So let me set the stage and background for you. I have been turkey hunting a few times before and have actually been fortunate enough to harvest two birds. What I haven't done is go by myself. Each time I have had someone with substantial experience be my guide and call. I have been wanting to learn and go more but time and access to ground have been barriers. This year some of that changed - I met some people that have land that is just about perfect for turkey hunting. Now all I needed was time - which given the land access, I made time! Finally, I needed experience to go with that time. It is that education and experience hurdle that hung me up but I was not going to be deterred. I have spent the last few weeks reading turkey hunting books and articles, going to seminars, getting advice from friends and lets not forget driving the family crazy calling yelps on the box call! My five year old will actually gooble and come find me now! Anyway I think you get the picture - I am overboard!
I have the gear, I have the place, I have scouted and talked to the landowner, I have practiced my calls, I have even counted the steps to the tree I am going to sit by come 5 am on my first trip. I counted the steps to find it in the dark of course!
March 28, 2010 4 AM The alarm goes off and I am rolling. I throw my clothes on and make a short 25 min drive to the land I am hunting. Down the long lane I go until reasonbly close to my parking spot. I stop and make sure I have everything ready. Vest is on, calls, gloves, shells, flashlight, gun are all ready. From here I traveled the rest of the way with the lights off - didn't want to alert anything! I parked and quickly exited the truck to minimize the vehicle lights. (yes I thought that through before hand too) Through a gate and there I was all alone in the woods in the dark at 4:45 am. Now I don't know about you, but I guess I am old enough now to admit that it is going to take some time for me to get used to the feeling that comes with being alone in the woods at O'Dark Thirty in the morning. The critters scury in the bush and the thorn bushes reach out to grab you. Lets not forget the occational deer that busts out from what seems like five feet away. For a split second you're convinced it's bigfoot! It is quite an experience and will test your manhood.
A deep breath calms the nerves and down the trail I go. Several yards in I figured it was time to hear what was out there. I pulled the crow call out, pointed it to sky, took a breath and blasted it 3 times. It all came down to this moment. Would the gooblers thunder all around me? I am prepared and ready. The moment came.............. and went without a sound. Nothing! Not even from a mile away! Now I am bummed! It all was a waste!
After a moment, I collected my thoughts and decided that this day was not going to end this way. I figured I would go through the motions of setting up in the dark and learning the flow of things for next time. I approached my tree and dropped my gear. Took the decoys out of my pouch and paced off 20 long strides. Now we set the decoys. I am to the west of the best roosting area, hens in front off to my left with jake behind pointing away from where I was sitting but also in a fashion that a good shot would be present if the goobler approached face to face like he should. This all according to the book I read. I did all the things I had read about over the previous weeks - as exact as I could. Back to my tree and settled in now on my butt pad from the vest. My gun is loaded and I quietly take out the calls and my phone so I would have the time. It is now 5:30 am it is surprising how comfortable leaning against a tree can be - my eyes are heavy and before long I am out.
GOOBLE - GOOBLE - GOOBLE - GOOBLE !!! I am definetely awake now but in sort of a sleepy stuper thinking what the hell? The Tom blasts again and this time I get some bearings on location - he is right where he should be - to the east in the roosting area but I am not sure how far. Now the fun begins. You didn't want to answer my crow call huh? Well lets dance now partner! You are coming home with me! OK what to do next? I know I need to call but what? A Tree Yelp - no Kee Kee Run -- no that is something different -- it is the cluck --- dammit why didn't read that better -- I am going to blow this. What about the purr? Ok calm down - what do they do on the outdoor channel? Talk to me Will Primos! After a moment of indecision, I went with three yelps on a box call. I would just let him know I was a lonely pretty girl waiting right over here. Like clock work he thundered back at me. Man that is cool! Game on! Check the clock now -the book said biggest rookie mistake is calling too much so I will mark the time and make sure I wait 10 minutes. He thunders off a couple more times but I resist the urge to call back. The book said no! Twilight is coming and I am really excited. The birds are singing, I hear coyotes in the distance, WHOO, WHOO, WHOO! Ok that was a little too close for comfort! My heart is thumping. C'mon sun - rise! If you want to know how long ten minutes is put yourself in my position. It is an eternity but it finally came. There is more light now and time to call. Yelp! Yelp! Yelp! and sure enough the goobler responds -- but wait a minute, what is that black blob up there? Gooble! - Gooble! - Gooble! Holy .... that's him! I can see him! He is about 100 yards away! I knew I should have brought the video camera! I could have taped the flydown to my setup and me putting the smack-down on him! C'mon baby it is light enough - fly down! I knew I didn't have the skill to do the wing pound and imitate fly down so this just became a waiting game. The book assured me that just after day light the flydown will happen -- the book was wrong! As dawn broke alot of things came alive. More birds were out including several pair of ducks. I sat perfectly still as a group of honkers flew just over the top of the tree I was under. The honking was so loud it hurt your ears and I was so close I could see their beaks moving and hear the swish of wind pass over their wings. They are in perfect formation as if jets - I feel like a kid again and I wonder what it is like to be a goose? I'll bet that would be incredible to fly like that. Ohh activity! My lunch is prancing and dancing on the limb. We are getting close. How lucky am I to have this perfect break in the tree limbs to watch all of this. If I was 20 feet either way I would not have been able to see him. I just wish he would cooperate and fly down rather than dancing on the limb. You've done this hundreds of times before what are you nervous about tommy boy? Nervous.......He looks nervous and acts like something is wrong. What could it be -- I know I did everything right -- just like the book said. Oh no .. noooo! That little page about turkey anatomy said their eyesight is about 10 times better than mine. If I can see him that means.........I can't even write it. From that perch he is looking down on to me from above and I was only worried about what was ground level in front of me. If I was only 20 feet either way ...... not such a good deal now. Well at 7:58 am my adversary left his roost and flew to the west...just like the book said. I think he landed in a field not terribly far away because yet another surpise awaited me. About 10 seconds after he would have landed about 25 or 30 blacktail deer boiled out of the tree line to my left which spooked me ... and in turn I spooked them! A brief pause to check me out and then accross the open they ran to disappear once again into the trees. My hope was dwindling but not gone. I stayed and called on 10 minute intervals for the next hour and at one point thought I heard a gooble - maybe my mind just wanted to hear one. Finally it was time to admit defeat. I packed up and walked out. Once in the truck I did a ritual I had done many times before whether it was hunting or fishing any other outdoor adventure I was on. I called my wife to check in. She always asks the same question. "How was it and did you get anything?" I said, "No, but it was awesome!" .... "Thats good honey," comes the reply. "See you soon.. love you.. bye." In days gone by there would have been more to the conversation. There would have been a follow up question. "How was it awesome if you didn't get anything?" was always the question AND the answer was, " Well if you could have seen what I saw today, experienced what I experienced today, and felt how I felt today you would never ask that question. It was awesome!" At some point I guess we decided to skip that part, yet I am still not completely confident she understands.
So that was my first solo turkey hunt in the spring of 2010. I doubt I will ever forget it. Was it a success? Well if you could have seen what I saw .................
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