Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting Your morning ritual, and are you trying anything new this year?

Here in Virginia, opening day is Saturday, April 13.

God willing and decent weather, I plan on getting up at 2:00 AM and heading to my preferred section of the state forest I like to hunt in hopes of being the first, or only, person there. Hope to be there no later than 3:30 AM. I'll take a big cup of strongly brewed homemade Dunkin Donuts-brand coffee that I made extra strong. I'll sip on that until I get to 7-11. There I will pick up two Big Bite hot dogs (cuz its usually too early for them to have Breakfast Bites on the grill) and a frosted honey bun. And another large cup of whatever the strongest coffee is that they have. By the time I get to my hunting grounds, I'll be full, have a good dose of sugar, and have Spidey-Senses from all the caffiene. I'll get out of my truck and take a pizz - a long one. Then I'll just wait there for a little while until my eyes adjust to the darkness. With some luck, the sky will be clear and I'll be able to see the Milky Way. Over the northern horizon I'll be able to see distant lights of planes flying into norther Virginia. Hopefully, the Whipoorwills will be sound off. And maybe some owls. The sounds in the dark are amazing. I'll take my pocket flashlight and scan the clearted grounds near the place where I park, and the field across the street, for eyes. I've seen a lot of foxes and other unidentified critters that way. Once there is a hint of coming light in the eastern horizon, I'll start my mile-long trek to where I'm going to hunt. This is pretty much my morning ritual every time I go. If I hut on a weekeday, particularly a mid-week day, I usually get up at 3 AM since almost never run into other hunters during the week.

This year, I'll be trying Federal Premium TSS #9 in 12 gauge. I've taken birds with TSS in 20 gauge and .410, but never in 12. I've got a new Benelli M2 12 gauge 3" with a Carlsons TSS choke in .650. I still need to pattern it. And I'll be trying my own slate call I made out of Virginia slate.

Not sure I'll get a bird, but that's secondary anyway. I already bagged a nice tom in January. My ultimate goal is to enjoy myself. Nothing like being in the woods, senses alive, and seeing who will prevail. I'm never sorry that a turkey prevails, especially if I enjoyed the contest.

My wife thinks it's creepy to be way out in the woods, miles from anything, in the pitch dark. Not me. I feel way safer and at home in the woods in the dark than I feel anywhere else.

Me at 3:30 AM last season.


And sounds in the dark forest.
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