What a day!

[rmw1890]

So last week was my period to hunt and it was quite the four days for me! I started out hunting on my own property which is a great spot! A thick 20 acres of woods butting up to a 7ish acre marsh, two huge 60+ acre fields infront of me. I got to my spot wednesday morning around 4:45ish, got all set up ready to go by about 5am. Around 7am two hens flew out of roost and landed in the field to my left at about 60 yards. I clucked at them but they had no intention of coming over by me, instead they walked lazily through the field of corn stalks and started clucking on their own in search of a handsome Tom. Shortly after this a raccoon almost crawled onto my lap! It had made its way through the cornstalks and the noise got me jittery and ready to go. I had the gun up, ready to go, and...and.....raccoon. Well it was still neat to see it close i thought, well i did until it came within about 5 yards and wasnt changing directions. I hissed at it trying to spook it, but it just stopped and kept walking towards me till i slowly stood up and pointed my gun at it (worried it might not be so friendly any closer and rabies shots didnt sound like a good way to spend the rest of my day) and it must of gotten the hint and trotted of. This was the most action I would see for the next three days. The rest of wednesday the birds were calling and not moving around the area like that had in the fall.

Thursday same routine, set up by 5am, but this time no birds flew out of roost and no birds were clucking. I was not too worried it was still very early in the day and i figured that maybe I would just sit tight and wait for a few hours and see what the morning would bring. Again this morning brought me nothing but disappointment. I would call here and there trying to get a bird to call back but nothing, i stayed all afternoon and still no visual on any birds and no calling back. I figured friday would be my day!

Friday was not my day. I tried sneaking around the property after my same old routine resulted in no results and getting anxious. I started to scout the area to see if i could figure out where the birds were coming and going...if at all either! I went around the perimeter of the woods and found nothing but coyote prints and raccoon tracks as well. So as i went back to my spot to pack up my gear due to the weather turning for the worst i tried to figure out where the in the world this birds could be! So i decided i would try a different property which was land a farmer i work for during the summer owns. I was hoping that this property would be a better spot because it butted up to public land which was full of marshes and big meadows which the birds would be in to fan out their feathers after the rain that late evening.

I slept in till 8 and headed out, was set up ready to go by 8:30 and by 9:30 i saw 4 hens making their way across the field. I had set up about 150 yards from them and i clucked at them but again just like before (minus any calling back) they stayed on the tractor path towards another field. I waited about 30 min and decided i was going to move to the otherside of the field and set up on that path. Set up ready to go at 10:30 and at 11 i saw four birds making a slow journey up the field towards me at about 125 yards and getting closer with every step...so i thought. I wasnt sure if a tom was with them until i saw a big black of puff appear and I knew i finally had a chance to get a bird. I clucked on and off to try and get the tom to come over, but with three hens around him...being henned up was an understatement. For the next three hours the four birds would climb the small hill in the field and then descend. It was awful, I would get so excited and so excited to be let down the tom wasnt making a journey to my oven if he would just keep coming closer. Another issue was that every time the four birds would climb the hill alittle higher....they kept getting closer and closer to the public land which was farther and farther from me. At about 2ish the birds disappeared over the small hill (more like a ridge) in the field and I had a decision to make. To try and stalk...or to no stalk. I had never attempted to stalk any animal before and have never done it with anyone so i was nervous i was going to make simple and dumb mistakes that would cost me the only opportunity i had all season so far. I decided i had nothing to lose by trying. At 2:15ish i packed my gear up, grabbed my gun and my trusty old box call and gave her . I started walking along the edge of the field and the grass/small brush to keep my silhouette broken up and my camo was not going to do me any good in an open plowed field. So i walked slowly and carefully till i saw the tom strutting. I slowly got down to my belly. I took a deep breath and began my first stalk. I belly crawled about 200 yards, one seal crawl at at time. I would set my gun and box call about an arms length away and seal crawl till i got to them and repeated this over and over and about every 5-10 yards i would cluck and to keep the tom strutting and thinking his new lady friend was playing hard to get, but was coming towards him. I did this again about 200 yards making sure to keep my profile low and keep half my body on the grass/brushy side and half in the field. I discovered to my dismay that about 100 yards into crawl that half the field was covered in old cow manure...just another obstacle to over come. At the end of the field i noticed a grass like peninsula going into the the middle of the field and i decided that i could crawl through it army style to get within about 50 yards of the bird. I started crawling though the first part of the grass...i again had another obstacle...this grass for the first 10 yards was weeds with prickers...but the rest of the 40 was nice grass. I made it about 35 yards through the peninsula and the tom strutted into the public land, not spooked, just strutted away....just like that...i couldn't believe how close i had come. I laid there in the grass first disappointed and upset that i had come so close! but soon gained confidence in my first stalk and how really i had been very successful! I laid in the grass for about 5 min then got up and kept as silent as i could walking along the tree line that butted up the public land. I figured that i would find the tree the tom and the hens went past and set up there very early the next morning. I found the tree and discovered a big rolling meadow on the public land. I had to cross through about 5ish yards of brush and trees, still being as quiet as i would. I had about 5 more steps and i saw three hens laying on the ground and the tom i was stalking!!! I couldn't believe it, i took three quiet steps and twigs cracking underneath me with every step. I saw the tom, still strutting. I raised my gun and waited. He took about 3 steps forward and BOOM!!! Shot him at 10 yards with my shotgun. 2.5 hours of stalking, i had been rewarded with a beautiful tom of 22lbs, 9.5" beard, and 1" spurs but also a new sense of confidence in my ability to hunt turkey and stalk animals. A day full of emotion but also full of great success.

[Singing Bridge]

sounds like a great hunt, congrats on the thunder chicken! Run N Gun, seal crawl, cow patties- great stuff that added to the overall experience. Is that the bird in your avatar, or maybe you have some pics we can get a better look at? After all you had happen, I'm betting you are itching already for your next turkey hunt.

[rmw1890]

Yep my avatar is with the bird I shot this year and yes I can't wait to get out again

[Wrinkleneck]

Very cool story!! Even better results CONGRATS. I also had the same issues with the longbeards not responding last weekend, with the only difference being the end result for me was 0 birds down I will be giving it a go again starting tommorrow to see if I can get a Tom in shooting range.

[Black Squirrel]

way to go!

[hunt n nut]

Thats cool...congrats

[cornfedkiller]

Heck of a story, and congrats on the bird! Way to get it done!

[dan]

congrats!

[chad]

congrats

[BackWoodsHunter]

Ryan's gobbler-nice bird man!