Well Dag Gummit, Paint me embarrassed and aggravated

[eggshell]

After 6 days of really hard turkey hunting and 572 miles of walking hillsides (seems like that much), passing up shots on hens and poults everyday while holding out for a gobbler I got my chance this morning. You can probably guess by by thread title what happened....I MISSED! I spotted 4-5 birds in a field on a friend's farm I hunt. I get the binoculars on one of them and sure enough a mice red head. His back was too me so I couldn't see a beard, but I knew what I was looking at. I watched a few minutes and saw they were working along a woods edge away from me so I let them get around a bend and took off looping around to the far end of the woods they were headed to. When I got there I eased up to the edge and peeked out, no turkeys in sight. I felt good I had beat them to the spot but wasn't sure. So I started looking for a set up when I caught movement. There my bird was coming right at me. I do my best to shrink down into the dirt, but he has me pinned i can't move. Finally at 25 yards this bird finally figures that lump in the woods edge doesn't look right and turns and starts sneaking off. I pull up with all certainty that this bird is taking a ride in my truck. At 30 yards I pull down on him and squeeze off, what the $%^& he runs about five steps and takes wing, but immediately enters the woods so I get no chance at a followup. After replaying the event in my mind I am certain in my rush I did not tuck down on the gun and shot over it. I kinda recall seeing my shot string hit the grass behind the bird and above it. So now it's all out war and the next legal turkey is taking fire, I didn't know whether to be pissed off or embarrassed.

[mark hay]

At east you had some action , Dana.
I haven't turkey hunted each day like you but just this morning I feel like I walked to your house and back . Didn't hear any birds ,,,,,,none. On my last looping walk I was within 300 of the truck when I spotted some really fresh scratchings. I moved a little closer for inspection and low and behold it was gobbler doin's . As I am looking down at the ground I hear faint footsteps and turn in time to see an old hermit gobbler . He had evidently heard my noisy approach and was just walking out . His course took him down the steep side of the ridge . That is how I got so close without spooking him . He was carrying one fine horsetail for a beard. No less than 11 inches .
I gave him time to move out of sight and tried to loop around the point to him and call him in . You know hermits . He didn't mind being alone and cared nothing for my vocalizations . Downright rude behavior !

[eggshell]

You got that right Mark, those hermits seldom want any company. About the only chance is to challenge purr at them and rise their anger. Other than that it takes an ambush on them in the fall. What I have found is the birds are being very quiet, not even calling much on the roost, if any. I have been really fortune to get close to birds and see them or hear them scratching first. I have called one single hen in that talked to me a lot. I let her walk. I got in front of a couple family groups and I split a couple up and played with them a while. I split one bunch twice yesterday, had a ball. Now that it's raining my strategy of sneaking the ridges and listening for scratching over the benches won't work for a few days. I'll probably just do some sit call hunting. Good luck.

[WillowRidgeCalls]

Have you boys tried mixing a gobble in with your calling? I know it's a call that a lot of folks don't like using, but it will attracked a few longbeards. I jake gobble a lot in the fall, but I through an adult gobble in once or twice just to give them a group sound or challenge call.

[mark hay]

I do use it the gobble quite a lot , but not yet this season . Of course hindsight is twenty-twenty , and I should have made a couple strong gobbles this morning before leaving the deer stand. Those three superjakes gobbled from the roost this morning . I knew where they were but stayed in the stand . Then as I was leaving the woods there they were ,,,,YEP,,,,heading striaght toward my treestand . And they spied me first and was showing off their athletic abilities in the 50 yards dash.

[eggshell]

Yes I do gobble some in the fall. Have never really had much luck with it. Our problem is that with two straight years of poor hatches, almost all the long beards out there are 3 yr olds and up and they often run alone or two or three in a pack. They don't do much calling and ignore most things they hear, it's primarily eat and loaf. However, they are prone to patterning and if you figure out their routine your in business.
Today I only made one set up at daylight and then came in as it was wet and windy and today is a work day for me. I may make a quick hunt in the morning, but I work from noon til 7:00,so Monday is my next true hunting day. It's a long season and I'm still kind of in play mode.

[ylpnfol]

good story Dana, except for the moment of truth part of course, but stuff happens to everyone, your willpower to pass on a " turkey " and to target only a mature gobbler is to be commended, maybe, just maybe, the next bird you encounter will have a longer rope hanging from his chest, you never know.....good luck the next time you go

[grizzly]

Chin up Dana and keep at it .......wayne

[eggshell]

Alright this is getting ridiculous, another screw up. This morning I went back to the new spot i was in Friday and saw a lot of sign in. At daylight I was hoping to hear a cluck or kkee kee or yelp, but what did I hear, yup as pure as a spring day GGGGGOOOOOOOBBBBBLLLLEEEE and I was off out the ridge. All the way he would gobble and I found a set up about 150 yards out as it is wide open woods below me and I'm staying back in the brush. It's quiet so I begin to wonder if I busted the bird. Then a gobble to my left towards where I came, I jump up and heaad back to the saddle thinking the bird is working that way. When I get there three gobbles from where I was , but I sit and I can track this bird going up the ridge, so back I go. When I'm almost to where i want, Gobble and it's right in front of me. I sit down and cluck real harsh, gobble, he answers. I look around and realize when I see this bird he will be on top of me. He gobbles 5 more times and is flanking me, but that is ok, at least I'm keeping him located. Meanwhile I hear another bird gobbling down the ridge, so I realize two different birds have been yanking me around. Then I hear keeyelp keeyelp off to my right and behind me. I'm thinking a dadblame hen is gonna screw this up....keeyelp soft cluck keeyelp, purr and she is right behind the blow-down beside. I shift and watch just to see her and was wondering if maybe I should just go ahead and bag her, but I never position the gun, because I know I don't want to. There's movement and a keyelp, that's her; wait what the heck a red head annnndd a horse tail hanging out of the chest. At 15 paces GOBBZILLAsteps out and stares right at me. Holy crap batman! My gun is down and in the wrong direction. I know I'm busted so I just swing up hoping he'll look too long. No such luck he turns to walk away but I'm on him by now, follow follow, there an opening and squeeze........




yep i left the pause for suspense. Down goes mr sassafras sapling and away flies Gobbzilla. I feel like throwing up!
I hung around for two more hours and the other gobblers clucks back at me two different times, but never shows up. I'm going back this evening for a bedtime surprise for those two or three. At this point a nice fat poult better stay clear. Geesh I can't remember a more snake bit fall for some time.

[WillowRidgeCalls]

Dang Dana. The gobbers have been very quiet around here, nothing but soft clucks. I haven't heard a gobble yet, not even from a jake. When you said you heard that keeyelp I knew you were in trouble, that's a feeder/gathering call gobblers use and you have to be very close to hear it. At least you have some sounding off. Stay after them.