Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting Great Hunt!!!- No bird

Here is a story from the Friday. Most fun hunt I've had to date.

On Friday, April 27, I never went more than about a half hour without a turkey near me. It was cool, but at the same time I wanted to move locations. Finally at 11am, after sitting under the same tree since 4:25 am I couldn't take it anymore. I was cold, and needed to move. I didn't seem to bump any birds on the way to the truck.

I walked about 1/2 mile to my truck and drove another 1/2 mile to the farm house. I was going to tell the owners I was done for the day and I'd be back in the morning.

I took 2 steps past the barn and saw a HUGE tom strutting 300 yds away at the back of a hay field. I was surprised for two reasons, one, I've never seen any turkey in that field. Two, it's close to their house, so we don't hunt it.

He must have been facing away from me at that moment because he didn't move. I dropped, and crawled back past the barn to where I could stand. I got my gun and a call from the truck and snuck to the edge of the field, and gave a few calls. He wasn't interested in what I had to say so I figured he had a girl friend down there I couldn't see. I left my bino's on the seat of the truck and wasn't going to go back at this point.

There was no way I could sneak down the edge of the field and not bust that gobbler out of there. I figured I had two options. One, the field was on a hill, I could try to sneak back the way I came and use the hill to my advantage. Or two, I could scurry north 100yds, past a strip of woods, and sneak up another 40 acre hay field until I got close to where I figured the bird would be on the other field.

I choose #2 because it would be difficult to get to the other side of the hill without being busted, especially if there were hens I didn't see with the tom.

I trotted down the field about 250-300 yds, and got over a rock pile and under a fence. After all that racket I had doubts the bird would still be on that field. It was heavy brush and thorns to get between the fields. I took a few steps and 'yelped' on the diaphragm call I was trying not to swallow. Take a few more, 'squawk' a few more times. I did that until I could see the rock pile on the fence line I was headed towards. Then, I belly crawled up to the rocks. I've never been on the field, so I had no idea what was over there...it was the typical rock pile fence line with barb wire fence around it. I guessed perfect and was starring at the NE fence corner, just where the bird was.

From my belly I yelp sweet nothings in the general direction and the tom answered me. I was shocked. I made so much racket getting there I couldn't believe he was still there. I could then see his 'fan' above the rock but it was just too brushy to shoot, so I crawled 10 yards west to an opening. I was face to face with his girl friend...She came through the opening to see who was talking to him. I was literally 10 feet from her, laying on my belly. He came over and was strutting, never broke it, I couldn't shoot without hitting her first. At that point he was 15-20 yards from me. He strutted further west, and she went back through the fence and followed. I couldn't see either one anymore and had to move again.

I backed out and head it...the noise none of us turkey hunters want to hear. The "put, put, cluck, cluck, put" alarm. I saw them both boogieing top speed, south across the field, over the hill, and out of my life.

Simply the best turkey hunt I've ever had....THAT is why I do it. I was jazzed up for the rest of the day. Simply GREAT.

I say that at the end of every season. Frankly, I give thanks at the end of every DAY turkey hunting. If God is willing, I'll do it again NEXT year and the year after that. I have WAY more fun hunting turkeys than deer and I look forward to both every year. I look forward to all the great stories as well. So lets keep the old man happy and keep 'em commin'. Life is way too short to spend it nit-pickin' every little detail.