Atchman2
Well-Known Member
Earlier this year, after I retired, I moved my older motorhome up to my friend's property. It took a few days of work, but I got power, sewer, and water mostly sorted out, enough for short stays anyway. It is nice since it is a long drive up there and I can hunt and just stay the night. It is just past Brushy Mountain and is adjacent to the New River unit (I can walk onto it).
I totally missed opening weekend. I missed it in Kansas since I didn't have a "tag" this year. Last year we didn't need them, they changed the law and I just didn't notice until it was too late to put in for a tag. This is despite the fact that I pay income taxes in Kansas and Nebraska, but can't hunt there. Insane. My son had this stomach flu that is going around and I spent most of the weekend and a few days before trying to get him sorted out. It was probably okay since the property is also adjacent to Wind Rock and the four wheeler noise is intense on the weekends. Finally Sunday night I went up there with anticipation of "my" opening day being Monday morning.
Sometime during the night, I managed to slam my thumb in the camper door. It is black and blue, but I don't think it was broken, it just hurt like crazy. I got up early and jumped off my four wheeler since it can't seem to keep a charge. Normally I can pull it, but I'd rather it just start. Started it early so it could warm up and headed across the New River to hunt. The river is up pretty high, but not so high that the four wheeler had any real difficulty. I'd pulled my cameras the previous night and there was nothing on them. Mostly because I had neglected them long enough that they needed batteries. I had brought them back to the camper, changed out batteries and installed new cards in them. Normally they are there to look out for hogs and trespassers.
I had the shell of an old blind there. The roof was full of holes, the sides torn, but I chose to sit in it in comfort as opposed to sitting on the wet, tick infested ground even though it didn't block me off all that much. THEN I reach down for my calls. Nothing. I left them in the camper exactly where I had placed them the night before in preparation. The four wheeler balked, but I pulled it and went and got my calls. I can't believe that. Probably just the excitement.
I don't usually hunt turkeys with a shotgun. In fact I had only hunted turkeys once before with a shotgun. Normally my shotgun is for coyotes, not birds. It is a Turkey Thug, with a red dot scope. I didn't have any fancy ammo except Turkey Thug #4 shot. However the shotgun was sighted in so it would go where I pointed. It never occurred to me about the age of the ammo. Again, I didn't think anything about it and just grabbed it out of the safe.
There is this ancient box call a friend of mine gifted to me. I've used it ever since I started turkey hunting. The Sun was pretty much up by the time I got back. I fully did not expect to see anything since I had done zero scouting, but knew there were birds there a few weeks back from my trail cameras. Anyway I yelped a few times, and I thought I heard a gobble. Since I am VERY hard of hearing I put my ear protection on and cranked up the volume. A few minutes later I called again, this time I for certain heard a gobble but it was faint. Instead of paying perfect attention, I looked down at my phone. I caught something white out of the corner of my eye about the size of a baseball. GOBBLER!
I normally try to call them in close, but this one was above me on a logging road and I could just see his head. I couldn't have gotten it with my bow or crossbow. If I did it would have been a heck of a shot especially only with its head showing. I flipped on the red dot, took steady aim, ironically through a hole in the roof of the dilapidated blind. CLICK! Oh no! I panicked and remembered to cycle the shotgun. Now his head was even smaller. This time she bellowed and I couldn't see it anymore. I honestly figured I missed it. (I am not used to having an extra shot turkey hunting since I normally use archery).
The logging road was above my position so instead of going around the long way I went straight up. I mean straight up where you grab trees and roots to scramble up there. I was overjoyed at the sight of a big turkey flopping on the ground. I was pumped! Very nice mature gobbler. The beard was 10" plus and the spurs were a little over half an inch. It was a very nice bird and only my second with a shotgun.
When you hear about handicapped hunters, I'm one of them. I have had MS for over a decade now and it just saps my strength. I left the bird there on the logging road to go get my four wheeler. It wouldn't start. Battery was too weak, and I was exhausted trying to pull it. I walked back to the blind to pick up my calls and my chair. Then up the hill (this time the long way around) to get my bird. By then I was barely moving. I decided at that point in time to leave my coat, chair, and stuff on my four wheeler and just take my shotgun, backpack and turkey across the river. As someone that has numb feet from the disease, the river wore me out even more. I barely made it to the other side then sat down and rested. It was then I was actually pondering a call for help. Instead I found some thick briars and left the turkey in them, hoping a bear or coyote didn't get them. It took me a while since I was so exhausted to get back to the camper. When I got there I rested, had a small snack, hydrated, and started feeling a little better. I needed to go back to get my stuff and my bird. There was no way I could take a battery and jumper cable back across that river. I was wet from the crossing, but not horribly wet. I decided to go get one of those compact battery jumper boxes. Made a few calls and Advance Autoparts in Wartburg had them. It was about a 30 minute drive over there.
When I got there I met a really nice guy named "Mic" who was also a hunter. He helped me pick out the right jump box. It is so small it will fit in a coat pocket! That was perfect for me. We talked for about 20 minutes. He hunts turkeys with a bow too. Then there was the drive back to the property. By then I was rested pretty well, but hated to have to cross that river again. This time I grabbed an old tent pole as a walking stick to keep me steady and I made it successfully. The four wheeler started right up with the jumper box, and I piled all of my stuff on it. Crossing the river, I navigated the considerable amount of briars to get my bird, which thankfully was still there. I was elated.
