Okay. Everyday when I come home from track practice, I pass this one wheat field on a corner, and every time, I see a gobbler in the exact same spot. It's kind of a bump in the otherwise flat terrain next to a row of trees. He is always strutting around by himself or sometimes with another tom.
I was thinking that sometime when I can get home earlier, I will just set up in the row of trees and just wait. No decoys and probably no calls until I want him to stretch out that neck. He seems very consistent so I don't really want to do anything to interrupt his pattern.
Does that make sense or am I nuts? I know it probably won't go as planned (it never does), but I am hoping for the best! :z-guntootsmiley:
Sounds like a good plan to me. Just slip in early and be patient, don't stand up and look for him when he's not there when you think he should be, lol
I've ambushed field birds in situations like that. Not much different than setting up ahead of them in their path.
.02
The only problem I see is that you see him I guess in the afternoon because you said after track practice. Well you do not know what time he is arriving wich could make you and him arrive at the same time or worse maybe you have a 5 hr wait in wich by the time he arrives you may be Ansy and off your game. I would talk to people (non hunters) that may cross that path earlier in the day and see if he is there see if you could get a more accurate time frame. If the first time you go there you and him.meet eye to eye you may change his pattern. But good luck and keep us posted.
Go get him.
Yes, you are right on track. A big part of turkey hunting is planning. Sometimes it works and sometimes not. You just have to make sure you get there first. However, I would call.
Grant: I think you are a fellow Kansas hunter good luck this season...another strategy might be position yourself 300-400 yards away with some good binocs and watch him to see where he is going from that strut zone...if you can roost him then set up in the morning within 100 yards or so of his roost...a little closer if you can get in very quietly in the dark. I did this exact thing yesterday and used a Jake Mobile decoy with real jake fan ...set the decoy about 20 yards out in front of me facing me...I was on the edge of a woods overlooking a cornstalk field.
Gobblers flew down in the cornfield at 7:00 am and I took the largest one at 7:05 am after a couple of yelps.
Thanks for the help guys. I think I may hold off a little bit and just try and watch him with binocs on the first day I get a chance to get there early. I think I know where he is roosting but it is in a field where the neighbor has cattle at the moment and he said he doesn't want anybody shooting there. Understandable.
This year everything has been quite different. At least in our area of Kansas. There is lots of wheat planted and it is all VERY tall already. In fact, it is actually starting to head in a few really early spots! It seems like you just don't see them in the middle of wheat fields this year. Mike, have you noticed the same thing?
Grant: I live in NE Kansas where it's mostly corn and beans but I'm from south central Kansas where we still own a farm. I have been busy at work and haven't had time to get down there to do any scouting and wow I was surprised how tall the wheat is for this time of year...that really changes the turkeys habits in that part of the country since they don't like to walk in the tall wheat. I was down last weekend for the youth season and we hunted in pastures or grassy fields near creeks/woods successfully. Good luck...I assure you if you put in the time scouting him then execute a successful hunt it will be extremely satisfying. I know how it is when you see a bird in the same spot regularly...I drives me nuts until I can figure out how to hunt him.