forgetful ? ME ?

[mark hay]

I could written the same subject title as Dana , about being " embarrassed and aggravated " . Only , I haven't had an opportunity to miss yet . But ! , I have forgotten my mouthcall in the fridge every day I have hunted ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,shamefull I tell ya !
I began the day trying to locate the Hermit Bird . I took my sweet old time about getting in to his range. Only giving him gobbler talk , except for the gobble . I can only gobble with a mouthcall . But I knew if he was coming to clucks and yelping he'd probably cover ground slow . So I gave him ample time and then some . Then after almost 3 hours I began covering the ground and cold calling every 100 or so . Mixing it up with keekee , jake yelps , gobbler yelps , hen yelps and keekee run. NOTHING.
I drove to the largest of the areas within the public land . I walked back to the high , break ridge and kee kee'd and keekee run for several minutes . This was just before the wind got up . Still , nothing .
Linda sent me a text to let me know she was getting ready to put the CRAPPIE in the skillet . So I head for home . The west side of the area I just left and nearly a mile from where I last called I pulled over and hit the keekee's . Third go at it I went into the RUN. As soon as I stopped a juvenile faintly answered from no more than 100 yards . I beat it back to the truck and move it off the road . Grabbed headnet , shooting glove and calls and locked the truck . Yanked the recurve from its rack in the bed and over the rim I go. Went about 50 yards down the slope . Anywhere along this portion of the ridge offers a good set up with very good cover density . I resume the pleading keekee's and keekeerun for over ten minutes but got no responce . Then my mind went back to CRAPPIE .
Well , at least I know there are some birds in that area .
Talked to a feller from Michigan which has been down the hunting everyday since thursday . He saw plenty of deer but neither saw nor heard any turkeys . Two other hunters which live locally and bowhunt the area a lot say they have not seen any birds either . It doesn't look nor sound to promising , as far as the hunting area is concerned . But , I also know that after covering dozens of ridges and seeing very little sign it is possible to step over the top and spook 25 or more .

[WillowRidgeCalls]

I know what your saying about the birds being quiet so far this fall, even the ones I've called in sounded like they were a ways off, but were a lot closer, and before you could set a call down and pick your gun up they were there.

[mark hay]

So now I have the mouthcall in my pocket all the time .

Today I sneek up on the lee side of a known deer hangout . Had a good set up and the wind was right . I nocked an arrow , lay the bow on a big sycamore log and begin rattlin' the big horns . I went at it for amout 45 seconds . Put the horns on the ground and pick up the recurve . THEN MY DA'GUM CELL FONE STARTS RINGIN'. END OF HUNT , BEFORE IT REALLY STARTED .

It was important so I walk away .

I doubt it'll ever get better ,,,that is the memory .

Really wanted to turkey hunt today but the wind is up and it is so dry and noisy . It's suppose to rain and get colder. Most likely will strip the remaining leaves from the oaks , which is about the only thing that has any leaves remaining . Though , the understory has a lot of color yet .
Next weeks highs are to be upper 40's and low 50's , which is my favorite for hunting anything , but especially turkeys.

So , October is nearly gone and November allows 25 days to fill a turkey tag and one $15 antlerless deer permit .

best of hunts to ya

[mark hay]

Yesterday afternoon I sat in a deer stand in spite of the howling wind . About an hour and a half before sun down I spot 4 young hens scratching up the remains of Jon's sunflower patch , which has long been mowed down . I am about 150 yards from the birds and just watch them to see which way they go to roost . Fortunately they went away from me and into a hollow where they roost quite often . Then about sundown I hear one gobble from up high on the point ridge. So I figure we have those three superjakes up on the ridge and the 4 jenny henny in the hollow for sunday morning .
I make the point ridge in the dark and howling wind . Already had a set up in mind and got into position . 30 minutes after good light a hen began some tree yelping . I had already been busy on the gobbler talk but had not heard any responce. It is possible that I was being watched by the gobblers . I searched the tree tops but with the wind it was really hard for me to focus. But the hen kept up her yelping and I obliged her with keekee and yelping , keekeerun ,and gobbler yelps . Finally she went silent and I figured they were on the ground . I waited a long time , probably an hour, but heard nothing and saw nothing in spite of my pleading calls . I thought they must have gone back to the sunflowers . So I sneak around the edge to take a peak . Nothing . After a sandwich I head back up the ridge toward the point . I had just stopped moving and looked to my left and there they are . Going up the steep side of the point ridge through the saddle . Singal file and unspooked . I waited for them to get well over the top and I shimmy around the point and resume my first stand . They must have had a previous engagement for they never answered my calls nor came the 60 yards for a visit .