Not So Fast

Not So Fast

I took up turkey hunting a little later in life but have been stricken with the bug quite ravenously nonetheless. The early years of my trek into turkeys were unsuccessful but just hearing them gobble and some up-close encounters with a hen or two was enough to keep me wanting more. Two years ago I was able to take my first turkey and be back eating breakfast by 8:30 AM. That hunt went as scripted. Last year, however, was a different story.

The excitement that Spring turkey hunting brings with it after a long winter is second to none.  Listening to a big tom sound off is a sound that every outdoorsman should experience at least once in their life. 

Jumping a couple of turkeys while squirrel hunting late in March on my property really got me excited for what the Spring would hold. I had a choice to make though and either hunt my spot for the first time or take up my Uncle’s invitation to try and thin his flock. After all the pictures he kept sending me and the texts almost daily about all the feathered traffic at his place, I have to admit I took the “sure” thing and opted for a long weekend at his place.

As was usually the case I loaded up the family and North we went. I had been in close communication with another Uncle who so graciously set up a popup blind complete with chairs and decoys. He showed up well before dawn to pick me up and with a little hitch in my gitty up I hoped in. We parked in the dark and met up with my other Uncle to discuss plans prior to heading to the blind. The three of us were so confident I’d have my bird and be back for coffee 20 minutes after daylight. I have to admit I really am not generally this optimistic when it comes to hunting but all the indications had me set up for a repeat of the previous year.

I upgraded to Tungsten loads allowing me to downsize my shot but maintain velocity due to the extreme density of Tungsten. In other words, I had more shot in a given pattern with plenty of energy in comparison to lead. Many will say the use of Tungsten allows you to shoot turkeys at further distances than with lead. Physics say yes, but for me, it was more about putting more pellets in that ten ring at the same 40-yard mark, thus upping my odds of a good, clean kill. Oh and Tungsten is considered non-toxic per the latest MI DNR Waterfowl Digest if you’re into that sort of environmentally friendly things.

What turkey hunting has taught me recently is it’s not just about the shooting and killing. Hunting is about experience. Some may suggest that’s what bad hunters say to make themselves feel better. I sincerely disagree. As I was eluding to previously in this article about my uncanny success two years ago, I felt just as much gain from the banter leading up to the hunt, the time in the blind with my Uncle, and all the strategizing, talk, and laughter of that day. Truthfully, that is 99% of the hunt. Pulling the trigger is only a means to an end.

After a long day in the blind, the turkeys head back towards the NE Corner of the field where they favor entering the woodlot at the same location they enjoy exiting it first thing in the AM.  

A pair of bearded birds enter stage left adding uncontrollable excitement to the hunt. Unfortunately, they stayed just out of range for the duration of their appearance. 

The gray dawn slowly crept upon us as we drank coffee and snacked on cheap gas station donuts. Most of the time I’d be swelling with anxiety but I had managed to keep things under control this morning. Then the first gobble lit off. And another. And another. They had flown down from the roost to the East and would come out on the same trail from the NE corner of the field they did the previous year. I played the scene in my head over and over waiting for them to pop out. I was envisioning waiting till the gobbler was well within range and carefully placing the bean just over halfway up his neck. Then my uncle threw out a gobble and was immediately answered.

A couple of purrs and clucks from the push button call and our lone hen decoy would do the rest. It was déjà vu when a couple of hens appeared followed by a puffed-up gobbler. At this time I was all wound up waiting for them to make their approach. Let’s just say they wanted me to suffer and took their sweet time making their way to the set. However, as the hens meander in my direction the gobbler couldn’t help but follow suit. Easy as pie. The ladies finally got within range with the ole tom in tow. This is where the scenario departs from all that I had dreamt it to be.

There might as well have been a tom-proof fence at 50 yards encompassing our blind. That gobbler strutted back and forth and all around for a good hour but wouldn’t commit. He was in the wide open field and his hens would come into the decoy, leave, come back, wander around, and generally not pay the blind or decoy much attention. The tom however just would not come in. I lost count of how many times I raised the gun or got positioned to shoot out of different windows only to experience false alarm after false alarm. To spare you the details, hens, jakes, and gobblers spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon parading back and forth in front of the blind between 50 and 60 yards away. While I considered it to be my misfortune to not get a shot on my first morning, it was really a gift to be allowed to return in the afternoon.

