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Me and my moose page 13

Well 3 days of turkey hunting and I am tagged out. Actually pretty disappointed to be done but I wasn't out there to let one walk. Got set up on the lease this morning on the Oakridge I shot my 8 PT last fall. Heard some gobbling on roost, sat 50 yds from my hunting buddy. Nothing responded once they hit the ground. Decided to try running and gunning but we couldn't buy a gobble. Went too DD for some coffee and a breakfast sandwich and decided we would set up on the big field edge and if nothing else enjoy the beautiful sunshine and maybe catch some zzz. Got set up and put the decoys between us. Heard a gobble and the Tom came right out in the field. It all happened quick. Bang flop at about 30 yds. I'm going to tag along with my one hunting buddy still since there isn't much else to do... 17.5 lbs 12" beard 1 1/4 spurs...

Well I took me an extra day but I got my bday present today! Posted this in the live thread..... Oh man...my setup worked but I didn't. Had a hen and a gobbler come out to the field. The hen came straight to the decoys, stopped and froze about 10 feet from them directly in front of the blind. She basically spent the last 45 minutes almost completely frozen in front of me. The gobbler strutted and gobbled 30 yds from me but completely on my right and I was afraid to move with the hen right in front of me. I am trying to be patient because I figured the Tom wouldn't leave the hen. As I am thinking about trying a left hand shot he walks into the woods and out of my life. I decided to see what I could get away with with the hen right in front of me and I easily got turned so I could have made a shot. Guess I really have learned some patience. Maybe to much. Oh well, it was super exciting and I am learning! Well after that I had a snack and was enjoying the morning. Tried some terrible yelps and nothing. All that goes through my head now is don't call to much. Wait a bit and yelp again and get a gobble which is now since I moved behind me (east). I closed this window from someones recommendation on the forum so the sun couldn't get in the blind. ( I think pygmy). I crack the zipper open and look out a little slit and there is a gobbled. I open it a little more and get the range finder on him...94 yds. I decide to get myself as set as possible instead of waiting. I move my chair. Get my shotgun on rhe shooting stick, barrel out small hole and wait. He is coming, slowly but surely. I wait an eternity plus eternity... He seems like he is now well within range. I range him again...54 yds. Ugh, I told myself 50 was going to be my absolute max. I got the vortex venom sited in yesterday and at 40 yds I felt like I could remove a gobblers head. I waited, no need to rush I kept telling myself. I felt like he came another 15 yds but he would not break strut. I had that red dot on the base of his neck forever. Finally he raises his head and I squeeze the trigger, I say squeeze but I pulled it...bang flop...no flapping or anything. I ranged him laying on the ground. 39 yds and my first ever is on the ground. 20.5 lbs according to my bathroom scale, 9.5" double beard and 1" spurs. It was a great day!

Ran into this nice gentleman @crappyice at the Roscoe diner a little while ago! 6.5’ apart, what a nice quick visit we had. Obligatory photo share.

Well bill did good called in 2 birds . I goofed up didnt let them get in close and got excited shot low . Killed a tree . Ughhhhh. At least I didnt laugh . When they were in the tree gobbling I was laughing then they flew down and i got ready .

Update: Granddaughter fully recovered. Thank God! Daughter almost fully recovered. Thank God! Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes.

Had a fantastic morning. It was Aaron's (Liquidonyx) first turkey hunt. Heard first gobbles several hundred yards out at 5:02. Finally had one sound off 75 yrds below us at 5:10. Couple of soft tree yelps, and a fly down cackle few min after that was the only calling I did while he was on roost. Once he hit the ground he double gobbled, and I gave another series of calls. He came in fast. Gobbling several times. At 30 yrds Aaron shot. Tommy took to the air, but only made it 30 yrds before he fell out of the air. No weight, but nice 2 yr old. 10 1/2” beard 7/8 spur. We spotted 2 more in a field down the road. They gobbled frequently while we made a big loop to get around them. Think I alerted them when we ungracefully crossed a creek. Ok, Aaron did good, I didn't. Never heard another peep out of them. Hoping they were still in the field, and knowing the field has some low spots, we carefully moved forward. Eased up and there was a white head 40 yrds out. Somehow I missed. As he sprints into the woods, the second one pops up 15 yrs closer. Didn't miss. 11 1/4 beard, 1 1/8 spurs.

