A little luck this morning

.270Rem

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May 27, 2018
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393
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Northern VA
We had very strong consistent winds yesterday and overnight. The skies were clear on the ride to the farm and the moon was still pretty high. My two friends went to their chosen spots on the far edges of the farm and I walked in to listen at a key spot. Before I got to where I wanted to stop I heard the first gobbler cut loose and disrupt the crisp morning.

Since there was a shooting house between me and the bird I assumed all I had to do was slide in, open the windows, make a call, and then get ready to shoot. However, I could hear some critter stirring in there. Didn't want to verify if it was a coon, skunk, or possum and need to test pattern efficiency at 5' so I backed off 100 yards. The bird ended up being between me and Chip about the same distance, but neither of us saw it fly down or where it headed.

After an hour I moved down the field edge about 200 yards to a popup blind and sat there for five minutes before a distant bird made me leave. So I headed to the back of the property hoping to close on that one. I made it to a small food plot where we had another blind set and camped out. Several times I had birds gobble to crows, but they never answered my calls.

The relaxing morning, cool temps, and the finally subdued winds had me nodding more than once. I shook out the cobwebs and checked my phone and listened to a voicemail from the boss. I sent him a text and put the phone down again. About two minutes later I got a big surprise when two turkeys strolled into the far side of the field and starting feeding.

Right away I thought I saw short beards, but they stayed about 60 yards out and in the shadows. I figured they were both jakes and it took a long time to verify that. They didn't pay me much attention, but perked up some when I called a little. Eventually they fed my way and reached my marker for a shot. Then they did what turkeys do and kept staying very close together without realizing what the dope in the ground blind had planned for one of them.

They separated by several yards and I drew a bead on the right hand bird. He dropped at the shot and then his running mate finally blew up a little and started taunting him, kinda like Mohammed Ali in that famous pic. Once I cleared the blind the survivor finally beat feet after seeing me.

My first bird in a few years and these were the only turkeys I have seen while hunting this Spring. It cost me a trip to the BBQ place to get us all lunch, but it really was a fine day. One of my buddies had a close call with a longbeard, but the bird got the drop on him. Here is where he laid after flopping around. Took a pic of the crop and he was packed with clover leaves, I think buttercups (possibly colts foot?), and dandelion heads.

Now I will hit the hay and we have to go work on a wildfire tomorrow in the mountains. Today was one of our better days of the season and I hope y'all can find the time to get out after 'em.
 

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We had very strong consistent winds yesterday and overnight. The skies were clear on the ride to the farm and the moon was still pretty high. My two friends went to their chosen spots on the far edges of the farm and I walked in to listen at a key spot. Before I got to where I wanted to stop I heard the first gobbler cut loose and disrupt the crisp morning.

Since there was a shooting house between me and the bird I assumed all I had to do was slide in, open the windows, make a call, and then get ready to shoot. However, I could hear some critter stirring in there. Didn't want to verify if it was a coon, skunk, or possum and need to test pattern efficiency at 5' so I backed off 100 yards. The bird ended up being between me and Chip about the same distance, but neither of us saw it fly down or where it headed.

After an hour I moved down the field edge about 200 yards to a popup blind and sat there for five minutes before a distant bird made me leave. So I headed to the back of the property hoping to close on that one. I made it to a small food plot where we had another blind set and camped out. Several times I had birds gobble to crows, but they never answered my calls.

The relaxing morning, cool temps, and the finally subdued winds had me nodding more than once. I shook out the cobwebs and checked my phone and listened to a voicemail from the boss. I sent him a text and put the phone down again. About two minutes later I got a big surprise when two turkeys strolled into the far side of the field and starting feeding.

Right away I thought I saw short beards, but they stayed about 60 yards out and in the shadows. I figured they were both jakes and it took a long time to verify that. They didn't pay me much attention, but perked up some when I called a little. Eventually they fed my way and reached my marker for a shot. Then they did what turkeys do and kept staying very close together without realizing what the dope in the ground blind had planned for one of them.

They separated by several yards and I drew a bead on the right hand bird. He dropped at the shot and then his running mate finally blew up a little and started taunting him, kinda like Mohammed Ali in that famous pic. Once I cleared the blind the survivor finally beat feet after seeing me.

My first bird in a few years and these were the only turkeys I have seen while hunting this Spring. It cost me a trip to the BBQ place to get us all lunch, but it really was a fine day. One of my buddies had a close call with a longbeard, but the bird got the drop on him. Here is where he laid after flopping around. Took a pic of the crop and he was packed with clover leaves, I think buttercups (possibly colts foot?), and dandelion heads.

Now I will hit the hay and we have to go work on a wildfire tomorrow in the mountains. Today was one of our better days of the season and I hope y'all can find the time to get out after 'em.
nice!
 
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