Post by varmint101 on Apr 28, 2006 13:11:02 GMT -5
I went down to Switzerland County after school Tuesday to my buddy Joe's farm. We tried to roost birds that evening, but they weren't saying anything. After making sure our vests were organized to our liking we were eagerly awaiting waking up at 5am to start our 2006 opening day turkey quest!
Well, Joe and I split up in the morning heading off different ways. At about 625 I tried to shock someone into gobbling, but like the night before, they never said anything, so I went down the trail to a cedar thicket and was hoping for the best. 650 rolls around and still no sounds but tweety birds, so I clucked a few times. WHAM. 4 gobblers sounded off. 2 in front to my right, 1 behind, and one in front to the left.
The two in front and one behind started to make their way towards me and my decoys all the while gobbling. Then the sound of doom called in the form of hens which I apparently could not compete with this time. Quarter after seven rolls around and I hear a shotgun blast. Joe is done. Not long after the birds I had had near me are stone quiet courting their new loves I'm sure.
I call Joe and ask the question I already knew. I said my birds have shut up and I'll meet you at the truck we'll go from there.
Back at the truck with a big smile on his face, Joe takes me to another field. We quickly set-up the decoys, now three hens, and get to calling. Joe happens to have a magical box call that really gets the gobblers going! I hit that a few times and here comes a turkey.
In comes a hen straight to the decoys. Funny, as I'm watching her come in I notice she forgot to shave this morning!! She had probably a 2 inch beard coming off her and was looking hard at the decoys. hmmm....
She walks past after a bit and I hit the boat paddle again. WHAM! There's a gobbler in the field RIGHT behind us. He comes in and low and behold it's a jake. Joe says, "you gonna shoot? You ain't killed nothing yet." I said, "I guess." I turn around to shoot while he's 20 yards off looking at me because I was purring. I don't shoot and he runs off because that bush making noise decided to move on him! I could've shot, but I didn't. I've been to Joe's many times and I'm not going to shoot a bearded hen OR a Jake on his place! Too many turkies for that even if I haven't killed before.
Fifteen to twenty minutes pass by after hitting the boat paddle every five minutes or more and we hear gobbles. Toms. 3 of them.
I work them for 15-20 more minutes and they don't budge. There's a creek down there and they will not pass! Joe says, "We're moving. Let's go." We quickly pack up the dekes and head on around them to the other side. Then the fun begins.
We get in to the EXACT same tree Joe killed his bird on that morning and set-up. Hit the box call again and yup, they're still there. Ten minutes pass and they haven't come up the hill to us yet. Joe sees a bird looking at us, but it doesn't come in. He then decides to hit the box again while I was clucking and purring. The other two toms that were in there thundered and they were RIGHT there!
Joe didn't see them yet. I said, "I gott'm I gott'm don't move!" After I had seen the lead tom's tail go down. No head!! He's almost entirely behind a tree. I get the gun up and point it on the left side of the tree awaiting a red/blue bulb to arise from the grass. Peek-a-boo I see you!!! WHAM! A face full of Winchester Super X 6's and he's down for the count.
My first ever turkey!!!
21½lbs, 10 1/8" beard, 3/4" spurs. I haven't been that happy in a long time. Primos The Freak slate and Mossberg 835 used.
Matt
Well, Joe and I split up in the morning heading off different ways. At about 625 I tried to shock someone into gobbling, but like the night before, they never said anything, so I went down the trail to a cedar thicket and was hoping for the best. 650 rolls around and still no sounds but tweety birds, so I clucked a few times. WHAM. 4 gobblers sounded off. 2 in front to my right, 1 behind, and one in front to the left.
The two in front and one behind started to make their way towards me and my decoys all the while gobbling. Then the sound of doom called in the form of hens which I apparently could not compete with this time. Quarter after seven rolls around and I hear a shotgun blast. Joe is done. Not long after the birds I had had near me are stone quiet courting their new loves I'm sure.
I call Joe and ask the question I already knew. I said my birds have shut up and I'll meet you at the truck we'll go from there.
Back at the truck with a big smile on his face, Joe takes me to another field. We quickly set-up the decoys, now three hens, and get to calling. Joe happens to have a magical box call that really gets the gobblers going! I hit that a few times and here comes a turkey.
In comes a hen straight to the decoys. Funny, as I'm watching her come in I notice she forgot to shave this morning!! She had probably a 2 inch beard coming off her and was looking hard at the decoys. hmmm....
She walks past after a bit and I hit the boat paddle again. WHAM! There's a gobbler in the field RIGHT behind us. He comes in and low and behold it's a jake. Joe says, "you gonna shoot? You ain't killed nothing yet." I said, "I guess." I turn around to shoot while he's 20 yards off looking at me because I was purring. I don't shoot and he runs off because that bush making noise decided to move on him! I could've shot, but I didn't. I've been to Joe's many times and I'm not going to shoot a bearded hen OR a Jake on his place! Too many turkies for that even if I haven't killed before.
Fifteen to twenty minutes pass by after hitting the boat paddle every five minutes or more and we hear gobbles. Toms. 3 of them.
I work them for 15-20 more minutes and they don't budge. There's a creek down there and they will not pass! Joe says, "We're moving. Let's go." We quickly pack up the dekes and head on around them to the other side. Then the fun begins.
We get in to the EXACT same tree Joe killed his bird on that morning and set-up. Hit the box call again and yup, they're still there. Ten minutes pass and they haven't come up the hill to us yet. Joe sees a bird looking at us, but it doesn't come in. He then decides to hit the box again while I was clucking and purring. The other two toms that were in there thundered and they were RIGHT there!
Joe didn't see them yet. I said, "I gott'm I gott'm don't move!" After I had seen the lead tom's tail go down. No head!! He's almost entirely behind a tree. I get the gun up and point it on the left side of the tree awaiting a red/blue bulb to arise from the grass. Peek-a-boo I see you!!! WHAM! A face full of Winchester Super X 6's and he's down for the count.
My first ever turkey!!!
21½lbs, 10 1/8" beard, 3/4" spurs. I haven't been that happy in a long time. Primos The Freak slate and Mossberg 835 used.
Matt
