We all love it when a plan comes together but as turkey hunters I think we are different. Not that we don't love everything working out, but it is the understanding that success brings you that much closer to the end of your season. I have been hunting Winona WMA in Arkansas for years, most of them coming home with out a bird to show for my efforts at season end. Some years I hunt the same area as the year before but I am always looking for new places. If you hunt Winona I am sure our paths have crossed without us knowing it.
I have been in the woods every weekend since the last weekend in March and have been on multiple birds in some places. Last Thursday was pretty much a bust but knowing the area I know it still has birds and will have more as season goes on. Friday I had 7 different birds along a 3 mile stretch of ridge. I had put a youth hunter on a couple birds but they drove right on past them to the loudmouth at the end of the ridge and killed him. Congrats to the guys girlfriends son on his first bird. I picked out where I was heading Saturday morning but like most of you I slept little thinking and rethinking my choice. Finally I gave in and went to sleep.
I got up early and was sitting at my spot at 4:45am and walked down the ridge a little over a mile. The birds in here shift along the ridge and I wasn't sure where I would have to be other than somewhere along the ridge. I eased down the ridge dropping lower along a road and finally got uncomfortable going further so I waited on them to crank up. I am glad I did because one had shifted and was roosted less than 100 yards away when he gobbled. It wasn't where I wanted to be but I sat down and got ready. They cranked up and sure enough the ones along the creek, as Brad Farris would say, loved what I was laying down. They gobbled headed my way and turned about as quick and went away. 6:45 I heard a shot from where another like to roost. The birds gobbled again at 7:10 and I knew I needed to make a move. I got down the road about 75 yards and hated it so I went 75 yards further figuring I would get busted. I sat a hen deke out in the old logging road and backed into a pine. I heard a cluck below me near the creek so I turned my head away and yelped a few times. About 3 minutes later I saw a red head. He eased down towards the deke and puffed out a little, telescoped his heads up and puffed again and turned to walk off. I had seen his beard and knew he was legal so as he was walking broadside at 25 yards I shot him. I got to him, tagged him and stopped to talk to the Father a bit. His creation and how he plans it all out never ceases to humble me. 20.5#, 10 3/8" beard and 5/8" and 11/16" spurs.
Got up this morning and drank a cup of coffee on the back deck hoping to hear a bird but nothing gobbled. We went to church and on the way home saw a bird partly puffed up. I told my wife I thought I would go hunt so after lunch I changed clothes and headed out about 2:30. The field bird was gone but that didn't surprise me. I know of a spot where the crowds of opening day push the birds deeper into an area. I headed in there about 3pm and on the way to where I wanted to go, about 1.5 miles in, I bumped 4 or 5 birds together. They scattered like a fall flock. I figured one had to be a gobbler even though I didn't see them that well. I waited 5 minutes and kee kee'd and headed down the ridge in the direction they flew.
I went about 250-300 yards and set out 2 dekes. I sat for 10 minutes and did not like my position so I moved me and the dekes. I called lost with two different calls facing opposite directions with a few kee kees thrown in. I finally started calling the same direction and changed to purrs and raking leaves. I heard a coarse cluck from below me and turned my head and yelped softly and raked the leaves again. The clucks got louder and finally I saw a red head but could not tell what it was. He would walk and cluck, I bet he clucked at least 30 times. I was able to get my gun turned his direction and he hit an opening and I saw he had an 8" or so beard, more than enough. I figured he would work on in but he stayed about 50 yards out, turned out to be 47 steps. He turned to walk back and hit an opening again confirming his beard was long enough. I took the safety off and the next spot he hit I could see from the beard up and shot. My season was done at 3:30pm. As always I prayed and thanked the Father for his kindness to a newbie like me. 2 hunts, 2 months of scouting and planning and it was over. But what ever the Father gives I will take. 18.5#, 9" beard and 3/4" spurs.
Sorry for making this long post but sometimes you just need to share what God blesses you with. BTW, Mike's Double M call's still getting it done.
