megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Well, 2010 season is officially over for me. Overall it was an interesting year. I got to hunt 7 days in TN on my farms. The first 4 days of the season and the past 3 days. Despite the warm weather right before and during the first half of the season, birds were a week behind their usual schedule as far as breaking up/ breeding (I'm assuming due to the very cold winter). Overall population continues to decline on my main farm, only had 11 gobblers on it. My secondary farm really improved this year over the past, with 8 gobblers on it (normal is 2 or 3). I didn't have any monster birds that got me excited on any farms, but I did have 2 different birds (a 2 yr old and a 3 yr old) with double beards- and not the little scraggly 2nd beards- both beards on both birds were the size and length of an average bird's single beard.
Times have certainly changed, and so has my attitude toward turkey hunting. I still love hunting the birds as much as ever, but I've just lost all my desire to actually kill them. In fact, I only carried a gun myself on a couple of hunts. Out of the 7 mornings, I was within 100 yards of roosted birds 5 mornings. I had birds in my decoys by 6:10 4 out of those 5 mornings. I had several close calls with the biggest double bearded gobbler, but never sealed the deal. I called in several birds for others to kill, and I happily passed on several birds myself.
I ended my season yesterday hunting with my 5 yr old son. I set us up on the edge of a field with decoys 20 yards away. I put Ethan behind a rose bush for cover facing the field. 2 gobblers (one of which was the double-bearded gobbler) were roosted 75 yards behind us in the woods. I called sparingly, they both cut me off virtually each time I called. Ethan was restless, I had forgotten to get him to pee before we set up
. I was watching one of the birds in the tree watching us, and each time Ethan would move and rustle leaves, he'd gobble back on his own. Just before I was going to have to let Ethan stand up to pee, one of the birds pitched down into the woods, bounced twice and over the fence into the field, then immediately went into full strut and ran to the strutting decoy. He bumped the decoy a few times right in front of us, then turned towards the hen. 20 yards with my 10 gauge and was smote like the 'hand of God'. Sharing the hunt with my son actually made me enjoy the kill, and I was proud to introduce him to such a wonderful sport. He's already claimed the fan for his room, much to the shagrin of his elder sister.
I thought I was going to finally let my 18 year streak of killing at least one bird lapse this year, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity at a 'teachable moment' with my son.
Ethan walking up to the bird in the decoy spread from our shooting location.
Me and my hunting buddy
Me teaching my future hunting buddy (my 2 yr old daughter) about a little turkey anatomy.
Oh, and the double-bearded gobbler was the one still in the tree watching his buddy die on the ground... oh well, can't win them all!
Times have certainly changed, and so has my attitude toward turkey hunting. I still love hunting the birds as much as ever, but I've just lost all my desire to actually kill them. In fact, I only carried a gun myself on a couple of hunts. Out of the 7 mornings, I was within 100 yards of roosted birds 5 mornings. I had birds in my decoys by 6:10 4 out of those 5 mornings. I had several close calls with the biggest double bearded gobbler, but never sealed the deal. I called in several birds for others to kill, and I happily passed on several birds myself.
I ended my season yesterday hunting with my 5 yr old son. I set us up on the edge of a field with decoys 20 yards away. I put Ethan behind a rose bush for cover facing the field. 2 gobblers (one of which was the double-bearded gobbler) were roosted 75 yards behind us in the woods. I called sparingly, they both cut me off virtually each time I called. Ethan was restless, I had forgotten to get him to pee before we set up
. I was watching one of the birds in the tree watching us, and each time Ethan would move and rustle leaves, he'd gobble back on his own. Just before I was going to have to let Ethan stand up to pee, one of the birds pitched down into the woods, bounced twice and over the fence into the field, then immediately went into full strut and ran to the strutting decoy. He bumped the decoy a few times right in front of us, then turned towards the hen. 20 yards with my 10 gauge and was smote like the 'hand of God'. Sharing the hunt with my son actually made me enjoy the kill, and I was proud to introduce him to such a wonderful sport. He's already claimed the fan for his room, much to the shagrin of his elder sister.I thought I was going to finally let my 18 year streak of killing at least one bird lapse this year, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity at a 'teachable moment' with my son.
Ethan walking up to the bird in the decoy spread from our shooting location.
Me and my hunting buddy
Me teaching my future hunting buddy (my 2 yr old daughter) about a little turkey anatomy.
Oh, and the double-bearded gobbler was the one still in the tree watching his buddy die on the ground... oh well, can't win them all!
