Springtime In Vermont
 

I could hardly believe my ears this morning when the news reported that the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, where I will be sitting in camo at O'dark-thirty on Saturday morning, received over a foot of new snow yesterday. I guess the only camo I'll be wearing will be a white bedsheet :shock:

It should be a very interesting Vermont turkey opener to say the least.

Pictures Sunday night.

Good luck Dean. Our season opened today but a little thing called work got in the way. 5:00am Saturday the fun begins.

Dean it should melt quick. Highs for that area are predicted to be in the high 70's saturday.

I should be up visiting the boy's of our New Hampshire contigent Sunday with a morning spent in the turkey woods come Monday AM. A nice Parker NH will be the weapon of choice this trip.Work ain,t gettin in the way this time....:rolleyes:

Good Luck to everyone...

We have had frost/freeze warnings the last three nights. There was ice in the dogs water this am.

Turkey are everywhere however.

Why Dave.... that's so unlike you :biglaugh:

Ya...Good luck to you too.......Snowman......:biglaugh:

I telephoned Roy, the dairy farmer down the road from camp, last night and he told me there were eleven longbeards and twenty-four jakes that wintered over on his farm at the manure piles. Last weekend was the annual youth turkey-hunt and he had seven gobblers within earshot of him and his grandkids. Things didn't work out as he had hoped so he wants to try one particular spot again this Saturday and would I be good enough to allow him and the kids one more day where the hunters at my camp generally sit on the opener. (as I sit here typing a huge hen just flew down into my side yard ten feet from where I sit here at the window. Looking up into the oaks I count five more) Roy will come up to camp on Friday evening and we'll discuss plans for the following morning. He likes us and we like him and his hunting/farming family. I've known him since he was twelve (but he's a lot older than me now) and it's real nice to be able to call him a friend. No holds barred though on Sunday - the truce is off and we can hunt anywhere we want. There are plenty of longbeards for all and it should be a great hunt.

Good luck see you sunday!

I'm bringing my DH 12 F/F, my VHE 28 F/F, and my .410 Skeet-er just in case... :usa:

Really Dean? With the way you been shootin maybe you should borrow an 8 bore....:smiley7:

A head shot on a turkey is the next thing to rifle shooting. I think a 3" .410 loaded with #6 shot in a MOD tube at 25 yds. or less should put his lights out.

There you go thinking again.....asprin?:duck:

But ya gotta give him credit Rich.He keeps tryin that "Thinkin" thing.Failing miserably time after time.... after time....etc....etc...etc...I really think it's from all those years of livin in Taxachusetts....:shock:

It's a tough crowd tonight . . . .

SECURITY!!

Old Chinese proverb (you might hear this from your new chairman of the board) Thou shalt not attempt what one is ill equiped to accomplish. Dirty Harry said "A man has to know his limitations". take two Tylenol a wiskey and for gods sake stop that thinkin....you'll just get a headach:rotf:

I have been waiting for Sunday night and it has arrived way west of you now. Hope you had a good hunt and aren't falling asleep before posting some pics.

Cheers
Jack

Never took a shot Jack. For whatever reason wherever I was, the turkeys weren't.
Sunday at first light I had two gobblers respond to my calls from over a quarter mile away and I had them coming to me but to come into my field from the field they were in they had to cross a wide fencerow with heavy brush and trees. I had those birds pretty excited but when they got to the fencerow - POW!!
I think Roy and his grandson were set up there.
Andy, one of the guys on my camp took a big jake of about 18 lbs.
I knew I would draw a goose egg one of these seasons - good luck like I've had on turkeys doesn't go on forever.

Here's a couple of pictures as promised.

First is the cutover cornfield below camp where I sit back in the corner. It's the first place I sit. If there is no action here, I move on.

Next is Andy's jake.

Woodcock nest. Hen departed quickly but didn't go far.


.

That's hunting. Bet you had a good time anyway. What kind of call were you using? ch

Dean,
It looks like that snow didn't stick around for long. That's a beautiful piece of property you’re hunting. Sorry to hear you didn't get a bird but I’m sure you had a great time anyway.

It's amazing that the woodcock hen and her nest had over a foot of heavy wet snow on top of them just four days earlier...

Larry, that is one nice mature bird!! Have you weighed it yet?

Calvin, I favor the diaphragn calls for their versatility. I have three favorites but keep five with me for more variation. I have been known to use a glass and stick but I am not as good with one as with the diaphragms. I also use a shock-gobble to pull in those far-away birds.

Dean: Thanks for the pics. Every day afield is a pleasure and a bird is a bonus. Does this mean your table will be graced with a store bought turkey or .......

Cheers,
Jack

Come November 25th I hope to have a nice venison roast on the Thanksgiving table of plenty as the Vermont deer season opens Nov. 13th.

Dean I secretly had hoped you would have dropped a gobbler with the 410...just because it's a 410 (I know you would have used slugs but I wouldn't have told) and everyone thinks there not a field gun...rubbish I say:corn:

Maybe next time Rich. The places I sat required more firepower so I toted the heavy twenty-eight. The .410 is for 25 yds. or less and I didn't expect to bring one in that close. Give me credit for at least bringing it to camp :D

Dean,

If I'd have found a woodcock nest I'd have considered it a red letter day in life. Always wanted to see some of those little wooly heads but have never had the chance.


Destry

That's exactly how I felt Destry. What a treat to see that nest of chicks. I don't know if I said so earlier but both Andy and I each saw woodcock nests. I didn't have a camera so didn't get a picture. The picture I posted was from Andy's cell phone camera.