Well I headed down to Kentucky last Thursday evening to try and get my first bird out of state; I ended up Going to Veterans Memorial WMA. Well Friday morning I got up bright and early after driving through the night, was able to hear a few birds gobbling but not what I expected (colder temps may of had something to do with it). At about 9:00 A.M. I had one bird fire up in the distance so I moved in closer to try and pin point where he was at that point he had 3 others with him just letting loose. So after that encounter I figured I would try to get in the area first thing in the morning on Saturday to try and get an opening day bird. Well as I went out later that afternoon to do a little more scouting and try to put a bird to bed I ran into a few other people trying to do the same thing. As things would work I was talking to a few guys and one had planned on going to my spot in the morning so i told him what I heard that morning and told him good luck. Opening morning I ended up sitting a creek bottom and had a 3 jakes come on by but I decided to let them walk. Around 11:30 A.M. I had a bird fire up by me and started working away, so I let him work off in the distance then packed up and started to head towards where he went since it was the same way to the truck. Well I got on top of a big hill and let a call out and he cut me off. So I dropped all my things grabbed my bow and camera and worked half way down the hill behind a fallen tree, sure enough he gobbled again and was working his way up the hill across the holler from me. So I sat and watched him strut around for about 20 min then had a hen come in and take him the other direction. Saturday evening was quite and boring just seen a few hikers walking around. Sunday morning I heard a few birds gobbling but they all worked different directions, around 12:00 I heard one fire up and was working his way towards me just like I was hoping he would do the same thing he did the day before. Well after about 20 min of him working closer and closer he was about 150 yards away and I heard a shot, sure enough there happened to be a hunter in between me and him. Sunday evening was quite up until right at dark I ended up counting 7 birds flying up out of a holler about 100 yards away, one was gobbling his head off until after dark. So Monday morning I slipped in well before light and got within 50 yards of the roosted bird and sat down, but with my luck continuing he pitched down away from me and I watched him strut up and over a hill following a hen. So I sat the rest of the morning and things just didn’t end up working out. Even though the birds kicked my butt I ended up seeing plenty of them, and had a lot of fun. I can guarantee that I will be going back down there again next year.
Sounds like you had a pretty darn good hunt in my book. Short of fillin your tag of course, but a great hunt all the same. Hopefully lady luck will shine on you next year.
All in all I had a great time, would of been nice to fill a tag but its not always about the kill its about the experince. And being down in the woods having fun beats the heck out of being at work.
For how many close calls I had I dont know how it didnt work out, but for me its about the encounters not always the kills. Now i just gotta wait for are season in michigan to start up
