Ok, to start with the positives, I got to start another turkey season. I did my first 52 years ago. I think I missed one or two seasons while I was at UT, but haven't missed being in the woods since at least '77. With age, health, etc, I certainly no longer take it for granted. It was almost a spiritual experience to watch the sun come up on Saturday while I listened for a gobble. We no longer have many birds (at least compared to a decade ago), so I wasn't surprised to just hear one at a distance.
I normally don't have an opportunity to scout ahead of time due to distance to my lease and everyday life. So, I have started on the same ridge for several years. It is a high spot, and normally somewhere in that compartment (our lease is set up in hunt compartments) I can at least hear a distant bird to go to. It is a typical Westvaco type of deal with pines along the ridge top and hardwoods down in the creek bottom. Over the years, I have found the birds to roost in the hardwoods right off the top of the ridge. They putz around for a while after fly down, and usually end up in the creek bottom. I have a tree to set up on that overlooks a flat in the bottom that has given me four longbeards to the call over the years.
But, I am like a moth drawn to a flame hearing a roosted gobbler. I can't help myself thinking that today is the day that I can close the deal at flydown. Sneaking towards the edge of those pines, setting up, and hearing him fly down and start his thing is where hope springs eternal. I can think back on at least six birds that I had close enough to shoot if I could have seen them. When you can hear him spit and drum(at least back when I could hear drumming), and FEEL the percussion from his gobble, you know he is there. I've worn a safety out dealing with them. And, every time, I have lost. I remember seeing one white head for a split second. The rest never popped up. Yes, unfortunately, it is that steep. I finally learned to ignore them off the roost, head low, and call them in at 8-9am. It is a hole, so the carrying would have been much better if I could have closed the deal on top.
This year was different. They are pretty much raping my lease with clear cuts of the pines, and some very non-selective hardwood cuts. It likely bodes well for the deer in the future, but, I highly suspect not so good for the turkeys. They had cut all of the pines off the top of this ridge. So, I eased down to start. I heard one bird way at a distance, but thought I might know where he was roosted. I eased way up the bottom trying to get a gobble with no luck. So, I eased back and set up on my lucky tree. A call or two later I called up an old hen that was PO'd when she couldn't find the hen that had called right above her. She was very vocal as she walked by at 10 ft. I let her make a ruckus hoping her calling might get a gobbler stirred up.
After she worked off, I heard a faint gobble from the top of the ridge. Since there was very little sign in the bottom I decided to head up. My hearing SUCKS, and it is difficult for me to pinpoint gobbles these days. The first time I heard it, I thought it was to my left. Then, as I climbed out, I hear a bird to my right. As I topped out where my truck was parked, I looked up the road to my right and saw one strutting with a hen. I knew that I couldn't call from there with my truck 20 yds away.
So, I ease back down the trail from the bottom and make a loop through the woods. By then, I hear a bird gobbling down in the next hollow. I eased as close as I dared, and set up. Again, I had about 30-35 yards to where it dropped off fast. He answered my first call and cut the distance pretty quick. I had the gun up and safety off getting ready to close the deal. I heard him gobble and spit, and was ready for him to pop up to die. And, just like every time before, he didn't. I am pretty sure he was no further than 35 yds, but he may as well have been 135 for the good it did me. After the silent period, I hear him gobble back where he came from. I suspect it was the bird I saw in the road, and he had that hen with him. I called him up to shooting range three more times over the next half hour without ever seeing him. The last time I held on his last gobble about 15 minutes and never heard another peep. If I had heard him working down the hollow I probably would have been crazy enough to get back down in the bottom, but, I was tired and pissed at that point.
Don't get me wrong. I would rather play the GAME with one like that than shoot one that comes in silent. But, for our true turkey killers on here, what advise do you have to get one to come about five more steps up the hill where I can see that beard. I am tire of losing.
If you made it this far, sorry for the length. Saturday was another blessed day in the turkey woods for me. I would have liked to pull the trigger, but, I got to sit down on one and play, and that has made living out the last year through some covid crap worth the hassle. NEVER take turkey time for granted.
I normally don't have an opportunity to scout ahead of time due to distance to my lease and everyday life. So, I have started on the same ridge for several years. It is a high spot, and normally somewhere in that compartment (our lease is set up in hunt compartments) I can at least hear a distant bird to go to. It is a typical Westvaco type of deal with pines along the ridge top and hardwoods down in the creek bottom. Over the years, I have found the birds to roost in the hardwoods right off the top of the ridge. They putz around for a while after fly down, and usually end up in the creek bottom. I have a tree to set up on that overlooks a flat in the bottom that has given me four longbeards to the call over the years.
But, I am like a moth drawn to a flame hearing a roosted gobbler. I can't help myself thinking that today is the day that I can close the deal at flydown. Sneaking towards the edge of those pines, setting up, and hearing him fly down and start his thing is where hope springs eternal. I can think back on at least six birds that I had close enough to shoot if I could have seen them. When you can hear him spit and drum(at least back when I could hear drumming), and FEEL the percussion from his gobble, you know he is there. I've worn a safety out dealing with them. And, every time, I have lost. I remember seeing one white head for a split second. The rest never popped up. Yes, unfortunately, it is that steep. I finally learned to ignore them off the roost, head low, and call them in at 8-9am. It is a hole, so the carrying would have been much better if I could have closed the deal on top.
This year was different. They are pretty much raping my lease with clear cuts of the pines, and some very non-selective hardwood cuts. It likely bodes well for the deer in the future, but, I highly suspect not so good for the turkeys. They had cut all of the pines off the top of this ridge. So, I eased down to start. I heard one bird way at a distance, but thought I might know where he was roosted. I eased way up the bottom trying to get a gobble with no luck. So, I eased back and set up on my lucky tree. A call or two later I called up an old hen that was PO'd when she couldn't find the hen that had called right above her. She was very vocal as she walked by at 10 ft. I let her make a ruckus hoping her calling might get a gobbler stirred up.
After she worked off, I heard a faint gobble from the top of the ridge. Since there was very little sign in the bottom I decided to head up. My hearing SUCKS, and it is difficult for me to pinpoint gobbles these days. The first time I heard it, I thought it was to my left. Then, as I climbed out, I hear a bird to my right. As I topped out where my truck was parked, I looked up the road to my right and saw one strutting with a hen. I knew that I couldn't call from there with my truck 20 yds away.
So, I ease back down the trail from the bottom and make a loop through the woods. By then, I hear a bird gobbling down in the next hollow. I eased as close as I dared, and set up. Again, I had about 30-35 yards to where it dropped off fast. He answered my first call and cut the distance pretty quick. I had the gun up and safety off getting ready to close the deal. I heard him gobble and spit, and was ready for him to pop up to die. And, just like every time before, he didn't. I am pretty sure he was no further than 35 yds, but he may as well have been 135 for the good it did me. After the silent period, I hear him gobble back where he came from. I suspect it was the bird I saw in the road, and he had that hen with him. I called him up to shooting range three more times over the next half hour without ever seeing him. The last time I held on his last gobble about 15 minutes and never heard another peep. If I had heard him working down the hollow I probably would have been crazy enough to get back down in the bottom, but, I was tired and pissed at that point.
Don't get me wrong. I would rather play the GAME with one like that than shoot one that comes in silent. But, for our true turkey killers on here, what advise do you have to get one to come about five more steps up the hill where I can see that beard. I am tire of losing.
If you made it this far, sorry for the length. Saturday was another blessed day in the turkey woods for me. I would have liked to pull the trigger, but, I got to sit down on one and play, and that has made living out the last year through some covid crap worth the hassle. NEVER take turkey time for granted.
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