I have the form and the cape is tanned. I want to bring it to my teacher to help me with it and we were planning on doing it in mid march but he wants to wait until this corona virus hysteria is over. hopefully soon. I had to put it up on the wall just to see how much wall space it's gonna take up. gonna be awesome

I have been reluctant to post my first two days recap because of a major blunder; I missed a slam dunk yesterday morning. 5:50am and I had him dead to rights at maybe 20 yards but just his head and fan were visible. (oh and my gun was pointing too far to the right) He went behind a small tree and I swung over, as he came out I was kind of contorted and squinting as I was shooting right handed and am more proficient lefty........I guess I rushed it. At that point he was probably 30 yards or so. After that I worked another adult that must have had a hen, he didn't play by the script at all. Moved to my third location and worked a couple Jakes in easily two different times from 10am-noon. One of them sounded so much like an adult I couldn't believe he didn't have a vertical beard. Exciting Friday was pretty good at another spot too but only resulted in an unfilled tag. A silent bird coming into about 10' off my left shoulder before I couldn't resist looking and spooked him to Canada...LOL Around 11am I had two Jakes come into 20 yards and stand there for 15 minutes just staring holes in me. Exciting Today I slept in. The birds can wait.....

VnHad a good morning snuck into a natural ground blind at 445 am as it lightens up I can see 6 birds roosted 20 to 40 yards from us. At 545 bird let's out gobble 40 yard behind us, a second let out a single gobble, they both flew down 40 yards out in a small meadow , the birds below us were dropping from their roosts as well. The 2 Tom's walked to my right while my friend watched them unable to shoot past me as i had back to them. They dropped over the edge of ridge and disappeared from sight. I was able to shift and got gun up clicked 2x on my favorite slate and they popped up enough for a shot at 35 yards for me. My friend wasnt able to shoot past me to get second bird, but it was an almost double.

I often visit the CNN website, and flip across their TV channel, to check out their coverage. There is a lot of truth to the old "God-father" saying "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer" . I learn a lot from these visits: Mostly, where to shop and spend my money (not at places or for products that buy advertisement on that network), and how deep that their hatred is of Trump and his supporters. There is no doubt that Trump is justified in his frequent counterattacks of those folks. Last week, I read an article on the CNN web-site that was highly critical of Trump's son-in-law Jared K. Every so often, the anti-semitism that runs deep thru CNN, is on display for all to see, and it certainly was in that article. Not since Harry Truman, have the Jewish people had a greater supporter in the White house than Donald Trump, and his acceptance of his son-in-law's wise council is the second biggest proof of that. His support of the US embassy move, and his recognition of The "true" capital (Jerusalem), was the biggest proof. Acceptance and love of those of the Jewish faith is a mark of a true Christian, and there is no doubt that Trump has shown that. His words and tweets are not always impressive, but his actions have spoken volumes. History will remember Trump as one of this nation's greatest Presidents thanks to the job he has done, and continues to do. The single most impressive thing I have seen from him is his pick of and retention of Mike Pence as VP. How many Presidents have picked a VP who is more capable than themselves ? The second and third most impressive things were the selections of his (2) Supreme Court justices. His ability to work effectively with state governors of both parties, during the current Covid-19 crisis, illustrates his ability to break the Washington deadlock and get things done to save lives. I am very thankful that we have such a leader in Washington at this time and he will certainly keep getting my prayers for support.

Opening day was a drag. Rain and wind and only saw hens. Heard 8 shots on neighboring properties. Roosted a whole flock before dark. Set up this morning across the field from them at 80 yards. 2 hen decoys. At 5:15 one of the toms is strutting and eyeballing the decoy. He drops down on the far side of the field and struts. The whole flock came down. An hour later 2 tiny jakes broke off from the flock and came through the decoys at 5 yards. I was in a brush blind behind a stonewall, so they never had a clue. After 2+ hours they wandered off into the hardwoods. It's too open to make a move, so I went back to the cabin for a coffee and a donut. Checked another property. I went up to the neighbor's posters and worked up from soft yelping to full-on cutting. No response. I backed off 60 yards and was texting my buddy. I look up and there are 2 toms running across the neigbor's hay field. They wouldn't from the green hay field to the brown overgrown pasture, so I dropped down into a brook and moved up tight to the posters. I cut at them and got them fired up, then backed up into a strip of mature softwoods. I laid down next to a big hemlock and they were there in a couple minutes. They crossed the posters and I let them weave through the trees until they got to 25 and let the first one have it. 18lbs. 9" beard. 7/8" spurs. After the frustration of watching 9 birds for 2+ hours, it was nice to have birds gobble to my calling. Now I'm back home. I will probably drink my coffee in the back pasture in the morning, as long as it isn't raining. If something gobbles I will hunt. If not, I'll get some work done.

