2005 Turkey Season Reflections

[redbeard]

2005 Turkey Season Reflections

Well, the season is closed and the efforts tallied, it’s been a wonderful season from start to end. Below are my 05 statistics and some thoughts remembered while sitting by the campfire.

2005 Season

33 Days hunted
161.5 hours hunted
60 gobblers heard
9 gobbler sightings
36 jake sightings
64 hen sightings
16 gobblers came in to calling
10 gobblers worked for purposes of shooting
0 gobblers missed
4 gobblers killed, two longbeards for myself and two jakes for friends

• If you are not in the woods, the turkeys ain’t gobblin’. Sorta like the old saying “If a tree falls in the forest and noone is around, does it make a noise.”
• Whippoorwill’s have to work much to hard to mate.
• It’s a dang good thing gobblers don’t sing as long as whippoorwill’s do. We’d have no turkeys to hunt next year.
• Whippoorwill’s don’t like country music
• If you call up a Barred Owl over your campfire and get him excited, he will return every night you get your fire going.
• Big toms must send out the jakes first, to check everything out.
• Big toms don’t understand jake talk.
• I hate day light savings time during turkey season.
• Don’t ask Ben about Great Horned Owls killin’ turkeys
• If you bust the neighboring club’s corn feedin’ habits 15 days from the season’s start and see their 500.00 Bull blinds 20 feet from the feeder, they tend not to show up openin’ weekend, nor much afterwards, either. Must be embarrassin’. Glad I don’t have to have a yellow brick road to kill my birds.
• Local’s in your hunting club are not a good thing.
• It must be mandatory to own a four wheeler once you pass 50.
• 4-wheeler’s are the ruination of huntin’ as is ski-dos with fishin’
• Not many folks in my club actually like being in the woods
• Generators are noisy and ruin the atmosphere in turkey camp.
• Why must they come to the woods if they bring the city with them.
• I’m glad my wife lets me drink beer at home, the above folks must be hen-pecked, thus their excuse for goin’ huntin’.
• The stars are much brighter over the glow of a small fire verses the glow from light bulbs.
• Turkeys will fly to the very tree you are calling from and Skip will risk injury to his head by shootin’ them off the limb. (Totally fair chase hunt, bird just chose to fly instead of walk, he was on the ground gobblin’)
• I wonder if a big tom sent that jake to check things out and Skip should have let him walk. We will never know, we thought he was a longbeard anyway.
• True turkey hunters are good people.
• If you share your birds, the turkey gods will shine on you.
• Armadillo’s jump neck high when shot. Do not stand over them and shoot them in the back with a .32. Scares the livin’ crap outa ya.
• Armadillo’s make it hard to distinguish turkey sign.
• Ralph Permar is a nice fellow and makes a dang good yelper and trumpet.
• Ditto for Chris Williams and his strikers and soon to come trumpets.
• Ditto for Cornbread and his biscuits.
• Ditto for Scott Berry and his trumpets
• Ditto for Craig Sims and his slates
• Ditto for Snuffy.
• Ditto for Tim Oldham and Creek Bottom Calls…….expect a couple more orders soon.
• You meet the nicest folks in turkey forums and once again true turkey lovers make good folks.
• My daughter really loves the woods and is a good woodsman.
• You can’t imagine the truth that is told from your 17 year old daughter when casually sittin’ around the old fire.
• My boy just turned 13 and has gotten girl crazy and lazy for the turkey woods. (On his behalf, he did break his hand right before the season). I pray he will return next year.
• Whippoorwill’s aren’t scart of a .410 shot over there heads.
• Jimmy can’t sleep with Whippoorwill’s singin all night and me talkin’ Injun in my sleep.
• Jimmy can go a long time without much sleep.
• Jimmy can’t hear good.
• Jimmy can’t see jakes good either.
• Jimmy buys Harrison calls and leave ‘em at the house.
• Jimmy don’t want to hear Ben talk about what kilt the hen.
• My old hat just might make it another year.
• I love spring turkey season, the woods, the flowers, the walks, the birds singin’, and for toppers, slingin’ bird over my shoulder for a nice long walk back to camp ain’t bad either.

Thanks to everyone in the forum for lettin’ me share my tales. I close bidding fare ye well to all those still huntin’. May the turkey gods shine on you and yours.

[Covehnter]

Its been nice hearing all the stories for another year here on the RT forums from ya Redbeard. All the 'fer instances' you've posted have hit close to home and made great since. It's been a pleasure reading the posts and seeing the pics for this year, cant wait for the same next year. Definately have to get together and talk to a few loud mouthed ones next year. . . after calling in all them nice fat jakes this past 2 weeks, i may know just were to find a few. Again. . . it's been a pleasure.
and a few more things learned for this turkey season.

-If its going to rain, its goin to do it on the weekend.
-The end of turkey season will always hurt.
-Ask, you never know what the landowner will say.
-Pedaling a bicycle on a wet dirt road is much harder after a rain.
-Smokin' for 20 years doesnt help ole cuz when pedaling that bicycle.
-Deer Hunting, Fishing, . . .nothing compares to turkey hunting.
-3000 miles is not too far to travel to get what you're after.
-You cant put a value on what mother nature provides you with every break of dawn and the sounds of nature awaking for another beautiful day.

