Season Rolls on

[eggshell]

The last few days the turkeys have certified my stupidity. They are whooping my butt. I found a group of gobblers on some public ground and have been dogging them, but they don't want to come to the call. They'll call in the tree and a little at fly down then shut up. Yesterday they had a battle royal about 100 yards from me. I almost just got up and went right at them as I figured they were so engrossed in the fight they may let me sneak right up, but I decided to wait and see if they came my way. They fed off and I saw them across a drain, two long beards strutting like spring and four super jakes, my morning was done. I went back yesterday evening and sat on the roost area. At 4:45 I heard them scratching down the ridge behind me. It was driving me nuts as they ended up directly behind me and over a bank. So the genius I am I get up on my knees and turn around. They never saw me, but my leggs gave out from sitting on them and I decided I had to stretch so I eased up along side this huge white oak, and they still didn't spot me. There were birds on my right and my left so I decided to point my gun right and wait, you guessed it the first bird in came to my left and promptly busted me. My evening was done! why I didn't just sit tight and let them walk by until they were in front of me I have no reason, old timers disease I reckon. This morning I went back with my buddy and his curr dog, but we never found them. So I went to my cousins this afternoon and saw 4 long beards, but they were headed in a different direction and I could not turn them.

[ylpnfol]

sounds like turkey hunting to me, a lot of head scratching involved wed. morn i went back, after hearing a flock fly up tues eve, and didn't hear anything, even tho i KNEW right where they were, at 8:30 went down to the creek to call/sit til i had to leave, and got 'em going, mama and i got into an argument, she came over to visit, i admittedly didn't set up in a very good spot, couldn't get a shot at 30 yds, she left, and awhile later, as i was going to leave, i heard the flock scratching IN MY DIRECTION, so i plopped back down, and don't you know they fed right in front of me for 15-20 minutes and i could not get a shot at any of them, too much ground cover/leaves still on saplings etc....they just walked off back into the pines not knowing i was in the world , more head scratching, but i really enjoyed that.....will be back after 'em next week, hopefully can get on 'em before the deer hunters run them off.....keep after 'em eggshell, it's just a matter of time !!

[grizzly]

the season here has been awful i got back in after a morning hunt and didn't hear a single yelp no sign any where the only thing i'm seeing is loads of coyote tracks i think that's it's time to turn my full attention to them...wayne

[eggshell]

I feel your pain Grizzly. I went morning and evening yesterday and saw nor heard anything. Now I'm really rethinking those 12-15 hens and poults I passed on earlier in season. Although I have screwed up shots on gobblers twice since. Now birds are turning nomadic and the small groups are gathering into winter super flocks. This makes them harder to find, but when you do it's sweet. I have walked way to many miles and the old legs are tiring. Now pheasant season is in and my buddy is chomping to hit the fields. I will need to kill the next turkey I see, in range. Lucky our season is so long. I knew I was taking a chance passing birds, and I do not like tag soup one bit. I think I have hunted the same flocks too hard and pushed them off the farm, so I'm going into new ground next week. Hey the up side is I'm 16 pounds lighter....LOL

[mark hay]

Due to my excessive workload I haven't been able to hunt like I would prefer . This unbearable task has brought me to a depression of sorts . It ain't the work that's unbearable,,,it's not being able to turkey hunt AT LEASURE.
This morning I hit the woods at a known roost area . My usual waiting on sun up spot was met with on the limb chatter as we talked back and forth . I used three different calls but they preferred the brass trumpet . I ain't braggin' ,,that's just how it played out . No fly down cackle . No cluck . Just plain old silence . I moved around the private ground they roost on in a hope of getting on the same ridge with the rascals . This is the same spot where I killed one last fall . But , where they moved to from the roost eludes me . They would not respond no matter what call or gender I offered up to them . But , let me tell you ,,,I could have killed a truck load of deer this morning . No exaggeration ! Bucks running does . Bucks feeding on acorns . It was a noisy woods to say the least .
I had a good time . Blame it on the weather if you want . 32 degrees at sunup . Dressed very light . Footwear is most critical . When I'm dressed in light footwear I can go for quite a while .
Never did locate those birds . I assume they crossed over the Cabin Ridge and just simply would not answer my calls . Had they been on my side of Cabin Ridge they would have given away their location by scratchin' those deep Oak leaves . The other side is all Cedars . Ain't likely to hear anything .

Dana , I gotta say I'm impressed with your stamina ,,and desire to bag a longbeard . Don't get too anxious to tag out feller . We have a lot of time remaining. Them birds are changing their habits by the day now . It'll only get better .

Best wishes to you Boys .