Saw this little guy in the driveway today, relocated him a big puddle next to the stream here.

I had this weekend planned to fish the esopus but Thursday’s 2” of rain had that place ripping. May as well head to trout town USA Roscoe and see what’s happening there. High water too tremendous caddis hatch with no risers. True catch of the day! Nice visiting with Bio and Jenn Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok I found some turkey shells for my daughters .20 ga 870, I guess some day next week , I’ll have to go knock one down , I’m usually up at 4 to drain the snake anyways . Need to buy some frosted pop tarts . Ive often thought about just sleeping in the woods over night, go,down around 11pm lay out sleeping bag crawl in and wake up and hunt .

Blew it this morning! I have not hunted turkeys in years, but thought it might be a good diversion from the crazy clinic workload stress as a result of this Covid deal. So yesterday I went out about 10 am and just sat in the woods for about an hour. I heard a couple gobbles that sounded miles off, so I came back to the house and did yard work all day. Last night I drove down the road to a high spot that lets me look over my fields, and I saw a few hens and a Tom up there. The Tom was actually running straight up the hill like on a mission. lol This morning I over slept (getting old I guess) so about 7:30 I puttered a bit around the house, got dressed, grabbed my only 3 rusty shells, and slowly drove up the hill on my wheeler. I sat in a big creek bottom by some pine tress between fields. I called for a while and heard nothing, no gobbles even far off. Then when I was ready to pull the plug and head back because of the bugs, I called a series of yelps. GOBBLE GOBBLE...real close! I slid over to the other side of a tree to be where I thought he was coming from and I just waited. Nothing! Then by chance I turned my head to the side and caught him there behind me! About 50 yards and closing in, strutting then pecking the ground. His head was snowball white and long beard swinging! My heart was racing as I was trying to figure out how to get turned around without getting caught with him being so close. He had not a clue I was there and kept walking closer, stopping briefly to strut but never turning his back to me. He was walking down the hill to the creek and if he made it here, he would disappear from my sight, and the next I would see of him he would be within 10 yards of me. I had no idea where he would pop up again! I waited until his head went behind a tree and I then rolled up on my right hip and got the shotgun up pointed in his direction. He caught on something was up and ran a few feet the other way and stood there. I put the bead on the base of his neck and let the shot fly. At about 25 yards, downhill shot, it was a clean miss. Not a feather touched! Following the shot he took a few running strides and flew down the hill. I felt sick that I played it wrong when it came to closing the deal. No excuses here. I should have been able to get it done and didn't. I let my excitement get the best of me. I am happy though I called him in as close as I did, and that if not killed at least not wounded.

Wild turkey cutlets , mashed and country gravy.

Ribs smoked on the Weber kettle and finished on the grill. Side of tuna macaroni salad Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Lol - a pea brained bird and donuts! My 2 downfalls.

I received the first installment of my annual gobbler season dose of humility this morning... The bird that Moog and I heard yesterday gobbled this morning, and he was much closer than yesterday and quite vocal..He gobbled at most of my calls, cutting me off on some..However, he wasn't moving, so I suspect he had a lady friend with him...After awhile a dog came through the woods barking ( sounded like he was running deer) and that was the end of the gobbling.. About a half hour later, I looked out into the field and saw two birds walking broadside to me... I put the glasses on them ..One was a big gobbler ( big bird, big beard) and the other one was a jake.. I called to them...They completely ignored my calling..Not a gobble, not a reaction.. From the spot they were in I doubted they could see my decoys, but they sure as hell could HEAR me... They walked into the woods, then about a half hour later they came walking back out..They were only about 150 yards away and I was fairly sure they could see at least one of my decoys...I called again...This time the big gobbler stopped and gave me a brief glance..Again, no gobbling and he and the jake went on their merry way..I am pretty sure he flipped me off as he was leaving...A bird gave me the bird.... To add insult to injury, if I had set my blind where I USUALLY set it, they would have walked by me at about 20 yards....Twice....

That thing is 10' in the air!! Troublesome at best.........

Have a friend with this one. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Grilled prime NY strip, with grilled zucchini marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon and@Bionic chicken rub. Fries topped with Bionic potato topper oh and grilled Ramps Wife made zucchini carrot cakes Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Made it out this morning. Worked 4 different birds. Both groups of 2. Couldnt make it happen and then couldn't get ahead of them after with the terrain. Hoping to make it out tomorrow morning. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

We had lots of laughs.....Probably did more laughing than turkey hunting..Hehehe.. Moog has hunted with me twice, and both were very slow days turkey wise, but very enjoyable days in the woods.....ONE day soon , hopefully this season, we'll hit them right.... I just wish the big lug would quit trying to KISS me while we're in the blind...

