Bachflock Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 We hit the woods this morning about the time I expected - 9am. Had to get the kids off to school before we could get out the door. As soon as they were off so were we. We get to the location and only then do I realize that I forgot my binoculars and mouth calls. My wife, whose the one hunting, I'm just there to call, is a bit nervous having never hunted before but I assure her we'll do fine. Honestly, getting that late of a start I didn't expect much success but I was hoping she'd have fun none-the-less. We're not even out of the car yet and I spot two turkey between us and where I was hoping to set up! We ease out of the car and get all our stuff on. We were able to move 15 yards and stand behind a pile of wood so I could get a better look - binocs sure would have come in handy! Regardless from that vantage I could tell they were hens. They knew we were there but weren't spooking at all. They were in no hurry to leave the field either. It was a narrow strip of property we were hunting so I wasn't comfortable trying to work in ahead of them. After a moment I decided to make the drive back home for the binoculars and the mouth calls and give the hens a chance to move out the field without being pressured. Thirty minutes later we're back at the field and I'm now I'm really skeptical I'll put my wife on a bird. We move into the field and nothing that I could see. I set her up just inside the wood on the back side of the field and I move out 15 yards to set up the decoys. I don't even have both decoys out of my vest when I hear the first gobble! I look straight at my wife but she had missed it. Quickly now I set up the decoys and move back into the woods about 3 yards from my wife and the gobbler sounds off again - I haven't even called yet. She heard that one and her eyes show it - very cool. I'd guessed he was 150 yards or so, possibly somewhat farther. I start calling and he and I play the game. He wasn't what I'd call hot but he was listening. He moved to our left and closed the distance to somewhere around 75 yards. Then he started going back and forth in a line about that far away. We couldn't hear his steps and couldn't hear him spitting and drumming. Eventually he gets board and moves off and his gobbling becomes more and more distant until he's gone. We ended up working the bird a solid hour before he moved off. I'm thinking he probably had the two hens that we had seen with him and wasn't interested in leaving them for some mouthy unseen hen. I know there's also a fence back there some but they cross it frequently - its only about 3.5 - 4 ft tall but tall enough to make them think about it first. Today was only the first day but my wife got to see a couple of hens and got to listen and anticipate while I worked a gobbler for her. We weren't in the woods long at all but she's already looking forward to tomorrow. Can't ask for much more for her first experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuntnMa Posted May 6, 2008 Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 Sounds like a good day to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted May 6, 2008 Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 can't beat that for a first day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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