Out of Ammo

 During our weekend trip in Michigan, our radiator began leaking and we had to have it towed to a local shop. We got a one-way car rental and drove home. The following Friday, I received a call and was told it was ready to pickup. 

The weather forecast wasn’t great for hunting that weekend. Saturday’s high temperature was supposed to be in the low 80’s and windy, with widespread rain showers developing later in the day lasting into Sunday. I figured we’d just go up and pick our vehicle up and not really hunt. We took the dogs and our gear anyway.

On the way up in NW Ohio, I decided to stop at a small piece of public land to run the dogs. I have never personally hunted this property, but I have seen multiple groups of turkeys on the surrounding private lands when I was in the area for work this past summer.

Well didn’t even bother take our hunting gear with us on our hike. It turns out, we do encounter a decent size of group of birds on the back end of the property.. roughly a half mile from the parking lot.

We hike back up to the vehicle and start getting ready. I realize that I took my vest out of the car when I shot my Ohio bird a few days prior and I took Kaily’s shotgun shells out of her bag when I was in West Virginia earlier that week.. we were out of ammo!

Seeing how Sunday was going to unfavorable weather wise and Ohio’s season was going to close in one week, I decided to take the gamble of leaving the break to find some turkey loads. Thankfully, there is a small hunting supply store about 14 miles away. 

By the time we purchased our shells, drove back, and hiked back to the break site, it was about an hour and a half after the initial flush.

We set up under a very large black walnut tree.. which was a mistake since it was raining walnuts the entire time. I made about three series of yelps before I got a response to the south. Shortly after that bird began yelping, we had a juvenile Jake begin gobbling to the west. Both birds were coming in and they were going to get to our setup around the same time. Kaily did see the Jake first and he hung up at about 40 yards and began to head towards the south into a thicket. Shortly after, the hen came sprinting into our setup and Kaily was able to get a shot!

It was an unexpected hunt we won’t forget!