We arrived at the woods with PLENTY of time to get set up. Being the first hunt of the year with zero scouting I really didn't know where to start. I did, however, have an idea of setting up in a particular spot but it is a pretty good hike and by the time we climbed the first (and biggest) hill we were both pretty tapped so we opted to just hang out on the highest point on the farm and just listen and let the birds tell us what to do next.
It was fast approaching light so we decided to just go ahead and set up close to where we were listening.
It got to gobblin time and we hadn't heard anything but then right at daylight one fired off to our North. He was on the opposite side of a field that is off the property line.
I did a few purrs and tree yelps and just sat there.
After a few minutes I went ahead and did some yelps and let it go.
I told man that they would be coming in silent since there was very little gobbling on the limb.
I had a feeling I needed to turn around and face behind us and let man watch the woods / field in front of us.
After about fifteen minutes man said, "Oh my gosh Dad, he is RIGHT there."
I asked him where and he said on the other side of the fence, about 20 yards from us.
Which way is he headed?
Towards the gate.
Good, let him come and when he goes behind the shed, turn and get your gun up and when he clears, pop him.
He is turning away.
Can you move?
Yeah.
Spin around get your gun up.
I have to stand up.
Stand up then.
He did good, he got turned around and stood up but instead of getting his gun to his shoulder at the same time he waited and as he was bringing it up the bird saw him and spooked.
I heard him putt and said shoot now.
It was too late as he was already in flight.
We decided to move to another spot after a while and on the way I saw 5 longbeards moving across the top of the hill in the field past the woods we were headed to.
We kneeled down and let them move till they couldn't see us and then boogied towards the woods.
As I got closer I noticed man was lagging behind so I said come on and he said, my gun is messed up.
The gun had slipped off his shoulder as he stood up and the end of the barrel had hit the ground and filled the end of his barrel with mud.
I took the choke out and found a stick and cleaned it out and took my knife and cleaned the ports in the choke best I could.
We had to set up too far from the field for a shot because there were already turkey's in the field where the longbeards were headed.
Long story short, we sat there and watched conservatively 20 longbeards plus 8 strutters and probably 50 hens run around chasing each other even heard some fighting purrs. First time I have ever heard that.
Then after about 30 minutes, all of a sudden there was a mass exodus out of the field. They all just by golly LEFT. :crazy:
We sat there wondering what happened for a while then noticed there were 3 more hens and 2 strutters still in the field.
We watched as they moved on as well, all out of range.
In the mean time 4 jakes moved through at a distance of about 45 yards but we didn't even think of shooting one of them.
We moved down to the edge of the field in hopes that something would come back.
Then decided to move to a different location in hopes to cover more of the field in each direction.
While we were moving I saw more birds in another field and they looked like they were headed our way.
I looked at them through the binoculars and there were 4 longbeards headed our way.
30 minutes later we figured out there were 4 longbeards (2 strutters) and about 40 hens.
They moved through and went up the hill, out of range, and then they were gone too.
After thinking for a while we decided to give chase. We crossed the field and used the terrain to cover our approach. We moved till we saw the hens and we could barely see the tops of the fans of the strutters to the left of the hens.
Backed out, made a circle and moved up another hill. We were closer but the gobblers had moved on and we were still out of range.
We backed out again and circled. Then we went back up the hill AGAIN and sure enough when we crested the hill, there they were with their necks stuck straight up checking us out.
30 yards so I told man to pop him.
From the path the wad took it appeared he shot JUST over the top of his head.
He took it pretty well and we just kept on hunting.
We ended the day with another close deal on another group of longbeards, jakes and hens that numbered close to 60 birds.
We hunted again this morning and had 3 longbeards and 6 jakes come through at about 100 yards.
I called to them and the longbeards pretty much ran the other way and the jakes thought about it for a while but then they decided to move on as well.
One of the greatest weekends of hunting that my son and I have ever shared.
I knew we had done ok when he said, this was almost as good as the buddy stand weekend.
That was in reference to the best hunt he and I have ever shared together and it happened this past deer season.
