Blindstitch
New member
Well my week came in Wisconsin. This is the first time ever actually hunting turkeys. I bought way to many calls and practiced on them all. Ended up settling on a Knight and Hale DualThreat slate call.
I went out Friday with a friend just to locate birds for the next day. Walking across the public land about 300 yards from the parking lot off goes a bird. Never suspected it would be that close. But it flew away to what I thought was private land.
We walked 3 miles trying to locate another bird with no response. My friend had to go to work so I came back to the spot where the bird flew in the evening. I made a couple yelps and every turkey in the woods must have heard me and responded. I set up my decoy and called back and forth for 30 minutes with a lot of gobbling and then they went silent. I figured there was thick brush, a river and more thick brush between me and the birds.
I forced my way to the river to find every spot to cross was 3 feet deep. Eventually I left and drove by the private field and 4 birds were strutting away over there.
The next day I was determined to get across the river. I finally found a location where the water was only 8 inches to a foot and crossed. Took a quick break and moved on. Once I got out of the brush I decided it was time for a yelp to locate a bird and this jake went wild. I wasn't ready. I moved myself closer to the field and saw the jake through brush coming my way about 90 yards away. I tried to get comfortable and found a good shooting lane. The whole time this bird was gobbling like crazy. I was set up and it disappeared into the brush still gobbling and I was worried it was going to come up behind me. Then he ran out into the field about 50-60 yards from me and stopped.
My head said shoot but it also said if he got this close he will get closer. And then he turned away and walked off into the woods.
I don't know what I did wrong but that was 15 minutes of blood pumping turkey fever.
Later on I actually called in a few hunters thinking they could use live hens and decoys. So I chalk this up as a win without a bird. It was a great two days of turkey hunting and I'll be back next year.
I went out Friday with a friend just to locate birds for the next day. Walking across the public land about 300 yards from the parking lot off goes a bird. Never suspected it would be that close. But it flew away to what I thought was private land.
We walked 3 miles trying to locate another bird with no response. My friend had to go to work so I came back to the spot where the bird flew in the evening. I made a couple yelps and every turkey in the woods must have heard me and responded. I set up my decoy and called back and forth for 30 minutes with a lot of gobbling and then they went silent. I figured there was thick brush, a river and more thick brush between me and the birds.
I forced my way to the river to find every spot to cross was 3 feet deep. Eventually I left and drove by the private field and 4 birds were strutting away over there.
The next day I was determined to get across the river. I finally found a location where the water was only 8 inches to a foot and crossed. Took a quick break and moved on. Once I got out of the brush I decided it was time for a yelp to locate a bird and this jake went wild. I wasn't ready. I moved myself closer to the field and saw the jake through brush coming my way about 90 yards away. I tried to get comfortable and found a good shooting lane. The whole time this bird was gobbling like crazy. I was set up and it disappeared into the brush still gobbling and I was worried it was going to come up behind me. Then he ran out into the field about 50-60 yards from me and stopped.
My head said shoot but it also said if he got this close he will get closer. And then he turned away and walked off into the woods.
I don't know what I did wrong but that was 15 minutes of blood pumping turkey fever.
Later on I actually called in a few hunters thinking they could use live hens and decoys. So I chalk this up as a win without a bird. It was a great two days of turkey hunting and I'll be back next year.
