Well, jumped on an earlier flight home to try and get out tomorrow. I start getting texts when I get to the airport that my dog swallowed something and he almost choked last night, and he keeps puking. Turns out he threw up a chunk of bone, a twist tie, and who knows what else. So, instead of going home to get ready to hunt tomorrow, I get to meet my wife at the vet's to pick up my dog. He's got a catheter in his leg for IV fluids and a cone on his head so he won't pull it out. I have to take the big knucklehead back to the vet tomorrow at 8:20 AM because there wasn't going to be anyone there to monitor him over night. So much for planning... I guess I'll be spraying my clothes with tick stuff and getting my gear together and start this Sunday here in RI. If I call one in though I'm giving my friend the first crack at it because he's never gotten a bird and he's got to be out of town all next week. I will hit CT on Monday. Good luck to all those starting tomorrow!

RI, what kind of dog?
Well, I scored this AM on a nice tom... 20.5#, 1" spur & 9.75" beard.
I will get pics posted soon.
Didn't go out first light due to heavy rain... went for a ride before work w/ my stuff in the truck.. stopped by my fathers and made a call and 2 lit up on the hill about 200 yards out...I threw my stuff on over my work clothes and ran up about 100 yards and sat down.. called again, and they were coming... 2 nice longbeads came in to about 40 yards... I took the strutter when he broke strut... could have let them come in closer, but bot educated Sat in NY, so I didn't want to chance it.

Sat I had a bird going in NY around 8:45am... I called him in to about 30 yards, but there was alot of blowdowns and brush and of course he came right in behind that. He broke to my left as if to head up an old wood road I was set up on, but I was standing out a bit.. He poked his head around some stuff and I thought about taking him then, but I figured 1 more step and I'd have a much better shot.. well doesn't the big fella look my direction, turn around, walk straight away from me, and out of my life! Never putted or ran... then never gobbled again... ugh..
So then I go up the road about 1/2 mile and strike up another bird... i try to get set up and he gobbles on his own already about 50 yards over the ridge..I sit right down and get the gun up... then I hear a bunch of hens and the show is over...
Don't know if they saw me or what...
ugh...

W. MA, He's a black lab but sometimes I think he's part lab, part vacuum cleaner. About $600 later and he seems to be doing ok now. Because of his antics, I didn't get out on Saturday. I did FINALLY get out on Sunday. We had 3 or 4 different birds going throughout the morning but we couldn't get close enough to any of them and they didn't come our way either. I was planning to hit CT today, but I decided that driving 2 hours to a 60% chance of T-Storms this am was not a good idea. Some folks that work with me who live there noted that not going was a good call on my part. I will be at it tomorrow though, and probably Wednesday too.

Good luck RI...
The dogs never seem to amaze me... always something... good luck this week... i hope to get out for a roost hunt tomorrow AM.. then not again until Friday & weekend..

Ever have one of those days where things just don't go right? I knew where a bird was roosted last night on a small property I hunt so I go to set up on him about 60 yards away. I set out my dekes and take a seat when another gobbler that was roosted closer to me spooked and flew off. I had no Idea he was there. I was realllly hoping that he was a different bird and my hunt wasn't ruined. About 30 seconds later, the bird I was after started gobbling his head off right where he was supposed to be. He was double gobbling on the roost. I just gave him a soft tree call to let him know I was there then shut up until I figured it was about fly down time so I gave a couple more soft yelps. I finally hear him fly down and he immediately makes his way to and over the property line and he just wasn't gonna come back... This place used to be awesome because the birds used to like feeding with the cattle but since my friend who owned the place passed away his wife got rid of all of the livestock and the birds just seem to roost there and then head off after fly down. Oh well, at least I know where they roost. I'l try there again on Saturday I think. After unsuccessfully trying another spot on that property, I drove to another property that I haven't been to this year. After talking to the landowner and securing permission, I decided I'd take a walk and try to strike something up. I was alternating between a crow call and loud cutting on a box call. I was getting close to a field and nothing was sounding off in the surrounding woods or the field so I start slowly making my way down the farm road to the field when I see this softball head bobbing! I freeze and then back out and set up in the woods to start calling. Nada. Just to be safe, I hit the crow call to see if he was coming in quiet... Nada. I start making my way to the field again to check things out after about a half hour and wouldn't you know he's still there? I just caught sight of his body running off. I tried setting up again but Nada. I plan to head back there tomorrow and see if I can hear something on the roost in the am. At least I know there are birds there. This can be sooo frustrating!

RI... i have had those days.. plenty of them... keeps you going back though... sounds like you were into birds.. you will whack one Sat AM!

Brother in law and our buddy doubled up yesterday.. buddy got 18lb tom... b.i.l. shot a beautiul 20.5# tom w/a double beard (9" & 6") w/ 1.25" spurs.

I forgot how much I hate to hear a bird PUTT! Found some birds on the roost today. They weren't gobbling to my owl hooter and I was getting ready to just set up when a real owl let loose and then was answered by another. 3 different gobblers lit up. I moved about another 50 yards and set-up. When they flew down they responded to my calls, but they went directly to a field to strut. I tried to sneak up to the field edge and when I looked over the boulders bordering the field I catch a head taking off over a rise in the middle of the field and hear PUTT PUTT PUTT... A little later in the morning I tried to set up near the opposeite side of the field where I saw a bird yesteday and I catch two gobblers on the other side of the field briskly walkiing off to where I was originally set up. Its amazing how these birds can make a monkey out of you. I'll give it a go again on Saturday morning.

you are close... you'll get one of them... just a matter of cat & mouse... !