I'll say it right out...I'm not a very good turkey hunter. No two ways about it. So I was especially stumped with how to handle turkeys that make no sounds. I'll be happy to hear from you knowledgeable turkey hunters how you handle this situation. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
My five-day season started on Saturday. I arrived at the 100 year-old farm house on Friday afternoon in a cold steady rain that continued into the night. The forecast was for more of the same on Saturday, though a lesser chance. I quickly settled into the downstairs and got the heater going. The old farm house isn't much, but it keeps one warm and the rain off. When I'm there I often think about who may have built it and their life on the farm back then.
Hey...that's Brian Beckum hunting turkeys on the TV!
042815 Turkey Camp 1 by fillmorelease
My plan was to hunt the bottoms. There's a narrow alfalfa field there and hoards of turkey are commonplace. I figured for sure they'd be showing up down there some time during the day to display for the hens that were sure to show up in droves (remember my first sentence).
My grandson on a summer excursion overlooking the valley and field I planned to hunt.
Day 1 found me nestled into a small cluster of trees along the field edge at 5AM with a few decoys set in front of me. It was very cool and damp, but at least it wasn't raining. I soaked in the spring smells. The whippoorwills were serenading me...one of my favorite early morning and late evening sounds. I sat until 2PM waiting for all those hens to show up along with their suitors. I had a few deer go through, one with a pretty good set of bumps on his head. Not turkey one...no sounds...no sightings. I was perplexed given the winds on the ridges. I thought sure they'd be down in the protected bottoms. I finished the evening hunt on top with nothing.
Sunday morning was cold and clear with a full sky of bright stars and crunchy frost on the ground. The thermometer on my truck read 27 degrees as I drove the three miles around to the bottoms. The winds were still now. Once again I was in place very early...something I had read to do when hunting bottoms to ensure the birds roosting on the hillsides don't see your approach. Well, the day was a repeat of the day before except I did have one lonely, but silent, hen come across the field to check out my stand of decoys. Clearly, a change of plans was in order.
Monday morning found me at a small 1/2 acre plot we call the "pallet stand." Its namesake is a dilapidated old ground blind from years ago made of pallets at one end. It's a natural movement area located at the head of a steep ravine with a natural "shelf" that runs up a good length of the ravine.
042815 Pallet Plot by fillmorelease
At the bottom of the plot is the shelf that all kinds of wildlife travel and while deer hunting it's very common to have turkeys move through. Facing down the ravine the edge drops off...and it's steep...most animals want to travel around the top.
042815 View Down the Valley from Pallet Plot by fillmorelease
Toward the top the two sides connect for easy travel without the exertion of a steep climb. The habitat is perfect.
042815 View Up the Valley from Pallet Plot by fillmorelease
There is a small deadfall toward the bottom of the plot, so by 5:15AM on Monday I had my decoys out and was nestled into my turkey chair. This is the first year I was forsaking camo and wearing traditional clothes. I hoped my cover would be good enough. Around 5:30 the first gobble broke the chorus of whippoorwills. I hoped this was a sign of change from the previous two days. I heard one more, both far down the ridge, around 5:45 and that was it.
I did have to laugh at a few of my visitors. The first fox squirrel to venture out didn't know what to think of the decoys. It would stand up on it's hind legs and stare for minutes at a time. Finally it got comfortable and went about it's business.
A while later, a very big old whitetail doe showed up. The first thing I noticed was that she was not pregnant. She also was quite curious about those decoys. She circled completely around them, nose in the air trying to scent what her eyes were seeing. She was so engrossed in the decoys, she got within 10 yards of my position and never even looked. Quite exciting.
I also had a hen turkey come in. She was also very nervous about the decoys though she did go among them, but she did not seem comfortable the way the one down in the bottoms was. Every animal seemed to be on high alert.
By 2PM, with no sign or sound of any Tom turkeys, I decided to "mosey around" very slowly. Moving 50 yards quietly, then calling a little trying to elicit a response. I spent the rest of the day/evening doing that with no results.
This morning I was back, though I have to admit I was a little perplexed and dismayed at the first three days' results. However, I did hear about six different birds sound off, but once again, all while on the roost. By 5:45 it was over. My usual squirrel visitors arrived to keep me entertained and I watched a Pileated woodpecker work over a log for breakfast. I also watched a Robin hunting for it's breakfast. These birds are really predators taking a hop or two, then listening intently and pouncing quickly on any unaware insect or earthworm! The spring woods always have plenty going on to keep one occupied. The shot that ends a hunt takes but a second, but all these little "episodes" of nature are what truly make a hunt memorable.
