2018 Ohio Spring Turkey Season Day 20 - 22
Posted: May 14th, 2018, 5:27 pm
Day 20 – 05/12
Since today was forecast as t-storms all day long & the fact that I was about worn out, I turned off the alarm & decided to take the day off. I also have family obligations this afternoon so I can’t get in an afternoon/evening hunt. As was to be expected, it has been a beautiful day. Tomorrow is supposed to be t-storms as well but, if it’s clear at 04:30 when I get up, I’ll be back at it.
Day 21 – 05/13
It was dark, misty, & dead calm with a temp of 50. Walking back, I saw lightning strikes far to the NE & SW. At 05:45, a light rain started & the wind became gusty. The rain lasted about 10 minutes. I did a few tree calls at 06:45 &, as per usual this year, no response. It started to rain again at 07:35 along with rolling thunder to the West.
At 07:51, a doe walked past the dekes & at 08:10, a yearling & a doe ran through the woods to my east heading SW into the field. The rain had continues &, at 08:40, it cam down pretty hard until 08:49 when it slacked up some. I could hear thunder to the NW & SE. The rain started pretty hard again & the thunder was close at 09:10. At 09:20, I saw a tom walking along the field edge east to west. I couldn’t tell if it was a jake or a gobbler but, at this point in time, it didn’t really matter. I got him stopped twice but he wouldn’t come in. He was running but wasn’t taking a leisurely stroll either. When it was obvious I couldn’t entice him, I got the binos & saw that he was a big gobbler with a really nice, long beard. I thought/hoped he would come back through later in the day & I would have better luck. Seeing this gobbler made the answer to the question: Should I stay or should I go a lot easier.
At 09:38 the rain had stopped & the wind had died down to a breeze. By 11:30, my lunch companion, Itchy hadn’t shown up so, once again I was, All by myself don't want to be, all by myself to eat lunch but if that’s the way it has to be, so be it. At 11:57 a doe walked through the woods to my west going south into the field then heading east.
At 01:30, my thought/hope came partially true as the gobbler was coming back along the edge from west to east but that’s as good as it got. Once again, I got him stopped several times but he wouldn’t come visit.
I decided to call it a day at 03:30, 70, a light breeze, & cloudy. I’ll hunt here again tomorrow & see if the gob is in a more playful mood.
Doe Video
Day 22 – 05/14
It was 54 at 05:28 with a patchy, light fog, overcast, & dead calm. As I was passing Brad’s house, I spotted a possum running down his driveway & was able to slow down enough to not make possum pancakes.
By 06:05, there had been no roost gobblers so I sent out a few tree yelps. I had broken out a couple of different calls to see if changing up the sounds would make a difference. It didn’t. At 06:34, it started thundering to the NW &, at 07:08, it started to sprinkle & the breeze picked up.
At 09:30, the wind started blowing really hard & it got as dark as it was at 05:30. If a bird came in, I wouldn’t be able to shoot as I couldn’t even see my dekes at 25 yards. The storm blew over really quickly & it started to lighten up at 09:38. The storm actually had passed behind me to the north & I just got the edge of it. It started to rain at 09:48 & thunder to the NW.
At 09:58, the gobbler made another appearance at the edge moving east to west & all I could do was get him stopped a few times with no commitment. It had started to clear & the wind died at 10:30.
There was more thunder to the NW at 11:30 & it started to pour at 11:40 with a lot of wind. At 12:20, it was thundering to the south. It continued to rain until 01:15 went it slowed to a drizzle. The skies didn’t look good, so I thought that discretion was the better part of valor & I got the heck outta Dodge. The temp was 66.
Tomorrow I’ll hunt the other woods & come back here Wed. with a game plan. I’ll take my portable ground blind & gobbler lounger &, if it’s not raining, set up along the edge of the woods & try to waylay the bird. Hopefully the best laid plans of mice & a turkey hunter will work this time.
Since today was forecast as t-storms all day long & the fact that I was about worn out, I turned off the alarm & decided to take the day off. I also have family obligations this afternoon so I can’t get in an afternoon/evening hunt. As was to be expected, it has been a beautiful day. Tomorrow is supposed to be t-storms as well but, if it’s clear at 04:30 when I get up, I’ll be back at it.
Day 21 – 05/13
It was dark, misty, & dead calm with a temp of 50. Walking back, I saw lightning strikes far to the NE & SW. At 05:45, a light rain started & the wind became gusty. The rain lasted about 10 minutes. I did a few tree calls at 06:45 &, as per usual this year, no response. It started to rain again at 07:35 along with rolling thunder to the West.
At 07:51, a doe walked past the dekes & at 08:10, a yearling & a doe ran through the woods to my east heading SW into the field. The rain had continues &, at 08:40, it cam down pretty hard until 08:49 when it slacked up some. I could hear thunder to the NW & SE. The rain started pretty hard again & the thunder was close at 09:10. At 09:20, I saw a tom walking along the field edge east to west. I couldn’t tell if it was a jake or a gobbler but, at this point in time, it didn’t really matter. I got him stopped twice but he wouldn’t come in. He was running but wasn’t taking a leisurely stroll either. When it was obvious I couldn’t entice him, I got the binos & saw that he was a big gobbler with a really nice, long beard. I thought/hoped he would come back through later in the day & I would have better luck. Seeing this gobbler made the answer to the question: Should I stay or should I go a lot easier.
At 09:38 the rain had stopped & the wind had died down to a breeze. By 11:30, my lunch companion, Itchy hadn’t shown up so, once again I was, All by myself don't want to be, all by myself to eat lunch but if that’s the way it has to be, so be it. At 11:57 a doe walked through the woods to my west going south into the field then heading east.
At 01:30, my thought/hope came partially true as the gobbler was coming back along the edge from west to east but that’s as good as it got. Once again, I got him stopped several times but he wouldn’t come visit.
I decided to call it a day at 03:30, 70, a light breeze, & cloudy. I’ll hunt here again tomorrow & see if the gob is in a more playful mood.
Doe Video
It was 54 at 05:28 with a patchy, light fog, overcast, & dead calm. As I was passing Brad’s house, I spotted a possum running down his driveway & was able to slow down enough to not make possum pancakes.
By 06:05, there had been no roost gobblers so I sent out a few tree yelps. I had broken out a couple of different calls to see if changing up the sounds would make a difference. It didn’t. At 06:34, it started thundering to the NW &, at 07:08, it started to sprinkle & the breeze picked up.
At 09:30, the wind started blowing really hard & it got as dark as it was at 05:30. If a bird came in, I wouldn’t be able to shoot as I couldn’t even see my dekes at 25 yards. The storm blew over really quickly & it started to lighten up at 09:38. The storm actually had passed behind me to the north & I just got the edge of it. It started to rain at 09:48 & thunder to the NW.
At 09:58, the gobbler made another appearance at the edge moving east to west & all I could do was get him stopped a few times with no commitment. It had started to clear & the wind died at 10:30.
There was more thunder to the NW at 11:30 & it started to pour at 11:40 with a lot of wind. At 12:20, it was thundering to the south. It continued to rain until 01:15 went it slowed to a drizzle. The skies didn’t look good, so I thought that discretion was the better part of valor & I got the heck outta Dodge. The temp was 66.
Tomorrow I’ll hunt the other woods & come back here Wed. with a game plan. I’ll take my portable ground blind & gobbler lounger &, if it’s not raining, set up along the edge of the woods & try to waylay the bird. Hopefully the best laid plans of mice & a turkey hunter will work this time.
