Southwind
New member
I have to admit my expectations were low for my early morning date with the turkey woods. The rain and cold temps topped with 60 mph winds made roosting the night before impossible but still nothing would keep me from my first turkey hunt of the year.
Yes, it was cold and windy but the 30 mph winds seemed somewhat calm compared to the day before. As the sky warmed I crossed the elk river and soon settled in up against a tree at the edge of a hay meadow. It seems like time almost stands still as you wait to hear the first tree yelps and gobbles before flydown. Today those gobbles came from far to the north against the wind where certainly even if I did call the birds would not hear. What I knew for sure was there were no birds roosted on my meadow.
But over the years I have learned to be very patient when it comes to turkey hunting because things could change fast. I went a head and made a few loud yelps from my box call hoping the loud box would Pierce the wind and catch a birds curiosity. Thirty minutes after normal flydown I see a lone hen come onto the meadow and work her way towards me. Then she settles right in front of me feeding casually and contently by herself. My hope had been that she was not alone and not far behind would be a Tom but after fifteen minutes that thought had passed from hope to slight disappointment.
Enjoying the sights and sounds of a new day in the woods I got lost in the morning when some 30 minutes after the lone hen had showed my attention was in high gear with the sound of a thunderous gobble from the far corner of the field. Suddenly my adrenaline is pumping as a big Tom and a jake with four hens make their debut. My mind races as I envision every possible scenario of how it could play out but little did I know I was just along for the ride.
Sometimes a plan does just come together and today would be a day like that. While I'm trying to figure out how to get that Tom who is now hung up strutting in the middle of the meadow his jake companion notices the hen that has been happily feeding in front of me for most of the morning. He must of had designs on starting his own harem because he was on a string for his new found love. Problem was the Tom was suddenly aware of his advances and the race was on for this new girl friend. The Tom won the race as he broke the forty yard threshold I dropped the hammer and his quest for love end with a snout full of #5's from my 3 1/2" mag.
Triple beard 10 1/2 and a 6 and 7 inchers thrown in, 1" spurs, and I guessing a little over twenty pounds but I had no scale before I processed the bird.
It just never grows old for me, I just love to hunt!
Yes, it was cold and windy but the 30 mph winds seemed somewhat calm compared to the day before. As the sky warmed I crossed the elk river and soon settled in up against a tree at the edge of a hay meadow. It seems like time almost stands still as you wait to hear the first tree yelps and gobbles before flydown. Today those gobbles came from far to the north against the wind where certainly even if I did call the birds would not hear. What I knew for sure was there were no birds roosted on my meadow.
But over the years I have learned to be very patient when it comes to turkey hunting because things could change fast. I went a head and made a few loud yelps from my box call hoping the loud box would Pierce the wind and catch a birds curiosity. Thirty minutes after normal flydown I see a lone hen come onto the meadow and work her way towards me. Then she settles right in front of me feeding casually and contently by herself. My hope had been that she was not alone and not far behind would be a Tom but after fifteen minutes that thought had passed from hope to slight disappointment.
Enjoying the sights and sounds of a new day in the woods I got lost in the morning when some 30 minutes after the lone hen had showed my attention was in high gear with the sound of a thunderous gobble from the far corner of the field. Suddenly my adrenaline is pumping as a big Tom and a jake with four hens make their debut. My mind races as I envision every possible scenario of how it could play out but little did I know I was just along for the ride.
Sometimes a plan does just come together and today would be a day like that. While I'm trying to figure out how to get that Tom who is now hung up strutting in the middle of the meadow his jake companion notices the hen that has been happily feeding in front of me for most of the morning. He must of had designs on starting his own harem because he was on a string for his new found love. Problem was the Tom was suddenly aware of his advances and the race was on for this new girl friend. The Tom won the race as he broke the forty yard threshold I dropped the hammer and his quest for love end with a snout full of #5's from my 3 1/2" mag.
Triple beard 10 1/2 and a 6 and 7 inchers thrown in, 1" spurs, and I guessing a little over twenty pounds but I had no scale before I processed the bird.
It just never grows old for me, I just love to hunt!
