lonne

I think next time I'm gonna lay down next to my turkey & strike a pose...

Adam ain't kidding! Friday could not come fast enough! Work was relentless, and I haven't been taken much if any days off. Actually, the most time I had off recently was due to an unexpected surgery 6 weeks back, and even that I barely had time off. Talk about recovering on the job! Well I'm all about Work Hard and Play Hard, and Adam is an awesome guy because Adam likes to hunt hard! So we were talking about pairing up on a good Turkey hunt, and I had never been Turkey hunting! I've seen a decent number of birds in various spots throughout AZ that I was saving for a day when I knew I could have a good Turkey hunt and put some time to it. Well Adam came to the rescue and it didn't take much convincing for us to join our points and see if we could get a decent Spring tag. We did, and to get Friday off was awesome in itself, I had super low expectations. I've filled some nice tags in the past, but in the more recent past all the hunting has been super hard. Call it my dry streak, and not taking much time off hasn't helped either. It's hard to run out on a weekend and get something on a Saturday, even a Saturday and a Sunday. I was looking forward to being out in the beautiful outdoors and just enjoying some relaxation time, and who knows maybe I'd tag a turkey, coyote, or mountain lion! Friday finally did come soon enough and when it did, it came *fast*! So fast, I was barely prepared, and I hate last minute packing but it seems all the hunts lately have been like that. We got my wife and kid out and took off for the mountains. Funny enough! We ran into Adam in Show Low even though we weren't supposed to meet up until later. I filled out my timesheet with a hotspot, answered a work email, all while sitting in the passenger seat of our car. We got out to our camp spot, it was much later than we thought it would be, and it was freezing outside!! Winds were fierce. I quickly put wools on my son and pitched up a tent solidly staked. I was so exhausted I hit the pillow hard and cozied up in my nice warm sleeping bag. now suddenly I can't sleep from excitement, and the wind is storming outside, I've got no earplugs (wine wine, lol), I can't sleep. LOL! Finally I must've passed out and I set two alarms that both went off at 3:15. Up and at'em. Got dressed and suddenly me, Adam, and his wife are scurrying out in the dark looking for our spot. We finally got to our spot, and put our blinds. I sat in my blind, quickly boiled some hot water and made coffee, and tried to find Adam's blind in the dark with the barely new light. It was quiet for an hour, and I was comfy as ever in my blind. Suddenly there they are ! 6 Turkeys straight in front of me...I'm guessing 500 yds away? Maybe 400? I don't know but they were far. Adam's blind was pretty far to the right...no way he had a shot either. So I watched the turkeys for awhile, much entertained. I was hoping they'd come around the waterhole, but they didn't. Suddenly they went up a hill and seemingly disappeared into the pines. I picked them out every once in awhile. Gradually I lost them, and then I was standing up/siting down, doing everything I could to stay warm, keep the blood circulating. All of a sudden I heard gobble gobble... Excitingly I sat down just in time to see two turkeys hurriedly approaching Adam's decoys and blind. I knew Adam or his wife would get a shot, the turkeys were too far away from me. I didn't bring my binos, only my 8x rangefinder and I couldn't tell if they were Toms but I was betting at least one was! Suddenly the turkeys closed in, shots rang out, and I see one turkey go down. Adam runs out of the blind and shoots the other one. It was like having front row seats to a husband and wife TV show, but I was maybe a litle farther from the front row. Talk about excitement though! I rushed out and celebrated with them. Then took a walk with Adam and his wife, and suddenly Adam is calling in turkeys with a hen call. We did this for some time, with nothing, when suddenly a mile or two in we heard some gobbles! We carefully tried to call the turkey in with me in a shooting position everytime we heard a gobble, but after a few the bird spooked and took off. Adam decided to make a run for the taxidermist, and I decided heck I might as well hunt hard the rest of the day, you never know what'll happen! Adam helped me setup my blind at a new water hole which would probably be my spot for the next few days. He left me an NRA Hunting Magazine with a New Mexico bear article in it. I camo'ed up my blind real good with local brush, and then started to sit. I got tired as I worked 4 straight 12 hour plus days, and hadn't had maybe 2 hours this last night before the hunt. I started getting sleepy and decided to nap in my blind. Suddenly I hear gobbles, and I wake up, and there they are two turkeys about 30 yards away. Neither was a gobbler, so he was around somewhere, but he never came out. Eventually those birds left, and I began to lose the adrenaline but was having a great time. My expectations were again at an all time low (amazing how 1 hour will do that to you!) when suddenly a small turkey creeps up behind the left side of my blind. He/she was way too small, so I just watched him walk and eat until he disappeared. It was now 5:30pm with dark fast approaching. Suddenly out from the same spot on the left side of the blind walks this big Tom! I waited until he was in the right spot in front of me. I aimed, fired, bam ! He was down, twirling around and suddenly he was done! I was ecstatic! I did it. I ran out in case I'd need to take one more shot but I never had to. I barely tapped the turkey with my foot to make sure he wasn't still alive. All was good! Now I was debating to sit the stand for longer and maybe a coyote or lion would come in, but then I also didn't know if Adam was waiting where he said he'd be. I figured I'd got my bird and if he was there I'd head back so we could start all the cleaning, gutting, etc. and get back in time for dinner with my wife. I took down everything and hiked it all out, repeatedly hiking between the road and the spot several times. I waited and waited and decided to look sad when Adam drove up. I must have done a pretty good job...right when he approached I raised my arms in excitement! Amazing we all 3 tagged out first day! It was an opening day hunt success story I sure needed after all the hunts I've had successful to the last hour and day! You just never know. What a blast...spent the remainder of the weekend relaxing with family in the crazy snow storm and did some fly fishing with Adam...what a blast, thanks again Adam and wife! The funnest was suprising my wife who has some turkey recipes ready to go and my 5 year old son, who now wants to go turkey hunt! And we have requested Will to order another mannequin... :-) And Keith...I don't think it's easy to go 3 for 3...especially on opening day, that's for sure, for any game animal.

