Opening Weekend

[Delmar ODonnell]

I had a great opening weekend with my dad. We couldn't have asked for better weather Saturday. After the turkeys I had heard fly up with night before shut up and worked off, my dad and I set up shop atop a ridge that overlooks a field and is on one side of half-mile long U-shape in the terrain, with the open side running into a creek bottom. We sat there starting at 8:00 and just enjoyed each other's company until 10:30 when I heard a turkey gobble at about my 2:00 (or towards the curve of the "U"). He was so far off we didn't move, but he would gobble every 10 or so minutes, consistently making his way towards the creek down the opposite ridge of the "U" in front of and across from us. When he eventually made his way to the creek bottom, I told my dad we should leave our perch and drop, move toward him, and try to call him to the end of the field.

By the time we got there, however, he had passed us and was now even with the ridge we just left. I told my dad I feared they would go high, and sure enough, they did. When they gobbled up top I stood on them on a new wingbone I made, and that did pull them over the crest, but unfortunately that was still at 60 yards. They strutted, drummed, gobbled, and looked for 10 minutes for the unseen hen before finally working off. Here's a short video my dad took shortly before we saw them.

It was a great  opening day. In this area, midday gobbling this early in the year isn't unheard of, but it is more rare than later. Sunday, the weather was much worse, being overcast with 13 mph at dawn increasing throughout the day. In a different spot, after nothing happened after flydown (we only heard a couple gobble 1-3 times on roost), I suggested to my dad we should go back to where we were the day before, where at least we can see a good distance and turkeys may use the bowl to get out of the wind. Before cresting the last hill that opened to the field, I gave my best lonesome hen impression in hopes of striking one before I crested and exposed myself 300 yards in 3 directions. Nothing gobbled, as expected. I begin to crest the hill and as soon as I do, I hit the deck. Turkeys in the field, behind some trees, but I can make out at least one gobbler running a jake around. I begin to crawl to the nearest blowdown tree (as I'm out in the open), believing this is about to be a waiting game. Instead, I barely reach the blowdown, look up, and can't see the turkeys where I thought they'd be. But then 2 red heads periscoped at 40 yards, walking to me and looking. I hesitated to confirm they were gobblers, then they stood directly by each other, making a shot impossible. Eventually the separated and I took one at 40 yards. It ended up being 2 gobblers with at least 8 jakes and 4 or so hens, all of which hung around after the shot for about 5 minutes before working off. I'm fairly certain these were the same turkeys as the day before, and their company explained some of their behavior.

I couldn't have asked for a better opening weekend, and it wasn't because of the kill, but rather the time I got to spend with my dad.

[Yoder409]

YESSIR !!!   

THAT'S what I'm talkin' bout, right there !!!

Congrats to you, BOTH !!!

[Tom007]

Your a legend brother, great job!

[POk3s]

RIGHT ON BUDDY! Great job!!!

[GobbleNut]

Great story...and congrats on a great hunt with your dad!   

[Zobo]

Beautiful pictures with your dad, congratulations on time well spent!

[Hoosier2]

Nice job Delmar! Nothing beats time in the woods with the old man. Good stuff.


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