3rd day of Turkey hunting in South Carolina

Leo · April 4, 2005

South Carolina has a five bird two bird per day season. Thank goodness. Opening Day God smiled on me, I really lucked out and got two mature birds with one shot. Both with 10in Beards and 1 inch spurs. I made the local paper and was elevated to status of folk hero for awhile . That alone would make any turkey hunter's season.

If I didn't see another bird the rest of the season I could absolutely say God blessed me with a successful turkey season. However, the first Sat after opening day, I saw God had more in store for me. I found myself in the situation with two mature gobblers in range once again. A third just out of range and sight gobbling his head off and "Old broadbeard" within 120yds breeding a hen. I took the biggest of the two. He had a 10 3/4" beard and 1 inch spurs.

I took Easter Weekend off because I had a doctor's appointment Good Friday and needed to be at my sister in laws 4hrs away for Easter. On another farm my good friend the land manager managed to help his girlfriend nail a nice gobbler before Easter service. It had a 9 3/4" beard, 7/8" spurs and weighed 19 1/2lbs. Her first turkey, congrats to Ann.

This Sat. April 2nd. The morning was raining and wind was howling 35 to 40mph. In spite of the fact the weather was truly bad I decided to tough it out in a blind at the farm Ann got her's that morning. I sat in one place from daylight to noon, all I could hear was the wind blowing down dead pine trees. The light rain stopped but the wind continued. It spun the decoys like tops at times. After 6hrs in the blind, including a much needed nap I decided enough was enough. I couldn't hear the birds and they probably couldn't hear me.

So I gathered up my stuff and started to make it back to the truck. The wind was gusting so hard I couldn't keep my hat on. One gust hit me with such ferocity that it actually sounded off the crow call around my neck. I stuffed the call into a shirt pocket to silence it.

In spite of the fact the odds were severely against it I carefully surveyed the fields I had to cross to return to my vehicle. There were two fields between me and my truck. The first field held no birds, no surprise. But as I was about to step into the second field I noticed two blobs 300yds away. Glassing from back in the woods revealed two mature gobblers out in the field feeding. The wind was blowing from me to them and odds were in my favor they could hear me but a box or slate would not have enough volume to carry to the birds. Using a diaphragm with partially paralyzed lips is very difficult. I had been practicing compensating for this disability shortcoming and was about to be forced to put my new calling style to the test. I donned my headnet and stashed my hat. I belly crawled to the edge of the access road and stuck a lone decoy in it. I then belly crawled to a brush pile at the edge of the field and lay in it. I started to use the diaphragm (It was a Drury Outdoors triple reed I had left over from two years ago, the only diaphragm I had with me!). Some yelps and cutting got the birds attention. Surprising myself, I actually sounded decent. I could tell they were listening by their body attitudes. They did not break into strut and though it appeared they may be gobbling all I could hear was wind. This was unimportant though. It was obvious they could hear me. They also appeared to like what they heard. When the birds were 160yds away they stalemated for the next 30min. I decided a slate call might reach them and reached into my vest to retrieve one. I prompting dropped it slate down in the mud. I don't care how weatherproof your slate is, none of them are mud proof. I couldn't risk trying to clean it up to get it working again. I reached into my vest and pulled out a spare. This time my Lohman. Would have liked to use one of my homemade ones but that wasn't in the cards this day. I simply couldn't risk being seen reaching for it. I added some purrs on the slate to my diaphragm cutting and yelping. That did it. I broke the hang up and they began moving towards me again. At 35yds I started sizing them up and picked what I thought was the most mature of the two. While still on my belly I poked the muzzle through a hole in the brush pile and scored number four gobbler for this year. Thanking God I dragged my severely cramped body out of the brush pile to secure the bird. My cramped neck was relieved slightly from the adrenaline rush of taking the bird. Staying still in that position in a lot harder than it was pre injury. The calling session had lasted about an hour.

I still have one tag left. Three hunting days and four mature gobblers is simply unprecedented good fortune. I probably should quit while I'm ahead. But the season doesn't close here until May 2nd.

Most of the time calling a gobbler accross a field that far is a loosing proposition. Usually a hen responds the gobbling bird and spirits him away. In this case I think the same wind that was preventing me from hearing them also prevented a hen from hearing and intercepting him.

Bird Four 2005

The small pile of sticks I was laying in when I shot this bird is directly behind me. How is that for sparse cover?

This bird had a 10 1/2" beard, 3/4" spurs and weighed 18lbs.

There is no doubt whatsoever that the NWTF Woodlands program implemented by Aubrey Jr. over four years ago, is paying huge dividends. I feel absolutely certain these same birds were jakes I passed on in previous years. I have no doubt in my mind this is so. I passed on four jakes so far this season and Ann passed on one. So far next years gobbler crop is well underway. There are for sure more trophy birds to be had on these lands, I have already seen them. I feel I have gotten more than my fair share already.

dogdoc · April 4, 2005