let it snow!
Me and Gage got out for a hunt today after a late start due to a "work issue" that I had to take care of because of the nor'easter we had on Saturday. When I got home, I decided to go out back up on the mountain for a while. It was beautiful out, a "winter wonderland" for sure. About 20 mins. into our hunt, Gage took off as I was still making my way up a steep incline. It was dead silent in the woods with all the snow, and everything was weighted down. He was gone for a while, so I broke out the GPS to get a read on him....yeah, I'm really starting to like that thing!
It said he was about 250 yds. out, then I thought I heard a muffled bark, but wasn't sure.....checked the GPS again and he was getting out there to 400 + yds....yep, that was barking for sure! I got up the incline to a bench area and checked again, still hearing him bark, but it was really muffled with all the snow, I could barely hear him. Checked the GPS again as I was following his tracks in the snow to a stand of Hemlocks.......Holy
!!! The hemlocks were just tore to shreds with fresh scratching!!! All around the hemlocks were little beech saplings weighed down with so much snow you couldn't see through them, and turkeys tracks were everywhere you looked. I checked the GPS again, and he was over 550 yds out still barking!
I waited for him, and watched on the GPS as he picked up his backtrack and was coming back. Meanwhile, I was looking for a spot to set-up, and got to the edge of the hemlocks by the beeches so I can look into the hemlocks where all the scratching was, there was no way I was getting a shot in the beeches!
Finally, Gage made his way back, all told about 20 min. or so had passed and after getting him on the leash, I started to sit down and get ready when I thought I heard a cluck far off to my left. I was getting him in his bag and sure enough, another one. Qucikly I got everything in order, threw in a mouthcall and made a few clucks, yelps, and kee-kees on a wingbone. I heard the bird to my far left, and another kee-keeing way out in front of me.
I kee-kee'd back, and gave a few soft clucks and a turkey pops his head out between the trunks of 2 hemlocks about 40 yds. out and disappears. I immediately swung my gun left, and got ready. Now the birds were calling good all over, and all of a sudden he pops out about 20 yds in front of me and cranes his neck....BANG!!! He dropped like a rock! Immediately I see another bird behind him run right to left behind the hemlocks, but I lost him behind all the limbs weighed down with snow. I jacked another shell in the chamber as I saw the bird crane its neck from behind the hemlock and disappear again, and then saw the lower body and legs, behind the limbs. I gave a few soft clucks and purrs, it stuck its head out......for a second I contemplated shooting another one, but then I've gone almost a month without a shot, and thought..."Never look a gift horse in the mouth", and pulled the trigger and laid 'em out!
Birds were still calling all over the place, and I let Gage out of the bag, got my stuff together, picked up the birds, and got out of there so not to disturb the rest of them. Needless to say it was an awesome hunt, without a doubt my best fall hunt ever! Now to try and fill a PA tag......
