Where I am hunting, a person can get 4 Rio Grande Turkeys and 1 Eastern Turkey Statewide. The bag limits are set by County. Where my home-away from home is the limit is 2 Rio's but here where I am hunting in this County, a person can use all 4 Rio Grande tags. There are no Eastern's in this County. I am quite blessed and satisfied with the 2 I've taken, so I am going to hunt for just the right scenario if I pull the trigger any further.
I set out with traditional clothing and began clucking here and there starting at day-break. There were no responses. Looking into one pasture I saw 3 Gobblers and 4 Hens together about 200-yards out. I crawled out to the open and planted my decoy, then backed away and began calling. The birds looked towards the decoy but otherwise ignored her. They made their way to a fenceline and I was able to cut the distance by going down the same fenceline. At 75-yards I snuck out and planted the decoy again. All my clucking, purring and yipping did not entice the birds. When they seemed distracted by something further up the fenceline I snuck up to within 40-yards. The birds continued to move around and a few times I was confident a gobbler was within range. However, it just didn't feel right to me. I like to get a gobbler coming to the call and decoy. I like to have the shot under 30-yards. I held off and just watched them wander off until they were back in the woods.
In the afternoon I took a long, long hike to the spot where I was unsuccessful a few days ago. I was almost to the tree when I saw movement. I went a bit closer and saw 5 gobblers sitting under my tree. Yes, they were in the spot I was going to sit in, the only cover in a large open field of oats, sorghum and rye. I was tired and thirsty so I watched them for a few minutes and decided to let them have their nap and get them another time. On the way back out I heard a gobbler calling from a creek bottom corner. I think I'll try to introduce myself to him tomorrow...
I set out with traditional clothing and began clucking here and there starting at day-break. There were no responses. Looking into one pasture I saw 3 Gobblers and 4 Hens together about 200-yards out. I crawled out to the open and planted my decoy, then backed away and began calling. The birds looked towards the decoy but otherwise ignored her. They made their way to a fenceline and I was able to cut the distance by going down the same fenceline. At 75-yards I snuck out and planted the decoy again. All my clucking, purring and yipping did not entice the birds. When they seemed distracted by something further up the fenceline I snuck up to within 40-yards. The birds continued to move around and a few times I was confident a gobbler was within range. However, it just didn't feel right to me. I like to get a gobbler coming to the call and decoy. I like to have the shot under 30-yards. I held off and just watched them wander off until they were back in the woods.
In the afternoon I took a long, long hike to the spot where I was unsuccessful a few days ago. I was almost to the tree when I saw movement. I went a bit closer and saw 5 gobblers sitting under my tree. Yes, they were in the spot I was going to sit in, the only cover in a large open field of oats, sorghum and rye. I was tired and thirsty so I watched them for a few minutes and decided to let them have their nap and get them another time. On the way back out I heard a gobbler calling from a creek bottom corner. I think I'll try to introduce myself to him tomorrow...
