Post by art338wm on Jun 15, 2015 11:35:34 GMT -5
I am extremely lucky to have access to some private property in a area of quite high turkey numbers. As I have learned the hard way it is never a good idea to out hunt your hosts, especially the first or second years one is granted access, so I usually wait until my host and his friend have killed their birds, also it was implied I was welcome to bring my two young sons AFTER both my hosts have filled their tags.
Unfortunately I only get one weekend off per month none fell with in turkey season and all of our turkey season takes place while my sons are still in school, so my opportunities to take my boys hunting are quite limited. The first time I hunted this year I was alone. As luck would have it the main roost was LOADED with birds. I counted at least four Toms, six Jakes and well over a dozen hens. I decided not to take a Tom that would in any way affect the roost so as to protect the roost as much as possible.
I figured with so many turkeys around I should be able to kill one without impacting the roost. As they say "best laid plans ets" This particular season finding a Tom without hens was proving next to impossible. There is a large green open field dew west of my land that always has Toms in it displaying at almost any time from just after first light to as late as 3pm. I hoped a lone Tom or two without hens would come out into this field and I could call him to his demise. This strategy had served me to perfection on both public and private land Toms in seasons past as at least 50% of the turkeys I've killed in the last 15 years I've taken after 9am depending on a lack of available hens as the key to my success.
I set up on the highest point directly across from from the above field, but any turkey out in the field would be at least 400-450 yards from my set up, placing them at a minimum 300 yards over the property line. I also set up my decoys (two hens) on the highest point I could find. Although between my set up and the above lush green field is a bowl shaped field that had not been planted in the last two years, my set up and the strut area are basically on the same level and the slope from my set up to the strut area is so gradual that my decoys should visible at all times to any approaching turkey.
I had long ago invested the time to become quite good with a mouth call, but no matter how hard I tried I could never master calling softly with a mouth call, but after realizing I would need as loud a call I could find to call birds from so far away, I decided to bring my favorite mouth call with me this season. I chose my Primos True Double II raspy old hen stacked aluminum frame call. This call is like using a mega phone to call turkeys.
Fortunately for me about 9:15am I heard a lone Tom gobble out of sight from the large green field. As loud as I could I used my mouth call to send a six note yelp/cluck series at him. He instantly gobbled back at me. I waited about 6-8 minuets and called again, and instantly the tom double gobbled back at me. Again I waited another 8-10 minuets and called again and again he instantly gobbled back at me, this time definitely closer. The Tom was now starting to gobble every few minuets, so I decided to stop calling until I saw him.
After about 15 minuets of him gobbling every couple of minuets, the sound of which told me he was steadily getting closer, I finally saw the top of his fan, then his gorgeous red/blue head, then all of him. I then called using a short 3 note yelp/cluck. The old Tom instantly gobbled and went into full display and I'm pretty sure he also spotted my two hen decoys. For the next hour and 10-15 minuets it went like this: Gobble display and strut, I would, call he would then advanced 50-60 yards stop display, gobble strut. On and on it went until he covered the over 400 yards between him and my decoys.
Finally he stopped about ten yards short of my decoys and proceeded to gobble, display, strut and even did some spitting and drumming. I was enjoying this best hunt I ever had so much, I didn't want to end it by shooting. This was by far the most enjoyable, exciting and amazing turkey hunt in my life. I'm guessing this went on for at least 10-12 minuets before the Tom despite his best efforts to woo my decoys had become tired of the frigid treatment by the seemingly totally disinterested hens, looked to me as he was going to start to walk away.
With my decoys at 40 yards the big old Tom was by my estimation at least 50 yards away, so I finally took him. He weighed 24.7lbs had 1-7/16" and 1-1/2" spurs and a two finger thick 11" beard. My best Tom to date. Two days later my 10 year old son and I after unsuccessfully setting up in the roost moved to the same area and set up as above. Sure enough a lone Tome appeared out in the field and I managed once again using my mouth call got him to less than 200 yards from me before a cursed hen showed up and put the kaybosh on our well laid ambush.
Thankfully for my son, as the first cuss words were silently leaving my lips, we heard at least two turkeys gobbling about 300-350 yards away on the other side of a pond on the neighboring property. I quickly threw a six note yelp/cluck at them once again using my mouth call. Using my binos I spotted at least three Jakes heading our way. I called only once more, but the Jakes were gobbling literally non stop, and coming at break neck speed so I stopped calling. At 100 yards out I had my son get his gun up on his knees, at 30 I told him "safety off, aim & fire" Told him to take Jake #2 as he was by far the biggest of the three, at the shot the Jake dropped stone dead. The jake weighed 17.5lbs, had quite impressive 6" and 5" long double beards.
