of all the rain.

Sunday AND Monday were soaking wet. Old men do NOT like being wet through and through even when wearing rain gear. Birds were gobbling in the rain but not in the numbers of years past. It just seems to me that numbers are dropping.

Tuesday dawned with sun for a change. Another (unexpected) change was the absence of any gobbling. None, zero, nada. I made the decision to leave my blind and walk and gun. When I was younger, it was running and gunning. I headed up onto a hardwood ridge that my son and I started hunting on in 1999. We dubbed the hill "Scare Crow Hill because there was an old scarecrow by a tree on top. We have erected a scarecrow almost every year to keep it up. I added a pair of Rocky Snakeboots years ago and they still hang to this day. I had JUST made it to the top when a gobble came from below. I set up next to my very first tree that I have killed many birds from and called with my Quaker Boy Grand Ol' Master box call and immediately got a response. I called a couple times more with the same results. After about 10 minutes I saw movement and this big longbeard stepped into view. I fired and that was the end of his strutting. As I shot, the bird gobbled again from below. The bird I shot came in silent, so there were at LEAST two together.







On Thursday I was able to shoot another bird. This was a jake and he too came from an unlikely, for me, spot. He was in a very wet think swamp. He gobbled on his own, otherwise I would have never known he was there. He answered a couple yelps/clucks and took about half an hour to come in silent. But in the end, I filled both of my tags.

Way to go sir!!!

Sounds like you had a great time.

Thanks, Jim. You did your with a Savage though. You're still 'one up".

And it was a single shot too.....

Nice LBK! gobbler season has been sparse here too, just one pack of 5 birds, with a jake, no longbeards.

Two birds in one week - pretty good hunting!

Congrats !

Like the beard and the glasses !

"Everyone has a twin somewhere"

NICE picture. Gorgeous country.

Thanks. I was happy considering the number of encounters.

I really thought this year would be different considering last years great spring and early summer. My wife figures that the last 2 or 3 really harsh winters took their toll on the bird population. I'm beginning to think she's right. Be the good Lord willing, I'll be at them next year.

Congrats on a nice bird

Thank you, Sir!!!!

The Quaker Boy "Grand Old Master" is my go to call. I've killed many a Merriam here in Colorado with it. I like it so much I found another one on Ebay to keep as a spare.

Conglads on a the gobblers. Bob

Thanks Bob.

I got my call in 1980 from Dick Kerby himself. It's a signed field grade. I gag when I try to use a mouth call. But since 1981 every turkey I have killed has come to that one call. In the last 10 years I also purchased the push pin call, Easy Yelper. I have that in my lap most times to offer up a soft yelp at the very end. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to either call.

That's about the same time I got my call. I've got a few slates and an easy yelper. But the box call is the one I use. The call I bought of Ebay is signed by Chris Kerby. It just sits in reserve. Good Hunting---bob