After many false starts this season, I managed to convince myself I needed to get into the woods for only the 3rd time.
The tweeties were in full throat as I walked back to my blind & serenaded me all morning. I was ready to go on the
south side of the woods at 05:48 A.M. with a temp of 53, partial overcast skies, & s stiff breeze. I had changed a medium
weigh jacket for a light weight which was a mistake. The wind made it pretty chilly.
At 06:40, an owl glided silently in landing in a tree near the dekes. It sat for a couple of minutes before leaving as quietly
as it had come in. At 08:26, a fox squirrel foraged around to my right & wandered into the marsh.
I had been calling off & on all morning with no response, which didn’t surprise me. Then, at 08:28, I heard a gobble behind
me to the NW fairly close, which did surprise me. He responded to almost every call I sent out getting closer. Then, out of
the blue clear sky, 2 gobblers & a hen came in from my left. At 1st, I though it might be 2 of the jakes that have been seen
in the area. I thought to myself, self I thought, a jake may have to ride home in the Lean Mean Red Machine. Then I noticed
a long, hangy down thing on his chest. He ran towards my jake deke & I stopped him within a couple of yards of the deke at
08:32. He was a dandy tipping the scale at 22 lbs 6 oz., with a double beard I hadn’t noticed until I pulled the 1st 1,
beard 1 = 11”, bird 2 = 9 ½”. The right spur = 1 3/8” & left 1 ¼” both where hooked & needle sharp & I have a couple of
holes in my hands to prove it.
It felt good to break a 5 year drought in Ohio. It took about an hour to get both blinds taken down & everything loaded on
the 4-wheeler which ended up with a flat front tire. It was still pretty breezy with clear skies & a temp 0f 68 at 09:30.
The only down side was that my camera has been giving me problems s& I can’t focus properly so the pics are fuzzy.
On to squirrel season on Sept 1.
This pic is from my trail cam & 2 of the 3 jakes that roam the area. This was the only turkey pic I got.
