Post by Clint Bryant on Jan 5, 2010 12:46:07 GMT -5
One Spring evening about 10 years ago, I heard a Gobbler go to roost in an area I know very well. It was private land and I was the only one who had permission to hunt there.
When I got home, I had the super bright idea of asking my Wife Debbie to go with me the next morning. Now Debbie doesn't hunt, but every once in a while she will go with me. I have never killed nothing but time when she was along.
The next morning we stumbled through the dark without flashlights, to within about 90 yards of where the Gobbler was roosted. In the Dark I put out two decoys about 20 yards in front of me, in a known strut area.
I put Debbie behind me maybe 5 yards away and told her get comfortable and don't move nothing but your eyes. I had her dressed in full camo, including head net and gloves.
When the woods started turning light, the Gobbler started Gobbling. I felt that he could see the decoys and I didn't hear any hens calling. I waited until within what I thought was with in 10 minutes of fly down time and I gave a Cackle call. The Gobbler went nuts and was double and triple Gobbling. I made one last call using the old I'm hot purring call. Then I made the biggest mistake that a Hunter can make. I told myself "This is perfect, I am going to kill this bird". Now I can set back and say, you big dummy, every hunter knows that what can happen will happen and don't count it dead until it's in the freezer.
So here I am busting open with pride and confidence, my 870 on knee, waiting for the bird to fly down and into my freezer. Then it happened. Debbie coughed, as to clear her throat. Not another peep from the bird and he sailed directly away from us.
Now the rest of this story goes like this, it is engraved in my brain until I die.
I turned around and said " What did you do that for?"
Debbie "Do what?"
Me "You coughed"
Debbie "So"
Me "You can't do that"
Debbie "Why not"
Me "Cause you scared the bird off"
Debbie "I didn't cough that loud"
Me "Turkeys hear better than people"
Debbie "Well, you didn't tell me I couldn't cough"
God bless her and I Love her for putting up with me for 34 years.
When I got home, I had the super bright idea of asking my Wife Debbie to go with me the next morning. Now Debbie doesn't hunt, but every once in a while she will go with me. I have never killed nothing but time when she was along.
The next morning we stumbled through the dark without flashlights, to within about 90 yards of where the Gobbler was roosted. In the Dark I put out two decoys about 20 yards in front of me, in a known strut area.
I put Debbie behind me maybe 5 yards away and told her get comfortable and don't move nothing but your eyes. I had her dressed in full camo, including head net and gloves.
When the woods started turning light, the Gobbler started Gobbling. I felt that he could see the decoys and I didn't hear any hens calling. I waited until within what I thought was with in 10 minutes of fly down time and I gave a Cackle call. The Gobbler went nuts and was double and triple Gobbling. I made one last call using the old I'm hot purring call. Then I made the biggest mistake that a Hunter can make. I told myself "This is perfect, I am going to kill this bird". Now I can set back and say, you big dummy, every hunter knows that what can happen will happen and don't count it dead until it's in the freezer.
So here I am busting open with pride and confidence, my 870 on knee, waiting for the bird to fly down and into my freezer. Then it happened. Debbie coughed, as to clear her throat. Not another peep from the bird and he sailed directly away from us.
Now the rest of this story goes like this, it is engraved in my brain until I die.
I turned around and said " What did you do that for?"
Debbie "Do what?"
Me "You coughed"
Debbie "So"
Me "You can't do that"
Debbie "Why not"
Me "Cause you scared the bird off"
Debbie "I didn't cough that loud"
Me "Turkeys hear better than people"
Debbie "Well, you didn't tell me I couldn't cough"
God bless her and I Love her for putting up with me for 34 years.
.