ruttinbuc Posted April 26, 2011 Report Share Posted April 26, 2011 Can't remember such a bad day in the turkey woods. I hunted the county land where I have been fairly successful in the past. First off I had a guy walk in on me right after first light. I was trying to provoke some bird talk and the next thing you know here is this figure standing there. He didn't have an answer to why he was stalking turkey sounds. After reading him the riot act he went back the way he came. That is a scary situation and the second time this has happened to me. Anyway, the rest of the story is pretty short. I had a hen cross the road in front of me on the way home. I did see a couple of birds a thousand yards off on the green stuff up the valley. I didn't hear a PUT. Oh well, tomorrow is another day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkoholic Posted April 26, 2011 Report Share Posted April 26, 2011 That is a scary thing when you have someone stalking your turkey talk. There are way too many "hunters" who shoot at movement and it is way more likely if they are stalking turkey calls expecting to see something. I have bugled in a few hunters during archery elk season and it is a little unnerving to have someone sneaking in on you, ready to shoot, no matter the weapon. Be safe out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted April 26, 2011 Report Share Posted April 26, 2011 Sorry to hear about the bad day Mike, that'd be scary someone stalking your calls! Gives me the shivers just thinking about it! Tomorrow's another day bud, good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted April 26, 2011 Report Share Posted April 26, 2011 Man that is scarey Mike, would have read the guy the riot act too. Dave has it right about irresponsible shooters out there, hear stories every year about folks getting shot when they were mistaken for game animals. Afraid I would be inclined to wear orange on public ground or ground I am not the only one with permission on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted April 26, 2011 Report Share Posted April 26, 2011 Hang in there Mike. It can only get better now . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted April 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2011 Afraid I would be inclined to wear orange on public ground or ground I am not the only one with permission on. I got the orange strip that came with my vest hanging around with me now, William. It is pretty darn unnerving to know that there are people are so intent on getting a turkey that they throw caution towards stupid. It is what all the hype breeds... More turkey hunters out now than ever here. Yesterday went pretty much like Monday except for being stalked! Very quiet in my woods. Just can't seem to get them going if they are there at all. It got very hot in a hurry. I saw the lone hen on the way home once again. this time she stopped long enough for a picture. We'll see what happens today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dartonman Posted April 27, 2011 Report Share Posted April 27, 2011 If you can borrow a B mobile strutter, man ohh man, what a difference that thing makes.....if you see my post with the "double with the boys" I never had much faith in a decoy, but that B mobile changed my mind in a hurry......its worth a shot, as when the birds don't talk, they still honor the strutter.....our bird we missed came from 300 yards away to get a good look at the competition. Good luck buddy...al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted April 27, 2011 Report Share Posted April 27, 2011 That is scary Mike. The last time I hunted public land was in Missouri I was set up hunting a gobbling bird. Not long after I began working him I had 3 other hunters sneek in behind me calling the bird. They had to have heard my calling. I felt like I was sitting in the gauntlet with hunters behind me to my right, left, and directly behind me. I backed out & let them have it. Vowed never to go back there again. Got an offer last week to join a group going to the same public land & said thanks but no thanks. Hang in there...gobbling activity here this year was the weakest I can recall in years. I had 3 hunts when I didn't hear anything, including opening day. Had 4 other hunts when the gobbling was so poor I didn't have a chance to get a fix on their position to move in and work them too. Never broke out a turkey call those days...why...cuz I kept searching for gobbling birds. That's the action that gets my heart pumping! With that said I sure had some great hunts but I only had 5 hunts where I actually broke out the calls to work a gobbling bird. Went 3 for 5 out of those hunts which is a higher percentage of success than usual. Good luck Mike! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted April 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2011 Thanks for the advice and the support guys. I did put out a set today in hope of drawing some attention early. I don't have a B mobile though. The old Flambeau dekes should have been visible for a long way from across the green valley. They only attracted people stopping along the road to glass my them up on the hillside. A few even turned around and came back for a second look. Just to make sure I guess. No visuals at all in a place where I always saw birds in the past. I sat for 2 hours and then took the long walk across the ridge trying to get one to fire. The gobbling birds gets my heart pumping just as it does Rhino's. My hearing not being the best to start had me thinking I heard a faint gobble across the road toward the river. I hiked over there and worked up more sweat than birds. The warm was back along with the humidity. Where is spring? Where are the turkeys, lol. Bad weather moving in. Tomorrow may just be a good day to sleep in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkeygirl Posted April 29, 2011 Report Share Posted April 29, 2011 Nice pic Mike:) Well tonight I went up to roost some birds and instead heard some idiot neighbor down the road shoot a rifle probably woodchuck hunting in a field adjacent to whee I was...scared me and kinda ruined the peaceful evening....ah well.