Wild Turkey season opened on Wednesday and I'm STILL trying to get one. It has been one thing after another. I went out Wednesday evening after work with a friend videotaping for me. I set out a couple of decoys in a field and commenced to calling briefly every 15 minutes. On probably my third calling sequence, two toms let loose gobbling about 75 yards away. They started closing the distance, so I traded my call for the 12-gauge. The toms suddenly went silent and I kept waiting. After a few moments, the reason for the silence became apparent--a coyote was stalking my decoys. My friend panned the camera from the coyote to the decoys and back again, only to spook the coyote off before I could deliver the killing shot. Rain kept me from the hunt Thursday evening. I had plans to go out hunting Friday evening, but my boss convinced me to help roof his house in my spare time. That knocked out Friday and Saturday hunting, and probably every night this coming week as well. Not to mention that people have been pouring out of the woodwork and parking along my hunting spot every morning last week. The landowner's farmhand (my videographer) has been leaving warning notes on vehicles for the past two weeks (not to mention the "No Trespassing" signs), but more just take their place. These toms are definitely call-shy by now. I decided to go hunting before church this morning and dragged myself out of bed at 5AM to the sound of a light rain. I was happy to arrive at my destination and find no vehicles parked there. I climbed up the steep hill to a hilltop field where I heard turkeys gobbling at first light last Sunday. It was still pretty dim out when I reached the top. As I stopped to catch my breath, I heard a whistle off to my left. Three guys were sitting about 10 yards from me and I hadn't even noticed them in the poor light. I knew who two of the three were and know that they do not have permission to be there, but felt that it wasn't my place to run them off. I was cordial and we spoke in hushed tones for a few moments. Suddenly a tom let loose gobbling from the roost not 50 yards behind us, and just wouldn't shut up. I swallowed my pride and said, "Well, guys, there's your bird. I'll get on out of here." Man, it was a difficult walk down the hill to say the least. I set up across the highway, and expected to hear them shoot anytime. After about an hour, I saw them walk down to the highway emptyhanded. Obviously they didn't have the same plan that I did. I was going to set out decoys and sit silently, since calling would probably have made him nervous. About the only way for him to go would have brought him past me anyway. I'm pretty sure all three of the guys cut loose with every call they had and drove the tom in the opposite direction. At least I may have a chance at him next Saturday morning. I didn't hear or see anything else today. Well, enough of my ranting.

Check your email.

You should have run those guys off.

On another note, you know I have been "studying up" on Turkeys.  This past weekend I was surrounded by them!  So I spent all my free time stalking and watching them.  I feel like I really connected the dots on these suckers this weekend.  They certainly know how to use terrain when they move.  And man do those necks stretch out long when they are looking around, but then they can turn around and run low to the ground.

If I had 8 Toms within 50 yards or less of me at the same time Sunday morning, was that a good thing?  Oh and no calling.  I have not bought a call yet.  I learned a trick by accident that brings them in like flys on shit!  Now that  I have heard a lot of calling by the birds, I am ready to learn.

I absolutely destroyed a sassafras sapling Saturday morning.  My first morning out solo, I found 2, maybe three toms, but they got uphill from me with the sun behind them, I guess that's why I didn't see the sapling.

Zoub, spill!  I need some tactics here!


Edit:  M4, you're entirely too nice.  Of course, I guess it's hard to be rude to a bunch of guys with shotguns, but still, maybe say something like, "I didn't know you guys had permission to be here".  But, then, if they'll trespass, they'll lie too I imagine.  In that case, call the law!

Mow the grass!

My tent was pitched inside an old chicken coop.  This thing is 3 trucks wide and about 7 or 8 trucks long. Major bad weather was coming through KY Saturday night, so we moved our camp inside the coop.

This farm has a lot pf pasture but no cattle for past 18 months.  Just using it for hunting now.  The grass is tall in all the fields.  On Saturday while we were clearing an old road bed the owner mowed the grass by  the grass by the barn and a field west of us.

I wake up Sunday, stand up from my tent, look out a window at 8 Toms!  They were doing the same thing the geese from the pond had done the night before, moved right to the cut grass.

Also made me realize setting up in a good ground blind and caling the bird to your line of sight would work well.  If the bird can see you, he is looking down your barrel.

Hey, Jim, sorry to hear about your bad luck. Do you remember our first calling station on the first coyote hunt I took you on? On top of the hill at what I call the "logjam"? That's where the guys were set up, and the tom let loose gobbling from the woodlot where we heard that howl and saw the turkeys running. Also, the location of your coyote kill out here was logged extensively last firearms season. I'm not sure how that will affect the deer and turkeys yet, but it sure is hideous to look at.

