I couldnt go out thursday afternoon, but friday morning i took the scenic route to work and spotted a good flock with at least two strutters. I stopped by and asked permission later that day and the farmers were nice enough to let me on! Two hours before dark, I went back to try and watch them fly up. I thought I found a good observation spot and started walking to the field edge when I stopped because I heard something. I saw movement and could make out the shapes of a couple turkeys moving about 30 yards ahead of me in the brush. Threw up the binocs and there was a big red turkey head staring at me. I froze, and the turkeys disappeared. I snuck out as quietly as I could. I must not have busted them out of there but they knew something fishy was up and got far enough away from me where I couldn't hear or see them roost.
Anyhow, I lucked out, because the general direction they ran, the woods tapers down and I had a pretty good idea where they roosted up there. I picked out a spot on the aerial maps to set up on for the morning. I awoke to 28 degrees and a coating of snow on my windshield. Thats when i gave in and grabbed the shotgun. With the bow left in the truck and shotgun in hand, I headed out to my first setup. It started getting light out, and the only gobble I heard was far, far away. An hour after opening shooting time, and no sign of life other the songbirds, i crept out into the field and grabbed my decoy. I was pretty frustrated and believed I must have spooked the birds bad enough the night before to chase them to the other woodlot over the hill. I spent the next hour and a half on two different decoy setups in the other small woodlot with no sign of turkeys. I had somewhat given up and was headed back to the truck, carefully of course. As I was walking along the field edge, which ran along a steep wooded dropoff and another ag field at the bottom of it, a big fat crow flew over me and said caww caww. GOBBLEOBBLEOBBLEOBBLE!!!! Holy poptarts it actually made me jump. I dropped down low and peered into the woods and down the hill and there was a big tom strutting with a couple of hens, headed right to where I first was set up. If it wasn't for that crow I probably would have spooked those turkeys and been even more frustrated. I guess I had some luck on my side today. However, it was not over, I had very little cover and couldn't make any moves cuz they had me pinned down. I had already called to them without thinking and I could hear them on their way towards me. I quick dove behind a little rock pile. I was laying on my belly and in bad/zero shooting position. Before i knew it, a hen clucked her way around the rock pile and she semi-spooked as soon as she saw me and headed back into cover giving me the "wtf putt putt". Being in horrible position, i could hear them milling the birds milling around behind my rock pile. I knew that the one hen had trotted away and I thought I could hear at least two birds behind me. Because i had only seen 3-4 birds in the bunch I had seen minutes earlier I figured my chances were decent and it was now or never. I rolled over and quickly got on my feet. I popped up over the rock pile, picked out the Tom and BAM!!
It was a pretty unconventional hunt. I guess what I learned is that it never hurts to have a little luck on your side, but your luck will be better if you are hunting where turkey numbers are high. I asked three farms for permission to hunt and only got turned down by one and it was because his nephews were hunting it. Unfortunately the gopro cam battery died but I took some pics.
The sun peeked out for a little while believe it or not.
My bird and gun
,congrats!