Occasionally I would do some light purring and yelping. I've always read to mimic what you hear the hens doing. Well, I wasn't going to mimic "silence" but I did keep it fairly light.
At 7:10 AM, out of nowhere and as silent as the grave, two large longbeards appeared out of the brush at the far side of the plot, about 35 yards away. I thought my luck was about to change, but these guys didn't want anything to do with those decoys. Now, I've had turkeys run into those decoys, so the only thing I could think that was different this year was that I had a jake decoy in an "explicit" position behind a hen. I started to wonder if that was what was making anything that saw these decoys act so nervously? Well, those longbeards slowly worked around the decoys never giving me that under 25 yard shot I need to be sure of my load's effectiveness. I was pretty disappointed.
At around 10AM I heard turkeys in flight and it sounded like they landed about 75 yards away. The brush on that side was too thick for me to see through, so I gave a couple of very light purrs and yelps. Silence. The minutes ticked by...nothing. Then at 10:30 I heard so much noise I thought maybe a deer had spooked or something. But instead, three jakes popped out of the brush only 12 yards from me!
Now, some people that shoot the first deer that comes by call themselves....meat hunters. When it comes to turkey hunting...that's me! The problem was that the three of those Jakes combined looked like Medusa, the mythological woman with snakes for hair. They were so jam-packed together they almost looked like one body with three snakey heads wiggling around! If I shot, I'd kill all three, so all I could do is hold my position. They were also extremely nervous about those decoys! It was less than a minute when two of them turned and in two steps were back in the brush. The other hesitated two seconds too long and the load of #6's made sure he never made those few steps to follow his partners.
I said my prayer of thanks as I kneeled over him. While it would have been nice to have been looking down on one of those big longbeards, I was very satisfied with the results. No camo, a traditional flintlock, and a very fine spring hunt.
WARNING: The next picture shows content that may be disturbing to some viewers! :shocked2: :wink:
042815 Turkey 8 by fillmorelease
My faithful Virginia smooth rifle came through again. The jake's beard was around 4 inches long. Not too bad for a jake!
042815 Turkey 5 by fillmorelease
One happy hunter!
042815 Turkey 1 Cropped by fillmorelease
My five-day season started on Saturday. I arrived at the 100 year-old farm house on Friday afternoon in a cold steady rain that continued into the night. The forecast was for more of the same on Saturday, though a lesser chance. I quickly settled into the downstairs and got the heater going. The old farm house isn't much, but it keeps one warm and the rain off. When I'm there I often think about who may have built it and their life on the farm back then.
Hey...that's Brian Beckum hunting turkeys on the TV!
042815 Turkey Camp 1 by fillmoreleaseMy plan was to hunt the bottoms. There's a narrow alfalfa field there and hoards of turkey are commonplace. I figured for sure they'd be showing up down there some time during the day to display for the hens that were sure to show up in droves (remember my first sentence).
My grandson on a summer excursion overlooking the valley and field I planned to hunt.
Day 1 found me nestled into a small cluster of trees along the field edge at 5AM with a few decoys set in front of me. It was very cool and damp, but at least it wasn't raining. I soaked in the spring smells. The whippoorwills were serenading me...one of my favorite early morning and late evening sounds. I sat until 2PM waiting for all those hens to show up along with their suitors. I had a few deer go through, one with a pretty good set of bumps on his head. Not turkey one...no sounds...no sightings. I was perplexed given the winds on the ridges. I thought sure they'd be down in the protected bottoms. I finished the evening hunt on top with nothing.
Sunday morning was cold and clear with a full sky of bright stars and crunchy frost on the ground. The thermometer on my truck read 27 degrees as I drove the three miles around to the bottoms. The winds were still now. Once again I was in place very early...something I had read to do when hunting bottoms to ensure the birds roosting on the hillsides don't see your approach. Well, the day was a repeat of the day before except I did have one lonely, but silent, hen come across the field to check out my stand of decoys. Clearly, a change of plans was in order.
Monday morning found me at a small 1/2 acre plot we call the "pallet stand." Its namesake is a dilapidated old ground blind from years ago made of pallets at one end. It's a natural movement area located at the head of a steep ravine with a natural "shelf" that runs up a good length of the ravine.
