Decision Time: Grand Slum

[Brian Lovett]

In "Decision Time," Editor Brian Lovett will share a scenario from his 20-plus years hunting turkeys. Each hinges on a critical decision. Post what choice you would have made, and then see how things actually turned out.

Grand Slum

When you ponder a single-season grand slam, your mind typically imagines the scenic wild areas at which you’ll chase each subspecies: dense cypress swamps, Midwestern woodlands, dry mesquite flats and broad mountain vistas.

Or a run-down subdivision.

Yep, that’s how my single-season slam quest started many years ago. Some guys I’d met at the NWTF Convention convinced me to try their Osceola hotspot, and I’d agreed. Turns out the hotspot was a 6-acre central Florida woodlot that connected to a wildlife refuge surrounded by the dumpy subdivision. If you looked behind your set-up tree, you could see the guy’s back door, and if you listened closely, you could hear someone’s stereo blaring Bon Jovi. (I’d expected Skynyrd in Florida, but whatever.)

We struck out at the “hotspot” in the morning, and I began to suspect that my host knew very little about turkey hunting. Then he took us to a golf course he claimed to have permission to hunt, and I confirmed my fears. Thankfully, we struck out there, but my “guide” wanted to return to his tiny honey hole for the afternoon.

“They love to drift in and out of there,” he said. “It doesn’t look like much, but it always produces.”

I wasn’t convinced. I knew I didn’t want to visit the golf course again, but I figured some nearby public wildlife areas might hold more promise than the subdivision gar-hole. Did I put some faith in my host or put my foot down and strike out on my own?

What would you have done? Post your decision below.

Click here for Lovett's decision.

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[Gobblerman]

Wow,...What a situation to be put in after traveling all the way to Florida! To put it mildly, I would have been less-than-delighted at that point. However, if I truly valued the friendship of my host, I would have relented and tried the backyard one more time,...assuming all the while that my host surely could not be as clueless about the situation as he seemed. After that, however, I would have been on my way to the WMA and spent the remainder of my hunting time actually turkey hunting.

I am going to take a wild guess here, though, and say that you set up in the guys backyard again, called in the neighborhood pet gobbler, and converted him to turkey nuggets. ....Let's now go look and see how I did.....

[kygobbler]

Stay with the guide even though it might not seem like a good setup I will be willing to bet that you get a bird. My little honey hole is in the back of a neighborhood and it always produces. Plus, this reminds me of a story in TTH mag named suburban turkeys so I hope that you hung in there with the guide.

[BigGobbler]

I too am willing to say you did hang in there with your guide and did get a gobbler. Oh man there is so many places like that here in florida its crazy.

[dewey]

Like others have said I think you stayed with him and nailed a gobbler in somebody's backyard. Just think you never have to worry about being lost plus you are that much closer to someones' grill.

Gobblerman
called in the neighborhood pet gobbler, and converted him to turkey nuggets. ....Let's now go look and see how I did.....

Good one. I got a good laugh out of that one.

Dewey