A friend of mine that lives in Walworth got a nice bird this am . He said that after dinner last night his 7 year old son was playing with his box call . He said his son came in the house and told him a turkey was answering him . His dad checked it out and set up in that area this am . Got his bird . I asked if I could rent his son to help me out .

Prepped the herb garden this morning (garlic chives, thyme and oregano survived the winter). The rest will get planted next weekend. Then knocked out a 5 mile hike with the fam. What a day. Sunny and 60s!

Lol, forgot to post pic of Aaron caring his bird. I'm sure many have had the same experience. Turkey vest needed.

Nice bird down at 5:49 this morning. 9.5 inch beard...1” spurs..They were hot. Group of 8 2 yr olds. Came in so hot nephew couldn't get to his off side for a double. There had to be 12 different gobblers going within 75 yards at one time. Fog was heavy. It was neat seeing them run in through the fog.

So nice out today... made me think of summer. Went with venison kabobs with zucchini, peppers, onion and topped with baby

75 and sunny, 1245pm Sunday Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Congrats to everybody who connected, especially Mowin who is teaching others and helping keep our traditions alive! In retrospect yesterday was one of the most interesting days of turkey hunting I've had, was just feeling too down on myself to type it up. Long story short, I missed a gobbler I've been chasing (presumably same one, same spot, same tendencIes) for 2 years now. Did every single thing right, except have patience to wait for him to get into a proper gap in the woods. Tunnel vision. Map: Red line is the bird, purple is where he flew. Mine is obviously the blue. Long story, not short : I played with, and watch this gobbler through binos for well over 2 hours before getting my chance. He's also kind of a badass that isn't afraid of coyotes any more than he has to be to stay alive. Heard him gobbling 2 fields away, after having a real aggressive hen come out and cackling at me when I called, around 830 or so. Fortunately didn't have the deeks out yet or I'm sure she would have had me pinned down for a while. She was belting out yelps looking for the other hen, then this gobbler started up about 4 yards away. She headed in his direction, and I followed. Alot of field between me and him. So I setup with the hen/jake deeks, and called to him for at least 30 minutes. He was gobbling like he was going to come in, but didn't. Another one started up a couple hundred yards behind me in the woods, which ticked him off further. I think that one was a jake, because I ran into a jake while I was watching the coyotes from across the fields. Eventually headed south to this big former cow field thats about 300 yards long and 150 wide that runs up a hill to some pines, with a sharp bank and thick saplings running down a steep hill below it. So I pack up the deeks, back up to the other side of a hedge row, and start heading closer to see what he's up to. As I'm watching him from 400 yards away, two coyotes tried to put the stalk on him! He quite matter of factly flew up into an oak tree maybe 15 feet off the ground, putted at them a couple times and just watched. He might as well have given them the finger. Once the coyotes buggered off he hopped out the tree and resumed his strutting at the top of a long field, with hundreds of yards of vision all around him. I had moved up to behind this old barn while he was distracted, so I'm maybe 300 yards away now. There was no way to not get busted when he was out in the field. I see him head under the pines, and decided to make my move. Leave the decoys at the barn. Drop down, as quickly as someone who isn't allowed to run with a 3 month old ACL can go, through a marshy field, below that steep lip of the field he was in, into the saplings / brush below the field. There's a decent sized stream running through the bottom of the field and it was running pretty hard. Setup on hummock, before the stream (which is also the property line to the lease I can't hunt anymore #bitter). Start calling, that bird starts up again up in the pines. Get him going then I clam up. First 5 minutes he didn't move, then he starts down the hill. Instead of calling I did some scratching in the leaves to keep his interest peaked. Takes him about 30 minutes, and finally I see him on the other side of the stream, which has a bed about 8 feet below eye levels. Wait til he's behind a tree and just HAMMER the mouth call and he cuts me off, spitting, drumming, the whole 9. I pitched my call so it sounded like it was on the other side of the hummock I was on, so "she" is just out of sight of him. He's fired up now. Unfortunately where he's strutting is way to brushy for a shot even though he's probably 25 yards away. Eventually he gets mad enough to go down IN the stream bed and that's when I hammer it again, scratch, get my gun up and safety off, 100% ready. He takes his time coming up, but instead of coming close hes further down, and the hillock is blocking everything but his big white head. Still REALLY brushy, no easy openings. Eventually he gets to top of the hummock where he can see down the other side, in a half decent opening (I thought), and that head goes uuuuuuuuuuuuup, and I knew the jig was up. Took the shot, new pins right on his eyeball (mistake). He disappears and I'm elated for about 1 second before I see him cruising on down the valley. S.O.B.

