Fool me once
This past Thursday I the green light to go chase some turkeys. I started of the morning going after a bird I had some history with. It started off like I was in a perfect scenario and knew I had a chance. The bird was gobbling good on the roost and then all of the sudden he just shut up… He ended up flying all the way down to the neighboring field and never said a peep the rest of the time I was there. My only guess is that there were other hunters trying cross the hollar and the turkey busted them being that it was still wide open.
I decided to go prospecting and went to a new piece of public (for me) only drive by a tom right on the side of the road with a hen right next to the public piece. Drove up about 150 yards and parked took my time and started looking for a spot to work this bird. I messed with him for about an hour and he didn’t budge. The bird ended up spooking thank to a guy that parked fifty yards closer whaling on a box call and mouth call. The guy ended walking by me, and I gave him my two cents. He was apologetic just couldn’t understand how he did not see my vehicle… The morning was done, and I went home and worked.
With another green light to hunt I went tom the same place with the intentions to have another encounter with the tom that was living on the edge. Went to a high spot to listen only to hear a bird gobble all the way on the other side of the hollar. I had a decision to make go after a bird that is deep on public or try after a bird that had a pretty private field to hang out all morning.
Well, I went to go see if grass was greener on the other side. After crossing 3 creeks, two finger ridges, two thick mountain laurel thickets, and finish walking straight up the last 500 yards. Only to get to where I had the bird marked and not hear a peep… I sat there for 30 minutes and didn’t hear a think... I decided to go mess with the other bird and headed back only this time I tracked my way back an easier route.
I got back to my vehicle and struck the bird on my first owl hoot. He was on a food plot on the neighboring property. I messed with him for an hour, and he knew where he was safe and didn’t budge. I decided to go prospecting and found out where the bird went that I heard in the am. I drove around to the other side and walked in about 2 miles looking for any turkey sign. I found potential spots and things started to look more turkey the closer I got to where I had pinned the bird on the roost. I get to a high point and throw out a couple cuts with my slate call only to have a chicken on the neighboring property respond and then another and then I heard what I was looking for. It was a gobble!! And he was under 200 yards!!
He was less then 200 yards from where I had him marked from him gobbling on the roost. He couldn’t hear me because he was on the other side of the mountain slope. I sneak down to a big, wooded bottom and set up on the backside of little finger ridge. A called with my slate again and he ate it up called with my wing bone and he ate it up. It sounded like more than 1 tom, and they were right on the border on private. Messed with them for about 10 minutes and they didn’t budge with them slowly drifting away from me.
I knew I had to make a move and the boundary lines were working for my side. I circled around to get Infront of them and ended up getting in their bubble under 60 yards, about 40 yards on private. This time I call and scratch in the leave and they eat it up again and finally I see bits and pieces of them. I have my back to the boundaries line facing my gun barrel at 2 if my back is 6. To my left is a steep bluff and I knew my only chance is to call them back to my right. At this point I’m 20 yards off the line and the birds are in shooting range but are on private. I do some light purrs and some leave scratching and here they come. I envisioned me getting a double with my single shot for a second until reality kicked in…
My back is to the tree facing public with my gun pointed at 2 with the birds to my right on the other side of the tree at my six.. they wouldn’t budge.. they were less then 20 yards spitting and drumming looking for the hen that they can’t see. I slowly look to my left and see the boundary mark and knew that they were on public and got into F-it mode. Its either I make a move or they were headed back to the private piece. I move my gun to my left and got away with it. I slowly spin around and I hear a put. Whip the gun around the tree and pull the trigger and the middle of three birds white heads that’s at 8 yards. He drops and I scramble to get another shell only to notice that the other two birds had 6-inch beards… yep… I got fooled… These guys sounded better then some of the toms I’ve shot. Either or, it was a fun hunt and don’t regret pulling the trigger. I have two aggressive toms to mess with next year.
