Good End to the 2011 Season

[knuckledragger]

Well, the 2011 NC Turkey season is over for me. The 2d gobbler fell this AM. Lousy day as the bad weather was moving this way very windy. Had two "nothing" set ups: no gobbles, no hens, nothing but wind. Packed up around 10 AM and headed off the property. Went up a hill and 'round the bend and the gobbler was in the road strutting with his back to me. I put the truck in neutral and coasted back down and parked. I grabbed my stuff, loaded the shotgun and ran into the woods down some fresh cuts in the young pines, bumping some hens as as I moved. I set up blind about 100m from where he was strutting, thinking I was busted. I called aggressively (used the Woodhaven glass call first and then my diaphram) and he came in slow & cautious about 15 min later. I dropped him at 35m with a load of #4 shot from the 12 ga. No gobbles, no noise at all except my calls. He was 17.5 lbs, beard 10 in and spurs 1-1.25 in (one tip was busted off). His wing tips were worn to nubs.
 
What was cool was when he came into the cut, he stepped out and looked right at my location. Their ability to pin point noise from a distance is spooky. Its why I wont call if I know they are on the way in or in sight of the dekes unless I need to "poke 'em", like last week.
 
Last week, leaving the woods, my muffler fell off. I took time off from work this week to get it fixed. Had I not done that, I never would have gone unnoticed by the gobbler. I hate making noise in the woods, thus I walk vs use a quad. Maybe I'll get an electric one someday, but since I got fat after retiring, the walking aint too bad.
 
The owner wants to go out Fri and my daughters come back Fri PM for Easter. I hope I get a chance to call something in for them. Im off to MD Mon AM to hunt there Tue-Thur, will report when I return.
 
Cant get the photo attachment tool to work.  Will keep trying, I know you want to see my smiling face.
 
KD

[davidlt89]

excellent KD!!!!! you have had quite season, would really be exciting to see your daughters bag one!!

but since I got fat after retiring, the walking aint too bad.

God Bless.

[knuckledragger]

Thx David.  I'd love to call one in for one of my daughters, been close before, but never able to close the deal.  Ive learned alot in the last few years of turkey hunting, so hope that counts for something.  Id like to get the owner one too.  He doesnt charge anything to hunt his land, but Id like to give him something more than just the annual bottle of Macallans Scotch I give him after deer season.
 
I had to come in to work to get the pics loaded, they should be below.  
 
Off to the range to try my new Lyman peep sight on my old 35 rem.  Hope it offsets my crummy eye sight, other wise that rifle will be in the safe until I get a grandson.  
 
Semper Fi, KD

[Paul Hoskins]

Congrat's. KD. Good job. with those long legs, I bet that sucker could outrun a race horse. Haven't even been out myself. Season opened Sat.   .....Paul H

[buckshot roberts]

is season over fer ya....how long did you have.......Ron

[knuckledragger]

Well, back from MD and filled one tag in the last hour of the hunt this AM.  Thats my first MD bird.  Saw dozens of birds (toms & hens)  every evening while scouting for the next day's half day hunt but nothing, not even a gobble in the AM.  We changed tactics and asked some locals for morning bird sightings and got a good one.  I set up there this AM, on the line btwn one farm and another, the birds were on the property I could NOT hunt, so the plan was to call them over.  I could hunt the trees spanning both fields, but the birds were seen in the fields, and I didnt know where they roosted, so I played it safe.  
 
I had hens all around from the git go.  I even had two jennies scratching about 10-15 ft behind me.  A number of jakes stayed behind me in the trees trying to gobble but wouldnt come out.  Once I saw the toms in the field, I know why, they were nice uns.  The jakes were probably justifiably intimidated.  I called all AM but couldnt budge the toms once they came into the field. they were henned up and the hens didnt move to my deke or my calls.  With one hour to go, there was a strong gobble behind me in the trees where the jakes had been yelping.  I spun around the tree I was against and called.  A few minutes later, a 20 lb bird stepped out among the trees at 30 yds.  He had a 9 in bird with mite damage and only 7/8 in dull spurs.  I used my mossberg 500 12 ga w/ #4s again.  
 
Sorry no pics, the one sad part of this story was my new camera got crushed.  My wife is less than pleased.
 
Im going to call for the owner of my hunting property tomorrow afternoon and take my oldest out Sat AM.  The season is only half over here, but Im tagged out.  
 
Ive been fortunate.  Not one bird I shot was "according to the plan" and was very much a short fuzed meeting engagement.  Im learning more each year and getting better at reading the signs that allow me to react.  Lots of lessons learned this week about season timing and bird behavior at certain phases of the breeding season.  The biggest is the season and bird activity in NC isnt indicative of bird behavior or breeding season progress elsewhere.  The birds in MD were about 2-3 weeks behind.  
 
I need some sleep.  Good night all, KD.

[gitano]

Cool! Great post.

Paul

[knuckledragger]

Took my oldest daughter out yesterday.  We set up in two diff places and heard/saw absolutely nothing.  We moved to a third and finally had a jake yelping and working his way down the opposite ridge.  We got him in to about 40 yards bu he wouldnt cross the creek between the ridges.  He worked back an forth but wouldnt make the jump.  I was willing to back out and do an end-around on him, but she chose not to try and manuever on him because she had to get home & changed to go out with her friends and other sisters.  What a great morning with her, now that she's in college and living/working away from home, we get so few chances.

[noel]

just make the best of the ones you get!she'll never forget.