Hey guys... I hope those of you who still have plenty of season left are getting after it; good luck to all of you!
All things considered, I had a good season; in fact, here in Alabama the birds (on the whole) acted a lot different from season's past (not gobbling as much) but I actually saw & heard plenty of gobbling on the properties I hunt, so I was thankful for that... I got on several nice birds & just never managed to close the deal; one old bird I got on 3-4 times, several of which I was within 50-75 yards in thick woods, and he never presented a clear shot; wiley old bugger! I had load of fun chasing his sorry butt, tho, and I hope he breeds every hen in the countryside 'cause he's a hollerin' FOOL!! LOL
My south Alabama trip greeted me with tons of encounters with young birds but no mature gobblers; I was tempted to take several "super jakes" (gobblings jakes with 5-6" beards, full fans, strutting) but my brother & I decided early on -- no jakes! So I let them walk...
The thing that haunted me all season & really affected my momentum & spirit was -- missing that really good bird on a perfectly executed hunt, except for the shot. I have to admit; it was REAL HARD to shake that... Every time I'd go & nothing would happen, I'd think about that deg'gum miss... It's not the first miss that's ever occurred in the field on some really nice birds, but ... this one stung deepest 'cause of how the hunt went down... I've learned many lessons from that miss, though, & I'm sure I'll be a better hunter because of it; but, I wish I could have psychologically dealt with it a bit better... It never stopped me from going, but it really affected my confidence in the woods, which turkey huntin' ain't for a scared man!
In any event, I've enjoyed the heck out of this season, have had some awesome experiences with friends & family this year, & I'm already looking forward to next year!! LOL
BGD