042815 Pallet Plot by fillmoreleaseAt the bottom of the plot is the shelf that all kinds of wildlife travel and while deer hunting it's very common to have turkeys move through. Facing down the ravine the edge drops off...and it's steep...most animals want to travel around the top.
042815 View Down the Valley from Pallet Plot by fillmoreleaseToward the top the two sides connect for easy travel without the exertion of a steep climb. The habitat is perfect.
042815 View Up the Valley from Pallet Plot by fillmoreleaseThere is a small deadfall toward the bottom of the plot, so by 5:15AM on Monday I had my decoys out and was nestled into my turkey chair. This is the first year I was forsaking camo and wearing traditional clothes. I hoped my cover would be good enough. Around 5:30 the first gobble broke the chorus of whippoorwills. I hoped this was a sign of change from the previous two days. I heard one more, both far down the ridge, around 5:45 and that was it.
I did have to laugh at a few of my visitors. The first fox squirrel to venture out didn't know what to think of the decoys. It would stand up on it's hind legs and stare for minutes at a time. Finally it got comfortable and went about it's business.
A while later, a very big old whitetail doe showed up. The first thing I noticed was that she was not pregnant. She also was quite curious about those decoys. She circled completely around them, nose in the air trying to scent what her eyes were seeing. She was so engrossed in the decoys, she got within 10 yards of my position and never even looked. Quite exciting.
I also had a hen turkey come in. She was also very nervous about the decoys though she did go among them, but she did not seem comfortable the way the one down in the bottoms was. Every animal seemed to be on high alert.
By 2PM, with no sign or sound of any Tom turkeys, I decided to "mosey around" very slowly. Moving 50 yards quietly, then calling a little trying to elicit a response. I spent the rest of the day/evening doing that with no results.
This morning I was back, though I have to admit I was a little perplexed and dismayed at the first three days' results. However, I did hear about six different birds sound off, but once again, all while on the roost. By 5:45 it was over. My usual squirrel visitors arrived to keep me entertained and I watched a Pileated woodpecker work over a log for breakfast. I also watched a Robin hunting for it's breakfast. These birds are really predators taking a hop or two, then listening intently and pouncing quickly on any unaware insect or earthworm! The spring woods always have plenty going on to keep one occupied. The shot that ends a hunt takes but a second, but all these little "episodes" of nature are what truly make a hunt memorable.
Occasionally I would do some light purring and yelping. I've always read to mimic what you hear the hens doing. Well, I wasn't going to mimic "silence" but I did keep it fairly light.
At 7:10 AM, out of nowhere and as silent as the grave, two large longbeards appeared out of the brush at the far side of the plot, about 35 yards away. I thought my luck was about to change, but these guys didn't want anything to do with those decoys. Now, I've had turkeys run into those decoys, so the only thing I could think that was different this year was that I had a jake decoy in an "explicit" position behind a hen. I started to wonder if that was what was making anything that saw these decoys act so nervously? Well, those longbeards slowly worked around the decoys never giving me that under 25 yard shot I need to be sure of my load's effectiveness. I was pretty disappointed.
At around 10AM I heard turkeys in flight and it sounded like they landed about 75 yards away. The brush on that side was too thick for me to see through, so I gave a couple of very light purrs and yelps. Silence. The minutes ticked by...nothing. Then at 10:30 I heard so much noise I thought maybe a deer had spooked or something. But instead, three jakes popped out of the brush only 12 yards from me!
Now, some people that shoot the first deer that comes by call themselves....meat hunters. When it comes to turkey hunting...that's me! The problem was that the three of those Jakes combined looked like Medusa, the mythological woman with snakes for hair. They were so jam-packed together they almost looked like one body with three snakey heads wiggling around! If I shot, I'd kill all three, so all I could do is hold my position. They were also extremely nervous about those decoys! It was less than a minute when two of them turned and in two steps were back in the brush. The other hesitated two seconds too long and the load of #6's made sure he never made those few steps to follow his partners.
I said my prayer of thanks as I kneeled over him. While it would have been nice to have been looking down on one of those big longbeards, I was very satisfied with the results. No camo, a traditional flintlock, and a very fine spring hunt.
WARNING: The next picture shows content that may be disturbing to some viewers! :shocked2: :wink:
042815 Turkey 8 by fillmoreleaseMy faithful Virginia smooth rifle came through again. The jake's beard was around 4 inches long. Not too bad for a jake!
042815 Turkey 5 by fillmoreleaseOne happy hunter!
042815 Turkey 1 Cropped by fillmorelease
