PA season

[ng270]

Well, I don't post here often, but I do read often, especially since your season opens before ours; I get my pre-season "fix" by reading your success stories. Thanks to all of you for that! :)

My daughter and I were down for your youth season, but didn't do well in the snow. Heard one tom mid-morning on Saturday, but with two kids, a cameraman, and myself, we managed to booger the bird while setting up. :rolleyes:

Anyway, back home in PA, we had a good year for hearing birds, but came up short in the tag-filling department more times than I care to confess. I did manage to kill one longbeard on film on public land the third week of our four week season. We had hunted this bird the day before, he had hens roosted very close to him, and they took him away from us. When we heard him the next morning, he was in the same place, and even though we didn't hear hens, we got as close as we dared, then I tried to be the first "hen" to talk. He only gobbled four times on the roost, then went quiet and did not gobble on the ground. However, a hen started talking, and I yucked it up with her for fifteen to twenty minutes while she led the flock (4 or so hens, two jakes, and the tom) to us. Got nice, over the shoulder footage of the kill.

A still from the video of tom in his last strut:
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g262/ng270/strutter.jpg

And a grip n grin:
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g262/ng270/gripnresize.jpg

20 lb 4 oz, 10 1/2" beard, 3/4" spurs. I wound up with tag soup for my second tag. No matter though, it was a great season, and there ain't much that beats time spent in the woods with good friends.

Here's one of my best pics gleaned from the turkey woods this spring.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g262/ng270/5-22-2007grousechickresize.jpg

Thanks for sharing your board with a nonrez like me!

[turkeyfan]

I really like the over the shoulder picture and thanks for sharing your story.

[big300mag]

Great bird! Congrats! I hope you experience some better luck the next time you come south to hunt.

[UKturkeyhunter]

Great Bird and Great pictures!!

[buckfever]

Congrats Neil. Super story and pics. What's kind of bird is that? Was Momma squawking at ya?


Give my best to everyone.

[ng270]

Thanks all.

It's a grouse. I would not have seen it if mom hadn't come at me doing her best linebacker impersonation, complete with lots of squawking and carrying on. Got to looking around a bit and there were several of these little ones hustling for cover. This one apparently believed his camo was pretty good. (And it was, I just happened to see where he stopped.) I've found grouse chicks before but it amazes me everytime how something that young and small can be so quick on their feet.

Will do, buck, and hope you and yours have a great summer!

[tex]

Thats a pretty bird. Congrats! I didn't go this year, due to the fact that they keep getting in the garden, and in the back yard. They like the places where I have killed the fescue, and planted native grasses. They also like where the fescue is eradicated, and I let weeds take over. It's disheartening to hunt all day, then come home and run them from the garden.

Don't mean to hijack, but did you draw any where this year, UT maybe?

[turk2di]

Nice story & pics. Glad u visit here.

[ng270]

Tex:

Sorry I'm slow replying; was on the OBX last week.

No draw yet for me this year, just a couple of small donations to various fish and game departments. Only things left for me this year are PA & KY elk which are both LONG odds, so looks like I'll be "just" chasing whiteys again this year (I'm not complaining though! :D). You draw anything?