What the what?

[Cut N Run]

I decided to hunt the big horse farm today because I've had success there early in the season in the past. Heard a couple of different gobblers on either side of the property, but they got quiet fast and likely had hen company. A ways to the south in the same block I'm hunting, I heard one shot, then two more right after that I guessed to be a miss, also kind of early in the day. Then nothing until almost 10:00 AM, when a single shot from the same area went off.

Now, this spot I regularly see and hear hens or jakes, with the occasional longbeard, but not today. I see turkeys pass between the swampy area behind me and the back property line pretty close to every time I hunt this spot. Not today. I had to be back to my office by noon to publish a report from yesterday's inspection, so I had to leave the woods by 11:30. When I got up to leave, I decided to check for tracks along the mud road that separates the properties to see what's been moving through the bottleneck area. I crested the small rise between me and the road and there was a big silvery pink balloon floating about 3 feet off the forest floor. It was flashing in the sun and changing shape on the breeze. It was a big letter O that was attached to an equally large deflated letter E. The O still had helium and it floated off as i was trying to untangle them from the limb on the forest floor. No wonder no turkeys passed through there today. They probably thought they saw a ghost! Not what I expected for an Opening Day hunt. the next one almost has to be better.



Jim

[MKW]

It's amazing how many of those mylar balloons I find in the woods.

[Hoobilly]

Many years ago I found one from a school in Chicago that kids released. Mailed it back. Was in the woods at least 4 years off the top of my head.

[Tail Feathers]

Find out who turned 30 recently and ask why they put their balloons out to scare your turkeys off.

[coconut]

I found weather balloon once. More recently I found us mail package about 20 feet up a tree. Couple years ago some terrible tornadoes came through Tuscaloosa and I found pieces of Mobil home skirting and insulation on almost any farm I hunted