2022 Story Thread

[Yoder409]

He re-did the calculator pic.  All good to go.

60.5

[Delmar ODonnell]

Absolutely amazing birds and stories, guys! Trent, great video and beautiful picture! My stamp of approval isn't worth peanuts, but you for sure got it!

I've been AWOL hunting in the Pacific Northwest the last 2 weeks; the first with my best friend, and the second with my dad. It's been a great trip filled with long days and short nights, some struggles, some misses, and some success. The landscape here is so beautiful; it humbled a Mississippi boy like myself.

I'll include some pictures, but I don't know if I could summarize 2 weeks into a story and do it any kind of justice. I will include the one of the most special hunts I've ever had: doubling with my dad.

After getting lucky and finding a turkey in the perfect mood on the first morning, we found 3 gobblers in a valley the next day. They proceeded to beat us handily the next 3 days, including having them at 25 yards without a shot taken. While frustrated, we took solace each time in knowing they were there to hunt the next day.

These 3 turkeys made the same big circle around the valley every day, and on the 4th day, we had terrible weather. It was snowing with wind gusts of 20 mph. We decided to set up in a spot they had passed through the previous 3 days. We heard no roost gobbling, but 30 minutes after sunrise they screamed 100 yards away and proceeded to walk down the hill towards us. As luck would have it, instead of taking the route they had taken precious days that would have put them at 15 yards, they went around a pond levee at 60, gobbling and strutting the entire way. When they worked their way uphill and out of sight, I told my dad it was time to be aggressive.

They drug us up a mountain in the snow and gusting wind. The weather had gotten bad enough that they had completely shut up. With some crawling and sprinting up the mountain, we were able to get in front of them, and eventually win the game. They gave us their best, and we gave them ours. While the memory we made was one that will last our lifetimes, it was bittersweet in knowing these two wouldn't be in that valley the next day.

I'm not going to lie, gentlemen, I shed some tears standing over those turkeys. My dad is not a hunter, but he is a great father who loves to spend time with me, and I with him. He's a selfless man who enjoys my success more than his own. Hunting those same 3 turkeys for 4 days and finally winning the game with my dad overwhelmed me with emotions. We hugged and prayed, and thanked god for a memory that will last us a lifetime.




Some more pictures:

[Meleagris gallopavo]

Fantastic Delmar!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tom007]

Way to go.....

[Yoder409]

OUTSTANDING !!!!!!!!   

[harleytom]

Great story and pics! Congratulations to you and your dad.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tom007]

He re-did the calculator pic.  All good to go.

60.5

Can we get this posted? Should be an upgrade..

[twyatt]

Awesome Delmar!!!

[harleytom]

By my calculations we need need one more 5+ point upgrade! Not sure how many are still hunting out there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tom007]

I got this week in NY. Will hit it hard and do my best........

[harleytom]

Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tom007]

Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yea, gonna go at them. Hopefully a big Tom likes what he hears...thx

[zsully]

I'm still after them too. Been battling this bird for 3 of the last 4 days who has either been lucky or good, I'm not sure which. Last Thursday A_jabbo and I snuck in where he had been roosting. Turns out he picked the opposite side of the road and strutted down by a pond until I had to go to work. Friday dawned clear and hot!!! This time I sat down near the pond on a solo excursion. This time a raccoon fight in the dark shocked him into giving away his position early. Of course he was across the road where I set up Thursday. I beat feet up and around him and got within 100 yards of him in the roost. Naturally he flies down and walks away from me and directly to the pond I just left. Again I watched him strut from 500 yards away till I had to go to work. Saturday A_jabbo and I again joined up and we had the plan to sit all morning by that pond. Of course he was on the other side, it's ok though he's ended up at the pond both of the last two mornings. This time he didn't. On his way (he was about 100 yards) the farm decides to check his field in his side by side and pushes them back up the hill. We try to make a big loop and get around them and it worked. Except the 3 hens toted that gobbler past at 50 just over a small rise in the hill.

Today I took a break from him just to be tortured by 3 birds that would gobble at anything but never moved more than about 50 yards from their roost. Im heading in tomorrow and going to try to get super tight and see what happens.

[POk3s]

Delmar, you sure have a gift of picture taking and story telling! Well done! It just flat out makes me happy when guys go have a great time with your dads!

Good luck to you boys still after them!

[a_jabbo]

Del!!! Incredible season and that sounds like you had a dream for two weeks.

So I'm finally getting around to typing up this story from Ohio. As Zach said, we went to Ohio to meet up with a huge group of old friends and new ones. The first morning I hunted with a couple buddies and a new friend that was trying to get a bird with his recurve. I had 4 gobblers going that morning and one that committed but got squirrelly at about 25 yards and putted away. After the early morning hunt, I ventured out by myself. I got to the property and as I was walking in I spotted a Hen out in the field by herself, so I backed up and went and tucked myself into some Autumn Olive bushes. Called to her and had a response. I didn't like my setup, so I tried to reposition to be able to see more of the field, and as I was coming around the point of the brush, sure enough she was out just far enough, that if I took another step, she would have busted me. She comes to 15 yards, as Im standing there and facing the bushes. She putted once, so I yelped to see what she would do, and sure enough a gobbler rang out at about 100 yards. I called again and he responded immediately. The hen starts to walk away and just as she was going to go over the hill so I could sit down, she starts coming back and then he pops out at about 30 yards. They meet up and I tried getting my gun off my shoulder. As I got the gun in my left hand, the wind blew and took away my cover, and the jig was up. I turned and shot, and I believe I didn't shoulder it good enough and get my face down, and shot over him.

Next day, Zach and I ventured out and didn't hear anything off the roost. We decided to make a move and sure enough we heard one gobble off in the distance. We came up with a plan, but Zach had a work call he couldn't miss, so I was going after it solo. I got to where I felt was a good position to call and where he would have to come looking for me. He was out in  a field and wouldn't come in the woods. This lasted about an hour. I decided to go down in this bottom and make a big loop around him to get out in front, but then he started coming my way. I went back to almost the last place I sat. We played the back and forth game until he finally committed and came into 30 yards. We forgot the scale so we couldn't get a weight on him or anything, so I don't know if it was an upgrade or not. My buddy got some great pics though.