3:08 am Out of bed, make coffee, shower, take an incredible amount of camo clothing to truck.
4:02 am Leave house to meet our friend and guide for the morning, Peter.
4:12 am "Got your license?" Turn around, go home, get license. At least we were only 10 miles away and not 30.
4:45 am Meet up with Peter. He's been in a field nearby calling for the last 15 minutes. No answer.
Drive to Weston, walk down the side of a huge hill, through the bushes, through two small streams where I sink to my ankles in mud, sit in the cold wind at the edge of the field. Listen as Peter tries several calls. There's probably a turkey in the distance according to the crows but after 45 minutes it still hasn't moved or answered Peter. Wait patiently. Pull hood of Steve's much too big camo coat up over already camouflaged head to get warmer. Give up and move on.
6 am Stop at a store to potty and reluctantly bypass the nice hot coffee I really wanted.
6:20 am some where in Danforth. Walk across a field and through the woods to the edge of another field. Repeat 4:45 am stop.
We were near a deer farm and Peter offered to take me there so I could take photos. I said yes, of course.
An impressive red stag.
Fallow deer.
From there we stopped and called in six or eight places and didn't get an answer. I think it was too windy. On the way back to Peter's we passed a tom on a side road. We backed up and went in where we saw him but he was long gone. No answer from him either. On to Prentiss where I took this picture of Katahdin.
And then to Peter's to get our truck and meet up for a quick burger in Danforth. I came home disappointed that not only did I not get my turkey but that we saw only one turkey for only three seconds.
Home again by 12:30 pm. I'm tired. Let the ducks out, make sure my own turkeys have enough food and water for the rest of the day, check on turkey nests. Back to the house. Sit down to the computer and get to work. Hear gobbling. Hear more gobbling. Pay enough attention to realize the gobbling is coming from the front of the house, not the back. Look out the window and see these guys 30' away. They were standing on the side of the road when I stood up but I scared them and they headed for the woods.
I raise Bourbon Reds. These are Eastern Wilds. Insert swear word here. We can't hunt here, they're on the other side of a paved road, I'm much too close to that paved road, and it's after legal time (ends at noon daily) but I could draw an imaginary bead on them easily!
I'm debating on going again tomorrow morning. If not then, I'll go one day next week.
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