I finally have my work schedule slowing to a dull roar allowing me to get out and do some turkey hunting here in southern Oregon! I dug out my Realtree pants, jacket, gloves, etc. and replaced the modified choke in my 870 ESM with my HS Undertaker and grabbed a box of Winchester Supreme 3" loads. I called the landowner and let her know I'd be out in the morning and don't be alarmed if she heard a shot (an optimist, I am!
).
I got up at 5:50 this morning knowing that sunrise would be 6:41 and, since it's only a 5 minute drive, knew I would have plenty of time to get to the stand of pines where the birds like to roost. By the time I got near the trees I saw the last of the birds hit the ground and start moving down the hill away from me. Ugh. Maybe this afternoon when they head back to the roost.
I got out to the field around 3pm, plenty of time to pick a spot and get planted. I found what I thought would be a perfect spot and settled in for what should be a good run in the afternoon/early evening. At around 4:45 I heard the herd heading my way. I got myself into a prone position to better conceal myself and waited. The birds came right to me and then started to veer slightly downhill from me. As the parade passed me by I counted four very nice gobblers and ten or eleven hens. The problem was they were about 80 yards from me. *Sigh* Tomorrow's another day. If there’s a bright side to this story it has to be the field I was hunting.
If you look you can see the pines that I'm heading towards.
Across the small creek...
Pass the blackberry bushes and the oaks that keep the deer well fed...
Getting settled behind a madrone and in front of an old downed oak tree.
What little bit of company I did have...
Where the birds will eventually cross (and about 80 yards away).
I got up at 5:50 this morning knowing that sunrise would be 6:41 and, since it's only a 5 minute drive, knew I would have plenty of time to get to the stand of pines where the birds like to roost. By the time I got near the trees I saw the last of the birds hit the ground and start moving down the hill away from me. Ugh. Maybe this afternoon when they head back to the roost.
I got out to the field around 3pm, plenty of time to pick a spot and get planted. I found what I thought would be a perfect spot and settled in for what should be a good run in the afternoon/early evening. At around 4:45 I heard the herd heading my way. I got myself into a prone position to better conceal myself and waited. The birds came right to me and then started to veer slightly downhill from me. As the parade passed me by I counted four very nice gobblers and ten or eleven hens. The problem was they were about 80 yards from me. *Sigh* Tomorrow's another day. If there’s a bright side to this story it has to be the field I was hunting.
If you look you can see the pines that I'm heading towards.
Across the small creek...
Pass the blackberry bushes and the oaks that keep the deer well fed...
Getting settled behind a madrone and in front of an old downed oak tree.
What little bit of company I did have...
Where the birds will eventually cross (and about 80 yards away).