Law of Attraction

Law of Attraction – Gobbs

Moscow, Idaho

2007

I decided not to go out early, maybe not go out at all. But, as the (Saturday) morning progressed, it was nearly irresistible. So I called up Doug. He was still…well… for him the day hadn’t started yet.

“You’re a Marine! You can get ready!”

(“But it’s up to you.” … giving him a way out)

He agreed – I’d pick him up in 15 or so…

We went east past [deleted]. Passing Mark’s place…Mark was out burning slash; we waved. We pulled in to a place where I saw a nice `tom' or two last year, to see if we could get permission to hunt. “Not here,” the guy said, with a grin that really said, “no one hunts here, except me.” At least the kid (the guy’s kid) was friendly.

But I don’t blame him, or them. If I had a chunk of prime hunting land – I’d keep it for me also.

So we continued on to Brian’s. He was working on his roof, but came down to chat, especially when offered a bottle of water.

Doug set up in a good spot while I explored. Before we split up we jumped one turkey. After we split up, I pretty much walked the length and width of his property, without event, except that I kept coming across people. They seemed to be occupied with planting trees, or some other kind of nature work.

I spotted Doug – and he appeared to be fussing around with … a turkey! Whoa, good job … he must have got one. But in a moment everything was in his pack and he was heading for higher ground. The `turkey’ must have been his new real-life-looking decoy.

Somewhere in the process I lost my FRS radio. Bummer! Real bummer…I back-tracked but without success.

As we neared Brian’s cabin, I picked up a faded clay pigeon and threw it for Doug. We both missed. Bummer added to the bummer of losing a radio. Brian saw and offered us some clay pigeons and a thrower. My shooting impressed Doug as I wiped out nearly all the singles and even some doubles. It was some relief from the pain of losing the best FRS on the market, and expensive.

We drove real slow back along the ‘cattle area’ (where Brian said they congregate), and then past Mark’s…waving again.

Near the west end – there they were – three toms, making their way up his pasture. Doug thought it would be hopeless to try and get them. But I said he should at least try… “Hurry, go for it!” But he wanted to wait for me.

We had different ideas altogether. I thought we should go way around, and try and ambush them up by Mark’s house. Doug wanted to move in closer and come up behind them on left flank. He waited for me, so I followed.

Not far into the trees Doug got prone. Huh, we’re not even around on them. Doug wanted to try and call them back. I was hardly thinking it would work, and wasn’t even going to get prone, but I did, and Doug started calling…and I must admit his calling was sounding pretty good.

Then, about ninety yards out, underneath the short pine canopy, they showed up. I motioned to Doug. He apparently turned them right around with his calling – and now they were coming right toward us, looking for the `hens’. We waited.

Closer, and closer.

I adjusted slightly as they came in. In the negligible cover it was good that we (and our guns) were already pointed in almost the exactly right position, as we couldn’t really move.

The biggest tom was in the lead. Doug, I love you, but if that guy, or his close friend, gives me a good shot – I’m going to take it. Soon, quite soon, they were in good kill range.

At the last moment the big bird moved right, to Doug’s side, and the second bird appeared behind him now on my side. No need to communicate – it was time. Our movements to shoot caught their attention and there was split second panic on their part – but too late. Almost simultaneously we shot – Doug clobbered the big tom on his side and I shot the one right behind him on mine. Two birds down! … yeah!...YEAH!!!!!

It would be impossible to justify the use of the four-letter words I used as praise, but they were (four-letter words). And yet, most good church-goers never experience what we just did…so, suffice it to say, regardless of vocabulary used, there were loud praises registered in Heaven.

The third bird ran off alone.

We grabbed our birds, took pics, tagged them, and much enjoyed the time. Then we tracked Mark down, and showed him our prizes. We drove home – what a great day, …what a GREAT day!

…I didn’t really like that radio anyway.

Endnote: my relationship went just a bit deeper with Doug that day. A slightly different realm. Additional to the joy of bounty, he praised my ability to smoke those clays – and I told him I was proud of how he had learned the calling thing, and how he had called those gobblers in. I am now a believer in the use of calls on toms.