Opening Day

[Solid Snake]

Finally opening day in Indiana! I went to a woods where I'd seen a dozen or so turkeys in the fall during deer season pretty regularly. I have been working like a dog so I didn't get to scout this year or even go the night before to roost a bird. I knew they had been in the area and my friend who farms/owns the land said he's been seeing them there and sure enough when I walked out in the dark I could hear one sounding off on the roost. He was an every 5 second gobbling fool up there but was pretty far back in the woods on the neighbors property. 

In my mind I thought, I'm not going to be able to call him all the way over here. I gave him a couple yelps to let him know I was there then sat patiently. After I thought he should have been down I made another call and he responded, getting closer it sounded. I couldn't believe it but he was making his way to me. I was sitting on the edge of the woods with my hen decoy about 25 yds in the field in front of me. As he got closer my heart got pumping harder. I wondered the path he would take to get to my decoy, would it be over the fence to my left or through the woods to my right?

I heard him fly up over the fence so now I'm getting super excited bc he's close. I mean really close. Out of the corner of my eye to the right I see a hen walking up and think, wtf is she doing here, she's 5 yards away. She looks out in the field and stares my decoy down and wants nothing to do with it. As she's is pecking around just inside the woods line, I see ol tom 5 yards to my right, behind me somewhat. I've never been that close to a full strut gobbler before! Anyway, she decides she doesn't like the competition and heads back into the woods and he goes right along with her. I make some calls trying to pull him back and he responded every time but he is right up her @$$ and sticking to it. I cuss a few times and let them go off thinking I will reposition and work him some more.

After they are gone, I got up and walked into the woods a ways and find a good spot. I make a few yelps and he responds not too awful far away. Game on! Then I see him and get ready, except it wasn't him....3 jakes come running with there heads on a swivel trying to find what they just heard. They hung out FOREVER just looking around. I kept making calls every so often and the big boy responded every time. I tried to wait and not call too much but it's so hard to do. He liked it though bc he was making his way closer and closer. I put my striker down and got ready to shoot. His white head pokes up but it's not a clear shot, I need him to come a few more yards. Then I hear "CLUCK, CLUCK, CLUCK", she is clucking loud to him. So I remember reading on here that you should imitate a hens call and maybe go louder when this happens, so I cluck back answering her clucks but he went right back to her and then they split. I watched her walk across the neighbors field with him in tow.

I was disappointed, but excited at the same time. It was one of the coolest hunts I've ever been on even though I came out empty handed. Then I started questioning myself, "Should I have done this or that", "Would a seasoned turkey hunter been walking out with a bird?", "Why did I bring this motherloving decoy out here???" "Did I call too much?" But at the end of the day, it proved why I love turkey hunting far more than any other kind of hunting!

[Rapscallion Vermilion]

Sounds like a great start to me.  I'd be pretty pumped after that too.

[trackerbucky]

Great story.  And you have a chance to do it all again next time out. 

[jblackburn]

Get after him! Good luck!

[DirtNap647]

 

[RutnNStrutn]

I am a decoy user, but if I can be in a wooded area where he has to look for her, I won't use a deke. However, hens often lead the gobblers away from you, decoy or not. When you have a selfish hen like that, pour it to her!! Don't just match her calls, out call her. Sometimes she'll come back to kick her competition's Britt with him in tow. She's taking him away anyway, so what do you have to lose?

Sent from my 1950's rotary phone using Tapatalk

[TJK68]

  Nice story, stay after him.

[Solid Snake]

I am a decoy user, but if I can be in a wooded area where he has to look for her, I won't use a deke. However, hens often lead the gobblers away from you, decoy or not. When you have a selfish hen like that, pour it to her!! Don't just match her calls, out call her. Sometimes she'll come back to kick her competition's Britt with him in tow. She's taking him away anyway, so what do you have to lose?

Sent from my 1950's rotary phone using Tapatalk

Thanks Rut! I was hoping someone would post this kind of feedback. I will definitely try that next time bc you're right, he's leaving anyway so what have I got to lose.

[surehuntsalot]

That is why for over 35 years that I still go back every chance I get,you never know what is going to happen.

[tomstopper]

That is why for over 35 years that I still go back every chance I get,you never know what is going to happen.

Exactly. Better luck on your next outing....

[trackerbucky]

Some good advice here.