Saturday April 8, 2006
Saturday April 8, 2006
Steady Rain/Overcast
Temps 50f-55f
No Wind
Unknown Bar. Pressure
Middleburg, VA
Today was the opening day of Turkey season in Virginia. Matt Hazzard got permission to hunt birds on the farm where he deer hunted this fall. I saw birds on that farm during the later part of the season last spring, so I was hoping they would be there this year. Matt heard a gobble down by Goose Creek one night a week or so ago, while walking his dog in the woods. It has been raining since about 9 o'clock last night. We stayed inside until it was about that time, we probably should have left sooner, but it was raining and overcast, so I knew the birds would be a little late anyway. We listened for about a half hour down by the first horse jump on the trail going in. From there we should have been able to hear any birds in the open hardwoods behind the horse pasture, behind the blind guys house, and up on the knob in the back of the property. We didn't hear anything so we walked all the way down to the creek where he was when he heard that bird gobble the other day. We took shelter from the rain under a big rock that was protruding out of the hillside. A goose was nesting on another big rock about 10yds in front of us, the only way to get up there is to fly, so she's got a good spread. All she has to do is keep an eye out for avian predators and maybe a snake. We sat and called to the meadow across the stream, hoping to just get a gobble, let alone call him across the creek. At about 8am, we figured it was a lost cause and headed for the house. When we got back, Hazzard was getting dry clothes to change into and I was standing in the driveway. I put in a diaphram and gave a little cluck, cutt, yelp series, and to my amazement, it was answered by multiple gobblers behind the house. It sounded like they were across the creek and up in a field I could make out through the trees. I yelled to Hazzard, "you wanna call some birds in, even though we can't shoot them?", and I was answered with a quick slam of the door. We were off down the hill. In a hunting situation I would have crossed the creek and setup in the floodplain meadow. However we didn't have permission to be there and we couldn't hunt on his landlords property, so we just setup on her side of the creek, minus firepower. I made a few calls with my diaphrams, and within minutes spotted the two jakes moving across the floodplain towards our setup. I knew they wouldn't cross, but I figured we could get a good show! Just then a big, long, deep gobble boomed from the sidelines and in walked a big boy. I could only see his beard swing in front of him for a second, but I knew he was a good one. Once he started gobbling the jakes shut up. I managed to get them all going at once, by switching to my Woodhaven Hornet and giving them some kee kee run action. Too bad they were a little behind us so it was difficult for me to see them and impossible for Matt. Eventually they walked off and I grabbed the deke and we were back in the driveway in minutes. We were headed to hunt Thompson WMA from the top (which didn't end up producing anything but a few pieces of turkey crap), when I said, "Let's go ask permission over where those birds are, what's the worst that can happen, they say no?" Well, I was wrong, my third attempt at knocking on doors brought an answer from a lady wearing some turqouise beaded thing. I asked if she owned the property where we had just seen the turkeys and she asked if I was a hunter. I was standing there in full camo, so I knew she was preparing a good one. I said, "yes" and she said, "well I'm an animal rights activist". I responded quickly with, "I'll take that as a no". She attempted to start an arguement by asking me if I feel sorry for all the animals that suffer, but I cut her off with, "Listen, we can do this if you want to, but I would prefer that we didn't, you sure as hell aren't going to change my mind, and I won't change yours, so let's cut our losses here!" I also said, "The only animals I see suffering are the ones around here where no one lets anyone hunt and these animals are way over their carrying capacity and they have to resort to eating YOUR shrubbery through chicken wire mesh and end up getting hit by cars everyday". It actually never escalated any further than that and eventually I made my way back to the truck only to meet her husband who asked how I was doing after my ass-reaming. I told him it was one of the more pleasant encounters I've had with an animal rights activist and he said, "yeah, I wish we could shoot every one of those goddamn deer, but everytime I bring it up she'll hear none of it" On down the road we go....to finish the last hour and a half before noon at Thompson walking through marginal at best turkey habitat.
