Redemption!

Firedog

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
After my Double on May 1 (Monday) the birds beat me on Day 2, no luck at all on the first farm and worse on the second. However I did see a bird early that I expected I could kill after watching him on Tuesday morning.. so I was out early on Wednesday.. backed up to a cedar tree on a fence line. Freezing to death and waiting on Sunrise. One loudmouth bird gobbling his head off in the direction that dad went.. I was tempted but stuck to the plan.. this might have been the most exciting hunt of the week.. about 7 i see dots coming out into the corn field from the woods at the end.. these birds were a quarter of a mile away but pretty in the early morning sun pecking along in the binos..

I expected the gobbler to follow them out like the day before.. no so much. I had seen birds enter the field from both ends the day before so I kept an eye on the right as best I could through the cedar.. directly I see a hen on the right then a tail fan, then a full strut bird then another and another.. all coming from the right.. and to my disappointment all Jakes.. then more hens.. headed right to me.. about then all three jakes gobble.. one hen in the bunch to my left cut hard and started running to them the other 8 or so in tow.. the jakes walked through the fence out of the field into a pasture 10 yards to my right.. got into the pasture almost directly behind me and just kept on gobbling.

now I have hens all over me (I am talking one less than 3 yards) I think I counted 19 total all in the corn and three gobbling birds behind me that I would not shoot if I could.. when just to the right I see another fan coming over the hill.. this was a full fan then a red head, then a beard.. visions of tagging out dancing in my head.. Now that hen was still standing 10 feet from me clucking and yelping away as I see the jakes move back into the filed towards the gobbler.. it was clear that he wanted no part of that fight.. all the while I was in slow motion trying to get ready for a shot with all those eyes around.. finally got the gun shouldered and in the right direction.. hen still standing there.. first chance I got for a clear shot I sent the Heavi blend down range. Turkeys went everywhere.. sky filled with flying birds.. then I look to where he was and I do not see him flopping.. must be hidden by the corn got up.. walked out.. nothing.. I whiffed.. no idea what I did but the old saying is true: if you have never missed you have not shot at enough yet. Mad at myself the rest of the day.

Next morning I find myself with a score to settle in the same cedar tree. no field full of birds early today but finally do see a few hens working in from the right and hear a gobble in the pasture behind me.. Unknown to me dad could see the gobbler and was calling him making him gobble.. but he decided he liked the hens in the corn field better.. when he walked through the fence he as at about 5 yards to my right. He saw something he did not like putted twice and started to beat feet but out into the corn in front of me.. yelp with the mouth call and he stops at 15 yards.. this time there was no operator error and my 2017 in Nebraska was done.. felt good to redeem myself.

View from the Cedar

 
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