new to the flock Posted May 9, 2006 Report Share Posted May 9, 2006 Was out for 4 hours this morning. I decided to go to the Inlaws farm and give it a go over there. The birds were in strut 2 weeks early this spring. This means that most of the breeding was done before season even opened, so the birds that are responding to calls are few and far between. It is a good thing that the Toms stay semi in the mood for about a month after the main breeding to service any hens that loose their nests due to predators. Not seeing any of the classic struts as the birds come in, nor is there any gobbling. The birds are coming very wary and very silent. So today after getting the boys off to school I managed to get out to the field and set up by 8:45. Made a few calls and all was quiet. Lots of birds flying, and chipmuncks playing, so was well entertained. After about 45 minutes of calling sparingly, and keeping a close watch on the field opening there was still no birds around. I know this as I just finished checking all around me. Anyway as I am sitting there watching the field there is a mouse running aound in the leafs. If the little blighter does not run up the my boot and start up my pant leg . Now I really had just checked the field and it was empty, so I lift my hand about 6 inches and tap my pant leg to frieghten the mouse, who starts to retreat . Just as I lift my hand that 6 inches again I can feel the eyes on me and I look out. You guessed it 80 yards out is a very nice tom starring straight at me and all set to run :o . Well I have been busted and the birdslips over the crest and is out of there. . Gave it a few minutes to settle down, then moved locations and set up again. After an hour and a half of no action moved to another set up, where once again there was no action Had to pack up around 12:45 and head for home, so no bird today. Half to decide if it I will be back on that property tommorrow morning turkey hunting or head down to Dover perch fishing off the pier. ThinkI will let the young one decide in the morning Nttf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pavman Posted May 9, 2006 Report Share Posted May 9, 2006 NTTF Better luck next time bud, I walked in on my mother in law as she got out the bath the other night, as she bent over to dry herself I thought I saw a turkey you are welcome to come round and take a look, it was an orible big one with a long Wattle hanging down, at first I thought she had taken a pet in the bathroom but I guess not pavman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted May 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2006 **** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozo Posted May 9, 2006 Report Share Posted May 9, 2006 nttf you really do live the life! your a very lucky man! Id do anything for a life like yours lol Ozo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted May 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 May 9 My youngest Little decided that it would be a good day for fishing , so we headed off to Port Dover to fish for perch along the peir. Nice warm day lots of sun with a couple of Arbor dog and chips for lunch. Oh yeah the 6 perch we caught for dinner weren't bad either NTTF May 10 All the Littles were in school today so off to the woods turkey hunting this morning for a couple hours . Was set up by 9:45 after the walk getting in and had a nice little set behind a large maple tree. Decided to place a hen decoy out front to keep unwanted attention focused elsewhere. A few calling sequences and 40 minutes later I can hear a bird coming in from my left, with the gun up on my knee, and few clucks on the call....and my heart pounding in my ears......I catch a glimps of the bird. A hen , well I figure that I may as well let her come in and maybe she will have a tom tagging along with her. No such luck after wondering around the decoy infront of me for 5 minutes she decides to be on her way...back to her nest no doubt to lay another egg. Run some more calling sequences, and stay still until around 11 am....until my left leg is cramped and my butt is asleep ......... then decide to walk into a little patch of ferns by a pine grove and set up there for a bit. Around 12:30 I finally hear a gobble back. unfortuneately it is the only gobble I hear for the next 30 minutes . Then all thunder breaks loose everytime I cluck or yelp a bird gobbles back and he is getting closer, and closer . The problem is he is drifting to the left a little as he comes in, so I have to shift my body more inline to that position. A quick shift and am all ready with the gun up waiting for him to break the cover before the safty comes off and the shot delivered...this bird is mine. Another 10 yards is all he has to cover. Well next thing I know there is a "putt, putt" behind me :o and the big old tom outfront clams up and walks off . A little sub ordinate Jake had thought he would beat the old tom into the hen for a quickie . He stepped out of the cover 2 feet behind my back and when I rolled my head around that is when he sent up an alarm putt I have another date with that old boy come Friday but between now and then , I hope that old Tom lets the young jake get laid a few times as a thank you for keeping him out of the roasting pan for a couple more days. NTTF P.S. I may not have got a tom today but I did get a dozen morels....mushrooms...., and some leaks A fine few hours out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted May 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 May 11 and 12 Thunder and Lightening all day, so no hunting. NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead-Eyed Duck Posted May 13, 2006 Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 NTTL You should set yourself up in business enticing UK shooters. Have a go at turkeys, then the odd day fishing. Making us all jealous. Naff off (not seriously) Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted May 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 NTTL You should set yourself up in business enticing UK shooters. Have a go at turkeys, then the odd day fishing. Making us all jealous. Naff off (not seriously) Don DED: Exactly how I feel while reading about everyone out pigeon shooting and ferreting over there NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted May 13, 2006 Report Share Posted May 13, 2006 You set up a nice atmosphere in your story NTTF, I could almost feel the bugs crawling down my neck (that was my experience in south Georgia). When I talk to my UK shooting friends about turkey shooting, they can't believe how clever they are. Our experience over here of turkeys, are either frozen in a supermarket freezer, or ones on farms that are so stupid they will stand out in the rain with their mouths open and drown. All of my US hunting friends claim that a turkey is more cautious than any other creature, including any breed of deer. I once had 1 big tom and about 30 hens and immature jakes, 40 yards away across a clearing. When my friend clapped his hands (long story involving the non arrival of my turkey permit), they disappeared. Despite running quickly across the clearing, there was no sight nor sound of them. If I hadn't experienced it myself, I would not have believed such large birds could disappear like that. Keep up the reports, you might want to start a new thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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