Okay am back after a much needed nap, dinner with the wife as I took her out and then added my pics.
I started scouting upper Michigan 4/14 as I drove the 3 hrs to get there on /thursday morning. I misjudged the time and got to where I wanted to listen far too late. I did find a gobbler that was vocal after much coaxiing. The weather plained sucked! It was windy although was sunny. I did find a flock of 6 jakes and 1 2yr old Tom. I left and drove the 40 minutes to my norhter home as that was where I planned on staying for a few days. Took a nap after a late breakfast. Did a few chores and was back on the road scouting the county until dark. Did roost 1 Tom. Not a good day at all. I should have seen more. Friday - woke to high winds - man with me being mainly deaf this was not going to be easy. Did get 2 more birds to shock gobble but was seeing nothing but gobblin Jakes. Same routine back home, breakfast, nap, chores and then scout till dark. I learned a bit more than the day before. Was not all that much and I had yet to see a good Tom. Saturday the other two boys where to come or so I thought. Rained which turned into ice. Not good. Although one Tom sounded to my crucnhing foot steps. Found him by accident and he was not bad. But that was it! man the weekend before we found birds everywhere so I knew they where there ~ somewhere! Saturday evening one boy showed and we scouted a bit more. I was tired of seeing nothing but we found 3 flocks and at least now I had 3 places to start.
Sunday the last guy was up so we each went our separate way. I found the bird the night before and got a look at him ( was the one I shot). Scouted for back ups. The other boys struggled. Sunday night was a bit better and we each picked a place to hunt.
I tried to set-up my blind int he cedar swamp ahead of time but got caught by a Tom. For some reason he just started gobbling and I was far to close. So I just left my cart int he woods, which meant I had to set-up inthe dark and be realy realy early!
That is my cart minus the gun, vest and bird of which I just left.
Opening day.
I sneak in the woods without a light at all as the snow on the gorund gave me enough to see to navigate. Made it to my cart with no problem. Was about a 15 minute walk. I carefuly unloaded the cart and started to set up the blind, place the decoys, and settle in. Was 5:00 when I was done. I heard no tree talk nor heard no commotion ~ so far so good.
Poured my first cup of coffee and settled back to listen to the world wake up. At 5:40 am not a single gobble -nothing and it was light. Light enough in this cedar swamp that sat next to a cut corn field. I did not have permission to hunt the field. So I was 30 yards in from the best edge I could get too. It was the Sout eastern edge as I knew the birds used the east edge as that warms up quicker in the morning due to the sun.
At 5:50 am I am worried nothing - not even a goose or sandhill or crow. Screw it I called. Softly at first then went right into some cutting. Bang I at least woke up the sanhill cranes who answered me. Then it was a pair of Canadian geese and as I settled back waiting, sipping coffee, I thought I heard a far distant gobble. So I waited a bit and yelped into a bit of cutting again. Yep a gobble was at least the other side of the field. More than 80 acres away. Okay time to wait. Well he started looking for me. So I would yelp a bit just to get him to answer me again and shut up. I would wait until he gobbled again before I would call back. Some times I would wait till the second time. But it was slow going or at least it seemed like it. Then all went quiet. Looked at my watch and it was 6:05 - nothing. So I yelped as now I was out front which was not good. He did gobble once. So I yelped a bit more to a cut a bit to some clucks and waited! Thought I heard drumming but I am rather deaf. So I just leaf scratch a bit. Heard drumming closer and now saw the lead bird with a Jake strutter behind him. They run right up to Vern my strutter (Vern's tail has seen better days!)
Now I like my decoys close. Like no more than 10 yards in front of me. This picture taken from standing in front of my blind.
Anyhow the jakes come right in and the strutter stays with Vern strutting a whiel. Time is 6:10 am. The other Jake is cautious but does try to gobble when the strutting Jake gobbles. I had a show as I was not going to shoot that Jake. he had a stubby beard although his tail was symetrical. I decided to pass.
he gobbled several more times and then out in the field I hear yet another gobble which caused these two jakes to gobble even more! This went back and forth the next 5 or 6 minutes. The jakes in the decoy spread started to drift back into the swamp away from the field. I only keep a tiny slit for a window. However I did see this other Tom as he Gobbled again and did see he had a swinging beard. Man he he comes dead on now as he sees one of my hens. But he put the brakes on when he saw Vern my fake strutter! He gobbled standing behind the cedars moving slowing away in a circle. He was less than 30 yards but it was hard to see him. I told my self it I got the shot I was taking it. He made one wrong Zag and as he stepped out I let him have it. The Jakes putted but he dropped and started flopping. I grabbed the box call and started cutting and did stop the Jakes. But they soon walked off.
Time was 6:17 am and I was done.
Picture taken from the blind. Right under the words shot here on the left of that angled big tree is where he walked out. 28 yards with the finder.
Looking back at the blind from where I shot him.
JW