The morning was frigid and when we climbed out of the blind at 1:00 so my Uncle could get to a prior engagement I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to warm reprieve. The problem was that upon returning to my other Uncle’s garage I had to listen to his continual badgering as to why we didn’t kill anything that morning. He had been watching the turkeys march back and forth across the field all day from his back porch. We couldn’t believe our lack of victory that morning either. I remained upbeat after seeing many birds in our first sit and was truly excited to have gotten to observe the beautiful creatures. I would be hunting solo the rest of the weekend though so my calling would be put to the test.

During a midday break you can see the blind setup with the decoys hoping to entice a gobbler into range.  The blind had been placed a couple weeks in advance of the hunt but something about the setup kept any bearded birds just outside of the kill zone.  

After warming up a bit and a power nap I returned to hunt in the late afternoon. As I worked my way towards the blind I walked down a path with thick pines to the right and an ag field to the left. Once I got to the end of the pines I slowed and peered off to the SW noticing what appeared to be a turkey. Dropping low and belly-crawling through an overgrown portion of ground between two fields I reached a series of small pines. Raising my binos I confirmed that indeed it was a turkey, along with two of his buddies. From my position, there was no way I could get set up to call and shoot without being spotted. I retreated back towards the stand of pines I put out my decoy and backed up to the base of one of the evergreens. Once settled I couldn’t see the turkeys any longer but trusted my setup and hit the call. Eventually, I could see them working my way and which created quite a sense of accomplishment for me as this was my first solo attempt as bagging a bird. They once again disappeared from sight and I waited. And waited. And, well you get the point. Just when I wanted to try and take a peak I heard something behind me. Busted. Rather than approach my decoy from the front the group had swung around and caught me from behind. That was how my day ended.

Simply amazed at all the turkeys I had seen in one day I went to bed that night eagerly awaiting the morning. The problem was I had a tough decision to make. Hunt from the blind again or try and move closer to the corner they seemed to gravitate to. I opted for the blind thinking that the birds were just being finicky the previous morning and by placing a second hen decoy, this time they wouldn’t be able to resist. Well, it was like playing the morning before in reverse. The turkeys came from the SW and spent the morning in the field taunting me at a distance. Multiple gobblers, jakes, and hens put on an amazing show for me. I was grateful for the chance to watch it. I did my best to watch behaviors and soak in as much as I could waiting for them to begin their final approach. After some time they did finally start moving deliberately in my direction. Once again, the male turkeys just would not break that 50-yard barrier. It was almost uncanny. Smart animals to say the least. Then they wandered to the back corner and out of sight. Had I abandoned the bling, in which it was now obviously spooking the gobblers, and picked a spot near the field corner I would have filled my tag? Lesson learned…be adaptable!

Initially utilizing a lone hen setup it wasn't enough to the draw in any love stricken tom's.  Throughout the hunt decoy sets ranged from none to three but unfortunately no combination could seal the deal.  

Now I was down to my last afternoon and at the recommendation of my Uncle, switched it up to the other end of the property where he had been frequently observing birds. He was right. I saw a ton of birds, but other than one sneaky hen, none bothered to come even remotely close to the shooting range. I based my sit completely off the scouting report and didn’t even put out a decoy thinking maybe they were on to me. Eventually, the turkeys headed to their roost and it was time for me to conclude my trip. Talking with my Uncle that evening I felt good about going home empty-handed. Sounds strange, I know. I had thrown everything I had in my repertoire (which is fairly limited compared to more experienced folks) at the turkeys. Hunted with my Uncle in the blind. Spot stalked, and called them in. Switched up my decoy set. And lastly, completely changed my location and abandoned the decoy. I would sleep well that night knowing that I had hunted hard not leaving anything on the table. I learned a lot, was humbled, and left hungry for this Spring.

Having a talented partner in the blind calling is always a plus. However, turkey hunting has taught me that there is so much more to the sport than simply pulling the trigger.  With that, comradery ranks at the top of my list for most important aspects of the hunt.  

The last afternoon sit included some gorgeous Spring sunshine and not using any decoys.  Turkeys had been spotted consistently in the area so the dice were rolled and faith was placed on the scouting report.  

Looking at the success story of the wild turkey populations and the Spring time optimism they bring, following the long cold winter they are a bright spot to look forward to. I hope you are able to spend some time this Spring coaxing in, or maybe not coaxing in some longbeards. Even better yet, spend that time with someone else. A friend, a loved one, a stranger, or best of all worlds…a new hunter. I believe you will get more out of the hunt than you could have imagined.

Sometimes there are no words.  Following winter a bright orb in the sky and some green buds are all that is needed.