Hunter: Larry Steward
Animal: Turkey - 20 1/2 lbs, 11" Beard, 1" Spurs
Location: Illinois
Weapon: 12 Gauge Shotgun

Well this is with out a doubt the most unprepared we have ever been for turkey season. I've been to Florida trying to kill an Osceola, Busy at my clinic and just flat out haven't put in the time I should have. Dad's schedule has been no different. So as 1st season opened we were a little confused. But we weren't going to stay at the house. We decided on a farm we have historically had luck at in the past. We had basically two fields to choose from. One field had the only blind we've got out in it and the other field was one our trusties. So when we arrived at the farm we were basically going to flip a coin and choose which direction we went. You probably think we took the logical route and went to the blind, right?....wrong!  We should have! Because the field we chose only had 3 hens and the blind field...yep you guessed it, had strutters pitch down into it and walk all around the blind. We just watched and laughed as we knew it was our own fault.
   
    Now this is where it gets interesting. We knew that our schedules weren't going to slow down any until 3rd season rolled around, So we came up with the brain scheme of using the technology that we use daily for whitetails. We put out a Reconyx camera to do the scouting for us! I mean hey, it's a "GAME" camera right, not a deer-camera. I wanted to know 3 things:

    1- if these gobblers were using this field regularly

    2- what time of day are they mostly there (do they pitch down straight into the field or do they hang out and grab lunch there)

    3- where in the field are they? Are they boom stick distance from the blind, using the hill as a strut zone or are they hugging tight to the timber to stay cool since we have been having an unusually warm spring.

    This was all the master plan we had schemed up, but like I said we have been crazy busy and didn't even have time to check our camera to get our MRI off of it. So we made time to go out and try to roost a bird before our 3rd season opener. And man am I glad we did, we had one lone gobble, and it was right over our blind. So our excitement for the next mornings hunt was high.

    And if you are reading this you probably have already figured out the morning turned out the way we wanted it to! It was a classic spring hunt. We got there just as day was breaking. We stuck out the new "Flocked" King Strut and "Flocked" Feather Flex along with a breeding Shady Lady. The hens pitched out with a gobbler to the back of our blind leaving another gobbler by himself still in the timber. Putting us between him and the rest of his girlfriends with another "playa." You couldn't write a hunt anymore perfect than this. He worked straight into the field and directly to Mr Strut! His last morning was short lived as the Ol' Man shot him in the face!

    But the real excitement came as we checked to see if our master minded camera trick worked. WOW, was all I can say about the pics we got. The plan worked and got some of the best turkey pics I've ever seen. and man Do i wish I was sitting in that blind on a few of those days.  With all these gobblers still livin' large on this farm, and me too with a 3rd season tag I've got a decision to make. Check the journal tomorrow if we make the right decision.........

    To be Continued..
  Bric

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