bluedog

Congratulations! I too am at the stage of my hunting career that I no longer shoot jakes EXCEPT I have always said that if a bird makes me work hard and puts on a good show, then I don't care if it is a jake or gobbler. You did good and had fun to boot! :)

My pruning shears. Forgot them yesterday while scouting and setting up a spot for first thing in the morning. It's a pain to try and prune small green bushes by hand.

I find it works well for me too. A couple times I have been working a reluctant gobbler. Quit calling, take a nap for 45 mins to an hour and the next call I make, they are close and come right in. Napping prevents me from calling too much and that is a good thing many times.

On my own land, generally it's knee high rubber boots with pants tucked in (land is flat and wet). If on dryer land, hiking boots or sneakers and pants over the top.

I found 8 sheds last year. 4 on the edge of the field near the woods 2 in the middle of the field 1 on a fenceline crossing between two fields 1 on a path that cuts through a bedding area

I use a combination. First a crazy creek chair. Obviously, not in blue like the picture. I bought mine years ago in camo, but I can't find another. But they make them in forest green and other colors. The chair is also nice for quick backpacking overnighters when you want comfort, but also save some weight because you can use it as a short but workable sleeping pad. Then I added a 2" foam seat to the mix. I've timed myself, with this set-up, I can sit for 30 minutes with my gun on my knee and not move one muscle except for my eyes. The only problem is that it is so comfortable that I can fall asleep in it. I'm sure I've missed some birds this way. LOL! Actually around my farm, we don't have a lot of big trees. The back on the chair makes it possible to set up in a clump of brush if needed and be stable and still and comfortable for the shot. Cabela's sells a similar chair by a different manufacturer. I know one person that has it and loves it. The bottom part is already thick foam so you wouldn't have to add anything.

(Early season (September/October) when the leaves are still on the trees, I use my Remington 870 20 gauge. Usually this time of year, I end up taking more running shots and can shoot one out of the tree branches even with the leaves. Also, I have to walk a large agricultural field to get to the woods where the squirrels are. In early season, doves are in season too. So I'll load the gun with 7 1/2's or 8's in case I flush out any doves while walking the field. Once I get to the woods, I'll switch to #6 shot. So I find the shotgun way more versatile in early season. As pointed out above though, it does take a little more effort to clean the squirrels afterwards. Once dove season is over and the leaves have fallen, I then switch to my .17 Savage. That is one sweet little gun.

Love the sweat pants and the barn boots. That sounds exactly like something I would do. LOL! Great story. Diane

Squirrel season runs through the end of January. Rabbit season runs through the end of February. If it's too snowy for either one of those, there is always cross country skiing. March starts the main shed hunting season. April/May is turkey hunting. Then it's time to concentrate on farming/raising chickens/etc. I've never done this before, but over the next few months, I might try my hand at this project:

I had it happen once last year. I was out dove hunting in the fall. I have a dog that loves running willy nilly through the standing corn so I was walking a narrow grassy lane between a line of trees and corn field and shooting at the doves that the dog would flush out of the corn field. The dog got out of hearing distance for a couple minutes when I hear the sound of something running through the dry corn stalks toward me. As it came closer, I realized that it was much too big to be the dog. Next thing I know this 6 point buck busts out of the cornfield about 10 feet away from me and he was at a dead run. I only saw him for a brief second as he crossed the grassy path that I was standing on and then ran through the line of trees. That would have REALLY hurt if had actually barrelled into me. Fortunately my dog has no interest in running deer so after she jumped the deer, she just kept doing her thing in the corn field.

One of the best posts ever! Thanks for sharing!

I am also a wife whose husband kept asking to go hunting and finally said yes. Maybe some things from my story might help (or not, LOL!). I grew up in a big city suburb with no exposure to hunting although my dad fished a lot. Married a farm boy. He kept asking me to go along on the annual family deer outing during Ohio's deer gun season. After about 7 years, I finally said yes. Now I did like the outdoors and had quite a bit of experience hiking, backpacking and camping. In fact I LOVED to hike through the woods. I had ZERO interest in ever learning how to shoot a gun. This is how it went. Year 1: Went and sat with my husband all day on opening day. In Ohio, I couldn't do anything to help because I didn't have a license. Thought it was boring just sitting there (remember I love to hike). Year 2: Took the hunter's safety course so I could buy a license and actually help with the hunt. That was comical. A thirty-something year old woman and a whole bunch of 10-12 year old boys and their dads learning all about guns that I knew I was never going to shoot. That year during deer season I sat with my husband first thing and last thing, but the middle of the day I spent slowly hiking through the nearby thickets to do slow push of deer. Did some bird watching and sitting and just enjoying myself in the woods and I didn't have to sit still so I was happy. I pushed a doe to my brother-in-law that he shot and I was all excited that I got to help. Year 3 same as the previous year. Year 4 Something made me buy a gun and learn to shoot. I don't really remember what it was. I didn't shoot a deer this year, but I did carry a gun. Year 5 Started turkey hunting. This is where I REALLY started learning to sit still and love it. Shot my first turkey. Then that fall shot my first deer and the rest is history. Year 6-13 evolving as a turkey and deer hunter. Now going after dove and rabbit too. I now spend more time in the field than my husband who grew up hunting. LOL! Oh how things change. Hope your wife has fun! This hunting stuff can sure be addictive.

