Today was the first day I could get out this turkey season. From the minute I left the boat, I was into them. They were about 80 yards away and couldn’t get a good look. It turned out to be a group of jakes. They moved off so I dropped down the hill to get around them and catch them at a choke point. They came into 60 yards, but wouldn’t cross a big downed log. They would respond every time I called but wouldn’t move from that spot. After about 45 minutes, I lost my patience and decided to slip in. I got to 40 yards and picked one out with a visible beard. I hit him with the first shot and he flew right at me. We stood there looking at each other for a split second so I put another one in him. Since I only had two days to hunt turkey, I wasn’t going to be picky. To top it off, I caught a couple of fat trout in the late morning and finished the night off with a ribeye over the fire. Pine smoke doesn’t taste the best but it’s edible when you’re hungry.
