John W
Here is the image I got off the Android
Saturday, May 26, 2018, 14:36

I arose early this AM when my alarm started to play Good Morning Sunshine. What a way to get started. Soon the bigger of the two deaf white cats started to serenade and that din would wake up the dead.

I donned my hunting attire after it had been tick proofed with permethryn at the start of the season. Today would be the last day of both Connecticut and Massachusetts spring wild turkey season. So far it has been a washout as either I can't call in a bird or none show up.

I hopped into the Jeep Cherokee and headed south to a sleepy Connecticut town where I have been hunting for over thirty years. I arrived at the spot and then loaded up Dad's Browning Sweet 16 Lightweight. The gun has a thin tapered modified choke barrel which seems to point like a part of your body. I recall Dad telling me that he probably shot 100 deer in his life with that gun and not once did it jam up. Covered in ice, snow, rain which froze and it still cycled shot after shot. I recall the story of the blue jay. Dad was hunting near Hardwick Massachusetts, which is on the east side of the Quabbin Resevior region on central Massachusetts, and how it helped him get a big deer. He was still hunting through the hemlock swamps of the area and then heard a blue jay screaming. He looked at the jay and right below it at 70 yards was a big buck. A 16 gauge slug hit in the neck and down it went.

I lived on such stories as a child and learned little things like how other wildlife can help point out things that may go unnoticed

I started to walk uphill at the edge of the property. I was saying to myself," I need to come here one day with my gas powered weed trimmer and make a silent path up this hill". The top of this hill was a favorite for dad while deer hunting.

I slowly walked towards the edge of the property marked by a stone wall. Much of New England is covered in stone walls. The early settlers unearthed them and loaded them on a wooden sled called a stone boat. There is quite an eat to constructing them properly and there are miles and miles across the region. I sat down and made some calls on a homemade box call . I made hen yelps and purrs on a 10 to 15 minute interval.

In the woods, often I pray. I find I am closer to God in such a setting than in a Church, sad to say. It seems to be a place I can unwind and open my soul up, so to speak.

As I was doing this, I heard a gobble. It was pretty loud and determined it was on the edge of the field on posted land. I heard a hen yelp four times so I decided to mimic her. I made four yelps then a few soft purrs.

Approximately fifteen minutes passed when I looked and spotted a red head bobbing along the stone wall. I had Dad's Browning up against the sugar maple I was seated at. I like to seat myself up against a big tree. It breaks my outline as well as protects my back from a potential sound shooter.

As soon as the bobbing red head went behind a tree I grabbed my gun and raised it.

I saw the red bobbing head move along the stone wall and decided it was now or never.

I put the bead on the head and slowly squeezed the trigger in a rifle like fashion.

As the sear broke the internal hammer struck the firing pin and a loud din rang through the Windham County woods. It was 705 AM. The charge of No. 5 shot made by Fiocchi hit it just right. The bird went down but was flapping around.

I rushed over and grabbled the bird. I humanely dispatched it and thanked God for the gift of fresh meat.

I tagged it and then using my cell phone I called up fish and game to check it in. The days of check stations, at least in my area, are going the way of the passenger pigeon.

The next step was to walk back to the Jeep. I was very elated at my success.

On the way back I decided to celebrate a bit. I stopped at a fancy coffee shop and walked in wearing head to toe camo. I ordered a nice mocha latte and a bacon and cheese scone. Funny. A little girl curtseyed to me while at the shop. I guess she was impressed with my camo. It was one of those you had to be there moments. There are still good kids around.

All in all it was a good day. A nice ending to a long season.