Recap of the Pa opening day Saturday 4/27/13.
Ok first off the place I hunting is a place I know well.. I've been checking it out the last month and the owner said they have been seeing turkey in the back corn field every day or so.. So I've checked it out a few times and saw sign and birds. The last two times I've been there the week before the season opened, I saw birds and that was the last half hour of day light. So the birds had to be roosting close by.
So I decided to go in Friday night and use my blind as my shelter (I do this a lot hunting spring birds in NY state) and stay over night. I didn't need very much extra gear. A bag, a sleep pad and a little extra water and food. It was one night and you can only hunt till noon the first two weeks in the Pa spring season. Friday night I moved in to were I thought would be a good spot to start the morning out. I did not see or hear a bird Friday night. I did get there a little later than i wanted to "but" it is what it is.. I keep myself busy reading till bed time about 10.
So morning comes, I'm up at about 5 and it's all quite till about 6am. That's when I heard my first gobble out about 250 yds. I then heard quit a bit of gobbling 4-500yds out. But not to close.. The first thing I saw was three deer. It must of been about 730 when I heard a gobble close by. Then about 15 mins later I see a bird out of the corner of my eye. I gab my binnos and their is more than one bird 3 big one's 2 jake's and 4 hens. They came by a 60 yds and walked away out of site. About 30 mins later a lone tom starts working his way toward me. He came to 30 yds and the hens started sounding off from where he came from and he turned and started back the way he came from out of site again.
Ok maybe a hour later birds are sounding off from the west of me. A short time later I see him and he coming in. He's Following 3 hens and a lone jake. Hes 100yds out,, but closing the distant. 15 mins later he with in 20 yds. But not a clear shot. He finally walks out in a clearing 17 yds from me. Easy shot!
But for one thing,,, one of the other bird must of saw me draw back. He turns and all the birds start walking away fast and out of view. That was the last time I saw a bird. But I did still hear birds gobbling. One was pretty close.. But none would come in. At 11 o'clock I had to go. Had orders from Julie be home for a b-day party we had to go to. One more thing,,, I did have a hen and a jake decoy out about 7 yds from the blind.. Ed