Took my 10 year old Jack out today for one last turkey hunt on public land.
This is our first turkey season.
We are set up at gray. Sounds like a hundred yotes are yappin right where the birds should be. Bummer. Birds are shock gobbling back at them. The birds are on private land from 300-1000+ yards away from us.
The sun starts coming up. Jack gets a few gobbles back at him from his box call. It makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up! We hear a hen nearby, putting & occasionally clucking... we can't see her... there is a ridge between us. Sounds like she's right next to us.
Then we see a group of 8 birds 1000 yards to our left on private. We call to them... they look our way... then continue feeding. They eventually go out of sight.
A while later... we see another group of 5 birds... very far to our right... about 800 yards away. Jack calls to them... gets a gobble... but, they are not coming our way... they're feeding and eventually disappear.
Around 9am we call it. Jack gets the hen decoy while I start loading the backpack. When he gets back to our blind with the decoy. We hear a gobble.
There is a group of birds much closer this time (300 yards). He reloads his gun. I'm glassing... I see 5 jakes & 1 guy with his beard dragging on the ground. We can't believe it! We try some soft purrs & yelps... they all look our way. But, they're not coming. After watching them for about 1/2hr... we stop calling for a while & Jack sneaks out to put the decoy back. We wait a bit then call. They look & ignore us. We watched and called to them for another 1/2hr before they eventually wandered off. So frustrating!
Nobody says turkey hunting is easy!
This is our first turkey season.
We are set up at gray. Sounds like a hundred yotes are yappin right where the birds should be. Bummer. Birds are shock gobbling back at them. The birds are on private land from 300-1000+ yards away from us.
The sun starts coming up. Jack gets a few gobbles back at him from his box call. It makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up! We hear a hen nearby, putting & occasionally clucking... we can't see her... there is a ridge between us. Sounds like she's right next to us.
Then we see a group of 8 birds 1000 yards to our left on private. We call to them... they look our way... then continue feeding. They eventually go out of sight.
A while later... we see another group of 5 birds... very far to our right... about 800 yards away. Jack calls to them... gets a gobble... but, they are not coming our way... they're feeding and eventually disappear.
Around 9am we call it. Jack gets the hen decoy while I start loading the backpack. When he gets back to our blind with the decoy. We hear a gobble.
There is a group of birds much closer this time (300 yards). He reloads his gun. I'm glassing... I see 5 jakes & 1 guy with his beard dragging on the ground. We can't believe it! We try some soft purrs & yelps... they all look our way. But, they're not coming. After watching them for about 1/2hr... we stop calling for a while & Jack sneaks out to put the decoy back. We wait a bit then call. They look & ignore us. We watched and called to them for another 1/2hr before they eventually wandered off. So frustrating!
Nobody says turkey hunting is easy!