Sneakyjake turkey 2013

[sneakyjake]

Short hunt this year.  One less guy in camp. Dad couldn't make it cuz mom has been sick.  We camped at a farm instead of in town at the fairgrounds, that was a big change.  A lot less roosting and a lot more socializing occurred because of it. My partners were having more fun shooting 223's at squirrels then hunting birds and relaxing by the fire at night.  I hit it pretty hard and did good considering how quiet the birds were in the hills.  I had the missies this year real bad.   Need to pattern next year before the opener.  I did have a classic nooner experience to make me happy.  Hiked in to an area, called got some gobbles, set up, bird came straight at me then flanked me up the hill something quick. He then walked up to my side and gave me the perfect shot which I couldn't possible take because I was facing the wrong way, and holding my slate, without my diaphragm in my mouth, my phone on, and my gun on the ground.  Hmmmmm.  And here is this Tom 40 yards from me, gobbling, looking around for me, walking back and forth on this grassy knoll for 30 minutes.  All I could think is what a *censored* I am and how did I get this lazy.  And I can't shoot straight anymore.  The bird is finally getting tired of the hide and seek game with this Jenny and starts to move away.  I call, he gobbles facing the other way, drop the slate,  he watches me some more, turns around, mouth call in,  watches, turns, slide right, gobble, looks some more, can't find her, getting pissed,  turns gobbles, gobbles, gobbles, pick the gun up.  Let out a cut that would melt even the most hardened gobbler,  he runs back and gives me the stinkeye one more time and then my phone goes off.  Just kidding, but it should have.  Gun went off instead.  Normal bird for the area.  Spurs ground down, not too heavy, beard 9" but mostly walked off. 

[Mfowl]

Nice work! They always seem to show up where you don't want them to. Way to get it done!

[ShaneTyTrey]

Congrats

[janttihunter]

Congrats! I cant wait to get out in a few weeks!!

[earlmarne]

nice bird.congrats

[turkeydancer]

Way to go Sneaky !!!   

Just goes to show you that sometimes you can do everything wrong and still go from the outhouse to the penthouse in seconds ....        

 Miss the good times at the Fairgrounds ... sorry to hear about your mom ... will keep her in my prayers ...

[BOWHUNTER45]

Nice one 

[sneakyjake]

Thanks Al, your right, I miss those few years.  Change is inevitable, if not uncomfortable.  I hope my dad gets out again.  Not always fun running the hills alone.  My kids are going through hunters ed in May with my wife so I should get some new blood out there and start some new memories.  What was the scope you had on your gun? 

[sneakyjake]

On a different point, I don't think I heard any of the jakes gobbling this year.  I also couldn't see any visible beards on them.  Is that from being part of a late or second hatch last year?  I can't remember how wet of a spring we had.

[turkeydancer]

I'm using a $50 Sightmark Red Dot (4 reticles, 7 light settings or 8 if you count off).  I love it.

You're right about running the hills alone, always better with buddies ... safety thing too ... could of busted an ankle this year just as easy as tweaking it.

Noticed some jakes had beards and some not ... don't know if that was a late hatch thing, but may be a "lice" or "rot" issue. Might need to ask an NWTF or State biologist to find out.  As far as jake gobbles, I couldn't hear them over the toms early and late ... and evrything was really quite in between ... had to listen intently for hens clucking occasionally.   Tough thing to do in the windy conditions .... 

[NWTFhunter]

Good job young Jedi !
Thanks for the pic text, but the rest of them are great too !!

You will have to come over here one of these years and take the wide open country challenge with a bow test to be called master Jedi.