I’ll do a quick run through of my season so far. I had buddied up with Joe pre season on scouting. We had 2 birds for the each of us scouted out. Around April 1st I started watching a long beard, pinned him down, and he got smoked on opener. Joe’s bird disappeared. 4 days after tagging mine, I went back on a quick morning scout, pinned another bird, next morning, Joe blasted him. The next 2 weeks turkey hunting talk between us was sparse to none. Joe occasionally checked his property and nothing.
So came Friday May the 13th, I began feeling the symptoms of a sinus infection, great. The same day, I stopped and spoke to a buddy that lives within a mile or 2 of where I had land to hunt. He had mentioned for 3 days he had seen a flock of birds in the field around 5 pm. I told Joe about it, he mentioned we should go, but I didn’t show much interest in going with the weather forecast. The next morning my sinuses were screwed and my throat felt like someone took sand paper to it. I went to Urgent care, got antibiotics, then went home and slept till 4. I woke up feeling a little better. Joe had then texted me to come hang a stand or clear lanes with him. On my way to meet him around 5 pm, I had seen the birds my buddy spoke of. I told Joe I’m now half tempted to get up and go after them in the morning. I told him Id let him know how I felt, but I started getting cold chills that night. Great, a fever. I woke up this morning feeling like shit, with more cold chills but my head was clearing up, sore throat was gone, but now the cold moved down to my chest.
I texted Joe a possible plan after studying aerials around noon and told him I might go if I feel better. Immediately afterwards I started pounding down antibiotics, aspirin, and drinking a bunch of liquids. Success, my temperature went from 101.2 to 99.5. I texted Joe, told him I’d pick him up at 4:30. I was feeling loopy but better.
The plan was to swing wide of a bottom they hang out in, and ambush them in the field. 2 bucks in velvet came to inspect our first setup, coming within 10 yards of us. No turks though. We move, I hit the slate, hen lightly yelps back. We come to the conclusion she’s on a nest. We talked our next plan over, and I told him there was an acre or so of grass down in the bottom with perfect spruce roosting trees next to it. So we began to sneak to it, and by the time we arrive to the spruces Joe tells me to “Stop”, “Birds in the Field". We stop and study, 3 hens at 80 yards, he tells me too crawl to the next 2 spruces. We make it undetected. We agree that there has to be toms around, and shortly after, I focus my attention away from the hen and I see a 2 year old, broadside at 25 yards that magically appeared. I quickly grab my gun as he scurried away, Joe starts whispering “shoot shoot” and I wasn’t comfortable with the shot. Joe starts to harass me saying “you could have made that shot”. I felt my opportunity on a last minute bird was gone. About 2 minutes pass and I spot movement through the brush at 15 or 20 yards. I see what I thought was a long beard and feathers. I had my gun up, safety off, waiting for this bird to enter the field. I see the head then the chest, and about a 3 or 4 inch beard. I instantly thought “You gotta be kidding me” :smiley_boos:. I knew it was the last day of season, and I always wanted to shoot 2 birds in one season, something I never did, but damnit, why a Jake? I whisper to Joe “it’s a Jake”. Joes exact words are……”F*ck it, shoot it” lmao. Peer pressure, the shot rings out:smiley_crocodile:, birds tumbles, we stand up, and not 5 steps behind this bird in the brush was a mammoth of a turk, beard was 10+ inches, visible spurs, and just booking ass. I told Joe I’m going to give him shit for the rest of his life because of this :smiley_crocodile:. I knew I saw a long beard……
Your alright in my book Joe , One of my best if not the best season I've ever had.
I'll get pics up tommorow.
So came Friday May the 13th, I began feeling the symptoms of a sinus infection, great. The same day, I stopped and spoke to a buddy that lives within a mile or 2 of where I had land to hunt. He had mentioned for 3 days he had seen a flock of birds in the field around 5 pm. I told Joe about it, he mentioned we should go, but I didn’t show much interest in going with the weather forecast. The next morning my sinuses were screwed and my throat felt like someone took sand paper to it. I went to Urgent care, got antibiotics, then went home and slept till 4. I woke up feeling a little better. Joe had then texted me to come hang a stand or clear lanes with him. On my way to meet him around 5 pm, I had seen the birds my buddy spoke of. I told Joe I’m now half tempted to get up and go after them in the morning. I told him Id let him know how I felt, but I started getting cold chills that night. Great, a fever. I woke up this morning feeling like shit, with more cold chills but my head was clearing up, sore throat was gone, but now the cold moved down to my chest.
I texted Joe a possible plan after studying aerials around noon and told him I might go if I feel better. Immediately afterwards I started pounding down antibiotics, aspirin, and drinking a bunch of liquids. Success, my temperature went from 101.2 to 99.5. I texted Joe, told him I’d pick him up at 4:30. I was feeling loopy but better.
The plan was to swing wide of a bottom they hang out in, and ambush them in the field. 2 bucks in velvet came to inspect our first setup, coming within 10 yards of us. No turks though. We move, I hit the slate, hen lightly yelps back. We come to the conclusion she’s on a nest. We talked our next plan over, and I told him there was an acre or so of grass down in the bottom with perfect spruce roosting trees next to it. So we began to sneak to it, and by the time we arrive to the spruces Joe tells me to “Stop”, “Birds in the Field". We stop and study, 3 hens at 80 yards, he tells me too crawl to the next 2 spruces. We make it undetected. We agree that there has to be toms around, and shortly after, I focus my attention away from the hen and I see a 2 year old, broadside at 25 yards that magically appeared. I quickly grab my gun as he scurried away, Joe starts whispering “shoot shoot” and I wasn’t comfortable with the shot. Joe starts to harass me saying “you could have made that shot”. I felt my opportunity on a last minute bird was gone. About 2 minutes pass and I spot movement through the brush at 15 or 20 yards. I see what I thought was a long beard and feathers. I had my gun up, safety off, waiting for this bird to enter the field. I see the head then the chest, and about a 3 or 4 inch beard. I instantly thought “You gotta be kidding me” :smiley_boos:. I knew it was the last day of season, and I always wanted to shoot 2 birds in one season, something I never did, but damnit, why a Jake? I whisper to Joe “it’s a Jake”. Joes exact words are……”F*ck it, shoot it” lmao. Peer pressure, the shot rings out:smiley_crocodile:, birds tumbles, we stand up, and not 5 steps behind this bird in the brush was a mammoth of a turk, beard was 10+ inches, visible spurs, and just booking ass. I told Joe I’m going to give him shit for the rest of his life because of this :smiley_crocodile:. I knew I saw a long beard……
Your alright in my book Joe , One of my best if not the best season I've ever had.
I'll get pics up tommorow.
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