I know you guys will appreciate this

[FullChoke]

As you know, I primarily hunt public lands here in MS. As the season goes on, the birds become extreme sensitive to human presence and a hunter has to adjust his approach accordingly. Then there was this yesterday.

I had been trying to work birds in the same area as I had last weekend, but to no success. I biked back out to the vehicle around noon, loaded up and headed to town for a bite. I am on a side road approaching one of the major gravel roads in this WMA. As I pull up to the stop sign, I spot a DSD Mating Hen decoy that must have blown out of the back of someones truck laying on the side of the road. As I get right up to it, she raises her head. I stop right next to her and look out of the window down at her. The very live hen gets up, hurriedly walks in the bushes, cuts across the road right behind me and heads off.

I can only guess that she had found a nice warm spot in the gravel on the shoulder of this intersection, laid down to do some sunbathing and fell completely asleep. Like REM slumbering sleep. Turkeys.

FC

[cramerhunts]

Definitely can appreciate that. Spend hours upon hours sneaking, scouting, and pursuing these wild creatures only to drive up on one completely oblivious to everything around them. Happened many times to me.

[FullChoke]

I was hunting with a guy on his family property in Alabama one afternoon. We were heading down to a field that bordered a creek to try to pull one in ahead of roost. We were walking down a 4-wheeler trail with me in the front and the late afternoon sun over our shoulders. Suddenly I see something walking towards us in the trail. We stopped as a hen turkey came moseying towards us. We watched her stop and look up overhead at a pair of wood ducks as they came squealing into a slough. She eventually walked up to within 4 yards of us, stopped and looked at my boots and followed them upwards as far as she could. I could see that she was having trouble looking directly into the sun as she was squinting. I spoke to her in a clear and gentle voice "Good afternoon, ma'am. I was wondering if you might consider quietly walking off into the woods and allow us pass by. Also, if you could send your father or grandfather over to Creek Field, that would be great." She actually had a puzzled look on her face the whole time that I was talking to her and never got excited or scared. She turned to walk away and I said "Oh by the way, I think you look absolutely beautiful." She paused for a second as if to mull over my compliment, then calmly walked away.

All of this at a distance of 4 yards.

I turned back to my buddy and his mouth was hanging open. I love this magnificent sport.

FullChoke

[cramerhunts]

I was hunting with a guy on his family property in Alabama one afternoon. We were heading down to a field that bordered a creek to try to pull one in ahead of roost. We were walking down a 4-wheeler trail with me in the front and the late afternoon sun over our shoulders. Suddenly I see something walking towards us in the trail. We stopped as a hen turkey came moseying towards us. We watched her stop and look up overhead at a pair of wood ducks as they came squealing into a slough. She eventually walked up to within 4 yards of us, stopped and looked at my boots and followed them upwards as far as she could. I could see that she was having trouble looking directly into the sun as she was squinting. I spoke to her in a clear and gentle voice "Good afternoon, ma'am. I was wondering if you might consider quietly walking off into the woods and allow us pass by. Also, if you could send your father or grandfather over to Creek Field, that would be great." She actually had a puzzled look on her face the whole time that I was talking to her and never got excited or scared. She turned to walk away and I said "Oh by the way, I think you look absolutely beautiful." She paused for a second as if to mull over my compliment, then calmly walked away.

All of this at a distance of 4 yards.

I turned back to my buddy and his mouth was hanging open. I love this magnificent sport.

FullChoke

That is very very cool and I could actually see this occurring. Thanks for sharing Norman!

[3bailey3]

Very cool Norman! You know I have hunted the same WMA and I have saw many birds in that main road and I have gotten on a bunch of birds sitting so close to that road and watched people driving by just hoping they wouldn't stop. One day on my way out almost to 13 I saw money all in the road and I jump out of my truck, man I thought I had hit big but it was 15 one dollar bills!