WOW it's been a while

So I'll have to start with the last of the goose hunts that didn't end up here. I had a field that always fills up late season and usually provides a great shoot. So I called Mike up and set up the hunt. We got to the field about daybreak and got set up, the first day took a while for the geese to fly but we eventually got our limit.

 Day 2: I believe we got there about the same time got the decoys set up, the only bad part about this day is the constant wind change. The really cool thing was all the ducks we saw and had land in the spread. I can only say WOW they were mostly mallards, but there were also pintails and wigeon flying and landing. Mike got some really great pics and video of the ducks, unfortunately, he has yet to get them to me. When I do get them they will go here:



Here's the hero pic of day 2:

Now here we are after all the snow's gone and goose season is just a memory. March had me finishing up the painting in the house and getting the carpets put in. So with all that I didn't get to start working on my boat until April and of course, Turkey season is in April.
I got drawn for the third year in a row on Mississinewa, which is really unheard of. Here's how my draw went: I had an idea of where I wanted to start this year. I wanted to chase the bird that gave me the slip last year.
So I set up on the first day at the end of a field that I knew the Tom frequented with his entourage. I heard 3 different gobbles the first morning and try as I may all I could do is listen as my target bird followed his lady friend through the woods across the road through the bush and out into the private field. So I gave it a couple hours before breaking down my set up and chasing the bird that I heard gobble across the river. I looked at the map and put together a game plan to find the bird that I had only heard that morning. Well, I found myself on the opposite side of the river on an island with only a walkway to get out there looking for the bird I had heard. After checking the upper field I found the bird on a lower field with 2 other birds. He was at least 300 yards from me just strutting to beat the band. So with only a half hour left before I had to be out of the field. I decided instead of putting a stalk on the bird and possibly buggering him out there. I was going to head for the house and get back here in the a.m. and set up on this Tom.
Day 2:
I get down to the field and set up in the very a.m. as the sun starts to come up and the forest starts to come alive I realize the bird I am hunting is gobbling on the other side of the road, at least 800 yards away. So it just became a waiting game with me waiting for the birds to hopefully come back to the island to spend the...BANG...BANG..... crap that was the shot that ended my bird's life... So for the rest of the day, I just tried to formulate a plan for the last day while setting up here and there for an hour or so apiece.
Day 3:
Day 3 started by me getting pulled over by one of Angola's finest because I didn't use a turn signal. After saying Hi and the nice officer wishing me luck I was back on the road with just a warning. I got off the freeway and stopped at the gas station just as I had the last 2 days (it's a 2-hour drive one way) to get gas. As I was leaving and getting back on the road I thought I had heard something hit the back of the car, I looked back and saw nothing. I got 3-5 miles down the road and realized I didn't have my wallet in the car, yep the thud was my wallet flying off the roof hitting the trunk and landing on the ground. So I turned around went back to the gas station and slowly drove in the middle lane until I found my wallet. Fortunately it was only 4 a.m. so there were hardly any cars on the road. So that was lucky #2 for the day, with my wallet back in the car I headed to Mississinewa.
I set up on the field to the right of the field I set up on the first day hoping to catch the birds passing through as they did day one. Well, I heard 4 different gobbles and only one was interested in me. I talked to the Tom for the better part of 2 hours before I realized he was across the creek and wasn't going to cross. So I packed up my gear and drove around to try and get closer and start the conversation all over again.
Well, on my way to the parking spot I saw one Tom in a field to my right and went passed another field to my left and saw 3 more birds one was in full strut. So I turned around drove a couple hundred yards to a different parking spot and started the long walk to get in position to start to work this Tom.
Well, I quickly learned that one of the birds with the strutter was a hen. There is very little chance to pull him away from her, and I only had 2 hours to make it happen, so I was forced into stalk mode again.

This started out with a 75 yard crawl on my hands and knees all the while keeping a tree with a clump of crap at the base between me and 2 of the birds. I had lost track of the third bird. When I got to the fencerow I realized that there were more holes in the crap cover than I had originally thought, and the hen ended up spotting me and running to the end of the field. I can only assume the Tom followed cause I no longer saw either bird in the field. I thought the hunt was over, so I stood up and walked slowly and kinda quietly to get to a spot to see through to the end of the field. Holy crap there's a strutter still in the field, I saw the tip of his fan over the crap in the fencerow, so back into stalk mode. I crouch walked slow and picked my footfalls very carefully for another 75 yards or so. Finally I got up to were I thought if I see him I can make the shot, I only had a very small hold in the bulldozed crap to see through and he walked right into it. So I put the red dot of my newly fashioned "Frankengun" on his head and squeezed the trigger.
Can't stop the flop.  

He was a 2 year old with 3/4" spurs and the first bird I have shot with a double beard. The main beard is 9" the second beard unfortunately has only 3 hairs and only one was 9", so even though he technically had 2 beards it's tough to count it. Getting this Tom with only an hour to spare was my lucky #3.
All my lucky helped me all day.

I played 3 tickets apiece on the Mega and Powerball since my luck should've run the rest of the day. I haven't checked 'em yet but am sure they are winners and as I type this I am sure I am a Millionare. Don't worry though I won't forget about all you little people.

By the way, the boat is done enough to be fishable and I had it out this week for a shake out cruise on an area lake, and everything actually worked like it was supposed to. We didn't catch a fish but that really wasn't the objective for the day. Although it sure would've been nice.

I'll check my tickets next week after work, I'll be wearing my lucky hat. 😎