Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Eis
Kurt tell then how long it took to get that bird.......  |
I wasn't going to bring it up, but you twisted my arm. To start with I am not a terribly diligent turkey hunter. I usually get up a couple of times way too damn early and those toms illude me in some way shape or form. I get frustrated and loose interest and then maybe go out in the late afternoon and try to set up in their many paths to one of the roost areas. I usually get a bird every other or every third season.
I was running a bit late as I drove to the previously "scouted" area. Yea, I drove by the woods several times early in the AM and looked for birds entering the field to strut their stuff. It is convienient when it is on the way to work and also behind my dads house. I had been watching two toms strutting for several weeks and a couple days before my season began I only one tom had been in the field showing off to the ladies. I was a bit dissapointed as I figured one of my dads friends shot one of them and had the other one thoroughly educated (yea, this has happened before). I even stopped and listed one morning just before light (I was of course late for work). There was even a bird gobbling in a directly that they don't normally roost. I was thinking, that is good, if I spook one of them then maybe the morning won't be a complete bust.
Anyway, enough of the boring stuff. I pulled into the farm lane as the eastern sky was getting a hint of light. I walked about 50 yards from the truck when a bird gobbled exactly where I had predicted he would be roosted. I walked the 1/2 mile back to the edge of the woods and snuck as close as I could get without giving away my position. I set out three decoys and set down with them to my slight left as to give me the perfect right handed shooting position. I picked out a large Ash tree to rest my back against and settled into what ended up being a healthy stand of poison oak. I dropped two 2 7/8", 1 1/8 oz, #5 hand loaded 10 gauge shells into the chambers of the 120 year old Bernard barrels. I dodded my camoflage face mask and threw a diaphram call into my mouth. I looked in every one of the generous number of pockets in the turkey vest for my gloves and came up empty. With no gloves to cover up my shiny wrist watch I took it off and slid it into my pocket. Did I mention the tom has been signing off with single gobbles every since I left the truck? Well he has and that is one pretty sound when a tag is in the back pocket. He is definately one hot gobbler, I haven't heard one gobble this much in a long time. I picked up the nice Lacewood pot call that was made by Jason Crean. Jason is a firefighter in the northern greater Detroit Metro area and makes a nice turkey call. This call is made with a double layer of slate and is just plain ole sexy sounding. Well, at least it is too me. I no more than gave that gobbler a soft inviting yelp with a hickory striker and he gave me the "I can't wait to ruffle your feathers" double gobble! I just sat there and didn't make a sound for what seemed like eternity. While I sat ther he gave off several more double gobbles. When his excitement started to wane I gave him another sultry soft yelp and he gave me a few more double gobbles before he couldn't take it any longer and flew down and landed about 60 yards out. He went directly into a fervent strut and made his way slowly toward the decoys. After closing about 20 yards pretty quickly he acted like he was going to hold up right there and let the hens come to him. He went behind some brush for quite some time and when he came out he hadn't closed the distance gap at all. This is the time of the hunt that separates the men from the boys. At at about 28 yards he came out of a full strut and gave me a nice clear shot so I let the 10 bore bark.
Sometimes it is better to be lucky than skilled !! In my many years of chasing cagey gobblers this may be the first hunt that I can say is one of those textbook hunts you see on the outdoor shows. I only wish I would have forced one of my boys out of bed to enjoy the hunt with me.
Oh.........maybe about 10 minutes...
Kurt
05-17-2012, 05:29 AM
scott
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