Without doubt we would have never had a chance to take either of these excellent Turkeys if I didn't have my mouth call with us, as the only other calls I ever use are two different synthetic slate calls by Hunters Specialties, and a plane Jane push button and a natural slate. In my past experience slate calls simply don't have the volume to reach out 400-500 yards like my mouth call obviously did. i will from now on make sure I always have one or two of my favorite mouth calls with.
Unfortunately I only get one weekend off per month none fell with in turkey season and all of our turkey season takes place while my sons are still in school, so my opportunities to take my boys hunting are quite limited. The first time I hunted this year I was alone. As luck would have it the main roost was LOADED with birds. I counted at least four Toms, six Jakes and well over a dozen hens. I decided not to take a Tom that would in any way affect the roost so as to protect the roost as much as possible.
I figured with so many turkeys around I should be able to kill one without impacting the roost. As they say "best laid plans ets" This particular season finding a Tom without hens was proving next to impossible. There is a large green open field dew west of my land that always has Toms in it displaying at almost any time from just after first light to as late as 3pm. I hoped a lone Tom or two without hens would come out into this field and I could call him to his demise. This strategy had served me to perfection on both public and private land Toms in seasons past as at least 50% of the turkeys I've killed in the last 15 years I've taken after 9am depending on a lack of available hens as the key to my success.
I set up on the highest point directly across from from the above field, but any turkey out in the field would be at least 400-450 yards from my set up, placing them at a minimum 300 yards over the property line. I also set up my decoys (two hens) on the highest point I could find. Although between my set up and the above lush green field is a bowl shaped field that had not been planted in the last two years, my set up and the strut area are basically on the same level and the slope from my set up to the strut area is so gradual that my decoys should visible at all times to any approaching turkey.
I had long ago invested the time to become quite good with a mouth call, but no matter how hard I tried I could never master calling softly with a mouth call, but after realizing I would need as loud a call I could find to call birds from so far away, I decided to bring my favorite mouth call with me this season. I chose my Primos True Double II raspy old hen stacked aluminum frame call. This call is like using a mega phone to call turkeys.
Fortunately for me about 9:15am I heard a lone Tom gobble out of sight from the large green field. As loud as I could I used my mouth call to send a six note yelp/cluck series at him. He instantly gobbled back at me. I waited about 6-8 minuets and called again, and instantly the tom double gobbled back at me. Again I waited another 8-10 minuets and called again and again he instantly gobbled back at me, this time definitely closer. The Tom was now starting to gobble every few minuets, so I decided to stop calling until I saw him.
After about 15 minuets of him gobbling every couple of minuets, the sound of which told me he was steadily getting closer, I finally saw the top of his fan, then his gorgeous red/blue head, then all of him. I then called using a short 3 note yelp/cluck. The old Tom instantly gobbled and went into full display and I'm pretty sure he also spotted my two hen decoys. For the next hour and 10-15 minuets it went like this: Gobble display and strut, I would, call he would then advanced 50-60 yards stop display, gobble strut. On and on it went until he covered the over 400 yards between him and my decoys.
Finally he stopped about ten yards short of my decoys and proceeded to gobble, display, strut and even did some spitting and drumming. I was enjoying this best hunt I ever had so much, I didn't want to end it by shooting. This was by far the most enjoyable, exciting and amazing turkey hunt in my life. I'm guessing this went on for at least 10-12 minuets before the Tom despite his best efforts to woo my decoys had become tired of the frigid treatment by the seemingly totally disinterested hens, looked to me as he was going to start to walk away.
With my decoys at 40 yards the big old Tom was by my estimation at least 50 yards away, so I finally took him. He weighed 24.7lbs had 1-7/16" and 1-1/2" spurs and a two finger thick 11" beard. My best Tom to date. Two days later my 10 year old son and I after unsuccessfully setting up in the roost moved to the same area and set up as above. Sure enough a lone Tome appeared out in the field and I managed once again using my mouth call got him to less than 200 yards from me before a cursed hen showed up and put the kaybosh on our well laid ambush.
Thankfully for my son, as the first cuss words were silently leaving my lips, we heard at least two turkeys gobbling about 300-350 yards away on the other side of a pond on the neighboring property. I quickly threw a six note yelp/cluck at them once again using my mouth call. Using my binos I spotted at least three Jakes heading our way. I called only once more, but the Jakes were gobbling literally non stop, and coming at break neck speed so I stopped calling. At 100 yards out I had my son get his gun up on his knees, at 30 I told him "safety off, aim & fire" Told him to take Jake #2 as he was by far the biggest of the three, at the shot the Jake dropped stone dead. The jake weighed 17.5lbs, had quite impressive 6" and 5" long double beards.
Without doubt we would have never had a chance to take either of these excellent Turkeys if I didn't have my mouth call with us, as the only other calls I ever use are two different synthetic slate calls by Hunters Specialties, and a plane Jane push button and a natural slate. In my past experience slate calls simply don't have the volume to reach out 400-500 yards like my mouth call obviously did. i will from now on make sure I always have one or two of my favorite mouth calls with.
