My 3-Day Eastern hunt was for the birds ....

[turkeydancer]

So after a 7 am dental cleaning on Friday, I hookup the trailer and head out for a 3-day Eastern hunt. I arrive and setup the trailer, and head out to the woods.  I get less than 100 yards behind a locked gate and start seeing some sign ... not fresh but not that old.  Of course its pretty warm outside and climbing the hills I really start to sweat. After about 3 miles I walk into an active logging site, and the site custodian comes out, we chat, and he tells me where he (and his wife) have been seeing Easterns every morning (yaahhhoooo). I'm thinking they will probably come back the way they went so setup in anticipation.  Then the wind comes up and the thunderstorms move in.  But I'm determine to outlast the weather and these phantoms.  Well at least I outlasted the weather, but by dark no sign of the phantoms.  So I go zipping down the hill back to my truck (note I zip downhill a lot easier than I do uphill ... in fact there isn't alot of zip left uphill).  I get to my truck and am greeted by a nice gentleman from Wenatchee, and spend the next 45 minutes showing some places on a map that he may try in the morning where I've seen birds before.  Finally I head back to the trailer (9:35pm already?) for some dinner, and unload/start my generator.  As I go to open the door, I see a yellow note taped to it ... "You can't camp here, it is day use only".  Jeez Louise ... I haven't eaten and there is no other camping spots close to where I want to hunt. It's  10:30 by the time I'm all hooked up.  Oh, but it gets better ... I don't go 10 miles and have a blow out ... guess it's not that bad I do have a spare ... what how did it go flat!  Yep, you don't have to be insane to hunt Easterns, but you will end up that way. So bottom line .. I thought I would have 3 days for the Easterns to kick my tail feathers, but they only got 8 hours ... boy home never looked so good !!!  Next year you little bastages ....  

[Wacenturion]

I feel your pain.............

[Tom Tamer]

Wow....that's why I didn't see you down there.....I swung through but you'd left already.

 I had at least a better time, but Toad hasn'e gotten the message his days are numbered.
 I went to his favorite hangout only to have him sound off where I'd sat for 8 hours the last time I was there. He answered me and I did exactly what Wac and others say to do on Easterns....shut up and wait....and wait.....and wait......see a pattern forming so a crawl to a stump near the clearing, call once only to have him answer me from what seemed like Colville So we wait for awhile becuase another tom really liked what I was saying, but he ended up waiting until a " Real" hen showed up...picky Bast...s   So we headed out, bumped another hen, sat a called in a nice section of timber, only to watch a " Turkey" show it's feathers and turn back into the slial brush and leave.
 may head back in there in a couple weeks, saw a lot of nesting sign( Over sized) hen scat and more hens wandering around looking clueless. So I think there's still a chance to tenderize a turkey skull in there one last go before June

[turkeydancer]

Sorry to hear Toad still lives ... looking forward to some pics of the beast someday soon.  My 3-day was the last and only chance I had to go. 
 

Found out last Tuesday evening that my son Nic has Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, he gets a port Monday morning, and then starts chemotherapy on Tuesday. It just wasn't going to be the same anyway, and what started out as a very promising Eastern hunt quickly disintegrated that Friday night. Figured I should just come on back home ...   
 

Still looking forward to the fall hunt with you and Callie ... got two nice spots  lined up for the fall that both hold a lot of birds. We'll talk ...
 

[Wacenturion]

Dancer..........sorry to hear the news about your son.  Our prayers are with him and hoping that all turns out well.

[turkeydancer]

Thanks muchly ...

He's got a good doctor, is young, otherwise healthy, and got some of my onryness so there is lots of hope (our fingers and toes are crossed) ...

[dawei]

I'll be chasing two Eastern Toms on Wed, Thur, & Fri; turkeydancer, if you want to tag along shoot me a PM.

[turkeydancer]

Thanks alot for the offer Dawai ... however between work, granddaughters birthday this coming weekend, getting stuff ready for the Maritime Gigs Childrens' Festival free youth fish tank (June 5th), the family & friends' trip to Fort Flagler (May 28th - 31st), and the son's current condition ... well this past weekend was the first and last chance I had for an Eastern this year.  The good news is that they will still be there next year, and I plan on making more time and better plans than this last weekend.  

Good luck on your hunts guys ... knock them dead and post the pictures.

[yelp]

Dancer..........sorry to hear the news about your son.  Our prayers are with him and hoping that all turns out well.

Same here Al.  Prayers going out to you and your son. Also crossing my fingers. 

[Machias]

Prayers sent!

[Tom Tamer]

Dancer..........sorry to hear the news about your son.  Our prayers are with him and hoping that all turns out well.

[turkeydancer]

Thanks everybody ... best medicine is hearing your guys tales of the hunt and seeing the pictures ... 

[nitro]

Sorry to hear about your son, I was diagnoist with the same thing your son has back when i was 18 and in high school. That was 18 years ago , tell your son that he will beat this and my prayers go out to him. If you have any questions pm me and i would be happy to talk to you or your son about it.

[sneakyjake]

Sorry about that Al.  If he wants to talk to Serene, give me a shout.  She is fresh out of the doctor mill with all of this.  She had her biopsy on the last day of my hunt and has a clean bill of health.  We are having a party for her next weekend to celebrate. 

[turkeydancer]

 
Thanks again guys ... what a great bunch of people I've met in this old turkey hunting world ....

Sneaky so great to hear about her "Sereness" ... was really concerned for you guys .... party on !!!

Great news for you too Nitro !!!