Hi all. It's been a good year and lots of days in different states. Starting out with Ruttin N Struttin in Florida. Closed the deal on my Osceola. Technically finishing my Slam, but it includes a Jake Eastern from 2 years ago.
My next stop was Iowa, and hunted for five days. I had one opportunity for a long beard and was busted by a hen that had gotten in before the Tom. One putt and game over.
Next stop was Idaho to hunt Merriums. First morning was a hung up gobbler around a corner, never to be seen. I should have moved up on him, but I didn't know the topo. Had to stop early to pick up a friend at the airport.
We hunted the afternoon. Came up on a self starter, closed the distance. Another corner situation. He gobbled like a big boy, and when the red head came around....he died as a jake. Nice white tipped bird.
We rooster 3 different gobblers that evening. Decided to both go after a strutter that wouldn't commit from the night before. Thought two callers might be needed. And I wanted to watch! As we were walking in my Sure Fire sight wouldn't turn on. So I decided not to try to change batteries under a roosted bird. I back tracked and set up on the other birds we had roosted.
As fate would have it, two young two year olds came right in off the roost. Beard was that it could have been a super jake, but he strutted once to show his colors. Cost him his life. Twenty rolled him at 35 yards. Tagged out in Idaho.
Within two hours, and a 1/2 mile, we had another one just over a rise. Set up on him. We team called this one. I called and walked away after he didn't come immediately. Took an hour and fifteen minutes for him to come 50 yards. Another 20 ga. Bird down for my partner.
Still one tag between us, weather changed and we couldn't roost a bird. We did 8.1 miles. Closed the deal on a nice gobbler. We called him the high lo high bird.
After taking a wrong road up the mountain to get to him, double back , and hike straight up an old spur Trail. We got above him. He came too quick. I could have shot him but Jason had no shot. The Jake following him caught movement, started to putt. Jason thought the gobbler was bugging and rushed...and missed. The high. Seeing him. The low... the miss.
We walked off the hill dejected. When we got to the bottom Jason cut a few times and got a response just up the hill. He had flown to the other Ridge and we gotten underneath them again. This time Jason went in on quiet I stayed on the road and called softly. Gobbler died within two minutes. The high again!
Being both tag out early I bought a tag in Washington and we did an afternoon hunt. Struck a gobbler about a mile in after our walk. He is about 300 yards uphill. 30 minutes later we see him walking down the hill with his buddy. . He stopped at about 70 yards and rested in the trees. It was hot and sunny. Finally after about five minutes they broke and came in closer. Smaller the birds actually made it to the landing, but the bigger stayed back. The bigger bird started to putt and the smaller bird was behind a Pinetree. My only shot was the bolt upright farther bird. Checked the Washington State off my list with the shot. He wadded up without a flap.
No up grades. The Washington bird was the exact points as my Osceola. Thought it was going to be an upgrade,even took the pictures.
I'll post pictures separately.... I hate loosing my typing if something goes wrong. Lol.
Hayudog
