Called in a horse....

[870supermagnum]

My grandson (age 9) and I setup three decoys in the corner of a pasture that always has birds in it.  Right after fly down five jakes came in to our setup and slowly moved off again. They met up with a nice gobbler and using hen calls, they brought him about half way back to the setup and then slowly moved off to the other end of the three acre pasture.  I hen called some more and no response.  I was watching the group through my binos and saw the gobbler strutting and gobbling, so I started gobbling back at him, gobble for gobble. It got his attention and he headed our way.  He was about a hundred yards from us when one of two horses came over to check out all the gobbling and walked right into the middle of our setup and knocked over my submissive hen decoy.  Well, needless to say, that ended the hunt.  The gobbler moved back off and exited the field on the other end.  It was very aggravating at the time, but it's funny now that I think about.  I told my grandson, "that's turkey hunting." 

[Tail Feathers]

That's the story you gave the warden when he found the corn in your vest?  Honest, it's for the horses!

Just kidding, it's frustrating to have a hunt messed up but stuff happens.  I hope you and the boy get that tom soon!

[Cut N Run]

That is turkey hunting for sure. I've been pretty good at calling in cows myself.  I'm glad to hear you have time to spend with grandson.  Time is the most important thing you can give to a child.  I'll always remember and cherish the time I got to spend with my grandfathers.  Good luck when you go next time. 

I can't imagine those horses might enjoy an unexpected shotgun blast going off in their pasture while they're in it.  That'll be payback to them whenever it happens. I primarily hunt horse farms, but am limited to the woods away from the pastures.

Jim

[g8rvet]

I have had a wood duck hunt ruined by cows!

Also had a Tom fly down in visual range.  He was working his way up a firebreak to me, just out of sight, but gobbling the whole way. He suddenly shut up and I don't hear another sound. Wondering what happened, I see about 8 doe headed up the firebreak from out of the woods. They feed right on past me until the get downwind and run off, blowing the whole way.  Only thing I can figure is they spooked him coming up out of the bottom. 

[Happy]

Had the wife on a buddies farm deer hunting and neglected to tell her there was a donkey on the property. As we were sitting there in the darkness that sucker cut loose with about 100 yards behind us. She didn't think it was as funny as I did.

[MerriamMac]

 Hilarious! .... I've called in cattle and a bobcat.

[OldSchool]

There's no end to the things that can screw up a hunt, but like you told your grandson, "that's turkey hunting." We take it all in stride and get back after them. Good luck!

Bob

[Swather]

Bon appetit!

[TRG3]

Don't abandon that gobble tube. Over the past 7-8 years, I've called in at least 20+ with the gobble tube, challenging the real bird's peck order status when I sound like an intruder. Generally, after he sees my tom decoy, he's convinced that it's time to challenge the new bird on the block and comes on in. The only time that I can remember that he didn't was when the gobbler wouldn't come within 100 yards of the decoy and actually fanned while sitting on his rump and gobbling. I'd never seen that before and haven't since. He must have been on the bottom of the peck order to have made that move!

[contagious]

Yep you can call up all sort of critters while turkey hunting, part of the fun.!!!!!!!!!!

[albrubacker]

Had the wife on a buddies farm deer hunting and neglected to tell her there was a donkey on the property. As we were sitting there in the darkness that sucker cut loose with about 100 yards behind us. She didn't think it was as funny as I did.