Zoub, sounds like you've taken quite an interest in wild turkeys. They love insects (especially grasshoppers) and will hit open fields in search of them. I'm sure that hit freshly mowed grass in the same manner as birds do in your yard after mowing. A ground blind definitely gives you an advantage. If I had one, I'd be bowhunting these suckers. It's rather difficult to reach full draw without being seen.

Quoted: Zoub, sounds like you've taken quite an interest in wild turkeys. They love insects (especially grasshoppers) and will hit open fields in search of them. I'm sure that hit freshly mowed grass in the same manner as birds do in your yard after mowing. A ground blind definitely gives you an advantage. If I had one, I'd be bowhunting these suckers. It's rather difficult to reach full draw without being seen.

I have gone beyond interest!  We figured it may have been the bugs.  That explains a few other spots I have seen them.  Boggy areas out in the open.  Bugs.

Not hard to get a full draw standing inside an old barn while another guy does the calling!  The old window frames are perfect height for shooting.  One has a huge cedar growing in front of it.  I figure the caller can set up there, maybe put out some decoys, the shooter is down about 20-30 feet at the window with the best view of the field.  I have seen turkey by the old farm house and the other barns too.  They go close to every building there is.

I can also see setting up a few blinds with the timber we have been dropping clearing the old roads.

Next month I am going to do some pattern tests right in that field.

Ever since the state traded all our grouse away to get them dam turkeys there hasnt been any decent bird hunting anywear.  Use Full Auto and supressors :-)  Get em all.

Obviously they didn't have the same plan that I did. I was going to set out decoys and sit silently, since calling would probably have made him nervous. About the only way for him to go would have brought him past me anyway. At least I may have a chance at him next Saturday morning.

Well, I put this plan to the test this morning, as I had to work yesterday morning. I got to the top of the hill at 4:45AM, just to beat any trespassers. There weren't any today. I did have to herd at least one hundred cattle out of the field I was setting up in before I could get started. Didn't want to mortally wound one when the 3 1/2" hulls started flying.

Anyway, the ol' tom started gobbling from the same location as last weekend and at about the same time according to my watch. I didn't call any, just placed the decoys out. He gobbled three times, about 10 minutes apart. Then nothing. I sat on that cold, wet, and windy hilltop for almost 4 hours before church and saw one lone hen across the field. I was so discouraged walking back to the highway that I seriously considered selling the 11-87 tomorrow at work. My wife has since talked me into postponing the sale to see if I get one before season closes in one week. This is about the hardest I've ever worked for one, as I've always had one by the middle weekend up until now. The last week is supposed to be pretty brutal, as the toms have been pressured hard by that time. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Some guy kept calling the house on Friday talking about turkey hunting.  My wife and kids, who took the calls, had no idea what he wanted.  He finally reached me late in the evening and was practically begging to hunt on my property.  Seems like he is hunting a neighbor's acreage and he has been seeing Toms flying past his place over into my woods.  The guy is respectful enough to ask permission first before barging onto my land.  He even offered to pay to hunt on my property.  I told him I'd already promised the privilege to someone else.

I went out on Saturday again, back to the same area.  I walked a long way, crow calling trying to shock one, then yelping in case they wouldn't shock gobble.  Nothing.  No answer.  Then it rained, and I was a long way from the truck.  I got very wet.  I didn't even bother Sunday.  Stupid turkeys.

Mr. Commissioner, as I recall you own some property in the Loogootee area?  How would you feel about someone predator calling there once or twice this coming fall or winter?

J

Quoted: Mr. Commissioner, as I recall you own some property in the Loogootee area?  How would you feel about someone predator calling there once or twice this coming fall or winter? J

We have coyotes...well, let me put it this way:  something out there makes tracks like coyotes and yelps like they do too.  I haven't seen any though.  If you want to call predators, you'll have to take me with you!  hahaha

Sounds like a plan!  I'll get back with you this fall.

Quoted: Quoted: Mr. Commissioner, as I recall you own some property in the Loogootee area?  How would you feel about someone predator calling there once or twice this coming fall or winter? J We have coyotes...well, let me put it this way:  something out there makes tracks like coyotes and yelps like they do too.  I haven't seen any though.  If you want to call predators, you'll have to take me with you!  hahaha

TheCommissioner: We have coyotes...well, let me put it this way:  something out there makes tracks like coyotes and yelps like they do too.

Really smart turkeys?!?