Good luck in your journey. I grew up a city kid, but was introduced to deer hunting (by tagging along with someone else when I was in my mid thirties). Took my hunter safety course at age 38 and finally at age 40 I shot my first deer. Now at age 47 I am addicted. LOL! Oh I talked to a few people about this and that, but most of what I've learned has been just getting out in the woods and learning myself. It is a great journey that for me has only just begun. I am still learning. Good luck to you. You will not regret any moment you spend in the woods by yourself or with your kids.

I am looking forward to our fall season this year. I've only been out a couple of times in past years with no turkeys, but one very close call. Very exciting! In past years, fall turkey was 14 day gun season and then archery only until the end of November. This year for the first time, we can use a gun the whole 7 week season. Yay!!!! I do admit thought, that while I will spring turkey hunt in any kind of nasty miserable snow, wind, rain whatever, I am a fair weather fall turkey hunter. I just love sittin' in the woods on a sunny fall day. Nothin' better! Even better is fall season is all day (instead of noon like in the spring). This means I can sneak out after work during the week sometimes.

My feelings exactly. Getting my friend's son a turkey this year was one of my goals that went unfulfilled. We also had some great hunts, but as often happens in turkey hunting, things just didn't work out. As for myself, the season was long and hard. I spent over 60 hours in the field which is a lot for me. The second day of the season I had an old gobbler give me one gobble before sneaking up behind me. I got partially turned and came oh so close to getting in position for a shot. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. LOL! I kept to my plan to not shoot any jakes (personal choice). This became harder and harder as the season progressed, but in the end, I stuck to it. Over the weeks, I had 5 different jakes in range, but let them walk. Looking forward to hunting some of those crazy two year old gobblers that can be oh so fun ..... next year. Long story which I won't tell here, but I missed two gobblers on the same morning on what should have been a sure thing hunt. I don't miss often, but this wasn't the first time. It was however the most emotional hunt of my life, but I learned so much about myself and why I turkey hunt. Took my best spurred gobbler to date (both 1 1/8") at 9:54am on the last day of the season. Sat in the pouring rain for 4 hours to get that bird. It was a great season.

That is awesome! congratulations!

I just found this website this morning while surfing the "net". If I remember correctly, it said that near 100% of adult hens and 80% of juvenile hens will nest in the spring. Of course as you've mentioned, not all nests are successful. Anyway, some interesting findings from various research. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfw_turkey_learning_kit.htm

Girl power! I love it! Fantastic story! A big congratulations is in order! Diane

30 yards for me. I'm another one that loves that saying about "it's not about how far, but how close". I love it when they close up and personal.

I call in jakes quite a bit too, but 9 times out of 10 they come in silent. In general, I let the youngin's walk, but if a jake wants to gobble and put on a good show then I will take a jake. Who knows why turkeys do what they do? LOL! I've been hunting turkeys for 9 or 10 years. I hunt a lot in the rain and to this day, I have never seen a mature gobbler in a field on a rainy day. Lots of hens and jakes, just no gobblers. Isn't the convential wisdom to hunt fields in the rain? Only the turkeys know why they do what they do.

Thanks for the info! I've been waffling over the s3, s5, sx100. I've just heard so much good about the s3 from you and others that I think that is the way I will go. The reviews on the s5 don't sound like it was all that much of an upgrade so since I can get the s3 through Amazon, I will save the $40 and get that one. Thanks all!

Thanks for the link smallmunster. I've actually been to that site reviewing my choices over and over and over. LOL! And SuperMn106, thanks for your comments about the s3. The s3 and sx100 are very similar in price and I've also thought about going with the s3. The pluses of the s3: better flash (17ft vs 9.8ft), 12X optical zoom (vs 10X on the sx100), I think you can zoom in during movie clips which you cannot do on the sx100, and has a viewfinder (the sx100 just has the LCD screen). The pluses of the sx100: 8 megapixels (vs 6 on the s3), better LCD screen, smaller, lighter weight, takes SDHC cards along with SD and MMC, uses Canon's new Digic III processor. There are a few other differences that don't mean much to me. The smaller size is really steering me toward the sx100. I guess what it comes down to is that as soon as a buy a camera, I'll find something better and cheaper out there. LOL! Ahhhhh, such is the facts of buying electronics in this day and age. ;)

Is anyone using a Canon sx100? I've pretty much decided to get a Canon (uses sd cards and AA batteries instead of proprietary cards like Sony or proprietary batteries). I've looked at the sx100, the newer s5 as well as the older model s3. The sx100 is close to $100 cheaper than the s5 and I really wanted to stay under $300, but might convinced to bump up a bit if I knew the s5 was THAT much better for my needs. I know the s5 has some better features, but most of the features seem very similar. The biggest reasons I am leaning toward the sx100 is smaller price tag and also the smaller size (I want something I can take backpacking too). Any comments? thanks!

Oh and in case anyone is really on the ball, the time stamp on my picture is one hour off. Never switched the camera when the time changed. Dang I wish it was still light outside at 5:45pm.

I use the photobucket site for hosting my pictures and they recommend 640 X 480 for message boards so that's what I do. That website makes re-sizing for posting on message boards VERY easy.