This year, due to changing over to electronic medical records, a moratorium on pto from April 27-May 17 was put into place...
This gave me three days in Delaware, opening day in MD, weekends in MD and one NJ Saturday tag..
De started off first with cold wind, rain and snow.. Nothing on opening day.. Monday came and had wind sleet and blowing rain... Last chance was Friday the 15th. Scouted and found a new spot with some birds. Slipped in and after some insane gobbling, pulled the trigger on a nice three year old after pulling he and his buddy out of a field and away from some hens..
Sunday found me scouting and after a close call with a bald eagle, I found a couple of longbeards in an odd spot. Slipped in early Monday and sat within 50 yards of a gobbler. Hens started to get cranked up and even though they gobbled to me, they wouldn't leave their ladies. messed with them for a while and decided to move. Went to another property and while slipping up the road, I noticed a gobbler walking towards me. I got off the road and into the woods.. Fell in a dang ditch. I get out, soaking wet up to the crotch, when a bird gobbled on his own.. I moved up a bit and cutt and instantly got cut off.. Found a tree, set up and called a little more.. Shortly after I see a longbeard moving towards me in half strut... He got a bit to my right and I laid the hammer down on this two year old...
My next day to hunt was Saturday... I found a couple gobblers strutting at the end of a huge public field and made my move... Got into position, and shot this gorgeous bird at 15 steps....
He's the bird I used for the contest pictures...
Overall, I'm happy so far. Little time to hunt, and I've been very fortunate. Tagged out in two states in three days, and this is the quickest I have ever been done in MD... Three great public land birds!!!
