My Black Hills vacation.

 We, (Jake Nate and I) spent a week in the Black Hills, chasing Merriam's turkeys up and down the "Hills".

 Jake found his birds by Tuesday and was able to seal the deal on Wednesday.

Meanwhile my days kinda went like this......

Turkey poop

Turkey tracks

I go up the hill....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And up the hill.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Beautiful views.....

 I spent alot of time on the tops of "hills"....

Then there was...... 

I go down the hills...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I go down the hills....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now it wasn't all up and down hills, I did some walking in the ravines during midday.

Actually the first gobble I heard was just down this path on my first day. Jake and I were both having problems calling the birds in. It was really weird, if you got on the call they would gobble once, maybe twice then silence. They were just done talking, it is really hard to find a bird that isn't talking. 

I did see some critters.....

I was walking down a path midday and I saw a turkey 50 yards up on the path. So I got to the side of the path and started calling.... and calling..... really soft calling..... And nothing... nothing at all so I got up and walked to the corner of the path where I thought I saw the turkey.

Yep, I was calling to a skunk, and to make it worse I had to walk within 5' of the little guy... he watched me just as closely as I watched him.

And I saw Elk tracks...

And the coolest part of the trip....

THIS IS A VIDEO......

So after all the walking I did I gotta tell ya it was pretty cool... oh yeah talkin' 'bout cool we made a little side trip one afternoon.

Don't think I have to tell you what this is.

This is the unfinished Crazy Horse monument.

So now I'll ask... anyone for tag soup?

Even though I didn't get a shot at a bird, I had a really good week and I hope learned enough to get a bird my next trip out. Yep that's right I have to go back out, next year we're putting in for The Black Hills, Wyoming and Nebraska. They are all draws and we're starting on the bottom next year again. I really hope to get back out within the next couple years.