Finally... another first turkey story
05-03-2009, 03:39 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location:
Posts: 191
Finally... another first turkey story
Well I finally dropped one.
Over the few years that I have been trying to get a turkey, I have learned alot about their behavior, as well as the behavior of other hunters. You see, it seems as though most hunters in this area don't like to get off of their ATV or out of their truck. I have found that when I follow the snow melt up stream, I can have the place to myself knowing that no one has driven or walked through the deep patches of snow that cover the road. Using this tactic, I have gotten into turkeys that have not been pressured.
So yesterday, that is what I did. I found a road that had a shady spot with deep snow and parked there, then I hiked in making the first human tracks this year (above the snow was plenty of open meadows and creek bottom without snow).
So about a mile up the road I jumped a hen and spotted a tom about 300 yards off. I set up and relaxed a bit before calling. After 20 minutes or so, I started yelping every 10 minutes. It took an hour and 20 minutes before the gobbler sounded off.
In front of me was a opening about a 1/4 acres size where I put my hen decoy, beyond that was the road, and beyond that was a creek. The road and the creek went left to right across my field of vision.
I could see that the gobbler had a whole slew of hens with him, but he came in anyway. Unfortunately he stopped at the road out of range, and that was it, he just would not come in to the opening with the decoy. Him and I talked back and forth, almost non-stop, for about 20 minutes before he was led away by his hens. He kept gobbling at my calls, but each time he was further and further away. Eventually he was way upstream and completely out of site.
I was so PO'd, I angrily got up and marched right at him, expecting them to run off. I never saw them, so I sat down next to a tree to sulk. I looked to the left, then I looked to the right, and that is when I heard the sound of him opening his fan to strut (to my left). I could not believe what I was seeing! Him and a hen just appeared, 20 yards away, like it was magic. I was not ready and was wondering how to get my gun shouldered without spooking them. That is when he strutted again with his butt facing me. Using his own fan as a sheild I quickly shoulder my shotgun, and on the next good look, I dropped him.
I don't know how it is they did not see me walk up after them, and I haven't the faintest idea how they just appeared like that...I guess it was just my day.
Over the few years that I have been trying to get a turkey, I have learned alot about their behavior, as well as the behavior of other hunters. You see, it seems as though most hunters in this area don't like to get off of their ATV or out of their truck. I have found that when I follow the snow melt up stream, I can have the place to myself knowing that no one has driven or walked through the deep patches of snow that cover the road. Using this tactic, I have gotten into turkeys that have not been pressured.
So yesterday, that is what I did. I found a road that had a shady spot with deep snow and parked there, then I hiked in making the first human tracks this year (above the snow was plenty of open meadows and creek bottom without snow).
So about a mile up the road I jumped a hen and spotted a tom about 300 yards off. I set up and relaxed a bit before calling. After 20 minutes or so, I started yelping every 10 minutes. It took an hour and 20 minutes before the gobbler sounded off.
In front of me was a opening about a 1/4 acres size where I put my hen decoy, beyond that was the road, and beyond that was a creek. The road and the creek went left to right across my field of vision.
I could see that the gobbler had a whole slew of hens with him, but he came in anyway. Unfortunately he stopped at the road out of range, and that was it, he just would not come in to the opening with the decoy. Him and I talked back and forth, almost non-stop, for about 20 minutes before he was led away by his hens. He kept gobbling at my calls, but each time he was further and further away. Eventually he was way upstream and completely out of site.
I was so PO'd, I angrily got up and marched right at him, expecting them to run off. I never saw them, so I sat down next to a tree to sulk. I looked to the left, then I looked to the right, and that is when I heard the sound of him opening his fan to strut (to my left). I could not believe what I was seeing! Him and a hen just appeared, 20 yards away, like it was magic. I was not ready and was wondering how to get my gun shouldered without spooking them. That is when he strutted again with his butt facing me. Using his own fan as a sheild I quickly shoulder my shotgun, and on the next good look, I dropped him.
I don't know how it is they did not see me walk up after them, and I haven't the faintest idea how they just appeared like that...I guess it was just my day.
05-03-2009, 05:15 PM
#2
Fork Horn
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Jackson, TN
Posts: 235
RE: Finally... another first turkey story
Wow, congrats! My father and I are like that. We aren't timid about walking to a spot. We also this year had a similar situation (kinda) This boy flew down with hens 400 yds across a field and we sneaked through a jungle to get to him. When he was struttin' around all the way across the field I was ticked too. Anyway congrats. Oh, how about some measurments.
05-03-2009, 05:37 PM
#3
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location:
Posts: 191
RE: Finally... another first turkey story
how about some measurments
3/4" spurs
7" beard
I didn't get the weight, but I'm guessing fairly hefty judging from the soarness of my muscles after having to haul it out.
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