Wetter is Better! --> PA Bird Down

[Borden811]

So, against my better judgemant I decided to venture out in the rain yesterday evening, for my first afternoon hunt. I didn't get a chnce for an afternoon hunt last year as both my tags were filled the first week(hunting after noon was just recently added for the last two weeks of the season in PA last year, and as far as I know will be staying that way in the years to come). Anyway, I headed to a large farm with some secluded fields, in hopes of finding some birds out feeding that I could set up on and call into range. I parked at 4:30 and hiked back to the first field. Upon arrival I saw 4 jakes in the field, about 500 yards away. I decided to set up on them, and try and call them in. I wasn't sure I wanted to take a jake, but figured I might as well give it a shot and see what happened. I called to them for about 30 minutes. With all the rain, I'm not even sure they could hear me. As I was deciding what to do, a Red Winged Black Bird began dive bombing the group, and chased them all over the field. I was actually pretty comical to watch the four jakes running in circles, ducking and flapping their wings trying to get away from the tiny little pest. After a few minutes they had enough of that, and cut across a hedge row into another field. I looped out around them, hoping to get infront of them and call them in. I got set up and called for about an hour to no avail. I never saw them again. I hiked on the the next field, and at the very end of it(about as far as I could see with the naked eye) two turkeys were crossing the dirt road and headed for the back field of the property. I got out my binos, and determined one was a male, though I couldn't see it's beard. Figuring that was my best chance at the current time to get a bird, and thinking I knew generally where they were heading, I made a huge loop out around them and got to the back field at the edge of the property. I scanned the field, and didn't see any sign of them so I decided to just set up and hope for the best. I called sparingly for the next half hour, and finally I spotted a few turkey heads about 300 yards out, slowly feeding in my direction. I got out my binos again, and could make out 4 hens, and one gobbler, or so I though. His head was the wierdest color I've ever seen, almost pink, with blotches of red and white mixed in. He was feeding along following the hens. I called off and on, and every time I called the hens would look my way, feed in my direction a bit, then turn 90 degrees and feed towards the wood line I was set up in. I called just enough to keep them coming in my direction. I watched them for roughly 30 minutes in my binos, the whole time not being able to confirm the male bird as a gobbler or a jake. By this time I had the hens at 12-15 yards infront of me, and the gun was still in my lap. The gobbler was hanging farther out in the filed, about 20 yards behind the hens. I finally put the binos down, and ever so slowly got the gun up into position incase I decided to shoot. I got the gun up and on the gobbler and just watched him feed, trying to decide if I wanted to take a jake or not, if I was even able to see a beard at some point. The grass was too high, and I just couldn't see a beard. Finally, as the hens passed me the gobbler turned to the side to follopw them, and just as he passed a small section of short grass in the field he bent down to pick at some dandelion heads. It was at that point I saw the beard flop away from his chest. I let out one loud cluck, and when he raised his head, I let the load of Winchester Extended Range 6's go. And then I saw something totally unexpected. As my pellets flew towards the bird, they were hitting rain drops, and I was able to watch the whole pattern in what seemed like slow motion slam into the birds head. The pellets jerked his head sideways, and twised him around. He hit the dirt hard and never moved. I ranged his tail fan sticking up at 40 yards. I quickly went out, picked him up and moved him over to the edge of the field out of the rain and tagged him. It was 7pm. My first evening hunt lasted only 3 hours. This is the only pic I was able to get, as I was by mself, completely soaked, and only had my cell phone. Like they say, the best time to hunt is when you can. I got totally drenched, and had to completely disassemble my gun, and dry off all my calls etc. when I got home, but it was well worth it!

He had a beard that was 8.5 inches, with 3 strands that were 10 inches, 7/8in spurs on both legs, and weighed 18.2 lbs.

[Spring_Woods]

Nice bird!

[hunter-b]

Congrats 

[TauntoHawk]

way to stick it out in the weather.. I've killed more than a few birds in the rain

they gotta go somewhere, and it makes it much harder for them to see and hear you

[captin_hook]

Nice. Another pa bird down!

[Grunt-N-Gobble]

I've shot my biggest bird while hunting in the rain and a few others directly after a rain.

Killed my biggest buck after practically an entire day of rain and I always tend to see the best bucks when the weather is bad.

I don't know what it is about bad weather, but hunting in the rain hasn't been a bad thing for me.

[tomstopper]

Congrats. I agree with you about success when raining. I have not killed a bird this year but have had more gobbles and seen a ton more when its raining.

[archery1]

congrats on the Pa. turkey
way to stick it out in the rain!!!!!!

[albrubacker]

 

[WildTigerTrout]

Congrats, nice bird 

[turkey slayer]

Congrats!

[beagler]

Congrats!

[redrivergar]

Congrats!

[surehuntsalot]

congrats on the "rainy day bird"

[bigredneck61088]

congrats! i have some of my best luck in the rain