The grind...

[megalomaniac]

Getting to the tough part of the season...

Today was day #35 in the turkey woods for 2026. Haven't heard a bird gobble since April 5 in south MS.

Pulled a 24h shift yesterday at work, only 3h sleep last night, didn't have the energy to cover ground hunting public today, so I went back to my lease. No luck, not even a hen track. Getting mentally tough, but we are never guaranteed another season, so still chasing 1 more gobble down here.

But the flip side is nice... everyone else down here has given up. I hit 12 spots on Camp Shelby Saturday after the thunderstorms passed, didn't see another truck. I did cut 1 set of fresh hen tracks.

Season ends Sunday, I still have tag #3 in my pocket, and im not going down without a fight.

Such a strange 'love- hate' relationship.

 

[megalomaniac]

As an aside...

I never realized the human foot can exactly replicate the odor of cat urine.

SOO many miles on these hikers in the swamps.

 

[Gravey]

Good luck and time for some new shoes!

 

[Bone Collector]

I have never seen any wildlife in MS. It is mind boggling to me. I have seen some dead deer on the roadside, but never a living deer or turkey. Several hours and miles on Highway 67 and 49 coming home from Ocean Springs, not one animal. I thought I would see some in April as it was cooler, but it was a ghost town. I look in fields and see cows, but that is all. Once you get into Alabama and TN deer and Turkey in all the fields. I don't get and I would be mentally exhausted chasing ghosts.

Hats off to you for sticking with it.

 

[TN Larry]

Haven't heard a bird gobble since April 5 in south MS.

Such a strange 'love- hate' relationship.

I'll give it to you for sticking with it. You have got to hate turkeys more than I do as I would have already been back fishing full time. LOL. Good luck this wknd!

 

[megalomaniac]

I have never seen any wildlife in MS. It is mind boggling to me. I have seen some dead deer on the roadside, but never a living deer or turkey. Several hours and miles on Highway 67 and 49 coming home from Ocean Springs, not one animal. I thought I would see some in April as it was cooler, but it was a ghost town. I look in fields and see cows, but that is all. Once you get into Alabama and TN deer and Turkey in all the fields. I don't get and I would be mentally exhausted chasing ghosts.

Hats off to you for sticking with it.

Turkeys are totally different down here. They DONT go into fields often until you get to central and north MS, and gobblers NEVER go into large fields (40ac plus). That's what happens when you are hunting one of the very few original populations native to their original habitat/ environment. Survival adaptation.

They also dont gobble as much. But they gobble enough

 

[REN]

looks like you need to upgrade your shoe game :)

 

[megalomaniac]

looks like you need to upgrade your shoe game :)

I'm too attached. I've never found a hiking boot this comfortable before, that weighs the same as a pair of tennis shoes. I've done 15 mile days without my feet hurting a bit at the end of the day.

I think the Merrell speed strike 2 will be the next pair I get, but I'm waiting to find a pair on closeouts.

My chameleon 7s I bought for $49 on closeout. I'd say I got my money's worth out of them :)

 

[REN]

I'm too attached. I've never found a hiking boot this comfortable before, that weighs the same as a pair of tennis shoes. I've done 15 mile days without my feet hurting a bit at the end of the day.

I think the Merrell speed strike 2 will be the next pair I get, but I'm waiting to find a pair on closeouts.

My chameleon 7s I bought for $49 on closeout. I'd say I got my money's worth out of them :)

for sure! I ran Merrell's for a few years and had no complaints other than the waterproofing wasnt all that great after a while. Still have a pair of Chameleon stretch I wear all the time when doing light hikes or yardwork :)

 

[KDR21]

for sure! I ran Merrell's for a few years and had no complaints other than the waterproofing wasnt all that great after a while. Still have a pair of Chameleon stretch I wear all the time when doing light hikes or yardwork :)

I love my Crispi Altitude GTX - best boots I've ever owned

 

[poorhunter]

I'm too attached. I've never found a hiking boot this comfortable before, that weighs the same as a pair of tennis shoes. I've done 15 mile days without my feet hurting a bit at the end of the day.

I think the Merrell speed strike 2 will be the next pair I get, but I'm waiting to find a pair on closeouts.

My chameleon 7s I bought for $49 on closeout. I'd say I got my money's worth out of them :)

I was going to ask what boots those were and how you liked them. I like the wide toe box on those in the pic.

 

[megalomaniac]

Well, got whooped final weekend of MS season. No gobbles, no tracks.

So happy to get to eat my last tag. If I had tagged out on the bird I had in front of me 4w ago, I would have missed out on so many more days afield. Only regret... I put a friend on that bird I passed and he crippled/ lost him. No good deed goes unpunished.

Did make 25lbs of jalapeño cheddar smoked snack sticks and 30 lbs of kielbasa after the hunts this weekend. SOOO good!