bamaranger
New member
Y'all have seen my post about missing a turkey and then taking one later. That was on a Monday. Here's what happened the next AM, Tues.
Out on state land again. I drove through the gate and stopped, just at first light. Most guys hammer on through, to get back in. The front is often not very crowded at all. Got out, was piddlin around at the Bronco, fooling w/ my vest, filling canteen, listening.
Bird gobbles to the south. Obviously on pvt property. But the boundary is convoluted and he may get to where I can hunt him. Park. Off we go, chasing gobbles. Right up to the boundary line. Nuts.
Bird begins to move west, on his ridge. I parallel on the state ridge. Bird then turns south, gobbles fade, he's going away, and I can't legally follow. Double nuts.
Gobbles get more audible, and begin to move west again. He's changed ridges, now he's two ridges away, but moving towards an area that is state land and I can hunt. Here we go again.
Chug west till the line turns south, cross the intermediate ridge and bang up the side of the the ridge he's on. I've been here before, last year and 3-4 years ago before that. I'm legal, on his ridge, in front of him and he's coming my way.
He works closer on his own, gobbling plenty. I've got time to pick a good spot, lots of lanes. Perfect. Open hardwoods. At about 150 yds, I call on the gift slate and he answers. I call again, he doubles. Oh man, he's gonna come, I know it. I set the slate down, gun up and go silent. In a minute of so he sounds off again, no closer. I don't answer. He KNOWS I'm here. The old silent treatment.
Time passes. I can see good. Pretty soon the gun gets heavy and the muscles begin to go. I look all around CAREFULLY (w/ my eyes only). Its safe, I can relax till he sounds or shows. I take the butt down from my shoulder. Relief. Gobble, still 100 yds or more. I cluck on a simple mouth call, he answers, cuts it off. Still, no sight of him. I don't shoulder the gun. I know I'll see him first and have time to get lined up. I can really see here. More silent treatment.
Wait, was that a turkey drumming? And instantly a tremendous gobble, just in front of me. He's here, better get the gun up. I ease old reliable up and look down the sights. And I'm looking at a gobbler about 55-60 yds out. How did he get there? And he saw that movement. Triple nuts. I've muffed it. Bird goes behind a tree.......and gobbles. OK still in business!
Yeah right. Bird takes a 90 degree turn away, clucks hard (not a putt) and gobbles. Goes 10 yds or so away, and clucks and gobbles. Repeats procees till he's out of sight and out on a point that looks like a rock formation from Lord of the Rings, and gobbles about 5 times over 30 minutes. I hear real hens, a double, and then notta.
I stay an hour, relocate and change calls, no good. I blew it. And I begin to think. I had a bird get away on the (other) east end of this ridge last year! To add insult, in this VERY spot 3-4 years ago too! Bad Luck Ridge.
Out on state land again. I drove through the gate and stopped, just at first light. Most guys hammer on through, to get back in. The front is often not very crowded at all. Got out, was piddlin around at the Bronco, fooling w/ my vest, filling canteen, listening.
Bird gobbles to the south. Obviously on pvt property. But the boundary is convoluted and he may get to where I can hunt him. Park. Off we go, chasing gobbles. Right up to the boundary line. Nuts.
Bird begins to move west, on his ridge. I parallel on the state ridge. Bird then turns south, gobbles fade, he's going away, and I can't legally follow. Double nuts.
Gobbles get more audible, and begin to move west again. He's changed ridges, now he's two ridges away, but moving towards an area that is state land and I can hunt. Here we go again.
Chug west till the line turns south, cross the intermediate ridge and bang up the side of the the ridge he's on. I've been here before, last year and 3-4 years ago before that. I'm legal, on his ridge, in front of him and he's coming my way.
He works closer on his own, gobbling plenty. I've got time to pick a good spot, lots of lanes. Perfect. Open hardwoods. At about 150 yds, I call on the gift slate and he answers. I call again, he doubles. Oh man, he's gonna come, I know it. I set the slate down, gun up and go silent. In a minute of so he sounds off again, no closer. I don't answer. He KNOWS I'm here. The old silent treatment.
Time passes. I can see good. Pretty soon the gun gets heavy and the muscles begin to go. I look all around CAREFULLY (w/ my eyes only). Its safe, I can relax till he sounds or shows. I take the butt down from my shoulder. Relief. Gobble, still 100 yds or more. I cluck on a simple mouth call, he answers, cuts it off. Still, no sight of him. I don't shoulder the gun. I know I'll see him first and have time to get lined up. I can really see here. More silent treatment.
Wait, was that a turkey drumming? And instantly a tremendous gobble, just in front of me. He's here, better get the gun up. I ease old reliable up and look down the sights. And I'm looking at a gobbler about 55-60 yds out. How did he get there? And he saw that movement. Triple nuts. I've muffed it. Bird goes behind a tree.......and gobbles. OK still in business!
Yeah right. Bird takes a 90 degree turn away, clucks hard (not a putt) and gobbles. Goes 10 yds or so away, and clucks and gobbles. Repeats procees till he's out of sight and out on a point that looks like a rock formation from Lord of the Rings, and gobbles about 5 times over 30 minutes. I hear real hens, a double, and then notta.
I stay an hour, relocate and change calls, no good. I blew it. And I begin to think. I had a bird get away on the (other) east end of this ridge last year! To add insult, in this VERY spot 3-4 years ago too! Bad Luck Ridge.