I just got back from the west coast. I hunted in California, and took in some beautiful sights. Then I flew into Colorado to visit friends for a few days and went up into the Rocky Mountains, but was not able to pull off a hunt there. It was my first time visiting either of those states. I spent 2 weeks out west with my friends, and it was awesome!!
The weather in California wasn't very good, but we did have a couple of nice days. In a day of scouting, and 4 days of hunting, my friend and I hiked 26 miles through the California mountains. Most of it was uphill, and the trails were slick with claylike mud due to the rain. This Florida flatlander got his cardio on, that's for sure!!
The first couple of days were rainy and cool, and the gobblers didn't like it any more than we did. We heard no gobbles at all, only a little bit of hen talk. On the third day of hunting the rain broke and the sun came out, but it was cold and very windy. Again, no gobbles just a little hen talk. We had yet to even see a bird. To top it off, this was heavily pressured public land that required no permit, and was used for camping, hiking and horseback riding, even during the hunts. But we were finding turkey sign and hearing hens. The gobblers couldn't be far away. As luck would have it, that afternoon more rain moved in along with colder weather. The mountain ridges we'd been hunting to get away from the crowds were forecasted to get snow, and indeed as we scouted that afternoon it started snowing. We figured the birds would move further down towards the valleys to escape the wind and snow, but that's also easier to get to, and that's where the people were. The only fortunate thing was this was during the week, so the crowds had died down from opening weekend.
The next morning was cold and still overcast. The birds didn't gobble, again.
But by 08:30 the skies started clearing, and we were set up in a beautiful spot on a tall hill, overlooking a creek bottom and the opposing hillside and ridge. By 09:00 the sun came out and warmed things up, and
finally the birds started gobbling!!
We heard 5 different gobblers that morning. The closest gobbler started answering my calls, getting closer each time he gobbled. Then we started hearing hen's clucking and yelping, they too were getting closer. Our eyes scanned the wood line, waiting for the birds to appear. Then the public land curse appeared,
Walking Wally's!! First a guy with an orange vest on comes walking down the opposite ridge with his gun over his shoulder, no face mask or gloves, just bumbling along. I let him get out of sight, and waited for 5 minutes before calling. The tom gobbled at me, and the hens resumed their chatter. 10 minutes later I caught movement out of my peripheral vision. I eased my head that way, and once again it was a
Walking Wally!! He came walking right in from the direction of the gobbler and hens, wearing camo pants, a gray shirt, no facemask, hat or gloves, gun over his shoulder.
He walked up to 15 yards away from us, and never saw us or the decoys. I finally threw my hands up in the air in exasperation!! Wally just kept on walking through.
That was the last we heard of the gobbler and hens.
We let the area quiet down for 20 minutes but stayed there since we had heard 4 gobblers around us. Around 11:20 a jet flew over and a tom shock gobbled at it from the opposite ridge. I immediately called to him and he gobbled his approval!
I let 5 minutes go by and yelped again. He gobbled again and was closer. Again I let 5 minutes elapse before softly yelping. He gobbled again and was closing the gap. Another 5 minutes went by so I floated out some soft yelps. The gobbler answered from the base of the hill we were on, but we could not see him yet. From where the gobble came from, he had to see my decoys. Now it was a waiting game. My friend and I had our guns up, pointing in the direction of the decoys. Statue still, our eyes scanned the area for the gobbler. Instead of coming up the hillside to the ladies, he instead stayed inside the woods as he ascended the hill. Perhaps due to the pressure these birds get from people. Finally I spotted movement to our right, as his white cap crested the hillside. I whispered to my friend, "Freeze!!" The gobbler came up the hill, but just enough for him to see. His head, neck and upper chest were all that were visible. He was only 15 yards away, and our guns were pointed in the wrong direction.
I could see the beginning of a beard and it dropping down out of sight. He stood there looking around, but didn't want to commit. Since there was a nice breeze blowing, and the branches and grasses around us were moving, I started a slow move towards him with my gun. He took a couple of steps forward, then turned to walk away. I finished my move and got him in the scope.
BOOM!!! California public land, mountain Rio down at 14 yards!!
He wasn't a big boy by any means, just a 2 year old, but given the circumstances and the weather, I'm very happy with him.
He weighed 16.2 lb's, had a 7" beard, and .75" & .6875" spurs.
We also visited my friend's home town in northern California. I got to walk into the Pacific Ocean, we saw the giant redwood trees, and saw thousands of geese and ducks. It was an awesome trip!! I've now hunted in 10 different states, and killed gobblers in 8 of them. I have a goal of killing a gobbler in each of the lower 48 states before I die. Here are some California pics for y'all to enjoy.
The area we hunted.
A herd of Tule elk on the side of a hill.
Giant redwood trees!!!
The Pacific Ocean
Ducks and geese
