Friday, May 11, 2012

Spring Turkey '12 Day 2

We woke up around 4:15 again and had breakfast, I finished off my steak from the the night before.  Actually, quite a good breakfast, and kept me full till 10.  Went back out to the field we were on the previous morning and setup on the tree line.

Pretty early in the morning (I have no idea the time, don't wear a watch and sleep on and off), we had two hens come out in the field near to us.  We sat and watched them for at least 30 minutes, they were just walking out and about with the decoys and close to us (with in 10 feet I would say).  Very cool!  Worth the price of admission :)  The two hens walked off in to the woods awhile later.

A little bit later there was a large Tom and entered the field off to our left and took his time walking around and occasionally gobbling.  Dad tried to call him in, but had to stop when the bird was with in sight.  The tom wondered around, but wouldn't come into the decoys and eventually walked off across the field.

We headed back for lunch, and Jen called and said that she was going to be at the airport for a 5 hour layover, so we decided to wrap up the hunt so we could visit with her.  I found 5 morels on the walk back to the cabin.

I headed back to MN and Mom and Dad came over later to pick up Jen and bring her back to the house, so that we could have dinner and visit.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Spring Turkey '12 Day 1

Went spring turkey hunting with Dad this weekend, got to the cabin late Thursday night, stayed up to finish the book I was reading (The Giver, very good, very sad).  Then we got up at 4:15 (not 4:30 like Dad said :), trekked quite a ways to the spot where we were going to hunt.  When we got there we saw a Tom roosted up in the tree; of course we spooked the hen that was near by as well; so we didn't get to see that Tom.

We moved back a ways from the Tom in the tree and set up on the edge of the field.  That day we saw a pretty big Tom out in the field and Dad worked to call him in; however he was intercepted by some hens on the way to us and decided that two in the field was better than one in the bush.  He walked off with them and we didn't see him anymore.

Headed back to the cabin for lunch around 11 (venison brats); then back out to the tent (which is much closer) for a peaceful afternoon, reading and snoozing.  We didn't hear anything the whole afternoon.  I convinced Dad to give The Omnivore's Dilemma a try, which he started to enjoy after a couple pages.  I re-read Flatland, which I picked up ages ago, I can't remember why, but it is an interesting read more religious than I remember, though Edwin Abbott was a theologian.  Very nice to be a able to sit and read and chat in peace for a couple hours :)

Finished off the gorgeous day with a steak dinner with morel mushrooms and fresh cinnamon bread from the Amish bakery just up the road.