This was the first season for both my 15 year old son and myself, so maybe we have been the blind leading the blind. Since we don't have any private land to hunt, our time has been spent totally on public land. I'm not sure, but I'm guessing that's a pretty hard way to start. Early on, we stopped way too short of roosted gobblers and stumbled upon several birds. We gutted out the end today with colds but had our best day of the year, just no meat to bring home.
They were gobbling today like we have not heard them all year (8 days hunting). We worked our way toward them and while going down a ridge had one come up behind us without a single hen call on our part. He was about 40 yards away from us and we were in the open, so he busted us and left.
We got to the bottom and started some soft calling. We couldn't see any bu heard 2 or 3 gobbling on one ridge about 100 yds away, one about 150 yards away up the holler and another about 1/4 mile away. They wouldn't move toward us, but some must have moved toward each other because there was what sounded like a cat fight up the holler (I'm assuming is was the toms getting together) then they were all silent.
After trying to work up to where all the commotion was, we heard one sound off on the ridge top where we were busted. We worked ourselves directly under him and started working up the hill. Stopped by a fallen tree about 80 yards below him and tried to call him in. He wouldn't budge to soft calling and yelping, but didn't leave either. We decided to start crawlin up the hill as far as we could. Got to within 20 yards but still couldn't see him. I had a dead branch with leaves still on it in front of me so I decided to take the chance and slowly stand up. I was greeted with a bright red head through a break in the leaves the size of a softball. But he was moving a bit so I couldn't get a clean shot. Decided to slowly move to the left when a deer decides to bound through and the turkey flew away. Man, my heart was pumping. Wish I had taken that first shot.
It's been quite a season and we haven't fired one shot at a bird, but we got a lot better since youth weekend. My son swears it's better to be lucky than good when you are turkey hunting. I don't know if I disagree, but think that we have had more luck since we have gotten better. We started the season with a slate call and by the end we had a mouth calls, hoot owl and crow calls. Learned to only use the locaters until we are set up.
Sorry this is so long. It's been a long season and we are hooked and ready for next season.
They were gobbling today like we have not heard them all year (8 days hunting). We worked our way toward them and while going down a ridge had one come up behind us without a single hen call on our part. He was about 40 yards away from us and we were in the open, so he busted us and left.
We got to the bottom and started some soft calling. We couldn't see any bu heard 2 or 3 gobbling on one ridge about 100 yds away, one about 150 yards away up the holler and another about 1/4 mile away. They wouldn't move toward us, but some must have moved toward each other because there was what sounded like a cat fight up the holler (I'm assuming is was the toms getting together) then they were all silent.
After trying to work up to where all the commotion was, we heard one sound off on the ridge top where we were busted. We worked ourselves directly under him and started working up the hill. Stopped by a fallen tree about 80 yards below him and tried to call him in. He wouldn't budge to soft calling and yelping, but didn't leave either. We decided to start crawlin up the hill as far as we could. Got to within 20 yards but still couldn't see him. I had a dead branch with leaves still on it in front of me so I decided to take the chance and slowly stand up. I was greeted with a bright red head through a break in the leaves the size of a softball. But he was moving a bit so I couldn't get a clean shot. Decided to slowly move to the left when a deer decides to bound through and the turkey flew away. Man, my heart was pumping. Wish I had taken that first shot.
It's been quite a season and we haven't fired one shot at a bird, but we got a lot better since youth weekend. My son swears it's better to be lucky than good when you are turkey hunting. I don't know if I disagree, but think that we have had more luck since we have gotten better. We started the season with a slate call and by the end we had a mouth calls, hoot owl and crow calls. Learned to only use the locaters until we are set up.
Sorry this is so long. It's been a long season and we are hooked and ready for next season.