heck of a trophy room right there!!! wish I had room for a life size mount here's a couple of me with some mounts from my great uncle in West Virginia when I was like 7 or 8. wish we took more pictures when we were there almost 30 years ago. he had a ton of Alaskan and African mounts

All done for the day. Had a great morning. Had birds gobbling at about 530 and stopped a little after 6. About 630 I started making a move to another spot where I heard them gobbling opening morning. While I was moving a bird sounded off. So I got to the spot quick. At about 7 I let hit the box a couple times and had a second bird behind me sound off once. So I kept my attention that way and saw a flock of about 5 walk the far ridge away from me. So I let out some yelps and ended up having a bird behind me respond by yelping. About 8 I looked up and had 4 Jake's sneak into about 25 yards so I pulled up and shot at the biggest bird and all I could see through my scope was a sapling I didn't notice about 10 yards in front of me tip over and off the ran. I'll be back in that same spot next weekend.

That's a new one. Just had two woodchucks come by me at 5 feet chasing each other. Hen is still in field. She must be the Rosie O'Donnell of hens. She's been out there for over an hour and a half and not a Tom around

Gotta love cell cams.....I am laughing since I am not out because of my son's birthday ....but it's a kick in the old rear if this pic shows up and your hunting another property. Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

Third day sitting until noon. I’ve had some exciting moments, but couldn’t seal the deal. Hunted a new property yesterday and accidentally set up too close to their roost. I got busted by the gobbler after flydown. Two distant birds gobbling until 5:45 this morning. One hen came in close. At least the deer aren’t blowing at me. These deer certainly aren’t practicing social distancing, I could have sneezed on one yesterday. I’ve enjoyed reading all of your updates over the past few days. Good luck to all.

Slipped in amongst 10 birds at 330 am only to find out it was 7 hens and 3 jakes all of them within 50 yards and they all pitched down within 10 yards and fed out the ridge. Now off to troll another couple properties. I was in pa yesterday am and passed up a couple 2 year old birds and some jakes. Holy molley pa needs to put their people back to work. 42 years straight of not missing an opening day of spring gobbler season and yesterday I saw more people and vehicles than the last 20 years combined. Never saw so many people but still only heard 10 shots all morning. Good luck all. Sent from my SM-G930VL using Tapatalk

That’s a bunny at 69 yards! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ya it’s been a “ few” years since I slept on the ground , getting out of bed it’s several steps before I walk totally upright and can let go, of the wall , plus no coffee if I sleep there , right now with a couple beers in me , it seems like a good idea though lol . Maybe ,I’ll sleep in my hut , if the mice don’t mind to much .

J Wakefield collab with Other Half All Together Not bad. A little too tart for my taste.

Cool idea, Larry, but if I did that on my ground I'd probably wake up in the morning with about 20 ticks attached to my wrinkled old ass... Besides, it's only about a 5 minute drive to my hunting property...

Local brews tonight. Brown's Sauvagier double NEIPA. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

GET SOME!!

I set up in a little finger of trees and brush above where I figured the birds were roosted. My brother set up on the big ridge across an open field at my back. It was cold and foggy. Birds started gobbling below me about 5:30 and then the ones up top where my brother was started up. I just sat there until I heard a bird fly down. Then I made a couple soft yelps and waited. I heard more birds flying down, but just stayed quiet even though at least two toms were gobbling below me. Then I hear spitting and drumming behind me in the open field. I turned my head and see a full fan damn near in my lap. I just waited for the fan to be facing me, turned quickly, and got my gun pointed. Then it was just a matter of waiting a couple minutes for the shot. He was sideways to me and stuck his neck out to gobble and I shot him at under 20 yards. About as easy a hunt as a person can get. Then I went down and grabbed a bag full of leeks. While I was doing that, I heard a shot up on top. I got back up to my set up and could see my brother coming across the field with his own bird. I didn't realize it, but it was my brother's first solo tom, so it is a pretty exciting day. He said he saw the tom I shot fly off its roost and glide into the fog right down across the field towards me, and heard me shoot about 10 minutes later.

Tried making beef short ribs for the first time in about 20 years. 6 hours in the slow cooker (I think 8-9 hrs next time). Mashers with homemade gravy and green beans. It fell off the bones and the family loved it