I haven't turkey hunted THAT long but I can say I saw more mature birds this weekend than I have ever seen in my life while turkey hunting. The more I think about it I am pretty sure it is the most I have ever seen period.
Thanks for sharing it with me.
It was fast approaching light so we decided to just go ahead and set up close to where we were listening.
It got to gobblin time and we hadn't heard anything but then right at daylight one fired off to our North. He was on the opposite side of a field that is off the property line.
I did a few purrs and tree yelps and just sat there.
After a few minutes I went ahead and did some yelps and let it go.
I told man that they would be coming in silent since there was very little gobbling on the limb.
I had a feeling I needed to turn around and face behind us and let man watch the woods / field in front of us.
After about fifteen minutes man said, "Oh my gosh Dad, he is RIGHT there."
I asked him where and he said on the other side of the fence, about 20 yards from us.
Which way is he headed?
Towards the gate.
Good, let him come and when he goes behind the shed, turn and get your gun up and when he clears, pop him.
He is turning away.
Can you move?
Yeah.
Spin around get your gun up.
I have to stand up.
Stand up then.
He did good, he got turned around and stood up but instead of getting his gun to his shoulder at the same time he waited and as he was bringing it up the bird saw him and spooked.
I heard him putt and said shoot now.
It was too late as he was already in flight.
We decided to move to another spot after a while and on the way I saw 5 longbeards moving across the top of the hill in the field past the woods we were headed to.
We kneeled down and let them move till they couldn't see us and then boogied towards the woods.
As I got closer I noticed man was lagging behind so I said come on and he said, my gun is messed up.
The gun had slipped off his shoulder as he stood up and the end of the barrel had hit the ground and filled the end of his barrel with mud.
I took the choke out and found a stick and cleaned it out and took my knife and cleaned the ports in the choke best I could.
We had to set up too far from the field for a shot because there were already turkey's in the field where the longbeards were headed.
Long story short, we sat there and watched conservatively 20 longbeards plus 8 strutters and probably 50 hens run around chasing each other even heard some fighting purrs. First time I have ever heard that.
Then after about 30 minutes, all of a sudden there was a mass exodus out of the field. They all just by golly LEFT. :crazy:
We sat there wondering what happened for a while then noticed there were 3 more hens and 2 strutters still in the field.
We watched as they moved on as well, all out of range.
In the mean time 4 jakes moved through at a distance of about 45 yards but we didn't even think of shooting one of them.
We moved down to the edge of the field in hopes that something would come back.
Then decided to move to a different location in hopes to cover more of the field in each direction.
While we were moving I saw more birds in another field and they looked like they were headed our way.
I looked at them through the binoculars and there were 4 longbeards headed our way.
30 minutes later we figured out there were 4 longbeards (2 strutters) and about 40 hens.
They moved through and went up the hill, out of range, and then they were gone too.
After thinking for a while we decided to give chase. We crossed the field and used the terrain to cover our approach. We moved till we saw the hens and we could barely see the tops of the fans of the strutters to the left of the hens.
Backed out, made a circle and moved up another hill. We were closer but the gobblers had moved on and we were still out of range.
We backed out again and circled. Then we went back up the hill AGAIN and sure enough when we crested the hill, there they were with their necks stuck straight up checking us out.
30 yards so I told man to pop him.
From the path the wad took it appeared he shot JUST over the top of his head.
He took it pretty well and we just kept on hunting.
We ended the day with another close deal on another group of longbeards, jakes and hens that numbered close to 60 birds.
We hunted again this morning and had 3 longbeards and 6 jakes come through at about 100 yards.
I called to them and the longbeards pretty much ran the other way and the jakes thought about it for a while but then they decided to move on as well.
One of the greatest weekends of hunting that my son and I have ever shared.
I knew we had done ok when he said, this was almost as good as the buddy stand weekend.
That was in reference to the best hunt he and I have ever shared together and it happened this past deer season.
I haven't turkey hunted THAT long but I can say I saw more mature birds this weekend than I have ever seen in my life while turkey hunting. The more I think about it I am pretty sure it is the most I have ever seen period.
Thanks for sharing it with me.
