standing looking away. He was leaning, so I had to finish him off. One helluva a season! Very, very well done. Couldn`t be happier if it were my own bird. Congratulations.
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2020 13:38:10 GMT -5
Got out this morning. Met my buddy at 5:30 and followed him to the place we hunted. Same place he took me last week, but we hunted east of the spot we set up last week. (The place we hunted last week was the same exact spot I killed that jake last season that came in strutting). We got set up 20 yards inside the woods, because last week he saw 2 big strutters in another person`s field that is adjacent to the property he has access to. He set the hen dekes up just inside the treeline. It was a beautiful morning. Crisp and clean, huge beautiful nearly full moon overhead. Just glorious. My buddy called until somewhere between 8 and 8:30, and nothing. We never heard a gobble. We headed out to McDonalds in Greencastle and ate in our own trucks, talking to each other through the windows. He was in a hurry to get back and resume hunting, so, I never even had time for the coffee to cool down, and we were headed back to the farm.
When we pulled back to where we`ve been parking there were 2 strutters in the same field he saw them in last week, and a couple hens, but they were all scattered over the field. We circled around, then crept as quietly as we could through the woods to the field edge facing that field. Clint hunkered down and nearly crawled out to set up the 2 hen dekes, and had me sit to his left, and he started calling. We heard gobbling almost immediately.
I`m deaf in my right ear, and so, not having stereo, it`s difficult for me to tell where sound is coming from. Unfortunately, my buddy was sitting to my right.
I had a very small window to my right that I could maybe shoot through, but the preferred shooting lane was just slightly to my left but in front of me, where the dekes were, and so, I positioned myself facing predominantly to the right, so I would easily and naturally shoulder the shotgun and be positioned to shoot through the window to my left. Clint called, and we heard a bird gobble, and it was extremely close. He purred on the slate, and the gobble was so close, I felt that my ball cap might be blown off my head, it seemed as though you could literally feel the gobble. I heard Clint whisper my name, and I oh so slowly turned my head to the right, and there were 2 long beards just a few yards into the field, only 30 yards from me. I had that very small window I could maybe shoot through, but I knew better than to move or I`d be picked off, and besides, they`re going to walk right up to the hen decoys...right? The long beards walked towards the hen dekes, and stopped 15 yards from them, 25 yards from me, but hidden by 2 small cedar trees. I saw movement to my right, and moving only my eyes, I saw SIX jakes come out of the woods directly behind the longbeards and also stop behind heavy limbs and brush. All the birds felt like something wasn`t quite right, as the longbeards, still with just the lead one gobbling, made a loop around the decoys, not closer to me, but farther out, putting them about 60 yards out, and out of my comfort zone. The jakes stayed directly behind the heavy brush and slowly departed to the south. Poor Clint was calling his heart out, pleading with any one of them to come back, but the jakes disappeared into the trees to the south, and the long beards moved off, barely out of range to the north then to the west, putting them to my left and behind me. Had Clint and I been in each others spot, I`d have put one of the long beards down within a few seconds of them stepping into the field.
Sorry for the very, very long winded post, but WOW. This is only the second time ever I`ve had birds strutting and gobbling as they came in, (with the jake I killed last spring being the very first), and I`m STILL all jacked about this. It`s very bittersweet. I cannot lie, I`m disappointed that I wasn`t able to kill a turkey this morning, either a long beard, or a jake, but wow, to have experienced this, it`s just incredible! I`d rather have experienced all this and not killed a bird, than to just have had a single bird stroll in and have it all work out perfectly.
So that`s my day and season. Very best wishes for everyone who will able to give it one last shot tomorrow. Be safe out there, have a great time, and I sure hope you get to put a bird on the ground. And don`t forget to absolutely honor your mother`s and wive`s.
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Post by Woody Williams on May 9, 2020 13:49:50 GMT -5
Great story gregr!
A memory made that you will not ever forget!
Thanks for sharing.
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Post by esshup on May 9, 2020 16:52:19 GMT -5
Dang gregr, sorry to hear that but the experience was a LOT better than seeing nothing all day long.
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Post by Huntnfreak on May 9, 2020 16:54:55 GMT -5
Congrats to all you turkey slayers getting it done this morning!! One last hurrah for me in the morning..not very confident, but we’ll see!!
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2020 17:34:16 GMT -5
Dang gregr, sorry to hear that but the experience was a LOT better than seeing nothing all day long. Thanks buddy. I bet you know how it is when you get that close, you replay everything in your mind and think of what you could maybe have done differently. It`s possible that when they stepped into the field initially I might have been able to move and get on them to take the shot right there. But I was really afraid they`d see me, and, I was just sure they were headed right to the decoys, giving me a great 25 yard shot. But you are so right, I`ll always remember this encounter and what a great experience it was.
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2020 17:36:32 GMT -5
Congrats to all you turkey slayers getting it done this morning!! One last hurrah for me in the morning..not very confident, but we’ll see!! If I learned only one thing from my encounter this morning, it`s how quickly everything can change. My only advice, for what it`s worth is, when you go out tomorrow, hunt as if it was opening morning. Don`t get sloppy, be careful about not moving too much, and know that if you don`t end up scoring, it wasn`t because you got careless. Be safe, and very best luck to you.
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Post by greghopper on May 9, 2020 20:07:59 GMT -5
Congrats to all you turkey slayers getting it done this morning!! One last hurrah for me in the morning..not very confident, but we’ll see!! Tomorrow’s is last day.... “Mother’s Day massacre” maybe! BTDT
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Post by bullseye69 on May 9, 2020 20:49:24 GMT -5
I will be there as well. Do or die! We need to hatch these eggs we are sitting on!
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Post by genesis273 on May 10, 2020 4:48:21 GMT -5
Is anyone headed out this morning?
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Post by bullseye69 on May 10, 2020 4:49:14 GMT -5
I'm here and started sprinkling. Almost shooting time.
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Post by schall53 on May 10, 2020 4:51:26 GMT -5
I'm here and started sprinkling. Almost shooting time. I am on the couch patiently waiting for a successful post. Good luck!
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Post by 10point on May 10, 2020 4:57:48 GMT -5
Set up. I think today will be my last day hunting. 😁
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Post by welder on May 10, 2020 5:10:56 GMT -5
I got dressed and headed out to my shed to get ready. Gusty winds,a tired body and a "fair weather" turkey Hunter attitude sent me back inside. I made it out a few times and had a couple decent hunts and that's good enough for me. Good luck to everyone trying to get it done, stay safe!
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Post by bullseye69 on May 10, 2020 5:31:58 GMT -5
Gobbling from east and west of me
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Post by genesis273 on May 10, 2020 5:33:32 GMT -5
Gobbling from east and west of me Glad to hear that! I hope and pray you have a safe and successful hunt!
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Post by bullseye69 on May 10, 2020 5:53:51 GMT -5
Tom in the field
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Post by treetop on May 10, 2020 5:57:30 GMT -5
Went out was going to skip today but after seeing birds yesterday figure I’d try again
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Post by bullseye69 on May 10, 2020 5:58:14 GMT -5
189 yards out and just milling around
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