Had the First Shot Out from Under Me

[hoyt]

I hunt exclusively public and trust me I know there are people out there that would deliberately get between you and a bird and shoot it out from under you... but there are also two sides to most stories.  I'm wondering how someone could get 20 yards from you and you not notice?  Did he come in in the dark as well?  If so I'm sure you caught him off guard when you started calling.  Maybe he didn't know you were there and thought you were a hen?  I know I've heard that one before when people do dumb things on public.  Sounds like the situation was pretty good and maybe he didn't want to jeopardize that as obviously it resulted in a bird.  It's a scary situation no doubt, as you were preparing to shoot and had someone within killing range of you that you did not know about. 

I'm not trying to take his side, but just that sometimes it seems different from the other perspective.  Last year I took a buddy from work that's not much of a turkey hunter.  We got to chasing a bird and when we finally got close enough to really get him worked up, he was getting closer, and I thought it was going to happen.  Next thing you know, BANG.. right where both of our guns were pointed.  My buddy was pissed and wanted to get worked up about it.. I calmed him down, as I didn't know the whole story.. maybe this guy had been working this bird when we came up on him.  I never heard him call, but not everyone calls that loudly.  Maybe he thought I was a loud mouthed hen and was going to let her bring him right past him.  I was more worried about not knowing someone was in the direction I was preparing to shoot, so we got out of there and went looking for another bird.

I thought about all you posted but just can't make myself believe he didn't know I was sitting 20 ft from him calling with a slate and and mouth call even having to dig the slate out from under me one time...more movement than I wanted. The gobblers were gobbling every time I called and the woods are wide open down in that bottom. But it's mixed planted pines up on the ridge above me where he came from and he just dropped down a ways and set up.

I'm really hard of hearing almost deaf with high frequency and have Tinnitus. My ears ring constantly. I don't hear squirrels when they jump or scratch around in the leaves right under my stand. But I did think I saw movement up behind me about 20 minutes before he shot.

I heard someone back in there owling right at daylight 2 days before the season..I was right under the gobblers that morning wanting to see which way they flew down so I could set up for yesterday.

I had a feeling he might be in there yesterday and heard him yelping about 6:30 from way off the way I knew he would come in off some horse trails. The gobblers had already started and were still on the roost and I didn't want to call, but had to with a mouth call to let him know I was on the gobblers.

He kept coming closer and I kept answering him back with my mouth call..and the gobblers where gobbling at all of it..as there were some live hens back his way yelping also. At one point I started to get up and bust the gobblers off the roost. I even started getting up to do.

But..he stopped calling at about 200 yds from me..he was on the edge of the ridge. I never heard another peep out of him and convinced myself it must have been live hens.. until his gun went off about 1/2hr later. The gobblers were hung up about 40yds. from me I had my 20ga flintlock and wanted them about 5 yds closer at least. My mouth call wasn't doing the trick to pull them closer and they eventually started moving towards where the live hens had been yelping on up the creek bottom..strutting as they went.

It was purring from my Lynch Jet State than had them coming to me after flydown, so I decide to chance the movement and try to turn them back, but couldn't find it as I had twisted around and was sitting on it. All that movement and me finally picking it up and purring with it should have been seen and heard by the guy 20 ft to my left and behind and above me.

Soon as I started with the purrs the gobblers turned on a dime and started coming straight up to me strutting all the way. They were just under 40yds or less from me and that's when he shot. I saw the little bit of smoke and flash from his shot and whirled my head around to see him jump up off the ground and run to the birds.

He knew I was there. I feel like just because he heard those turkeys gobbling Sat. morning he felt entitled to them no matter what.

This is what the area looks like now..just a little thicker up close the the top.

[g8rvet]

He knew you were there and he did not care. He was gonna get his no matter what.  Admirable you kept your cool.

[Ihuntoldschool]

This was no accident. Trust me these people know exactly what they are doing. They never call, but prefer to take advantage of the hunter that is calling the bird into shotgun range. I have had it happen the same way on public land. If you hunt enough public, it will happen.  It is dangerous, unethical, and these people are the lowest of the low. There are hunters out there that are just looking for an opportunity to cut you off and get in between you and the bird that you are obviously working.

If you read enough other forums, you will realize these people are out there. They never call.  It is not uncommon anymore to read posts where people describe something like "This is the first bird I ever called into range, I always used to just sneak up on them and kill them"   I am sad to say that this is more common than most people think.   This was handled very well by hoyt.