Anyway things are never simple for me. My disease makes things a factor of four harder than normal, but I refuse to let it keep me from hunting and fishing. I am going to look for a new four wheeler battery though!
I totally missed opening weekend. I missed it in Kansas since I didn't have a "tag" this year. Last year we didn't need them, they changed the law and I just didn't notice until it was too late to put in for a tag. This is despite the fact that I pay income taxes in Kansas and Nebraska, but can't hunt there. Insane. My son had this stomach flu that is going around and I spent most of the weekend and a few days before trying to get him sorted out. It was probably okay since the property is also adjacent to Wind Rock and the four wheeler noise is intense on the weekends. Finally Sunday night I went up there with anticipation of "my" opening day being Monday morning.
Sometime during the night, I managed to slam my thumb in the camper door. It is black and blue, but I don't think it was broken, it just hurt like crazy. I got up early and jumped off my four wheeler since it can't seem to keep a charge. Normally I can pull it, but I'd rather it just start. Started it early so it could warm up and headed across the New River to hunt. The river is up pretty high, but not so high that the four wheeler had any real difficulty. I'd pulled my cameras the previous night and there was nothing on them. Mostly because I had neglected them long enough that they needed batteries. I had brought them back to the camper, changed out batteries and installed new cards in them. Normally they are there to look out for hogs and trespassers.
I had the shell of an old blind there. The roof was full of holes, the sides torn, but I chose to sit in it in comfort as opposed to sitting on the wet, tick infested ground even though it didn't block me off all that much. THEN I reach down for my calls. Nothing. I left them in the camper exactly where I had placed them the night before in preparation. The four wheeler balked, but I pulled it and went and got my calls. I can't believe that. Probably just the excitement.
I don't usually hunt turkeys with a shotgun. In fact I had only hunted turkeys once before with a shotgun. Normally my shotgun is for coyotes, not birds. It is a Turkey Thug, with a red dot scope. I didn't have any fancy ammo except Turkey Thug #4 shot. However the shotgun was sighted in so it would go where I pointed. It never occurred to me about the age of the ammo. Again, I didn't think anything about it and just grabbed it out of the safe.
There is this ancient box call a friend of mine gifted to me. I've used it ever since I started turkey hunting. The Sun was pretty much up by the time I got back. I fully did not expect to see anything since I had done zero scouting, but knew there were birds there a few weeks back from my trail cameras. Anyway I yelped a few times, and I thought I heard a gobble. Since I am VERY hard of hearing I put my ear protection on and cranked up the volume. A few minutes later I called again, this time I for certain heard a gobble but it was faint. Instead of paying perfect attention, I looked down at my phone. I caught something white out of the corner of my eye about the size of a baseball. GOBBLER!
I normally try to call them in close, but this one was above me on a logging road and I could just see his head. I couldn't have gotten it with my bow or crossbow. If I did it would have been a heck of a shot especially only with its head showing. I flipped on the red dot, took steady aim, ironically through a hole in the roof of the dilapidated blind. CLICK! Oh no! I panicked and remembered to cycle the shotgun. Now his head was even smaller. This time she bellowed and I couldn't see it anymore. I honestly figured I missed it. (I am not used to having an extra shot turkey hunting since I normally use archery).
The logging road was above my position so instead of going around the long way I went straight up. I mean straight up where you grab trees and roots to scramble up there. I was overjoyed at the sight of a big turkey flopping on the ground. I was pumped! Very nice mature gobbler. The beard was 10" plus and the spurs were a little over half an inch. It was a very nice bird and only my second with a shotgun.
When you hear about handicapped hunters, I'm one of them. I have had MS for over a decade now and it just saps my strength. I left the bird there on the logging road to go get my four wheeler. It wouldn't start. Battery was too weak, and I was exhausted trying to pull it. I walked back to the blind to pick up my calls and my chair. Then up the hill (this time the long way around) to get my bird. By then I was barely moving. I decided at that point in time to leave my coat, chair, and stuff on my four wheeler and just take my shotgun, backpack and turkey across the river. As someone that has numb feet from the disease, the river wore me out even more. I barely made it to the other side then sat down and rested. It was then I was actually pondering a call for help. Instead I found some thick briars and left the turkey in them, hoping a bear or coyote didn't get them. It took me a while since I was so exhausted to get back to the camper. When I got there I rested, had a small snack, hydrated, and started feeling a little better. I needed to go back to get my stuff and my bird. There was no way I could take a battery and jumper cable back across that river. I was wet from the crossing, but not horribly wet. I decided to go get one of those compact battery jumper boxes. Made a few calls and Advance Autoparts in Wartburg had them. It was about a 30 minute drive over there.
When I got there I met a really nice guy named "Mic" who was also a hunter. He helped me pick out the right jump box. It is so small it will fit in a coat pocket! That was perfect for me. We talked for about 20 minutes. He hunts turkeys with a bow too. Then there was the drive back to the property. By then I was rested pretty well, but hated to have to cross that river again. This time I grabbed an old tent pole as a walking stick to keep me steady and I made it successfully. The four wheeler started right up with the jumper box, and I piled all of my stuff on it. Crossing the river, I navigated the considerable amount of briars to get my bird, which thankfully was still there. I was elated.
Anyway things are never simple for me. My disease makes things a factor of four harder than normal, but I refuse to let it keep me from hunting and fishing. I am going to look for a new four wheeler battery though!
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