Rhode Island 4/28-29/2022
Thursday morning Rhode Island greets us with bone chilling temps and some gale-force winds. Needles to say neither of us heard anything that morning and we didn’t see anything either. We stayed in that area till lunch then made a pretty big move and found a little better sign in the new spot.
Friday morning is clear and cold just the way I like it but the huge creek bottom I was in was deafening quiet. I couldn’t believe it. I walked about a mile and turned around and came back to the truck. I made a move and got on top of the mountain on a place I had looked at the evening before. As I’m walking down the hill I stop and make a few calls and Nothing answers, not that surprised. I keep easing down the hill and get to a trail crossing and there is an old rock wall and some signs on trees. As I’m looking at the signs I feel as though something is looking at me and I look off into the dark pines and there he is staring at me at 30yds a gorgeous gobbler. In one quick smooth motion I grab my stock flip my shotgun off my shoulder and for a fraction of a second glance to make sure I hit the button on my red dot to turn it on. When my gun hits my shoulder he’s nowhere to be found, GONE, I ease to the left and right looking, nothing I ease up and I’m in total shock and disbelief that I just messed that up. I was so mad at myself but confused as to how that big gobbler could literally vanish into thin air.
I walk to where the gobbler was, then walk back to where I was and still can’t figure out how he got away without me seeing him but they do some unreal stuff. I’m pretty hard on myself about it but shake it off and figure that the birds are probably used to seeing hikers or horse back riders. So I thought I still may have a chance at calling him to me since it looked like he was going to my calling from earlier, we just happened to cross paths.
I ease down the path about 60yds and I’m scanning everywhere looking for a place to set up when out from behind a huge rock I see this dark object step out and he stops next to a big pine tree and side eyes me . It was so dim in there I couldn’t believe what I was seeing then everything registered and I raised my gun and when the red dot hit his crimson colored head all I saw was a big flash from the muzzle. I ran over to see my fine Rhode Island gobbler laying between the rock and tree.
I said a many a prayer for the opportunity to be in such a place and to hunt such a bird.
I took some pics on the rock then took him back to a place I had found the afternoon before and where I said I would come back to if I got a bird in that State.
Reid also got a bird that morning in his spot. So for a celebratory meal we had to go try some famous Rhode Island Hot wieners from Olneyville New York System restaurant in Providence RI. It was a running joke when my wife looked up what’s a local food for the area so I told her I was going and man talk about some good stuff. If you’re ever in the area go by there its pretty cool.
Later on we hit up a local seafood restaurant and got some seafood and noodles with white sauce that was phenomenal.
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