21April- I wake up motivated to hunt the gobbler I named Joker. Any gobbler that whups me, gets a name and put on my "most wanted" list. When I step outside I'm surprised. It rained, it's cold, and I missed it on the weather report. But I wanna hunt, and so off to Slim Ridge I go. It's a miserable morning, compounded by the fact that I did not dress warmly enough, simply grabbed my hot weather stuff and headed out. I can't sit more than 15 minutes before I begin to shiver, it drizzles briefly twice, the wind comes up, and I'm plain miserable. By 9:00AM I've had it, and head home.
22April- Determined not to have a repeat of yesterday, I dress in fleece this morning and head back to Slim Ridge. It's cold, but bright and sunny, and little wind. I sit up on the gravel road for about an hour at dawn, no telling which side the old bird could have roosted. Hearing nothing, I decide to drop off to the N., as I've heard him on that side twice previously. The easiest way down is the logging road he busted me on Tuesday. I figure I'll throw the old boy a curve ball.
He's probably heard lots of calling from that spot, and I certainly spooked him there just two days ago. I walk back E. about 1/4 mile, and ever so carefully pick my way down off the bluff through the rocks, to arrive further over on the hollow floor. There I fashion a simple hide with a few saplings I clip, thrusting them vertically in the ground at my feet. It's 8:00AM. A relatively open white oak flat is ahead of me and I like my set up. I begin calling lightly, every 15-20 minutes, not to loud, not too much. So I think anyhow, but I hear not a peep from a turkey!
I stay 'till 10:30, completely comfortable in
my layer of fleece, it's a pretty morning. Highlight of the day happens about 9:00AM. Three deer pick their way along the flat, and as they close, it's clear all are bucks, displaying the first of their summer antler growth at the swelled pedicles where the antlers begin. One is clearly much larger than the other two, and they all continue to close, the lead two passing by a just 4-5 yds. The trailing larger deer veers off slightly and comes right at me, stops at my feet, and stretches out to take a bite of the leaves on my improvised blind
. At the absolute last moment, he realizes somethings not right, and bounces backward about 10 ft or so. I likely could have bonked him on the nose with my shotgun barrel
My camo set up is working pretty good! With a wave of my hand, I run them all off. I see three other deer that morning as well. It'd be hard to get a deer out of here, but I need to remember this little white oak flat next deer season.
23April- A long time friend calls the evening before, he needs a ride to the doc's office this morning, and we spend the day together, do lunch, and swap stories.
24April-It rans overnight and into the morning, and I sleep in 'till 10:00AM