HEADIN' FOR THE HILLS

[SAXIS ISLANDER]

Folks hunt for different reasons. I would like to think that in most recreational hunters list of the top five reasons why we go afield would be time spent with friends. For me it ranks right behind "apex predatory instinct".

The Saxis Islander and crew are headed for the mountains of western Virginia (not West VA - I'm not sure that I'm allowed back there) for some fellowship with now "40 something"college pals and a little blood spilling.

The fall turkey season is apparently open in the Commonwealth. Maryland doesn't allow it because in Maryland we can legally bait deer.

I don't think that it's as demanding as the spring gobbler season, but what the heck. Armed with the old Lynch Longbeard box call, the new Benelli Nova, and the trusty 10-gun I'd like to trick a tom in to coming to Christmas dinner. It's legal, they eat well, and we're going.

Will post results upon the successful return to the Eastern Shore.

[Dave Sikorski]

Give em hell Saxis. Put a beautiful wild turkey on the Christmas dinner table.

-D

[Capt-D]

Good luck on the toms!

[anthony]

I got a picture on my cell phone last night of what SAXIS was up to....several different flavors of MOONSHINE. I'm thinkin his head felt about like a Tom's that had just been grazed by 00 buck this morning!

[esangler]

Got the same pic, as well as an updated body count (by text) a little while ago. I'm wondering if he uses the same formula to determine dead turkeys as he does for fish caught?!!!

[SAXIS ISLANDER]

For the record..those pics that esangler and anthony received were in fact pickled beets and canned green beans...

Wiil post recap tonight after this work stuff is done.

[SAXIS ISLANDER]

Western VA Sunday Afternoon 3:45

Arrived at cabin, unloaded and jumped aboard the Ranger. Cruised the lake and scanned the skyline for roosting birds. Made four marks on map where we would head in the am.

Monday 5:OO am steak and egg sandwiches - dropped boat in lake and split into three groups for the sneak attack. I always hunt day one with one of my good friends dad, who we will call "Puddin'". He's a very soft spoken man who is the most educated woodsman I've ever met. The man is incredible, he scales hills like a mountain goat, calls turkeys like a lonley hen, and has more critter killin knowledge under that camo hat to be very deadly in the woods. Puddin and I positioned ourselves at the base of a big oak and began the calling softly just prior to the flydown. As predicted down they came and our calls paid off as in minutes we had our choice of birds. No big gobbler here, just jakes and hens, 17 in all safely made their way past us within easy range.

Just as I was about to relax Pudding purred again over the ridge came my gobbler. The favor was returned later that afternoon.

The group I was with consisted of college buddies, and friends made over years of hunting. The cabin party monday was one for the ages. Folks we see only once a year emerged at the cabin, each contributing much to the evening's affair.

Tuesday AM - New terrain with no prior/scouting knowledge. Sushi Chef and I elected to walk the creek bottom in the pre dawn light to find roosted birds, hoping not to scare the hell out of them crashing through the underbrush. Coming out of the woods toward the field at the bottom of the creek was just what we did not wanna see. A "deer hunter" sitting in his Chevy Pick up with his blaze orange hat on using us as dogs to push deer to him. He overheard that we were hunting the property that day and made it very dangerous for us. After some loud discussion he quickly left as we watched our turkeys fly down a hundred yards from where we were standed. Dammit man. Plan B.

Headed across the ridge to try to head them off. Found what seemed to be a good spot in the area where they should be headed and set up by two fallen trees and began to call. Christ it's hard to call when your heart is beating at 1700 beats per minute, sweating like a pig, and gasping for more oxygen than the atmosphere will provide. These hills are hard on a fat flatlander. They answereed and it was on.

Could hear them coming. Each answered call is closer than the last. Guns up. Waiting for the heads to pop up over the knoll in front of us. They are within 100 yards but just over the ridge. Thinking about Sushi pulling his tag when another in our party beat us to the draw claimed the turkey that we had called in. Dammit man.

Day two was basically a result of hunting a new property and not doing the required homework. What the hell.

I could go on and on about the hunt but in a nutshell here is all you need to know...WE HUNTED LIKE WOLVES, DRANK LIKE FISH, AND ATE LIKE KINGS.

[Rhodekill]

I could go on and on about the hunt but in a nutshell here is all you need to know...WE HUNTED LIKE WOLVES, DRANK LIKE FISH, AND ATE LIKE KINGS.

and it don't get any better than that.