Reminds me of yesterday, rushed the shot, but there's something we can both take from that.Adam said:I freaking missed. Ugggg! First shot in over 2 years on a strutter that I called in with 6 hens and 2 other time and I make a rookie mistake by rushing the shot and not making him break out of strut!! I'm sick to my stomach! 30 yards was close enough but they were coming closer too. This is gonna hurt for a while. He was a beast!
Been there and done that. I remember missing a big Tom in WVa once about 30 years ago at 10 yards with a shotgun.Adam said:I freaking missed. Ugggg! First shot in over 2 years on a strutter that I called in with 6 hens and 2 other time and I make a rookie mistake by rushing the shot and not making him break out of strut!! I'm sick to my stomach! 30 yards was close enough but they were coming closer too. This is gonna hurt for a while. He was a beast!
Man......did the exact same thing 2 years ago. Just got tooooo excited and anxious after not having a good chance for a long time. I know the feeling Adam. Just reading your story make me weak understanding clearly how much effort you put into this. What I will tell you is that while the rest of my 'miss season' didn't end in victory, I did learn a little bit about myself as a turkey hunter. I didn't all it to shake me so much that it slowed me down. Instead I beared down and hunted hard every day to the bitter end. Let it motivate you to become a better hunter rather then tear you down. That's all up to you! Congrats on turning the tide brother....now stay on them. If that was a clean miss he'll be back.Adam said:I freaking missed. Ugggg! First shot in over 2 years on a strutter that I called in with 6 hens and 2 other time and I make a rookie mistake by rushing the shot and not making him break out of strut!! I'm sick to my stomach! 30 yards was close enough but they were coming closer too. This is gonna hurt for a while. He was a beast!
The early spring combined with our already late season is making for some tough hunting in many areas of the state.TurkeyMike said:They are acting like its June though. Has me wondering if the early spring didn't have them on hens early and they are shutting down now. Or if they are that henned up still. Just cant tell.
Ha, you sound like me. I decided to set up an ambush at the top of a hill on a field edge where I always see a couple unresponsive longbeards strutting. They never respond, always with hens. But they're there most mornings.TurkeyMike said:These birds have me scratching my head. LOL yesterday had 3 going nuts on the roost and after fly down. Had to leave for work but knew how I needed to set up for today. Got in there before light and didn't call or anything. NOTHING. Heard one about 250 yards behind me. It was light so I decided to do a few tree calls after the crows went off. NOTHING. A hen fires up behind me and was cutting and yelping and not a bird to be heard. I got out of there and did spot checks on a few areas. Nobody home.
This is just one TOUGH year. I started off slamming and the birds were hot, but nothing even close to hot since the second day of the season. Oh well. At it again tomorrow. I am off because of the wedding and will be out until 8 or so if I can. Then get kids ready and let my wife get ready. No Saturday for me.
Calling for rain tomorrow but I am not going to miss with an extra hour or so to hunt.
WE just gotta keep after them boys. I know ill catch a lonely one sometime. They are acting like its June though. Has me wondering if the early spring didn't have them on hens early and they are shutting down now. Or if they are that henned up still. Just cant tell. Who knows but all I can do is keep going out. I have to get on at least one more dumb one. LOL