# Turkey and trout



## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

I had not had any time at all this year to scout for my early turkey hunt. I honestly didn't expect to even get out and hunt. We woke on Saturday and dressed for a funeral, loaded the fam in the car and drove over the mountain. Watching two hens cross the road in front of me really got me thinking about the hunt. My wife gave me a pass to hunt Sunday morning.

I went up the mountain to where I saw the hens the morning before. With my brother on my heels, we shouldered our packs and started hiking up a draw through some clearings listening for activity. We heard nothing. All the way to the top. A bit discouraged, and out of breath, we decided to hit the eastern ridge and take a look into the next draw. The area was perfect, with some nice oak clumps in the clearings surrounded by tall pine and aspen. I hit my gobbler call, and received a response from all the way down in the bottom. That tom didn't know it, but he was already dead!

We sat down in a clump of oak, broke out the inflatable decoys and had a spread of 3 hens and 1 jake on the hillside. My brother used the box-call while I sat below him with my reed. Together, we started talking to at least 3 different toms below us. They were moving in fast. Soon enough, the first tom rounded the corner of oak below me strutting his stuff. While the bird was behind the trunk of an oak, I cautiously raised my shotgun, and waited. He was working right towards the first two decoys (jake/hen), cleared the tree branches, and raised his head. Boom!

He did a few backflips down the hill, busting up a couple tail feathers. Oh well. It was fun! My first Merriam's -- all my past birds have been Rio's -- and that's what I wanted!

Damnit. How come we left the GoPro camera at home (talk about the perfect time to use it!!)? How come neither of us brought any camera at all? Oh well. I've got my phone at the truck:










After I got home, it was time to get the boat ready. Once the wife and kids got home from church, we were heading out for some true religion!

While fishing wasn't exactly HOT, it was still fun to get the girls out fishing. Not a bad day, even if it was Sunday!


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## bwhntr (Sep 12, 2007)

Nice!!!


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Outstanding!


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## birdman (Nov 21, 2007)

That's a good day. Congrats.


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

Congrats! What a wonderful day for you and your family!


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

8)


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Cool, congrats and nice post.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

congrats on the bird and that my kinda of church.


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## mycoltbug (Jan 21, 2013)

Way jealous of you man. I spent 4 hard days of hunting and didn't end up getting one this season. Oh well that happens.


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