Post by BIG FOX on Apr 29, 2014 6:01:35 GMT -5
So this weekend was a barn burner. I went to the UFC event in Baltimore on Saturday night. I had stopped by my buddy Mike's house on my way up the road to drop off some stuff to him and he invited me to go turkey hunting with him on Sunday. I told him I was heading up the UFC event but if he was going I would be there. We discussed some details and I was heading north.. The event was decent though the seats were a bit cruddy. Had a good time with a couple of buddies and made my trek home. I arrived at home about 3am and the alarm was set for 430am. Knew that days was going to be a long one. [smile]
I met up with Mike at 5am and we loaded up his truck and headed to the property in Charles County. We were set up in the blind in no time and the wait began. We sat patiently for a few hours and only heard one bird fly off the roost and no other turkey sounds. Mike made the call to pack up and head to another spot to give it a whirl until noon. We headed out and arrived at the other spot about 930-10am. We gathered all the gear and headed out to a spot where Mike had seen a nice bird a few days prior while cutting grass. As soon as we got back to where Mike wanted to hunt he looks over and not 60 yards from us in a turkey scratching in the woods. We both freeze and we try to just get camoed up and sit down. We never seen the bird leave but both assumed it seen us and made his/her way out of these. Mike made a couple of calls and out of no where gets a responsive thunder chicken to gobble. We decide to head in that direction and close the distance a bit. We get over and set up and in no time Mike has the birds heading our way with the sweet clucks on the slate. I am positioned about 15 yards away from Mike hits the call one more time and the bird sounds off CLOSE... I turn ever so slightly to look at Mike and BOOM not 10 feet behind him is a long beard. The bird has no idea we are there but had pin pointed the call and was in Mike's back pocket. I freeze and can not believe what I am seeing. The bird gets a little anxious and starts to move away since there is no hen right there where he heard that last call. Then another long beard appears and ANOTHER... I am freaking out as they are right there and neither of us can move. As they start heading out of the area I time my movements with them being blocked by trees and get almost all the way turned in the direction they are heading. I raise my gun and pick out the last bird. He steps into an opening and I shoot, only to watch him fly away almost laughing art me.. My heart sinks. We go over and check the general area for any sign but I know I missed and I am heart broken. Mike reassures me this is not over and comes up with a plan to try and get around those birds. As we are walking down a trail Mike freezes and out of no where a long beard crosses the path not 20 yards from us. The bird had obviously spotted us and was out of there. So still a bit down on myself we continue on making a few calls trying to locate a bird. Mike says we are going to head to the fields and see if we can catch on out in the fields strutting or just hanging out there. We get to a large hill on the back side of the farm and start to make our way up.. About a 1/4 of the way, we are easing along and a crow sounds off and BOOM a thunderous gobble comes from the field. We knew he was close. We start to ease up ever so slowly and almost at the top Mike again freezes and I hear him whisper "I can see his head".... I look in the direction he is looking and out in the field, under a tree that in laying on the ground we can see a turkeys head sticking up in the field. Mike squats down and tells me to shoot if I can.. I slowly stand up and the bird has no idea we are there. I cannot quite see over the down tree so I take one more step and the bird knows something is not right and starts to ease away. Unfortunately for him he is well within range and is facing away from me and I let the Browning BARK.. He crumples and we are off running up to a GREAT bird. Was an exciting hunt all around and spent with a great friend. I could not be happier and more thankful for Mike taking the time and getting me this fine bird.. 11 inch beard and 1 5/16 inch spurs. By far my best turkey and what a memory..... Big Thanks to Mike.. I really do have some great friends and he is top notch..
I met up with Mike at 5am and we loaded up his truck and headed to the property in Charles County. We were set up in the blind in no time and the wait began. We sat patiently for a few hours and only heard one bird fly off the roost and no other turkey sounds. Mike made the call to pack up and head to another spot to give it a whirl until noon. We headed out and arrived at the other spot about 930-10am. We gathered all the gear and headed out to a spot where Mike had seen a nice bird a few days prior while cutting grass. As soon as we got back to where Mike wanted to hunt he looks over and not 60 yards from us in a turkey scratching in the woods. We both freeze and we try to just get camoed up and sit down. We never seen the bird leave but both assumed it seen us and made his/her way out of these. Mike made a couple of calls and out of no where gets a responsive thunder chicken to gobble. We decide to head in that direction and close the distance a bit. We get over and set up and in no time Mike has the birds heading our way with the sweet clucks on the slate. I am positioned about 15 yards away from Mike hits the call one more time and the bird sounds off CLOSE... I turn ever so slightly to look at Mike and BOOM not 10 feet behind him is a long beard. The bird has no idea we are there but had pin pointed the call and was in Mike's back pocket. I freeze and can not believe what I am seeing. The bird gets a little anxious and starts to move away since there is no hen right there where he heard that last call. Then another long beard appears and ANOTHER... I am freaking out as they are right there and neither of us can move. As they start heading out of the area I time my movements with them being blocked by trees and get almost all the way turned in the direction they are heading. I raise my gun and pick out the last bird. He steps into an opening and I shoot, only to watch him fly away almost laughing art me.. My heart sinks. We go over and check the general area for any sign but I know I missed and I am heart broken. Mike reassures me this is not over and comes up with a plan to try and get around those birds. As we are walking down a trail Mike freezes and out of no where a long beard crosses the path not 20 yards from us. The bird had obviously spotted us and was out of there. So still a bit down on myself we continue on making a few calls trying to locate a bird. Mike says we are going to head to the fields and see if we can catch on out in the fields strutting or just hanging out there. We get to a large hill on the back side of the farm and start to make our way up.. About a 1/4 of the way, we are easing along and a crow sounds off and BOOM a thunderous gobble comes from the field. We knew he was close. We start to ease up ever so slowly and almost at the top Mike again freezes and I hear him whisper "I can see his head".... I look in the direction he is looking and out in the field, under a tree that in laying on the ground we can see a turkeys head sticking up in the field. Mike squats down and tells me to shoot if I can.. I slowly stand up and the bird has no idea we are there. I cannot quite see over the down tree so I take one more step and the bird knows something is not right and starts to ease away. Unfortunately for him he is well within range and is facing away from me and I let the Browning BARK.. He crumples and we are off running up to a GREAT bird. Was an exciting hunt all around and spent with a great friend. I could not be happier and more thankful for Mike taking the time and getting me this fine bird.. 11 inch beard and 1 5/16 inch spurs. By far my best turkey and what a memory..... Big Thanks to Mike.. I really do have some great friends and he is top notch..
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