Well t is over and I will be eating Butterball again. First day of season me and the boy were in the woods well before fly down. We had not scouted at all per work scedues, weather etc. Our first, second and third calls were wet with silence. The 4th call was answered immediately with a gobble, and another gobble. We had the truck parked and immediately grabbed our stuff. I went to load up and noted I had brought my 12GA CVA gobbler and my 20GA pack of supplies :redface: . So I became instant guide for the boy.
We walked slowly about 200 yds towads the birds who had by now likley flown down and a call got a gobble. Waited about 5 min and a call got a gobble. Still were not coming in. So we pulled the decoy and went another 100 yds, set up the decoy, calld and a gobble. Looking good! 5 min later a call and a gobble but closer. SHOW TIME! So I sat behind a huge ponderosa facing the boy aboy 15 yds away with the decoy at a 90 degree angle and about 15 yds to my right. Call, gobble, call gobble. I stopped calling as it was a "fer sure" at this point. Soon I can hear drumming and another gobble, seemed about 25 yds to me. Watching the boys face he started making some real wored scrunchie faces. Im thinking he had a bee in his nose and was sure he would spook the bird. I called (thinking he wanted me too?) and immediate gobble from REAL close so the birds had yet to spook. Froze for about 10 min till good ol Jake (the boy) stood up. I stood and asked if it had hunk up too far for a shot? Good ol (now quite aggravated) Jake explained that two jakes had literally ran to the tree I was behind and pranced and fanned and drummed and put on quite a show for about 10 min. They apparently honed on the EXACT spot the calls were coming from from what had to be 250-300 yds away and came right there. Must not have seen the decoy (was deal calm and no movement). So I called in a double (with no gun) to about 8 feet behind me and he couldn't shoot as I was in the line of fire! Only got a single other answer to call that day and it was a whole flock that we watched walk by about 100 yds away. Next days off for Jake were in the 40MPH wind category and though we did return to where them Jakes had to have been roosted we had no action. ALL OTHER nice days for a turkey hunt saw both us working and though I went out alone a few more times saw and heard nothin! Next time at 3:30 AM whilst grabbin the gear I will make sure I have the same gun and bag! All in all a great hunt, time in the woods with the boy and he got to see the ol man call in a double to 8 feet (again, I did it when he was the only one with a tag about 14 years ago and he got the big-un). May get a fall tag and hunt water or try to break up a flock and call em back or may just get an archery tag as I plan to hunt archery on the Peaks for deer this fall.
We walked slowly about 200 yds towads the birds who had by now likley flown down and a call got a gobble. Waited about 5 min and a call got a gobble. Still were not coming in. So we pulled the decoy and went another 100 yds, set up the decoy, calld and a gobble. Looking good! 5 min later a call and a gobble but closer. SHOW TIME! So I sat behind a huge ponderosa facing the boy aboy 15 yds away with the decoy at a 90 degree angle and about 15 yds to my right. Call, gobble, call gobble. I stopped calling as it was a "fer sure" at this point. Soon I can hear drumming and another gobble, seemed about 25 yds to me. Watching the boys face he started making some real wored scrunchie faces. Im thinking he had a bee in his nose and was sure he would spook the bird. I called (thinking he wanted me too?) and immediate gobble from REAL close so the birds had yet to spook. Froze for about 10 min till good ol Jake (the boy) stood up. I stood and asked if it had hunk up too far for a shot? Good ol (now quite aggravated) Jake explained that two jakes had literally ran to the tree I was behind and pranced and fanned and drummed and put on quite a show for about 10 min. They apparently honed on the EXACT spot the calls were coming from from what had to be 250-300 yds away and came right there. Must not have seen the decoy (was deal calm and no movement). So I called in a double (with no gun) to about 8 feet behind me and he couldn't shoot as I was in the line of fire! Only got a single other answer to call that day and it was a whole flock that we watched walk by about 100 yds away. Next days off for Jake were in the 40MPH wind category and though we did return to where them Jakes had to have been roosted we had no action. ALL OTHER nice days for a turkey hunt saw both us working and though I went out alone a few more times saw and heard nothin! Next time at 3:30 AM whilst grabbin the gear I will make sure I have the same gun and bag! All in all a great hunt, time in the woods with the boy and he got to see the ol man call in a double to 8 feet (again, I did it when he was the only one with a tag about 14 years ago and he got the big-un). May get a fall tag and hunt water or try to break up a flock and call em back or may just get an archery tag as I plan to hunt archery on the Peaks for deer this fall.
