Saturday:
We heard gobblers on every property around us! It was awesome! The 2 that were closest to us ended up flying down to the neighbors property and we saw them strut away from us. As the sun came up it revealed another blind on the neighbors property about 60 yards from us. Luckily it wasn't occupied. About 0900 we had 3 toms coming down the hill right to us! Unfortunately they went the way we thought they wouldn't go and there was too much brush to shoot through when they were in range. They got further away and to an area that was on the edge of my range. I took a shot I shouldn't have, missed, and they flew away. I was pretty upset with myself. I should have been more patient and tried to call them back so both my wife and I had a shot and chance to double up like we did last year. After that we went to some public on a death march and only saw a hen.
Sunday:
We're back in the blind where I took the bone head shot. Again we hear gobbles all around us and are super excited! But this time when the sun comes up it reveals decoys in front of the blind that is on the neighbors. We're pretty bummed out, but decide we'll probably out last them and it will eventually get good. At about 0830 the neighbors have had enough, get out of their blind and pick up their decoys. Unfortunately the gobblers started firing back up at that time too, but quiet back down when the neighbors walk across their field. We still feel good about the spot and stick it out. I forgot to mention that I brought pruners with me today and cut a shooting lame through the brush the toms moved through yesterday. At about 1100 the neighbors come back with a truck to pickup their blind. Now we feel like we've wasted our whole morning. We decide to go to the other side of the farm where we heard some gobbles earlier, but didn't see or hear a thing. Now it's time to go get the kids...our turkey hunting weekend is over...turkeyless. On our way back to the truck my lovely wife suggests that since we both don't work on Monday she'll watch the kids and I can go hunt. I have the best wife ever!
Monday:
On my drive back to the area where my blind is setup I see lightning to the west. I get in the blind and hear gobbles every where again. They soon shut up when it starts to rain...for 3 hours. Eventually it stops and I begin to hear turkeys again. I see a tom on the neighbors try to call to him and he runs off. An hour later after texting with my wife and her telling me she has a good feeling, I look up and there's a tom feeding down the hill right too me. He eventually gets into the shooting lane I cut yesterday and this happens
He's got 1 3/8" spurs and a 10 1/2" beard. Not sure why, but Photobucket won't download my spur picture.
Here's one with my son...he wanted to hold the dead head in the picture.
I hope to update this thread later. My wife and I are both off work again today, but this time she's in the blind and I'm home with the kids.
