Date: October 22, 2016
Fall shotgun turkey season.
Weapon: BPS 10 gauge aka Big Jake.
Load: 2 oz No.5 Winchester Doublexx
Location: A meadow
Disclaimer: The story has references to the Christian idea of God. I am not trying to shame,
evangelize, or convert anyone. They are included to give a true story.

Last week was the first two day muzzle loader season season. It was unbelievably hot. The morning temps were in the 50s at 500 am with temps topping out at 85 and 88 degrees both days. I saw one doe at 430 pm and one deer came through about 5:30 am unidentifiable in the the morning dark. I did kill a full bag of misesquetoes (sp).

This Saturday marked the opening of fall turkey with shotgun. I slept in for me getting up at 530 am.
Fall had arrived my truck thermometer read 30 degrees! It had finally rain d and had even tried to frost! Fall had finally got here.

The plan was simple indian up on in the standing grass of a cut meadow that has two deep ditches running parallel along the sides. The ditches have 12 year growth and saw brairs growing into a hedge. This was immediately to my back. Beyond this hedge both sides start to roll in cider and acron trees.
The sun was to my back. The grass about to my throat, but very thin was a screen to my front and left. The he hedge to my back and some grass and an over hang of a branch to the right.

I had been there for about three hours, the sun had gotten up pretty good, but all I had seen was two squirrels and a pair of cardinals. This was an improvement over last week. My foot had went to sleep pretty good and my hands were pretty cool. One look around just to make sure, and I think I will get up and walk and old road that was about a third of the way up the ridge to my back. I can warm up, the ground is wet so I can be quiet, and I can check out another meadow that th s road opens up to above the one I was set up on. There is also a large farm pound.

So, I start sneaking through the woods. One more squirrel runs infront of me while I stopped to peer through the undergrowth. I come to the bend in the road where it opens into the meadow. There is a small cider that was blown over, but still standing by the storm th day before. The branches are just off the ground. I'll hunker down under that. Straight ahead was the pond. The mist or fog off the pond danced and twirled the most beautiful and delicate ballet as it was drawn upward to the sun with the rising warming wind. Finally, the wind changed, the sun had got on up and out and the dancers collapsed down to the surface of the water. Not to say it was the morning lights of Alaska, but good enough for me.

I decided to sneak back to where I started to finish out the rest of the morning. I got back to beginning and now the air was still crisp, but the sun light was warm. I figure, I will stretch out on my back. After all a thin man straight out on the ground does not move. Those turkeys won't be able to see me. The idea was like those geese hunters in open fields I saw on tv.

Well, I laid there between awake and sleep for a bit. So, I decided to look to my right. "Turkeys."
I whispered in my mind. "They are black and big enough to be gobblers comming this way." Sure enough one of the two turned broadside into the sun and I saw some red and a third leg of a bread. They were comming straight in almost perpendicular to me. But you know how they do. The go right then back on straight, then left, and then back on straight.

One went almost to the center of the meadow and something spoooked it, and it started that hop and run they do across the meado. His body froze turned left with his neck out. I am still laying down. "Oh Lord, please
keep these turkeys from going back in. He stopped at the edge of the hedge and starts to look around. He then flaps his wings and stretches. He puts his head down. I cannot see his head. His buddy has turned to the left and his head is down. Like the Undertaker, I rise at the waist sitting up. The turkeys are to my left hard. I freeze and they keep comming. "Lord if you will please let them feed on down in front of me." That one hopping bird is hugging the hedge row.

I need to shift to the left. I run my eyes to the right. He is turned left. I run my eyes to the bird more in the meadow, he is facing his friend with his head down. I cannot see his eyes, so a little shift to the left. Both heads come up. I repeat a prayer. We stare at one another. The bird on the right comes straight and start feeding on. His partner does the same. "Thank you, God. Please, do not let them go back in."

Big Jake is in my lap. I roll it up and grasp the forend and pistol grip. I am stareing at the one on the right. And it acquires to me that when I raise Big Jake this screen from the branches will be blocking the barrels. "Lord please let them come on down." The one one the left is facing left the one on the rifle guy I can see, but not his head. I bring Big Jake to my shoulder. The bird on the right starts moving. His buddy turns racing right moves his direction. "Oh Lord, make them stop, if it is your will."

The tom on the left stops and sticks his head out hard. I creep the stock up and thought on my chin. Sure enough, the screen is infront of the barrel. Oh well, I have made my move. It's a 10 and the wade will be with the shot when it strikes the limbs and grass. "God," Bang. The turkey drops to his side with no movement. "Thank you God.
That worked."

Out of instinct, I run the slide and roll out from behind the cover. His buddy is running hopping at a 45 degree angle. The Commonwealth only allows one bird with more than a 3 inch bread for all season(s) and only one bird a day. So, no doubling.

He would break a 20 pounds with about an eight in h bread, but thick rounded spurs of an old tom.
Two breast will be floured and pan fried in a cast iron skilllet. The thighs and legs were taking off as one unit at the hip to be turned into dumplings.

Thanks for reading and good dumplings. Big Jake is Awsome.

Congrats and thanks for sharing the story.

Thank you for reading. I am sorry for typos. iPhone in use.

Congrats!