I'm baaack. Miss me? I just returned from a three day turkey hunt.
I parked my truck at a friend's home down in the Bullet Creek Valley, loaded my gear on my back, and headed up Hogback Ridge. Every now and then I would stop and do some turkey calling.
I slowly made my way up the ridge, connected with the old logging road that leads down past my deer blind, and then I dropped off into "The Basin". Down in that hollow, I made my camp on the headwaters of Basin Creek. Good water, and plenty of firewood.
I never made contact with any turkey that first day.
Day two. I talked with two different tom turkeys. The first one was across a deep ravine from me. He kept gobbling for a half hour, or so, but he refused to cross the ravine. Finally, he got quiet, and I never heard from him again. Later, another tom gobbled from a ridge top. I sprinted up there as fast as I could and laid down behind a log before I started clucking. Nothing. I think that old boy already had a hen or two with him.
Late that evening, I heard a turkey fly up into a big hemlock, near my deer blind.
That night I heard Bigfoot! It was about 9:30 PM. I had let my campfire die down to embers, and I had just crawled under my blanket when suddenly I heard; "HooHooHooHooHooHooHoo". The sound came rapid fire. It sounded more like a chimpanzee rather than like an owl. I've heard plenty of owls, but never one like that.
I had put a couple of spoonfuls of macaroni and cheese on a rock about 50 yards from my camp. This morning it was gone. So, I guess Bigfoot likes macaroni and cheese. :grin:
At dawn this morning I was in my deer blind, hoping to meet the turkey that roosted nearby last night. Nothing. I'm sure that I was there early enough before it flew down, but I never heard a thing.
Took the rest of the day hunting my way back down the mountain. Nothing.
But, I had fun. Found plenty of deer and wild pig sign.
I parked my truck at a friend's home down in the Bullet Creek Valley, loaded my gear on my back, and headed up Hogback Ridge. Every now and then I would stop and do some turkey calling.
I slowly made my way up the ridge, connected with the old logging road that leads down past my deer blind, and then I dropped off into "The Basin". Down in that hollow, I made my camp on the headwaters of Basin Creek. Good water, and plenty of firewood.
I never made contact with any turkey that first day.
Day two. I talked with two different tom turkeys. The first one was across a deep ravine from me. He kept gobbling for a half hour, or so, but he refused to cross the ravine. Finally, he got quiet, and I never heard from him again. Later, another tom gobbled from a ridge top. I sprinted up there as fast as I could and laid down behind a log before I started clucking. Nothing. I think that old boy already had a hen or two with him.
Late that evening, I heard a turkey fly up into a big hemlock, near my deer blind.
That night I heard Bigfoot! It was about 9:30 PM. I had let my campfire die down to embers, and I had just crawled under my blanket when suddenly I heard; "HooHooHooHooHooHooHoo". The sound came rapid fire. It sounded more like a chimpanzee rather than like an owl. I've heard plenty of owls, but never one like that.
I had put a couple of spoonfuls of macaroni and cheese on a rock about 50 yards from my camp. This morning it was gone. So, I guess Bigfoot likes macaroni and cheese. :grin:
At dawn this morning I was in my deer blind, hoping to meet the turkey that roosted nearby last night. Nothing. I'm sure that I was there early enough before it flew down, but I never heard a thing.
Took the rest of the day hunting my way back down the mountain. Nothing.
But, I had fun. Found plenty of deer and wild pig sign.
