Crazy weather for sure

[BowBendr]

NC season opened this morning at a crisp 29 degrees and a 30 mph wind.....

These wild storms that hit the south during the mid-week were terrible and left us with some of the windiest conditions I've ever seen. Friday we had gust over 50 and it was supposed to lay last night but it was horrible this morning. Had a tom that I thought I had figured out, but he was not there this morning. I don't blame him, I would have left too. I was the only one crazy enough to be out on that mountain this morning....

Supposed to be much better in the a.m., 40 degrees, no wind.
Going to another spot on private ground where I found some gobbling and where I killed one last year. Sounds like they are on the same bench, in the same hollow, that I shot one off of last year on opening day.....we'll see....

Had enough of this crazy weather, ready for it to be nice for a change.

[MDbowman]

Good luck tomorrow!

[BowBendr]

Perfect weather will never make up for the errors committed by a dumb arse......
Went in to a piece of private ground this morning and waited at my usual spot for a gobble. Nothing. I waited for a good 45 minutes after fly down time before I headed in closer to where I figured he should have been roosted. Hit the crow a few times and got nothing, hit a few cutts...nothing. Crossed a small creek and went up on the point where he shoulda' been and there he sat, still roosted at 8:00. Sitting in a tree about 40 yards off the point of the ridge. Never gobbled and he was all alone.
I tried to mask my mistake by sliding over 1 step and putting a huge oak between me and him but it was for nothing. He casually set his wings and sailed off down the mountain...such a dumb arse I am, kicked my own butt all the way back to the truck....

[derek]

Keep at it BB, I probably would have done the same thing.  That's a tough card.  Good news for the team is, I've got pics of 4 longbeards from 3 different team mates between today and yesterday. 

[BowBendr]

Today was a better day, weather wise.....
Set up about 65 yds from a roosted tom that flew down with 3 hens and headed away from me on a curvy arse logging road that runs laterally across the mountain. Stayed with them because they fed into a place that there was no way out of except back by me. They came back thru about 11 and fed down the road toward me. I was above the road, but wasn't far enough back from the road and when they got under 40 yds they went up under the lip of the high side of the road I was on. No problem, I'll shoot him after they go past......
Lead hen got to 5 feet and hung around for about 5 minutes, needed one or two steps from him, she finally made me when she got to about 2 feet and putted, I leaned over and shot as he went to bolt. Whiffed at about 7 yds.......

The past 4 toms Ive killed plus this miss have been at about 15 feet, I swear I'm going back to lead 6's and a I/C choke....I dang near missed that first Rio bird in KS at 10 feet last year too...geez.