I just got home, officially ending my 2009 season. Thought I would post some stats from this season. But first, today's action:
Got out this morning at about 0400. While walking up the hill to my blind, I bumped a moose I had seen a few times. Got my dekes out quickly since I had the stakes already in the ground from the evening before and crawled into my blind to await the first gobbles of the morning. It was getting lighter and lighter and I hadn't heard a thing. Then I hear one, but it's way down hill and probably off the property. Then I hear two more behind me, also not on the property. I'm getting a little nrevous since I hadn't heard a peep from where some usually roost. I let out a few tree yelps. Nothing. It's about flydown time, so I give a good cackle. Nothing. Now I'm seriously bumming. I decide to really let the hammer down on a box call, and hear 2 gobbles way off, but from a good direction. I wait a bit and hit em again. This time they are a bit closer dead ahead and I get a hen to join in at about my 10 o clock. Everytime I yelped, she would answer, the toms would gobble, creeping closer each time. Then she yelped what seemed like 20 times. I let her have it. I got to about the 3rd yelp when the toms cut me off with a double gobble. And they are close!!! Then I see movement through some trees ahead. It's one of the toms strutting at 70 yds. I am pumped thinking this is really going to happen. All of a sudden, the hen pops out right next to my dekes at about 15 yds. She scopes them out, then sees the toms and is off like a shot straight to them. Game over. I see them walk away, gobbling the whole time. I know I did everything right. Just got screwed.
Headed back out this afternoon at about 1630. Driving in I see 2 toms off the side of the road headed uphill. I get parked and grab my gear as quickly as I can so I can try to head them off. I get to where I think they may be heading. Problem is I have no blind at this spot. I decide to use a brush pile as cover. I pull out a call and let off some yelps. I get an immediate response. I nock and arrow and get ready. I call again and they answer very close but I can't see them. I clip on my release. I wait and wait. Nothing. I decide to give some soft yelps and clucks. They answer but they had turned uphill were halfway up to the top. I gather my stuff, back out, and haul up the hill to my blind. I get all set up and call. Nothing. I wait to see if they just show up. Nope. I purr and clcuk. Silence again. Either they saw me or I wasn't quiet enough walking. The only other thing I heard the rest of the evening was a couple hens.
So here's how my season went:
Days Hunted: 36
Number of birds called in: 11
Shot Oppurtunity's: 2
Shots Taken: 1
Birds Passed On: 1
Birds Killed: Big fat goose egg
All in all it was a good season. Frustrating, humbling, but good. Heard a lot more gobbling than I have in previous seasons. Called in more birds than my previous 2 seasons combined. I stuck to my goal of using my bow and hunted my ass off. To those that filled tags, congrats! To those that didn't, I feel your pain. Now, looking forward to getting some fishing done and deer season.
