Well, I heard one gobbling by the house yesterday evening while I was preparing the boat in plans of hitting the Kaskaskia River. Instead, I decided to try to hunt him this morning. He was hard to get on as he was roosted on a field edge. I set up as close as possible and watched him pitch down into a stubblefield that was surrounded by wheat. He stayed out there gobbling in one spot for about an hour. I figured he was with a hen. So I moved positions on him and snuck up on him about 75 yards away. He had 2 hens with him and would not budge from them. I tried to get aggresive with the hens but that didn't work either. Funny, those hens wouldn't walk through that tall wet wheat...they stayed in the stubblefield and eventually all wondered off onto property that I can't hunt. I had a great hunt though. Watched that dude puffed out dancing around those hens for over 1/2 hour. There was just no way to get closer to him. I tried! Kaskaskia bound in the morning!! Hope I can find Mr. Lonely down there!

Joe H.

Be careful out there on the river before daylight, there is a lot of debris in the water. Wear your PFD.

The debris is bad. I hunting up there this morning and getting in before daylight was a little spooky. I busted two off the rost as soon as I pulled the boat on the bank and there went my hunt. Tht rain did keep the ticks down. After hunting I did check my trot line to find 3 nice cats.....Good luck

Bob, you kind of scared me with the debris thing so I started out yesterday on a private farm and then went to the river late morning. Nothing going on on the private ground. I finally struck a gobbler on the river at about 1145 when the cloud cover rolled in. Once again, henned-up. I thought I was in the saddle getting a gobbler going that late in the day but he stayed out there gobbling in the same spot for about an hour. With only 15 minutes of hunting (and the season) left I snuck up on them. Longbeard strutting out in the middle of a stubblefield with 4-5 hens! What is with the stubblefield thing? I've seen 3 longbeards with hens out in corn stubble this last season. Must be somethin' growing out there that the hens are eatin' on. Oh well. No deer and no turkey this year! I had a great season even though no kill. Probably saw more turkeys this year than ever. Just couldn't git 'r done.

Joe H.