Aighty, got him dressed just before the bottom dropped out, 2 Boston Butts on the smoker, now having a celebratory glass of whisky.
Ethan had bad diarrhea for whatever reason this morning after I got him up at 5a. I told him I had to get to the lease by 545 to beat the other hunters to be sure we claimed the area the bird we roosted was at. I had high hopes for him... literally a single tom without hens on opening day and hadn't been called to. AND I knew within 50 yards which tree he was in. I don't feel like I've got a slam dunk often, but this was as close to a slam dunk as you can get. Ethan and Sophia know I'm not going to ever save a bird for them.... if they don't go with me, Imma gonna kill him. I told Ethan if he wants to come later with a roll of toilet paper I'll let him shoot the bird, otherwise I'm tagging him and we will try to find another bird for him.
I beat everyone there, got set up about 125y from where he was roosted in the pitch black, and waited... and waited... and waited... it got light, and I waited some more. And I waited. Crows cawing, geese honking, but nothing. I really didn't want to move up to the spot I wanted to start at (didn't start there in the dark because there was a chance he limb hopped overnight and I didn't want to be right under him), but I finally crawled at a snails pace 30y up to the killing spot. Soft called... nothing. A bit louder, nothing. Finally at 8am he dropped out of his tree to the ground 100y away. $hit, I don't want to shoot a silent bird sneaking in, but it's been a LONG time since I killed a bird, so he is going to get sacrificed on the alter of my bloodlust. Scratched leaves, feeding purrs, gun at the ready. Nothing. Repeat in 20 min... nothing. Repeat in another 20 min... nothing. Sumbitch, this tom is officially gay.
Made a giant loop around him and called from the other side... nothing. Worked the hardwood drain for a half mile in both directions he could have gone... nothing. F it.... time to find a heterosexual bird.... Bailed out checked 4 more areas, no tracks, no sign. The other guys in the lease had left by now, so checked the first guys spot... nothing. Went to the 2nd guys spot... found a gobbler track.... uh oh, it's ON now! Worked that area for an hour, nothing. Worked a quarter mile to the north, nothing. Checked the radar, had about 40 minutes before the bottom was going to drop out. I was just about to head home, when I decided to head a quarter mile south of guy #2's spot...
Headed down a new road we pushed in to a new plot a quarter mile south of guy#2's spot. Walking and calling, nothing. I had never been to this new plot and wanted to see it anyways for next deer season, and it looks fabulous in the middle of plantation pine thinned out 4 years ago, but off the plot the woods are a disaster with yaupon, privet, and briers so thick you couldn't walk off the plot. Called from the plot, nothing. I was surveying which trees needed to come out for our next deer season, when a bird gobbled only 125y away thru the crazy thick stuff west of the plot (about 2 min after my last call). First gobble of the season at 1145a, and this guy obviously wants to die. Was running bare bones with just a mouth call, facemask, and shotgun by this point, so I found the closest bush and tucked in. Hit him again, and he crushed it from the same spot. Checked maps, and he was in a hardwood drain, but I didn't think he could make it ... hold on.. comupter about to die...
