My fall

[Steve_In]

What follows an approved 2 day vacation request? 2 days of rain I decided to try the Pidgeon River F&W area. In Indiana counties are open to shotguns based on spring kill reports. The area is open to shotgun hunting so I made a last minute decision to have a go. Thursday it was pouring when I got up. I checked the weather and took my time going up. I signed in and headed to an area I deer hunted long ago. I planned to locate some sign and concentrate on that. The wind was really bad and everywhere I looked there were no scratchings or tracks to be found. Friday it was not raining when I started out but by the time I got there there was a downpour. I checked in and went to a different area I had hunted. The downpour continued so I decided to do a little windsheild scouting. As I went by a parking area I noticed a guy with his hood up. So I gave him a jump. we talked a little and he put me on to a roost area. When the rain slacked up a little I geared up and headed out. At the back of the area I stopped to check out my muzzleloader. When I looked up there were 2 jakes checking me out. They moved out but did not seem too alarmed. Saturday I headed out in a light rain. I went to the roost area and stood under a leaning oak for protection. I watched a small turkey drop out of a tree about 50 yards ahead of me. I heard my wingbeats then kee-kee-ing. The hen started assembly yelping and I imitated her. She moved her brood away from me. Another group started kee-kee-ing and yelping to the southwest. Due south I heard a couple of gobbles too. This group moved up to where the first group had gone. She would respond to my yelps but never came close. I never heard the gobblers again. The hens were on the other side of a creek I could get over. I slipped around until it became unbearable. I decided to dry out and come back and try an ambush in the evening. I picked out a good spot an sat until dark with no luck. Sunday I could make locate any turkeys. It is a short season here but I enjoyed the chance to get out.

[mark hay]

I hate to hear the part about the rain,,,every day you could hunt . At least you got to hear them talking . Only thing I have heard so far is two gobbles ( while deer hunting ) and one juvenile keekee.
I just got in from Jon's place where I zig-zagged all over the 85 acres trying to stir up a brood or more hopefully those 3 superjakes . Didn't see nor hear anything . It got really warm early too . So I suspect that both the deer and the turkeys are feeding or laying in the big cedar thicket across the property line .
I did however find a big , fresh scape near a treestand I have been using which was not there last evening .

[Steve_In]

Rain is no fun. I have a pop up blind for the other F&W I hunt just so I can be out when it rains. I am confidant I could have gotten on birds there but it is not a shotgun county. The gobbles I heard seemed to have a kee-kee before them and they sure did not have a lot of volume.
The green up in the spring is nice but the fall colors have them beat. There are sandhill cranes up there and it is always nice to hear their call. I saw very little deer sign, just one scrape and no rubs. The bowhunters reported several dead deer along the waterways wonder if they got hit with EHD?