I decided to skip the turkey opener last weekend due to the weather and pressure but I went out Monday after lunch. I end up getting to the spot right after a mid-day shower and immediately spotted a hen drying out which was a good sign. Shortly after I start to hear gobbles. Game time! Unfortunately, that tom would not play the game. I went to reposition on him only to bump him from his roost. It was odd to have him roosted at 2:30PM and it definitely skewed where I thought the gobbles were coming from.
After that, I hiked in a little further and just hung out calling and soaking in nature. What a beautiful time of year to be in thew woods. After about an hour I relocate the tom and move in for another play. Again, he ignores me and moves off just doing his thing. However, I pick up two gobbles and proceed to start calling them in. They are answering every one of my calls and ramping up the heat. Its working out perfectly until they hit a tree line and would not cross 80 yards from me. They started working away from me along those trees yet still gobbling at every one of my calls.
By that time I was so worked up and excited I wasn't just going to let them walk off. It's 4:35 and the legal shooting time is closing. I get one more gobble from them, put the calls away, and use the terrain to my advantage. Coming up about 70 yards from them I see two red heads, they are too close together for me to shoot and that distance is a stretch. They may have seen me also and started to walk behind a bush. I circle right and catch one walkout at 40 yards. I let the 12g roar and down he goes. Another public land last-minute bird with 19 minutes to spare!
After that, I hiked in a little further and just hung out calling and soaking in nature. What a beautiful time of year to be in thew woods. After about an hour I relocate the tom and move in for another play. Again, he ignores me and moves off just doing his thing. However, I pick up two gobbles and proceed to start calling them in. They are answering every one of my calls and ramping up the heat. Its working out perfectly until they hit a tree line and would not cross 80 yards from me. They started working away from me along those trees yet still gobbling at every one of my calls.
By that time I was so worked up and excited I wasn't just going to let them walk off. It's 4:35 and the legal shooting time is closing. I get one more gobble from them, put the calls away, and use the terrain to my advantage. Coming up about 70 yards from them I see two red heads, they are too close together for me to shoot and that distance is a stretch. They may have seen me also and started to walk behind a bush. I circle right and catch one walkout at 40 yards. I let the 12g roar and down he goes. Another public land last-minute bird with 19 minutes to spare!
