The Impossible Turkey Season

Leo

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Leo Monster Buck

Leo

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I realize that technically this post belongs in the turkey hunting section of the forum. If it gets moved later. I understand. I just thought that it needed to be here first for two reasons. First, the unfortunate folks who don't get to hunt them, because their area doesn't offer the opportunity. And last, the deluded folks who don't know what they're missing out on. Perhaps I'll pull some converts into the fold of the rest of us T-Nuts!

Turkeys mean spring hunting. Sometimes warm, sometimes cold, sometimes windy, sometimes rainy, sometimes green, often snaky, seriously buggy... always changing.

This season has been no different, in that respect. Everything is different!

The first three days of this season were serious hard hunting. Opening morning was the best weather of the season for me I've hunted this year. Clear, still, just the tiniest nip in the air. The birds roared new day welcome gobbles as the sun cleared the horizon. We could make out at least 5 and possibly 7 different gobblers all within 350yds of our blind. Two were easily under 200yds away. We were positioned in an area we know they always come through to enter a big field. Everything looked perfect. The decoys were out. Staked right in fresh scratching from the day before. The blind had been set up and staked down two weeks prior to the opener. The scratching sign was being refreshed daily on the right hand side in front of the blind. My partner who is left handed set up on my left. This would make a shot to the right the most comfortable for him. I'd video his hunt. That was the plan. Turkeys don't read the play book. Of course they came out on the left. There was absolutely no sign they had done this before. Yet apparently that was the day they decided on a change of pace. Three big toms, all big shooters and a dozen hens. They would not come to the right hand side of the blind. No amount of coaxing worked. I got them within 35yds of the left hand side. I could have shot, but that wasn't why I was there. We watched them move up to the big field. Later, some jakes entertained us. We don't shoot jakes on the NWTF plan, so we just enjoyed their teenage antics. One provided me with a picture for a new patterning target.

jakehead.jpg

I hunted the afternoon, next day and last morning. Heard birds but saw none.

The following week I went one afternoon with a friend to a new farm. Saw one hen. Nothing else. 40hrs of turkey hunting and little action. That's a spirit dampener for anyone.

The weekend was taken over by my father-in-law's 80th birthday party. No complaints from me. He's more than earned the right to interrupt my turkey season. He has provided me with the love of my life and that is more than I feel I can ever repay. Perhaps that side trip was just the thing I needed to change my luck, in his front yard I found this.

clover.jpg

Further disaster. My best turkey hunting bud lost his job. The all to common squeeze of consolidation and company buy outs got him nothing but a pink slip after 12yrs with the same company. Finding new employment is now his number one priority. Turkey season is on indefinite hold for him. I am greatly saddened by this. But I do understand. I was beginning to accept there may be no bird this year for me. The other day I hear from him. He suggests I try behind his Aunt's place. She'll watch out for me. That's what I need. Hunting without someone looking out for me in my condition is more than unwise. It's foolhardy and dangerous. This means for me only an afternoon hunt. That's OK. This time of year as more hen's are bred the Toms are more desperate in the afternoons.

Yesterday afternoon was one of those super windy spring days. Pine pollen was giving everything a thorough yellow dusting. Turkey hunting and wind doesn't seem to go together. To top it off a cold front was moving in and this had shut the birds gobbling activity completely down.

I went anyway. Trusting in early season scouting, my previous five years hunting this place and most importantly God's will. Odds were, it was very likely going to be a bust. I knew however if I could get a late afternoon tom to hear me, although I wouldn't hear him in this wind, good things could happen. Tom's have trouble pinpointing calls on windy days. The wind creates the illusion you are moving around. So actually moving around is a bad bad strategy. Staying put it one location and calling very sparingly has always been my best strategy for days like this. You need to mind where the wind is predominantly blowing and position yourself where the wind blows your calls towards where you believe the birds are. This is where scouting and learning what the birds are doing all day pays off.

I arrived at my friends aunt's house. Helped her put up a birdfeeder. I skirted the area the birds may be in to maximize my chances. That required taking an indirect path to the blind. Harder but I didn't want to spoil any chance I had. I was settled in the blind by 2:00pm. The wind was right. I called my wife on the cell phone, left her a message I was settled in and hunting. "Don't call back I'm hunting." Before I could power down the phone. It rings! Argh!!!

My wife asks, "Did you just call?"

I reply wryly, "Yes, I just left a message not to call me."

It's cool, no harm done. Phones off. I'll call when I'm coming out. Three people know exactly where I am. If I'm not out on time. They'll come looking. More incentive to stay put.

Four hours pass. I munch some pop tarts, and drink some water. I begin to fill a ziploc bag with some used water. Blow a tube call and scratch a slate. No birds. Not a peep. I knock out a few chapters on a book I'm reading.

As so often happens in this thing called turkey hunting. Out of the swamp comes what I have so patiently awaited. Completely silent. But undeniably not dreaming in the flesh right there. A definite shooter. Of course once again this turkey neglected the play book. He's directly in front of the window I neglected to peel back the netting. I click on the video camera. Stick it out a side window and get him in view. I very slowly pry the velcro apart and release one corner. Super risky, the turkey closes from thirty five to twenty five yards. A suddenly velcro rip at that distance he'll bugger out. Slow, slow, slow! Stop facing me! Put your head up! My diaphragm call sits on the blind floor in front of me. I don't risk reaching for it. I do a light kee kee whistle with my mouth. It appears to have a delayed effect penetrating this birds eardrums. He lifts his head to listen.

gobbler07pre.JPG

Safety off, I take aim with my fiber optic sights at the base of his neck. I send 2 1/4 ounces of very angry Winchester Supreme number fours down the pipe at him. My Browning BPS (Black Perfect Shotgun) precisely centers the pattern at the base of the neck.

Gobbler07bang.jpg

One strand on the beard makes 10 inches, 3/4 inch spurs and 16.5 pounds. These birds are lightweight easterns with a little Osceola blood in them. Gives them a more green than bronze iridescence. A solid two year old. Very likely one of the seven jakes I passed last year. I'm extremely happy and thankful God has given me another great turkey.

Gobbler07day4e.jpg

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Leo Monster Buck

Leo

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Re: The Impossible Turkey Season

Thanks for the kind words folks.

Buckee, I'm sorry I'm keeping the clover. I don't think they do ya any good if someone else finds it for ya anyhow. wink.gif

Quite few folks like the "Pattern" pic. I've been asked for full size copies already. Maybe I can sketch some vitals in and make it really cool.

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