A bad dream I had....Monday April 17, 2006

Okay, so I get set up in this really thick section of woods. It's been raining all night and it is just starting to rain even harder. The birds should be gobbling, but they aren't. I call about 5-6 times just to try and get something going. Nothing. I'm not real surprised, I am in an area better suited for deer hunting during the peak of the hunting pressure. There is no way any self-respecting turkey would walk through this briar choked patch of oaks, he might risk snagging a freshly preened feather or worse yet get eaten by a predator that could hide so easily in this mess. After a few more minutes of silence, I decided that I needed to get on the horn again, with a pretty aggressive cutt, yelp, cutt sequence. I was rudely cut off mid sequence by a booming gobble less than 100yds away. I couldn't believe it so I cutt again and was answered immediately. I looked around and found a tree that would be a little better for shooting down the logging road I was on and made a quick move. The only shot I could possibly get would be a bird walking down this road. Well, I called again just to see where he was, and gobbbbbblllleeeeee, about fifty yards away. I readied the gun in the direction he was headed, he should pop out on the logging road within range any moment. Well, a minute went by and I didn't see him or hear him, I figured I could hear a 20lb bird walking through this thick stuff at that distance. So, I called again. I couldn't even finish my call and the gobbler boomed back, nearly blowing my hat off. His gobble was followed by the "it's now or never" sound of a spit and drum. I switched my eyes to the brush directly in front of me just in time to see a snowball-white head pop in between two trees at ten yards. This is usually a good thing, but my gun was pointed at 9 o'clock and the bird was at 12. The head disappeared behind a big oak tree and I made my move. I am not sure if he heard me move, saw me somehow, or what, but instead of the head coming out the other side of the tree, it reappeared in the gap between the two trees and before I could adjust a few inches to the left, the bird had already started walking away, DIRECTLY BEHIND THE BIG TREE. I felt pretty sick for a few minutes, but then I realized that if I shot every single one I tangled with, it probably wouldn't be that much fun anymore. At least that is what I keep telling myself!