[RangerClay]

Redbeard,

Those are great reflections!!!! They were very enjoyable as I sit here sipping my morning coffee. I will try to keep some of them in mind when I am hunting this weekend.

Ranger

[redbeard]

Well, Cove you whooped the feathers outa me with the turkey count but I got ya on miles 4,236 miles driven this year. Geez, crimeinitaly. 338.6 gallons of gas. Geez crimeinitaly.

P.S.

I hope ol' Whitehead ain't mad at me. He ain't said squat about my reflections. Ah, heck he might me stayin' at Motel 6 and not have access to the 'puter

[Covehnter]

Ah redbeard those 3000 miles were just for that Osceola and one more trip to Fl fer turks over my spring break!

[redbeard]

Yeah but you were on a bicycle here in Georgia, 'dem miles dont count Hey Cove, if you plan the same thing next spring and need hep with the gas and some good company look me up, I'll gladly tell the bossman I'm outa hyar.

[Covehnter]

Hey! Thats what i'm looking for . . . my dads suppost to go w/ me next year but i'm not sure he's that dedicated. . . . . you'll definately have a seat in my truck if you want to go especially if he doesnt go, been looking for someone to make the trip w/ me every year! Done been down a few times now so i've got a few places that hold birds i believe. Its killer sometimes being 12 hours away from home, alone.

[Rhino]

Well redbeard I don't do quite as good of a job keeping the detailed data that you do but here's what I got from my spring turkey season journal.

2005 Spring Turkey Season

21 Days hunted
79.5 hours hunted
93 gobblers heard
14 gobbler sightings
4 jake sightings
22 hen sightings
18 gobblers came in to calling
9 gobblers worked into range for purposes of shooting
1 gobbler was missed
4 gobblers killed, three longbeards for myself and 1 long beard for a friend.

1. If your not in the woods chances are someone that is will call you to tell you the birds were gobbling.
2. Rookies can't hold a shotgun steady.
3. Sometimes Rookies can pull the trigger at the right time even though their barrel is shaking all over the place.
4. The reports of us having a bad hatch last year were true.
5. Four wheelers and turkey hunting mix like water and oil.
6. I appreciate the hunters on our place because they only use electric golf carts during turkey season.
7. 4 wheelers running on the neighbors property will make birds move over and roost on us after a week of contending with them suckers.
8. Some gobblers must be ventriloquist.
9. I have to quit giving gobblers names like $@#*.
10. It still feels great to see a new turkey hunter cut his own teeth.
11. Ragging buddies that miss is still fun too.
12. I'm glad my 3 turkey hunting buddies that missed didn't get the chance to return the ragging I gave them.
13. I didn't know till now that there were 4 wheeler trains on the neighbors property because 20 minutes is too long for just a hand full of 4 wheelers to run at gobbling time.
14. Fried fish taste better when it's fresh.
15. So does fried turkey.
16. My son is definatley more interested in girls and social life than he is in turkey hunting.
17. Somethings wrong with the cooking when you gain weight during turkey season.
18. Old joints will start wearing out.
19. Wearing a knee brace on a warm day sucks.
20. Drumming turkeys still makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

[James7xChamp3]

Thanks for sharing all your knowledge, stories and wit Redbeard. your posts are one of the first I look for! Some of your reflections I can really relate to.

You've certainly inspired me this season. Heck, every time I hear a gobble I'm thinking......hope I see one of those red weeds!

My Uncle is arriving Friday from up Maine. We are going to try and round up one more bird in N.H. for him. But he'll be more than happy just seeing some new country and hearing a gobble or two so it will be fun.

I'll be packing my lucky coin. Hopefully there is still some magic left and we'll spot us a red weed!

THANKS AGAIN!

[redbeard]

Well cove, just say when and don't worry about a pocket rider while huntin'. I believe it's a one man game and I'd have fun sharin the camp and ride with ya sharing the expenses. I'm all for it. I used to do it long ago when I was self employed. Hauled my little 9 foot Scotty Serro Sportman behind my 83 F100 and stayed until Georgia opened. Let's stay in touch and remember I'm the only Mundhenke in the book of Georgia phone number

[redbeard]

[ QUOTE ]


5. Four wheelers and turkey hunting mix like water and oil.
16. My son is definatley more interested in girls and social life than he is in turkey hunting.
17. Somethings wrong with the cooking when you gain weight during turkey season.
20. Drumming turkeys still makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

[/ QUOTE ]

AMEN BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[redbeard]

[ QUOTE ]


I'll be packing my lucky coin. Hopefully there is still some magic left and we'll spot us a red weed!



[/ QUOTE ]

Hey James, the feelin' is mutual. You have the love for the sport and the imagination to put it to an intriguing story afterward. Heck, any feller huntin these birds is good by me and one that loved the late and great Dale Earnhardt is at the top of the list. I hope you and your uncle enjoy the same success as you did with that youngster. That boy's smile made my day. Good luck, friend. By the way was that lucky coin one that told of the wild turkey on the back starting with "indigenous"?

[redbeard]

I reckon ol Whitehead is mad at me. Dadgum

[redbeard]

Probably so mad he can't even talk, jest like when the bossman tolt him no vacation. So mad he can't even type on da 'puter. Dadgum

[WhiteHead]

Don"t Worry about a Pocket Rider any more thar, Redbeard. We(I) did have good huntin trip, no worries here!