Good Day Gents
Was a Roller coster of emotions this morning. I had a basic idea where these birds were roosted. Was up 2 hours before dawn. I suited up and headed out. As I was sneaking up the trail in total darkness. I could hear some gobbling on up the hill.
Quietly I eased my way towards the sounds. Was quite surprised how early before dawn they began to gobble. As I slipped along , right ahead one fired off!
Oh poop! So I turned around and headed down the hill. Guessing I was far back enough I began to set up my decoys and ground blind as quiet as I could in the dark.
I settled in and enjoyed the morning and the distant gobbles.
As the day began to awake. I heard sounds above me. Sound of things falling from the trees. As the sun kissed the treetops I could now see what was making the noise. I was right under over a dozen turkeys. OMG. not good. The sounds were birds pooping as the awoken.
I was screwed! Turkeys have eyes like a hawk. They surly will see me
. Nothing I could do. So I sat there as they too began to gobble and cluck at the rising sun. I was totally pinned down.
I could still hear the other toms further up the hill gobbling.
As the sun rose. Sure enough they spotted me. Over 20 birds began to send out the warning something was amiss. After a while they flushed in all directions ( a good thing). This hunt was over.
Still up the trail the further off toms had no idea what was going on. I quickly packed up and headed up the hill to the distant gobbler. I set out the decoys and set up my blind and settled in for the game. Some soft purring and clucking just to let him know I was there. He answers my every call but is not coming. He is just over the knoll expecting me ( the hen) to come to him.
I decided to give him the silent treatment for a bit. After 15 minuets I started raking the leaves making feeding sounds. Soft content purrs. After an hour, I see a head poke up over the knoll. Then another and another. 3! They see my decoys. Perfect. They come in quiet and and on a string to my setup. As they begin to circle and size up my Tom decoy I wait for one to settle down. A turkey head is about the size of your fist sideways. And it doesn’t stop bobbing. Finally one stares down my decoys. I take up the slack in the first stage. Resting on the second stage. My heart is pounding. I take a breath hold and squeeze. SMACK! Head shot. Bird down!!
Amazing morning. Just the way a fair chase hunt should be.
Was a Roller coster of emotions this morning. I had a basic idea where these birds were roosted. Was up 2 hours before dawn. I suited up and headed out. As I was sneaking up the trail in total darkness. I could hear some gobbling on up the hill.
Quietly I eased my way towards the sounds. Was quite surprised how early before dawn they began to gobble. As I slipped along , right ahead one fired off!
Oh poop! So I turned around and headed down the hill. Guessing I was far back enough I began to set up my decoys and ground blind as quiet as I could in the dark.
I settled in and enjoyed the morning and the distant gobbles.
As the day began to awake. I heard sounds above me. Sound of things falling from the trees. As the sun kissed the treetops I could now see what was making the noise. I was right under over a dozen turkeys. OMG. not good. The sounds were birds pooping as the awoken.
I was screwed! Turkeys have eyes like a hawk. They surly will see me
. Nothing I could do. So I sat there as they too began to gobble and cluck at the rising sun. I was totally pinned down. I could still hear the other toms further up the hill gobbling.
As the sun rose. Sure enough they spotted me. Over 20 birds began to send out the warning something was amiss. After a while they flushed in all directions ( a good thing). This hunt was over.
Still up the trail the further off toms had no idea what was going on. I quickly packed up and headed up the hill to the distant gobbler. I set out the decoys and set up my blind and settled in for the game. Some soft purring and clucking just to let him know I was there. He answers my every call but is not coming. He is just over the knoll expecting me ( the hen) to come to him.
I decided to give him the silent treatment for a bit. After 15 minuets I started raking the leaves making feeding sounds. Soft content purrs. After an hour, I see a head poke up over the knoll. Then another and another. 3! They see my decoys. Perfect. They come in quiet and and on a string to my setup. As they begin to circle and size up my Tom decoy I wait for one to settle down. A turkey head is about the size of your fist sideways. And it doesn’t stop bobbing. Finally one stares down my decoys. I take up the slack in the first stage. Resting on the second stage. My heart is pounding. I take a breath hold and squeeze. SMACK! Head shot. Bird down!!
Amazing morning. Just the way a fair chase hunt should be.
