The Illinois ( North ) Fifth and Final 2009 Season HEATS up ...
Thursday morning May 7th, ... the final week of the IL season was open. But, ... on May 6th ... Keith and Wesley Carnley wanted to roost a few birds. Well, Team Member Erik Reich has preached the importance of roosting a bird. So, with his preaching and Keith wanting to hear a bird, off we went , ... as the sun was setting.
I had a blind built ... just for Keith & Wesley. And ... no surprise to me, we heard a gobble right next to the blind. Hmmm, ... I wonder how I knew that ? With confirmation of a Gobbler in the area, Keith and Wes eased into the Blind the next morning.
Within 14 minutes of legal shooting time, ... Keith had a big ole Tom pitch from the roost and land nearly in shooting range. After a four minute strut into the decoys ... Keith's 2009 IL turkey season was over. His bird went 23 pounds sporting a 10.5 beard and spurs reaching 1 3/8.
I was happy to see , ... my blind was placed in a good location. Keith thought so too.
Keith Carnley and TheLodgeman ... pose for a photo of that early morning bird. We actually went to town for coffee by 6:30 am. Now that's putting in a good day of hunting.
That bird looked a lot bigger than 23 pounds. I thought in might break 25.
Here, ... the spurs are a dandy's. They were nearly 1.5 inches.
We can't help but do the "Outlaw Salute" ...
May 8, 2009 "Wesley's Hunt"
Without roosting a bird for Friday, ... Wesley had to trust that I knew what I was talking about. So, ... we headed to another spot that I've been watching. We sat up on a field edge ... and waited for the gobblers to sound off. Since Keith had filled his tag, ... he packed a camera. The fun started as the sunrise was starting to bring light across the field.
As the sun rose, so did the hopes of Wesley. The birds were gobbling pretty far away, ... but I picked the location based on prior movement. Though Wesley's hunt lastest slightly longer than his Father's ... it was rather quick too. After 35 minutes of coaxing lightly ... the small flock made their way to the field. And ... with a little extra coaxing at the final few minutes, ... Wesley, under the attack of Gnats ... lowered the boom 42 minutes into the hunt on day two.
Wesley holds up his Gobbler sporting an 11 inch beard, ... while fanning his face from the never stopping gnat attack !
Walking to the truck never seems so good. We didn't get the coffee as early as day one, ... but we did enjoy 1 hour of hunting knocking off two dandy birds. Each were 23 pounds, ... with good long beards and spurs of well over an inch.
There you have it ... Father and Son ... and TheLodgeman with two more birds down.
I sure had fun hunting with Keith and Wesley ... I didn't make it down to TN to hunt this year, ... but I sure am hoping to make up for it ... NEXT YEAR ! Great job Keith and Wesley,. ... Two Days and Two Birds ... and the second one filmed ... WOW ... it just doesn't get any better than that !
Hey, ... send me a note ... jeff@thelodgeman.com and tell me your story.