It was our annual Cast and Blast weekend. Two buddies and I always try to get together at least once during turkey season and spend a couple days chasing the birds and fishing. 3 days of nothing but hunting and fishing is tough to beat. Friday morning I decided to go back to a spot where the previous year I had hit a turkey with bow but never did find it. Thought I could use a little redemption, but this time decided to start with the gun first. Headed out and got the blind all set up in a pasture with timber to the south by 5 and sat back to take a short rest before they started to gobble. Owl sounds off at 5:15 and I am greeted by 2 gobbles and they are pretty close. Forget the short nap. By 5:40 I am hearing a lot of gobbles and they are all fairly close and I can see birds in the trees. My buddy who decided to hunt the same pasture but in a different area sends me a text to let me know he can hear all of them sounding off and is mad he didn't sit with me. 3 hens pitch out and land just behind the blind, I am thinking this could be a quick hunt. Never happens that way with me, but I was hoping. Look to my left and in the valley about 100 yards away they are funneling out of the timber. Bird after bird. At one time I counted 28 birds in the pasture with 4 toms that are puffed out, all off to my left about 100 yards out. Just happen to look back in front of me and what is there, mr. coyote at about 15 yards. Never spooks but he decides he also would like some gobbage!!!! The stalk is on. Birds see him, some fly back to the trees on the edge and the rest go back from where they started. My heart sinks. What looked so promising, is now looking bleak. Just sit back and watch now. After about 15 minutes though after the coyote left, they come right back onto the field. Toms are battling a little, watched 1 tom breed a couple different hens. And they keep gobbling but want nothing to do with my calling or decoys. This goes on until 7:45 and then they decide to filter back into the timber. You have got to be kidding me, but I happen to look back over the hill and see 2 toms looking at my decoys and I can tell they are coming from 150 yards. As I am watching them a couple of hens start walking in front of the blind, never knew they were behind me as they were just over the crest of the hill behind the blind. Before I know it I have 7 hens right in front of me watching. I know the toms are definitely committed now as they have 7 hens waiting for them. I just wait, trying to figure out what window they are coming too. Finally I see red head and then another. At 15 yards they double gobble. One starts strutting, and the other sticks his head up. Mistake, he volunteered for a face full of #5. Left spur 7/8", right 1", 10" beard, 24.5 lb bird. Needless to say I went back on Saturday with the bow thinking it would be another slam dunk. Saw 2 birds and nothing close. Thats hunting for you. For the weekend, everyone tagged a bird. Lots of laughs, memories, and great friends.
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