Last Sunday I got the dreaded call from Gen (The Matagi), that he had been hurt chasing a bad guy and he wouldn't be able to go to Utah.....So it was either go solo turkey hunting or stay home.....Easy decision, solo it would be.....In the decision, I knew I had talked to Utahduckhunter (Richard) and he said he would show me around the area of St. George.....My next call was to him and he said he's taken Monday off. So, I was on the road.....6 hours later, I rolled into the Wal-Mart parking lot, met Richard, his wife, little boy, and bought a hunting license & turkey tag ($160.00).....We had dinner and made plans for the next morning.
4:30 came early, but I was pumped and slept light.....We made our way up into the mountains and finally got to where Richard said he had heard & seen turkeys before.....Richard had stated this would be a easy walk around the lake to the area he intended to set-up.....One problem, the lake had come up to a point, we couldn't walk the lake edge. So it was into these giant rocks.....It took us 30 minutes to find our way thru this maze of boulders.....All this time it's getting lighter and the gobblers were going off.....We finally find a fairly flat spot & decide to set-up there.....I commence to start calling, when I hear the never welcome hen yelps.....I could tell some birds were moving off, but others were coming our way.....Soon, we had 4 jakes strolling into the new Avian X Merriam decoys.....They must have hung around for 15-20 minutes when they finally got bored & moved off.....It got really quiet after that. So we decided to scout some new areas & spots that Richard had seen birds during the waterfowling season.....No other birds were seen. So, I took Richard home at about 1:00 pm.....In our travels, I had seen a guy that looked like he was in a good turkey area and asked him if he had seen any turkeys.....He said yeah, and shoot them all.....lol.....Well, I knew where I was hunting the next morning.
I got to his ranch early and went up the canyon that looked the best.....At gray light, I hear nothing, sunrise comes and other than honkers, I continue to hear no gobbles.....Oh well, let's go back to where I was yesterday.....As I'm walking out, I see strut marks by his barn.....They weren't there yesterday at 10:00 am.....Hmmmm.....At this, I decide I would be back at 10.....I decide to set-up by a dry pond.....Both decoys on top of the dam.....I hadn't been sitting for more than 30 minutes, when I got my 1st hit in the distance.....Within minutes, the gobbles were close.....Then dead silent.....I go silent as well.....Then, I hear a hen, I call back to her, and he goes off.....The problem was I couldn't see them, but they could see the decoys.....No Bueno.....They go completely around them. What was good for me was I was above the decoys and they walked within 40 yds of me.....1st the hen, then the gobbler.....They're in cedar trees. So I have no good looks at them. Then he gobbles & fans out.....What in the world, it's a jake.....Ugh!.....During all this, I hear another gobble from an opposite canyon.....This bird never gets closer. I decide to leave the area & come back later.
This other area has a beautiful meadow and is surrounded by sage.....I set-up in the sage with a good view of the meadow & the ravine below.....At least an hour or more goes by, when I finally hear a gobble, then another, then another.....This bird is hot, and I'm guessing he's alone.....He seems to making circles or walking back and forth in the small canyon.....Finally, he's within a 100 yds.....He's now gobbling like crazy, but then goes dead silent after my last call.....I'm on high alert, but I see nothing.....Then I hear a loud PUTT!.....It draws my attention to one of the two shooting lanes I have in the high sage.....With the 2nd putt, he walks right into my lane.....I see the longer beard and I let loose with Kent LEAD 5's.....Out cold!......Not a monster Merriam, but I'll take him.....7 1/4" beard, 1/2 spurs, 16-10 lbs.
Richard.....I'd like to thank you for taking in a total stranger and getting me started in an area I'd never been before.....Good luck the rest of the way.
Man, do I love to hunt Merriams......
ps.....Lots of pix of the wildlife and the area.....
.
4:30 came early, but I was pumped and slept light.....We made our way up into the mountains and finally got to where Richard said he had heard & seen turkeys before.....Richard had stated this would be a easy walk around the lake to the area he intended to set-up.....One problem, the lake had come up to a point, we couldn't walk the lake edge. So it was into these giant rocks.....It took us 30 minutes to find our way thru this maze of boulders.....All this time it's getting lighter and the gobblers were going off.....We finally find a fairly flat spot & decide to set-up there.....I commence to start calling, when I hear the never welcome hen yelps.....I could tell some birds were moving off, but others were coming our way.....Soon, we had 4 jakes strolling into the new Avian X Merriam decoys.....They must have hung around for 15-20 minutes when they finally got bored & moved off.....It got really quiet after that. So we decided to scout some new areas & spots that Richard had seen birds during the waterfowling season.....No other birds were seen. So, I took Richard home at about 1:00 pm.....In our travels, I had seen a guy that looked like he was in a good turkey area and asked him if he had seen any turkeys.....He said yeah, and shoot them all.....lol.....Well, I knew where I was hunting the next morning.
I got to his ranch early and went up the canyon that looked the best.....At gray light, I hear nothing, sunrise comes and other than honkers, I continue to hear no gobbles.....Oh well, let's go back to where I was yesterday.....As I'm walking out, I see strut marks by his barn.....They weren't there yesterday at 10:00 am.....Hmmmm.....At this, I decide I would be back at 10.....I decide to set-up by a dry pond.....Both decoys on top of the dam.....I hadn't been sitting for more than 30 minutes, when I got my 1st hit in the distance.....Within minutes, the gobbles were close.....Then dead silent.....I go silent as well.....Then, I hear a hen, I call back to her, and he goes off.....The problem was I couldn't see them, but they could see the decoys.....No Bueno.....They go completely around them. What was good for me was I was above the decoys and they walked within 40 yds of me.....1st the hen, then the gobbler.....They're in cedar trees. So I have no good looks at them. Then he gobbles & fans out.....What in the world, it's a jake.....Ugh!.....During all this, I hear another gobble from an opposite canyon.....This bird never gets closer. I decide to leave the area & come back later.
This other area has a beautiful meadow and is surrounded by sage.....I set-up in the sage with a good view of the meadow & the ravine below.....At least an hour or more goes by, when I finally hear a gobble, then another, then another.....This bird is hot, and I'm guessing he's alone.....He seems to making circles or walking back and forth in the small canyon.....Finally, he's within a 100 yds.....He's now gobbling like crazy, but then goes dead silent after my last call.....I'm on high alert, but I see nothing.....Then I hear a loud PUTT!.....It draws my attention to one of the two shooting lanes I have in the high sage.....With the 2nd putt, he walks right into my lane.....I see the longer beard and I let loose with Kent LEAD 5's.....Out cold!......Not a monster Merriam, but I'll take him.....7 1/4" beard, 1/2 spurs, 16-10 lbs.
Richard.....I'd like to thank you for taking in a total stranger and getting me started in an area I'd never been before.....Good luck the rest of the way.
Man, do I love to hunt Merriams......
ps.....Lots of pix of the wildlife and the area.....
.
