Opening day

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My wife Ginger asked, with just a trace of delight and a smirk in her voice, "have you ever missed an opening day?" I was huddled under a blanket on the couch, looking up with my most practiced pitiful expression. My truthful answer to her was a simple "no." Of course, she already knew the answer to that question. What she didn't know was that I was feeling much better.

Allergies and cold symptoms had given me a fit for several days, and I had done nothing but take powerful medications and slept day and night. Now, it was mid-morning on the opening day of turkey season, and I had a plan. I would go after lunch and sit in a ground blind on a food plot for a couple of hours. I had trail camera pictures of turkeys in the food plot. It should be a good hunt.

Even though I felt much better, I didn't feel good enough to get out and walk all over the countryside trying to find a turkey. The ground blind would be a good alternative. I put one or two out each year on the clubs that I hunt for slow afternoons and bad weather days.

Once I made up my mind to go, I couldn't stay home any longer. I got off the couch, put on my hunting clothes and gathered all my gear. Ginger wasn't surprised. I was headed to the high hills club before lunch time, even though I still felt a little shaky.

I signed in at the gate and drove back just beyond the clubhouse. I took a decoy and a small bag cooler with some snacks and a couple of drinks and started the leisurely stroll back to the food plot. No one else was there.

At the food plot, I put out a jake decoy and got settled into the ground blind. I had a very comfortable chair and had brought along a couple of outdoor magazines to keep me occupied. There was a stiff breeze out of the northeast, and it had turned cool enough to put on the jacket that I had tied around my waist. It was quiet and uneventful for a while, then I got a text from another club member.

He was at the clubhouse and was going to mow the grounds and trim some limbs. He wanted to know if I was hunting, and I assured him that I was. I let him know that I was at the plot nearest to the club house. Then he wanted to know if the noise would bother the turkeys. "Yes, loud noises do disturb them," I answered.

I was surprised to hear his lawnmower crank up and go to work. The wind was blowing the sound straight to my location. It was pretty loud. Now, this guy has never hunted turkeys, so I figured he just didn't know any better. The grounds aren't that big so I figured it wouldn't take him too long, but it went on for quite awhile. My patience was beginning to run thin, so I finally texted him. "Just wondering, how much longer will you be mowing?"

He answered "done mowing, gonna cut a few limbs now," and I heard his chain saw start up. It was unlikely that any turkeys would be about with all this racket in the area, but I didn't feel like relocating. I would just wait him out. Finally, he noticed my truck, parked just down the road from the clubhouse, and texted me a question about my location. When I explained where I was, he was very apologetic, and I answered "it's OK." Then on second thought I asked, "did you check the sign-in box when you came in the gate?" "No," he answered and explained that he was on the phone with his brother.

Now finally, it got quiet, the wind calmed down, and I thought I heard a turkey yelping in the distance. It's very hard to hear from a ground blind, and it's nearly impossible to get a good direction if you do hear something, so I stepped out to listen. The yelping was coming from the big swamp behind me. It was coming nearer along an old logging road, and I knew it wasn't a turkey. It was a hunter calling, and he was headed in my direction.

I walked out and picked up my decoy and walked over toward the nearby logging road. Within a few moments I could see four camo-clad hunters walking the road. When they saw me, they stopped and started talking among themselves. Finally, one said, "I think we got lost, we're looking for the bridge." I told them I didn't know about a bridge. They talked a little more among themselves then said "sorry" and turned back down the road.

By now, I was pretty much done and headed on to the truck. It was an unusual opening day, but at least I got to go. When I got home, Ginger had a splendid supper waiting for me.

Reach Dan Geddings at cdgeddings@gmail.com.