[TRG3]

Back in my high school days, one of my best friends was a guy whom I just couldn't hunt rabbits with. As you know, a rabbit will generally make a big circle as the beagles push him, often taking 10 minutes or so to return to where it was jumped. When two or more guys are rabbit hunting with dogs, typically each gets a spot and waits for the dogs to push the rabbit to make the circle. When you pick your spot to wait on the rabbit's return, sometimes you guess right and sometimes you don't, but you stick to your spot. My friend would constantly change his position based on where he thought the rabbit would be even if it resulted in him cutting you off. No amount of explaining seemed to make any difference as the urge to get the rabbit would overcome his need to stay planted in his original stance. He was a nice guy, but not a hunting partner!

[Isomaad]

One thing is for sure, he had to have seen you come in and set up since you didn't see him do the same.  He was there first and should have made you aware of this fact.  This guy must be a tool of the highest caliber and I don't know how you were able to keep your cool.  Guys like this is a good reason to carry a small shovel and a little grass seed.  Just saying!  Lol!

[Dr Juice]

That stinks. I'm use to my cuz doing that to me - 

[MDSTRUTNRUT]

Put it down in your diary as a successful hunt, called one in on public land and you didnt get shot.    Sucks but hey you did right by not going after him never know what might happen with 2 guys with guns having an argument NOT WORTH IT!

[RutnNStrutn]

Hoyt, yeah man, that definitely blows!! And some people have no morals or ethics. I think you made the right choice by walking away. Like you said, two angry men with loaded guns. Not good, especially when you had a muzzleloader, and most people carry pumps or semi-autos. Live to hunt another day.

[hoyt]

Isomaad..I was there first and set up a long time before daylight. I first heard him yelping right at daylight way up the creek and on the ridge.

[hoyt]

RutnNStrutn..Yep the old single shot flintlock that has a chance of a dry fire is not the best choice for combat these days.

I shot a big boar hog in Greenswamp East one yr. with my .58cal. flintlock rifle. Shot him at about 10 steps in the side of the head with roundball. He hit the dirt..then wobbled up and ran into some tall palmettos.

I rode my bike all the way back to camp and got my 7mag. to go into those thick palmettos and find him.

[Bigfoot]

had something similar happen to me.  I even parked my truck in such a way where it was obvious where I went.  Crack of dawn turks were gobblining away.  Pretty sooon some guy was callin right behind me. needless to say I didn't kill any of those turks.  I just shook my head.. Some guys just don't care.. Its public land..

[Cutt]

That stinks, down right dangerous, lucky you didn't take any BB's. I know the feeling, had a similar situation years ago where I called 2 jakes in and didn't want to shoot them. And some Bozo snuck up the hill, as he heard them gobbling and even saw me there at first light then dropped one 10 feet in front of me. Lucky for me he shot from an angle behind me.

[Strick9]

Have it had it happen twice on public land.. Glad you didn't get hurt brother. A turkey just isn't worth it. I just don't get some people.

Now I purposefully choose blocks of woods where there is only one access point or I try to at least.

[g8rvet]

To a Florida boy, those woods look as thin as a gold course.  I would feel nekid sitting up there, like I was in the middle of a field with no cover compared to where our birds like to be.  I believe I could see a hunter 100 yards away in that terrain with no difficulty (providing slope did not hide).  No way at 20 yards he did not see you. Not possible.  I would say he was a Grade A Pecker Wood.

[hoyt]

I lived in the Orlando area and hunted SW Central Fl. Osceola's for about 25, 30 yrs...so it's quiet a bit different. Especially with this late winter and hunting in nothing but step ridges and drainages. Spook birds just going and coming to hunting spots...not to mention trying to get set up when they roost on the ridges where several drainage's come together.

I spooked one this morning I had called in from the creek bottom below this ridge in picture...much less foliage on the trees than in the picture.

I heard him gobble after daylight..really windy, down next to the creek straight below this ridge..about 200 yds. or more. I couldn't drop down the ridge and get closer without being seen.

He had pretty much quit answering me and I'd about given up and looked to my right. When I looked back to my left in the direction he'd last gobbled up on top about 100yds off...(may have been two gobblers or he did a semi circle..first started straight down in front of me) he was about 35 yds from me and saw me turn my head back.

I'm 0 for 3 so far.