Skipped the PA opener last weekend and went to WV for my annual 3 day weekend with my son. Actually got 2 hours of hunting in 3 days in between the steady rain but with no success. So far this week it's either been raining or snowing all day. Just couldn't see any point in getting out. 4 weeks left in the season and I'm retired.
Rain and crap weather can sure make for a miserable hunt. Like you said though your retired you've got plenty of time. I know you'll find a few to play the game with.
I hauled my butt out of bed this AM. Still cloudy/misty/foggy. Did it mostly out of peer pressure I guess. Found the batchelor pad so to speak
Ended up setting up on a gobbler after flydown. He was in a field at the top of a hill and I had to set up below the creast of the field in the woods. Not ideal but its all I had. Could see 2 strutters and a hen about 70 or so out. So I sat down and played the game. An hour later 2 more strutters came in from my left and another came in from my right. Gobbling the whole way in. I ended up using a multi flora rose bush as cover and crawled up the edge, still well below the flock. Could see the 5 strutters and 3 hens about 50 yards out or so. Creeped back down to my tree and figured I could pull one of them my way. Sat there for another hour and it seemed the gobbling was closer, perhaps close enough to drop the hammer. So I crawled back up the to multi flora rose bush and using a good sized tree to hide behind, slowly raised up. Just as I get to my knees, I see 3 hens inside 15 yards and the gobblers are still out in the field but definitely in range. Froze there for 15 minutes or so, thinking if I move to take aim at the gobblers, the hens will bust me. Figured just sit tight and thinking the boys will certainly come strolling towards the hens. Wrong. The hens eventually retreated and the whole flock walked off. I think the gobblers smelled a rat all along. They never committed to the tree line from flydown to 9:30.
Wow, wow, wow! What fantastic drama for a foggy morning in the woods. Believe this, not every successful hunt ends in an extra 20 pounds on your shoulder for the walk out.
Tomorrow.
Cheers ;D
FC