Opening morning I had an unavoidable obligation and was unable to hunt. As it turned out, if I had to miss an opening morning, this was a good one to miss. Rainy, windy, and cold. That afternoon, however, I freed myself and headed home to catch the tail end of the opener. I went to a farm I know well. Two weeks ago I listened there in the morning and knew the area in which at least 3 birds had roosted. At 4:30 I was set up in the woods. By 5:30 I had hens yelping at me from 80-90 yards away. I yelped back and we conversed for several minute. I then glanced to my left to see a gobbler in half strut standing 50 yards away. He stood motionless staring for several minutes before walking towards me again. At 43 yards he stopped again and raised his head and I tested my TSS loads in the field for the first time.
21 lbs, 7/8" spurs, 8.5" beard
Sunday morning I took a good friend with me to another farm. He really started turkey hunting last year and has improved tremendously in terms of calling and knowledge, but had not yet dropped the hammer on one. We had one bird gobble good early, but he went quiet quickly when he flew down. We eased into an area we were sure was within earshot of his roost area and started calling. Within 20 minutes we saw a red head appear. Three of them actually. Not the ones we were hoping for, but I could see the excitement shaking out of him when those jakes flew the creek and landed on our side. I told him there was no shame loosing your turkey virginity to a jake. Hammer down.
I go stubbornly into error by myself, and reach my own fallacious conclusions using my own faulty data. ~Tom Kelly