Steady Rain/Overcast
Temps 50f-55f
No Wind
Unknown Bar. Pressure
Middleburg, VA
Today was the opening day of Turkey season in Virginia. Matt Hazzard got permission to hunt birds on the farm where he deer hunted this fall. I saw birds on that farm during the later part of the season last spring, so I was hoping they would be there this year. Matt heard a gobble down by Goose Creek one night a week or so ago, while walking his dog in the woods. It has been raining since about 9 o'clock last night. We stayed inside until it was about that time, we probably should have left sooner, but it was raining and overcast, so I knew the birds would be a little late anyway. We listened for about a half hour down by the first horse jump on the trail going in. From there we should have been able to hear any birds in the open hardwoods behind the horse pasture, behind the blind guys house, and up on the knob in the back of the property. We didn't hear anything so we walked all the way down to the creek where he was when he heard that bird gobble the other day. We took shelter from the rain under a big rock that was protruding out of the hillside. A goose was nesting on another big rock about 10yds in front of us, the only way to get up there is to fly, so she's got a good spread. All she has to do is keep an eye out for avian predators and maybe a snake. We sat and called to the meadow across the stream, hoping to just get a gobble, let alone call him across the creek. At about 8am, we figured it was a lost cause and headed for the house. When we got back, Hazzard was getting dry clothes to change into and I was standing in the driveway. I put in a diaphram and gave a little cluck, cutt, yelp series, and to my amazement, it was answered by multiple gobblers behind the house. It sounded like they were across the creek and up in a field I could make out through the trees. I yelled to Hazzard, "you wanna call some birds in, even though we can't shoot them?", and I was answered with a quick slam of the door. We were off down the hill. In a hunting situation I would have crossed the creek and setup in the floodplain meadow. However we didn't have permission to be there and we couldn't hunt on his landlords property, so we just setup on her side of the creek, minus firepower. I made a few calls with my diaphrams, and within minutes spotted the two jakes moving across the floodplain towards our setup. I knew they wouldn't cross, but I figured we could get a good show! Just then a big, long, deep gobble boomed from the sidelines and in walked a big boy. I could only see his beard swing in front of him for a second, but I knew he was a good one. Once he started gobbling the jakes shut up. I managed to get them all going at once, by switching to my Woodhaven Hornet and giving them some kee kee run action. Too bad they were a little behind us so it was difficult for me to see them and impossible for Matt. Eventually they walked off and I grabbed the deke and we were back in the driveway in minutes. We were headed to hunt Thompson WMA from the top (which didn't end up producing anything but a few pieces of turkey crap), when I said, "Let's go ask permission over where those birds are, what's the worst that can happen, they say no?" Well, I was wrong, my third attempt at knocking on doors brought an answer from a lady wearing some turqouise beaded thing. I asked if she owned the property where we had just seen the turkeys and she asked if I was a hunter. I was standing there in full camo, so I knew she was preparing a good one. I said, "yes" and she said, "well I'm an animal rights activist". I responded quickly with, "I'll take that as a no". She attempted to start an arguement by asking me if I feel sorry for all the animals that suffer, but I cut her off with, "Listen, we can do this if you want to, but I would prefer that we didn't, you sure as hell aren't going to change my mind, and I won't change yours, so let's cut our losses here!" I also said, "The only animals I see suffering are the ones around here where no one lets anyone hunt and these animals are way over their carrying capacity and they have to resort to eating YOUR shrubbery through chicken wire mesh and end up getting hit by cars everyday". It actually never escalated any further than that and eventually I made my way back to the truck only to meet her husband who asked how I was doing after my ass-reaming. I told him it was one of the more pleasant encounters I've had with an animal rights activist and he said, "yeah, I wish we could shoot every one of those goddamn deer, but everytime I bring it up she'll hear none of it" On down the road we go....to finish the last hour and a half before noon at Thompson walking through marginal at best turkey habitat.
posted by camomanbg at 8:00 PM
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