Was a pleasure to have Russell up again this year, especially for the opener. Had not done as much scouting this year so was not 100% sure what to expect. I rolled onto the farm Tuesday around 3 and he was not far behind me around 4-4:30. We got our stuff inside and hit the dirt to try finding birds for opening morning. Did not take us long and we found them as they were just outside my in-laws house in the wheat. We rode down the road and saw they moved into another field. Felt like they were going to cross the road so we parked and slipped through the woods to get eyes on them and to peak into another field.
As we were waiting on them we had some hens, a strutter, and another Longbeard make it to the back field and moved into the front. A few moments later a gobble rung out and 4 strutter a were coming across the field and ran the other two off from the hens but they stayed in the field. Thought we were golden with 6 longbeards here as all I needed to see was exactly the direction they were going to know what to do. About that tome they start gobbling and we hear machinery. A high boy comes into the field and lowers to sprayer booms and the birds scatter. We saw they run into the woods but they went somewhere I was not familiar with them using. We decided to set up there the next morning figuring they would come back.
Opening morning we get set up a hour before sunrise and start the wait. About 7:10 the birds start gobbling, I know exactly where they are but there is not much we can do about it. It finally sounds like they are on the ground and sounds like they are heading our way, but never show. A little while later I get a text from my father in law saying they are in the wheat again. We hold tight and eventually get a good hard gobble behind us in the back field. We call and it sounds like they have moved to where I know they will come out. We finally see them but they do not like something and move on across the field. Well dang, but two longbeards. Figure it is the two that got run off the evening before. About 20 minutes later we have another pop out on the far side feeding. I hit my trumpet and he stands up to look. I call again and he goes into strut and his head changes. It looks like he is heading for us but never shows.
Later in the day we spot a group of three redheaded birds but think they are jakes we watch them a while and finally Russell sees the beards. We get set up and they slowly wake their way to us. Russell tells me to shoot first and he will if he can. I pick the one out I want to shoot and knock him down. The others act like they are not sure what to do but never settle and wonder off. Three jakes come over to see what the fuss is and they get close and I spoke them off. Number one down!
We go in for lunch and score, clean by bird. We go back out around 3:45 and found a group of birds that has 4 toms and 10-12 hens. Russell gets into position and right away 4 longbeards are on top or him and he shoots the first at like 10 yards then picks out the second at 15. I get the gun on one that is in range stand looking, but hens are first behind him so I did not want to accidentally hit one. Fist bumps and high fives are next.
Not really sure of all the events of the rest of Wednesday and first thing Thursday but around 11 we go check a couple fields and some woods between them behind a small pond. We are walking around glassing and are start to head out when Russell says he hears a gobble. We did not have our stuff for some reason so we rush to get it and set up. We set up, I hit the trumpet and 2 minutes later two longbeards are running in. I get down on the gun and I just miss. I rushed the shot and must have shot right over the top. They take off, not really running but pooped around. About 45 seconds later another pair walk the same path and one is strutting. He stops and I probably should have killed him but the miss had me second guessing it. We kept them gobbling for a hour and called one back to 30 yards but he was in some trash and I did not have a shot and Russell never saw them. Was probably the most exciting moments of the weekend.
We saw plenty of more birds but never got it to work out. Russell almost got a bird in the wheat but it just did not work out. Friday we were trying to decide what to do for Saturday morning. The field at the front of the farm had birds in it every morning and evening, except the one morning we hunted up there first thing it had jakes and hens. We saw some toms our in it so Russell decided he wanted to hunt it. I for some reason wanted to hunt the back field, I have a lot of luck back there and just felt I should be back there. Well I was wrong as the birds were not on our woods but the state ground. They were gobbling hard but not close enough. Russell has 4 hard gobbling birds on him. They hammered on the roost and then hammered at every call he made. Had a small Tom walk by his set up but he passed him cause of his size and what he felt would happen. Around 8 a good two year old stepped out, gobbling hard and strutting so Russell punched his last tag. He had the three others still gobbling hard so I came to try my luck but by the time I got there they moved on. We hunted me a bird the rest of the day but never had much of a chance even though we saw some birds. That is fine as I still have plenty of time left and do not want it to go too quickly! We had some great hunting and some cool encounters. Glad he made it and I need some rest, but will be hitting it hard again in the next couple of days.
Good luck to those hunting and I feel for those waiting!
Please excuse and misspelling or grammar as I am typing this on my phone putting my youngest to bed.
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