Jake The Snake

[Dcoleinpa]

The weather has been rough the last few days. Today we woke up to temps in the mid 30s and a light mist. That was a welcomed surprise after three days with 30mph winds! We decided to hunt Porters favorite farm. When we were almost to the area to set up at I heard a hen yelp once, she soon took flight. Then a gobbler lit up on the hill.

Once Poppa Po got his decoy set, there were quite a few hens tree talking around us. I am pretty sure I heard gobbles in every direction, some near some far. One was really carrying on to our right. He did some soft talk on a Ed Jenkins pot and I did a couple fly downs a mouth call. After a few minutes I hear a hen fly down and another and another. I can see three birds in the bottom and one is standing tall keeping a watchful eye. The alert bird looked like a gobbler.

I soon realized they were not coming our way and rested my gun on my knee. That is when I see a red headed turkey to my right and he is staring down at the tall standing bird in the bottom, acting spooked. I click my safety off and my glove gets stuck so I click it back on and then off again and my glove gets stuck again! I guess I am so used to fingerless gloves   By now he is putting and about to bolt. Porter can't see him but hears the putts and starts  calling on that Ghost Maker pot. The dude stops with only his head showing and I pull the trigger.

We get to the bird and see he is a Jake with a beautiful colored tail fan and maybe a 4 or 5 inch beard. I thought for sure he was the fella gobbling his brains out. After some hand shakes and I get my tag on him we start walking to the car and that smart long beard pitches out of his roost tree. he watched the whole deal happen! Tagged out in Missouri and PA starts on Saturday!

Hunting field birds with a decoy is not my thing but Porter knows how to hunt these birds. I have to give a huge thanks to Mike and his family for dealing with me for a week!! No tag soup this year buddy!

 I have dubbed this bird Jake The Snake. Young Jake slithered in silent like a snake but ended up getting body slammed. 

[Turkeybuster]

Way to go Dylan uncle Mike is a good guide when he starts running out of time.

Jon   

[Porter]

You should have seen the look on my face when Dylan shot.  I'm certain the bird he thought was a gobbler was a gobbler.  But he was 50+ yards out.  I did not see a bird fall and just stared at dcole.  I think he thought he'd shot a hen then 

We had been watching all the videos on getting jake decoys demolished, I put mine out for fun   It didn't work like on the videos, but the bird ole dcole shot might not have ever seen it either! 

All we have had is bad weather here in MO it seems like (especially while dcole and I have been hunting).  My favorite farm did not let me down today either.  They lit it up like Southwest MO birds are none to do.  Deep gobbles and a lot of them.  Dylan saw four longbeards on this farm with super thick ropes earlier this week!

Dylan it has been a pleasure and we have one last stand for tomorrow!  We are going in to a heavily hunted Public Land area to try and enact revenge on a gobbler that snuck in on us yesterday! 

[AlabamaDave]

Congrats guys! Sounds like yall had fun!

[VGJ5]

That sneaky old bird!  I wonder how many jakes he has sent to their death with that trick.   

Congrats on a great hunt under tough conditions!

[Silverspur]

Congrats Dylan on tagging out and Mike your developing a good reputation as a guide.  May have to try your guide service some year. OK, Porter's favorite farm must be the one with the farmer's daughter....hmmmm and I see in this picture Ole Dylan has a smile on his face...hmmmm.  A week and you tag out the last day?  That left plenty of time in between for farm choirs

[jmck]

congrats on a fun hunt

[Shadetree Callers]

Congrats on a great hunt with good friends