# Some Days In The Woods You're The Nail, But Today, We Were The Hammer!



## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

It's not often things work out as well as they did today in the woods - perfect weather, good company, cooperative birds, and some notched tags to boot!

I started my morning on an obscure section of state land, and was greeted with a season's worth of gobbles from 545 till dawn. As is customary for me in all my fidgity wisdom, I sat against not one, but 4 "perfect" trees, each dangerously closer and with much more daylight to the roost before finally settling in for the arduous, 20 minute wait on my gobbling foes.

I was set aproximately 75 yards down in a saddle from the crest of a ridge, which the toms were gobbling their fool heads off on the other side. I REALLY wanted to get to my 5th perfect tree within 50 of the crest, but the fast approaching tandem on the other side wouldn't stop their incessant hollering at everything, from my hen impressions to the blue jays and wood ducks, proving once and for all they were the loudest thing in our section.

As the toms crested the ridge at Mach 2 towards me they did what all turkeys do at this point which is stop, feeling the aura of the maximum range of whatever weapon one holds (it changes), and break into full strut, gobbling at each other and me and the mice and tree frogs until I feared they'd pass out from lack of oxygen.

"Insanity can be defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.". Well, I just so happened to be clinically insane for a period of 20 minutes or so, because I continued to employ the same soft calling tactics, for fear of being pinpointed in the open rolling timber. The toms happily obliged to tell me I was stupid from their 75 yard bubble over and over.

Right before my short fuse of patience burns to the "do something totally outrageous" end, it hits a section of "try something different you moron". Sometimes I take heed.

I ramped up my calling and got aggressive. The birds almost immediately broke from their puffy glory and came right down the saddle.

The TSS duplex handload I have dubbed the "Hornet's Nest" unleashed it's fatal sting on the tom unlucky enough to offer the first unobstructed flight path.










Of course, the next absolute in turkey hunting uneven terrain is a shot bird must cartwheel with cinematic exaggeration to the lowest elevation in the area. My tom continued to hold true to form.










I was happy to carry the fine bird over the hills to the truck.










I then kicked up dust to a private piece my Dad was hunting. He was trying to kill a bird with his recurve. I repeat - trying. He had missed 3 times the two jakes that were pummeling my lawn ornament aka Dave Smith strutter. I didn't have to tell him to put a tent over his circus, because he was already in one, and captured everything on film.

I snuck to his location and handed him my gun.

I've never shot with a red dot" he said. "How does it work?"

"Put dot on turkey face. Pull trigger. Repeat if necessary" I told him. "It's not rocket science, and I'm quite sure it'd be impossible for you to miss anymore today".

3 strutters entered the field with a half dozen hens. I called from behind the blind and they would gobble, but wouldn't leave the hens. I decided to lay down and take a nap in the sun for a while. "Tell me if they go anywhere" I told him. Shortly thereafter my buddy Adam, whom was going to join us when his prospects didn't pan out, texted a picture of his successful hunt and told me he was on the way for celebration. "Better get a move on Dad..."

30 minutes later the birds crossed a fencerow into another field. I then heard the hens yelping. I quickly cut them off, knowing it was futile to try to appeal to the toms, I decided to aggravate the hens.

It worked, and they ever so slowly worked into range. 4 misses in a day proved impossible, and it was nice to see a bird flop on flat ground.









Adam joined us shortly thereafter and we celebrated a great day in the turkey woods together!


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## Gobblerman (Dec 19, 2004)

Awesome and congrats on a very fine day in the turkey woods!

FYI - 2 Gobblers bit the dust in Missouri using Nature’s Echo calls to bring them in.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Time in the woods to hunt after homework was done....patience,art, and grace. 
Well ,you had one of those four things down.

Great telling ,as always. Quite the morning hunting big stinky birds , well told.
Congrats all!


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## MISTURN3 (Jan 3, 2012)

Heck of a tale. Can picture a lot of it. Thanks and congrats!!


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

One of life's days to be treasured. Congrats to all!


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## Ol Tom Killa (Jan 16, 2011)

Nice job... And good story. I had to look twice at the poster cuz I thought it was d-rek...


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## pike man (Feb 21, 2006)

Congratulations !


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

Congratulations Jason!!!! Couldn't paint a better morning


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## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

That day right there's an Old Milwaukee commercial. Big Congrats to you all.


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## Playin' Hooky (Aug 29, 2002)

Well done all--even dad!.


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

Very nicely done.


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## Ack (Oct 3, 2004)

Great write-up, and congrats to all!


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## NATTY BUMPO (May 12, 2001)

BIG Congrats. Most excellent story and pics on a beautiful day in the Spring woods.


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## nafc2005 (Jun 11, 2008)

Great story. Even better story telling. You made my morning. Thanks and congrats.


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## turkeyslayer1 (Feb 28, 2015)

Congratulations, and great story and pictures. Love it when a plan comes together!


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## WMU05 (Oct 16, 2004)

Well done Jason. I'm digging the picture of the three birds on the shed. 

Congrats brother!


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## Sprytle (Jan 8, 2005)

Great day Great birds! Congrats! Nice job guys


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)




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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

Great story & pics! Thank you for sharing this with all of us! Woooooooooot!


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## BWHUNTR (Oct 3, 2008)

Nicely done Jason, outstanding!


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

You wordsmith you!


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

QDMAMAN said:


> You wordsmith you!



Wordsmith... pfffffffffffft!

I typed that on my phone and found it irritatingly sub-par. Lol. 

It was just easier to upload pictures so i sacrificed story for pics. That's all anyone looks at anyways


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## williewater99 (Sep 8, 2000)

Great job, Jason! Congrats to you, Adam, and Pops!


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## DoJigger (Dec 30, 2010)

Nice read, congrats on the harvest ...


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## tsb3 (Dec 31, 2013)

Congratulations FF!! You painted a great picture of what many of us go thru on our hunts.


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

Firefighter said:


> Wordsmith... pfffffffffffft!
> 
> I typed that on my phone and found it irritatingly sub-par. Lol.
> 
> It was just easier to upload pictures so i sacrificed story for pics. That's all anyone looks at anyways


You may be right. The bloody leaves excited me.


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