I went for a scout today to check out a new piece of land to turkey hunt.
I took along some new toys to play with....
from top to bottom: Richard Hudson Hen Box Snakewood over Spalted Pecan and my own Osage Trumpet and crow call...
What a great morning I had. Sunny and almost 65 degrees.... I was scouting a new area and slowly worked along the edges of it, lots of glassing the fields and looking for sign, but not seeing much.... I got to a likely looking corner of the field and woods and crow called into the woods.... nothing.... So, I sat down and had a snack and a cup of coffee, just enjoying the day. I had been sitting there about 30 minutes or so and decided to give my brand new Hudson box a run and sent out a series of sweet old hen yelps.... A couple of clucks was my reward, from a hen not very far away..... I sent out a second series of yelps and got a reply yelp and then spotted the hen coming down the edge of the field coming right to me. I froze with no mask or gloves and a steaming cup of coffee by my side as I sat with my back up against a tree...... She came in to ten yards and then walked along looking for the hen down thru the woods.... yelping as she went. Well, we have at least one bird here I thought to myself, that's a good sign. After a while I moved on to the far side of the property.
Isn't she pretty?.... Opening day can't come soon enough... It's not until May 1st, here in NY...
At the far side of the of the property the woods meets a swamp and creek bed. I sat down on a fallen log and took out my osage trumpet that I had just made a few weeks ago. I sent out a few clucks and yelps as I leaned back against a tree and then heard a faint cluck in return. Then another series of clucks, I clucked back and she yelped. I yelped and then saw her coming, walking and looking for the hen she had heard. She was coming from my left looking intently for me...... She came to within 8 yards and kee-kee'd, yelp, yelp, yelp..... standing right in front of me. She then circled looking and walking a step or two and yelping and kee-keeing all over the place..... She walked all around me yelping and looking for the hen she just couldn't find...jumping up on logs and looking almost in a panic for a full 10 minutes or more..... what fun.... I think I'll be back here at some point in the season and see if we can find a gobbler! Enjoy your hunts folks....
