MD limit

[mdtkyhntr]

Finished up my Maryland turkey season in quick order this year. I started scouting the few properties I have in early March to get an idea what patterns the birds were following and went out nearly every weekend to keep track of changes. Got a chance to get out with my nephew and brother for youth day and the birds put on a show. The 6th time we had a mature gobbler in range he was finally pointed the right direction and took his first gobbler. A hammer of a bird that put on a show he won't soon forget.


Opening day had me set up on a bird on a small piece of land I have permission on. Birds had been all over the ridge top in the pre-season. This morning he was roosted about 300 yds off the top near the property line. Long story short he pitched downhill and off the property never to be heard from again. Day 2, I worked one early before having to run off to work but the gobbling was sparse. I got out on day 4 but only had until 8 am to get it done. I didn't hear a single gobble on the roost but set up in an area with a good deal of sign and started blind calling. About 30 minutes after fly down I was starting to relax and almost fall asleep when a strutter popped out on the logging road 60 yards out. I figured he would work right down the road to me, but after two minutes of spitting, drumming, and strutting in circles he wing tucked and moved back from where he came. As he moved off I let out a series of yelps hoping to call him back and a different bird sounded off a good ways off. I stayed out and went silent for a bit. The next time I called the bird gobbled hard within 200 yds, cutting me off. I scratched in the leaves and got the gun pointed in his direction. Within a few minutes two hens fed out on to the logging road in front of me. I figured the gobbler was close behind but didn't see him for about 5 minutes. He stayed down off the edge of the fire road in full strut, hesitant to walk into the open. After about 5 minutes of the best show in the outdoors I couldn't take it anymore and swung the gun and dropped him at 35 yds. 3.5" LB #6's did the trick and went down immediately, barely flopping. The hens had no idea what happened and went back to feeding until he started his final death flop. A good two year old bird 10" beard with 7/8" Spurs and 20 lbs.

I took off Friday to actually show up at work on time and was disappointed in my choice when the weather broke perfectly calm and clear and the forecast changed to call for rain on the opening weekend. On Saturday morning I left my house to head to a property I have permission on that has a few cut corn fields. I figured with the rain they would be likely to hit those fields. After contemplating whether man or beast should be out in the absolute down pour I was seeing at the property I devised a plan to use a large elevated shooting house as a makeshift umbrella and get under it with a DSD decoy set up about 15 yds out in the field. I nearly fell asleep listening to the rain dripping off the structure over my head. I decide to let out my first call of the morning well after first light. I figured nothing would be crazy enough to be out in this weather. 5 minutes later I heard what I thought was a faint gobble from the far end of the field I was in. I let out a series of yelps and got cut off by a strong gobble. I started to get serious and set up with some better cover under the box blind. The next thing I saw was 2 bright white heads crest the hill. Later a hen would feed in as well. The two gobblers ran up to the 1/4 strut Jake and started working him over. I had to wait for their heads to separate and picked out the longest beard of the two. I focused and put the bead at the base of his neck, squeezing off another round from the SBE2, ending my MD season by filling my second tag. An aggressive purr on the Hooks Diaphragm brought his buddy back for a closer look and I tried to take in the moment. After flopping around in a muddy field for 10 minutes my bird wasn't much to look at, but was a hammer. 1 and 1/4 inch sharp Spurs, and an 11 inch beard, 19 lbs. In 6 days I had filled both tags and heard a bird gobble on each outing.


This is only the second time I've limited with two mature birds in my home state, but it marks consecutive years where I've had that luck. I live for this stuff and take in every moment from the scouting to the silent mornings and lack of sleep. I'm blessed to have experienced such awesome hunts in the springtime woods, but am disappointed it ended so quickly for me. Now it's off to call for my brother and then off to WV to test my luck in another state. Good luck to all of my fellow MD hunters and all others in the field. Stay safe and shoot straight.

[Spring Fever]

Awesome man!!
Good luck in WV and hope you pull it off again next year in your home state.
Keep us all posted on how it goes for you.

[Waynesworld23]

Way to go that's a heck of a season.

[JLH]

Congrats!

Its always bittersweet when you punch that 2nd tag....what part of maryland?

Im in central, and they are very vocal this season at my place.

[Gooserbat]

There is a certain reward in short N sweet.  Congratulations on a couple fine birds.

[albrubacker]

Congrats on some great birds!

[mdtkyhntr]

West central, not overly vocal during the season but definitely vocal leading up to it. Seems like the ones that did gobble planned on coming to the call.

[maytom]

Congrats!!! Look's like you had a great season!!

[surehuntsalot]

congrats on a great season