Have had a good couple of days hunting. Did not hunt the opener Sunday morning with church and family in town. Left the house about 2:30 Sunday afternoon for the farm.
Was riding down the road thinking that on the ride the field coming up was the only one I ever saw turkeys in, but as I passed nothing, but just up the road in some pines a couple jakes were crossing the road, a good sign in my opinion.
Got to farm and got to hunting. Saw a bird with 2-3 hens in a field and snuck down the field and set up where I was hoping they would feed my way but after an hour waiting it was a no go. They crossed the property line on to public so I moved on. Came down the road going to another spot and saw another good bird with 2 hens. I thought they would cross the road and feed down to some pines to roost in the field across the road, hurried up and got set up where I thought they would come through and after an hour and a half wait still nothing. Got up and slowly worked to where I could see if they were gone from the field across the road and they were.
In that field I spotted 5 birds working their way toward the road to cross. It was getting close to fly up so I got into glassing mode. They were 5 redheads. As they crossed the road and worked to the field I was watching I could see two toms and three jakes. I waited until they dropped down below a ridge in the field and headed to the back to glass to see where exactly they were going. I could tell the toms were mature birds but figured them to be two yr olds.
Got around back and finally found them again. They were slowly feeding across the field. They got to the area that I had been set up on and fed a little. Eventually a group of other birds joined them but I am not too sure what was in the group as I was paying attention to the known longbeards.
Eventually the longbeards took to the trees. Unfortunately the trees they took to were less than 15 yards from where I was in the woods and I was in the open. I had to wait to dark without moving and then slowly work my way out. Never heard them bump as I left so I felt we were in good position for the next day.
My buddy YoungBuckTX was coming to hunt with me in the morning so I called him up and we set up a plan. We decided to get in there early to set up and wait. Gobble time has been around 6:50 – 7:00 AM and light starts around 6:40 or so. We met up at 6:00 and were set up by 6:30.
We sat waiting for some gobbling but the birds we set up on never gobbled, I got worried that I did bump them. We heard a bird or two across the farm gobbling a few times so I went ahead and did some light tree clucks on my trumpet to hopefully let the birds know we were there. About the time it was light enough and I figured birds were on the ground or should be soon I yelped on the trumpet a couple of times.
A few minutes later YB said, "strutter in the field." I look out there and he is fanned out looking about 150 or so yards out. He starts walking our direction. YB had killed a bird on opening morning so he gave me priority shot so I got ready. The bird got to about 65 yards out and stopped. He was still in strut. I was afraid he was hanging up so I lightly yelped on a mouth call. He started on in. It was at this time I realized there were two birds and not just the strutter, they were both Toms. I decided the first one to cross my path and in my sights I was shooting. The subdominant got there first so at 30 yards I squeezed off and he dropped. The strutter jumped into the air. As soon as I shot I started doing fighting purrs. And he started quickly walking in the way that he really did not know whether to run or fight. Finally he made the mistake, stopped, and stretched his head out to look and YB fired knocking him down. It was a short but fun hunt.
We messed around the farm the rest of the morning seeing a few birds here and there but nothing that wanted to play. I actually got checked by the Game Warden for the first time in my life hunting. He was a nice guy and I thanked him for keeping an eye out on the place. The wind picked up bad after lunch. We did a little walking but around 3 we called it a day. I wanted to get back home as I was planning on hunting around there the next morning and did not want to be overly tired. I am looking forward to getting back out Friday evening and all day Saturday.
Heard three birds gobbling yesterday and saw two hens, but that was all. I have had some good hunting so far. First week or two of April should be on fire.
Sent from the Strut Zone
