Maryland Wet Opener April 18th

[Hatchet Jack]

Good luck to all going out tomorrow morning. Looks like it will be a wet one. Rain might let up in some areas around 9:00. Don't forget your rubber boots and rain gear.

[nyhunter]

GOOD LUCK !!!!!   look at the bright side we'll have about 5"-6" of fresh snow by morning here in Western NY

[suburbhunter]

I'll be out getting wet. 

[JeffC]

Good luck all, going to public, if too many people I will wait in truck. Rain is supposed to be out by 9? Have to go, its opening day and people have been killing birds for a month. Will be heading to Jersey Monday for opener there. Don't have much hope for tomorrow, but its opening day...

[Greg Massey]

Good luck everyone .. kill big one ...

[dantheman]

Good luck everyone headed out.

[JeffC]

I was 3rd truck in on Sat. 4 more after me. Everyone was respectful,  all got their areas to hunt in order of arrival.  More people showed latter,  could hear vehicles driving in even after light. Heard 6 gobblers, 2 close, but 1 closest had another group working it. He gobbled till after 8 on roost, went away from hunters, heard 2 shots after 9?. Had Jake walk by at 10 feet, snuck in on me, would've liked to get pictures.  Only saw 2 hens fly off roost, all went quiet after fly down. Saw a pie bald doe, then rain and wind really picked up by 10, headed home, great day in woods.

[Hatchet Jack]

Climbed the mountain with a buddy and got everything set up and in the blind by 5:30. Plan was for me to video him shoot a tom. We heard a few distant gobbles before first light. After that all the toms shut up. Around 6:15 we heard a shot in the direction of the predawn gobbles.  At about 7:15 a parade of hens marched out onto the powerline about 80 yards above us with a white headed gobbler in tow. They all looked down and saw our decoys. We tried calling and coaxing them down but they had others plans to go up hill. We watched them feed and chase each other around as Mr. Whitehead strutted and twirled in the rain. The show lasted about 45 minutes before they moved on. The whole time Mr. Whitehead never once gobbled. Even when I pissed off the lead hen by mimicking her and cutting her off. I got her to come halfway back down to us before she returned back to the flock.
I believe Mr. Whitehead was the same gobbler my son missed on youth day. He looked just like him. He came in silent both times and I've yet to see or hear him gobble. Looks like he has hens now.

[Gobble!]

Rain held off well for me. Some gobbling on the roost but dead after fly down until rough 1115 I got on a gobbling bird and closed the deal. Had roughly 9 miles in and 100 flights climbed when I pulled the trigger.