2010 Spring Turkey Season

The 2010 Spring Turkey Season is well underway, about half way to be exact.  Getting a turkey hasn't been near as easy as I thought it was going to be, but it has been FUN!  Our friend Charlie came all the way from Nacogoches, TX to teach us the ropes of turkey hunting.  Bill got called back to work early, so it was just me and Charlie.

Here's Charlie the first morning adding to his homemade Gilly Suit (sp).  (I don't think he knows I took this picture, so I might be in trouble right about now!)

Here's me, all camo'd up and waiting for the perfect shot!

Charlie hiding behind the blind he made.

Our decoys.  (All the way from Texas!)

This was the last day Charlie was here.  We saw and/or heard turkey's everyday while he was here and had a GREAT time!  Unfortunately, neither one of us got a bird before he had to leave.  There's always next year though Charlie!

This morning's hunt started out like most every morning has; watching birds on the wrong side of the road - 200+ yards away.  (Yes, I was ranging it.)  I did have a coyote come past me, and I did have a hen milling around with in 50 yards of where I was sitting.  After a while, boredom kicked in so I decided to go for a walk.  Took off up a gully, and then walked the fence line of the ranchette we've been hunting.  Almost smack dab straight east of where I was standing, was several gobblers!  Then I had to figure out how to get down to them without spooking any of them.  It turned into "seek and attack" right quick!  I managed to get down within 40 yards of the birds without them knowing I was there, but I still didn't have a clear shot.  I made another sneak only to realize there was a jake about 10 yards behind me!  I'm not sure who peed more when we both realized how close we were to each other!  He left and settled down, some how with out spooking the other gobblers.  (Never will know how THAT happened!)  While I'm trying to figure out how to get a good clear shot on these birds, wouldn't you know it, they passed with in 10-12 feet of EXACTLY where I had been sitting 45 minutes earlier.  Go figure!  Guess that's why they call it turkey hunting and not turkey shooting!

After all that, though, I got one this morning!  (5-3-10)

I was a little excited!

I didn't have anyone to take pictures for me, so I had to set the timer and run!

The wind caught the tail feathers and fanned them nicely.

Yep, I'm STILL excited!

Just me, my shot gun, and my bird! 

The primary beard was 6" long!  A pretty respectable bird!

This dude had three beards!

As soon as I realized there were three beards, I called Charlie!  He said it's unusual but not unheard of.

I took the tail and the beards to the taxidermist this afternoon to have a fan mount done.  We'll see how it turns out!

Still have one more tag to fill!  This morning's hunt was pretty awesome!  Stay tuned for the next episode of "2010 Spring Turkey Season"!