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted April 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2011 (edited) Nice pic Mike:) Well tonight I went up to roost some birds and instead heard some idiot neighbor down the road shoot a rifle probably woodchuck hunting in a field adjacent to whee I was...scared me and kinda ruined the peaceful evening....ah well.... Thanks Ruth. That is a scary, uneasy feeling being close to rifle fire and not knowing which way they are shooting. I slept in today and kicked myself when I did get on the rain gear to go. The birds were out playing in the mess. I had a group of 3 longbeards and a couple of hens out in the field when I got there. Try as I might, I couldn't separate the boys from the hens. A decoy may have helped had I had one with me and got to put it out. With the rain my vest stayed in the truck. A bit later as the storms were starting to roll in I had 3 jakes scoot right past me into the woods. It was funny listening to them sound off to the thunder. The morning ended with a hen feeding across the field on her lonesome. Edited April 29, 2011 by ruttinbuc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted April 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2011 Knocked them off the roost going in this morning... I kept going and made my way to where I wanted to be and had the silhouette of a turkey in a tree in the fence row beyond. It was a gobbler who was silent the whole time despite the calling of an unseen hen somewhere close. I talked back and forth with her hoping she would fly into the field before me. No such luck. I finally saw her when she flew into the opposite field with the gobbler quick to follow. they were the only birds I was to see today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pruts Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 Bummer. Hope your luck improves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flintlock1776 Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 Keep at it buddy. What permits did you get? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted May 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 (edited) Thanks. I got A & B weeks. I might go get a D week if I don't connect this week. Here is a video of that silent rooster......... Edited May 1, 2011 by ruttinbuc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 Sounds like you are having the kind of luck I tend to have Mike. Hope things pick up for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearClaw Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 Have to be careful anymore. We have hunters and shooters in the woods! We had a guy shot and killed in front of his son walking into the woods before daybreak a few years back. Can't remember if it was turkey or deer season but the guy shot at 'movement' and now a son has no father and a wife has no husband. If you can't see it, don't shoot it, period! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted May 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2011 There were three vehicles in a spot for one where I hunted last Friday. I went to the other side of the mountain to a spot I used to hunt. The terrain is almost straight up and down. I went and sat in the usual spot and managed to call in four jakes around 10:00. There was one that looked like "Baby Huey" compared to the others. He had a little cigar stub for a beard. He was the one who gobbled back to my cuts and purrs. He had a raspy gobble that he sounded right in front of me at 10 yards. I almost pulled the trigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted May 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 Be it all for one lone hen it was again an abysmal day. I don't think I ever experienced such a quiet season. They are calling for heavy rain tonight into morning. I may as well just take the blind and see if anything wants to play in the rain like they did last week. The temperature was pushing 80 at noon today. Wonder what summer will bring? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 yea i've just got to hunt one day so far. didn't see a single turkey and only heard one gobbling the whole time. it was too far off the land i hunt to work. things will pick up. the whole season can be a bust except the last 1 hr. others that hunt the same properties i'm thinking will throw in the towel after a week and a half. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted May 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 Well, today was a wash. Literally. It rained from the time I got up and is still raining now. I went and sat in my not so waterproof blind. I set it up last night so I wouldn't have to mess with it in the rain this morning. I heard a long off gobble at daybreak. The only bird I heard. I'd call every half hour or so ihn hopes of getting a gobbler to look for the hen. At 10:30 I had a hen and two jakes appear in the timber along the edge of an old bean field. They walked right past me at 20 yards. A half hour later another jake showed up on the same route. Two days left to see if I can catch up to a longbeard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 good luck! try to stay dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted May 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 My turkey season is pretty much done. I had thoughts of getting another tag. With the results of today and yesterday I decided to give it a rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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