Super awesome. Did you get one last year Lance? I remember your story from two years ago, I think it was, where the bear crawled in a cave and came at you in the rain. Good luck this year. Looks like a heck of a lot of fun. Smart idea.

Have had birria for real in Mexico...it is the best

Chico, did you get into hand to hand combat with this guy? Are you ok? We are worried about you and want to hear the rest of the story...

ROTFLMAO...

Nice job. You make it sound easy !

Nice job! I was waiting to see a post from you!!! Way to seal the deal

Too awesome

Awesome, nice job!

Nice work to you and your wife Keith!!! I'm showing my wife now...TJ, you're a real great guy to have helped out !!!! Now my wife wants me to do as much work as you did and set it all up for her. LOL

That's friggin' awesome. Congrats !!!!!!

Hey man, way to go!

That is awesome man !!! You will not ever forget this experience and what a way to start your hunting off...!!!! Cool pic!!!!

When sitting still and hunting, I always hear them in one spot where there is a nice creek flowing and get tons of them on my cam in that area...

WOW !!!

Wow!!!! Super jealous...looks awesome

Yes, Hatch designation is very important...

Awesome story ! Nice pic! I see we have a few contendors for sexiest pic...are you trying to give Keith competition?

You guys all rule, thanks very much !!!! Adam how are your lil' dove hunters doing!!!!! Great I bet....

A trout at Woods Canyon lake...the look on his face was priceless. He thought there might be a fish on his line. I told him to reel it in, it took forever, and when the fish got near the boat it was obviously fighting it was great to see his excitement. And wow I was sure excited too. My wife was catching all the fish also!!! My excuse is I was busy rigging their lines. LOL Lonne

Looks really tasty !!!! Last year we made jalapeno cream cheese bacon dove poppers on the grill...it was a little difficult cooking over the grill b/c the fire was burning hot and kept creating grease fires...this year we had some ideas on how to keep the low heat on but there were so many mosquitos outside, instead we put together the jalapeno dove bacon and cream cheese and just baked it on really low heat...came out excellent

Am I understanding the new regs correct? If I submit an app for the draw, the price is $32.25 for 2014 license, 28.75 for a javelina tag? Total = $61.00?

Nice bucks! Sure looks tough to creep up on them on that hill/canyon

Super awesome !!!