Post by Mark Terry on Apr 9, 2013 11:17:01 GMT -5
I just have to share a little hunting story with you guys.
I have three daughters and over the years I've made a habit of asking if they care to go hunting with me, more as a irritation to them (based on the fact that few, if any, teen age girls would willingly give up a morning when they could sleep in - for anything).
On Friday last week, I asked Ana, our youngest (17 years) if she wanted to get up at 5AM and go turkey hunting. To my absolute shock and surprise, she said yes (I've grown accustomed to rejection). Since it was late Friday, there was no way to source camo and I promised we'd shop on Saturday and Sunday morning we'd go.
We discovered that camo is actually made to fit females and that part was taken care of.
In the meantime, I prepared myself for what I was convinced would be a nice walk in the woods. No owls would be heard, no squirrels would be seen, and certainly, no turkeys would gobble. It would be an excellent opportunity to spend time in the woods with Ana but I couldn't be convinced any hunting would take place.
Sunday morning was cool and Ana was up before our agreed 5AM. We left at the appointed time for the 45 minute drive. We arrived on time and got into the woods as planned.
I'd shared my experiences with owls, specifically Barred Owls. A wild turkey will very often gobble at an owl hoot and the area we were in has a very good population of owls who regularly put on an absolute auditory show. They make sounds the books and experts don't know about.
After about 5 minutes in the pre-dawn darkness, an owl lit in a tree not 20 yards from our listening tree. What commenced was as good a show as I've heard. Perfect. We enjoyed it immensely.
Then the turkeys gobbled and I'd guess we were listening to 5 or 6 different birds but none were very close. I was surprised and figured it couldn't get better.
Then we moved about 150 yards and it got better just before they shut up. From 5-6 turkeys to zero. So we moved again.
After a couple more moves, I finally yelped on a box call and shortly thereafter was rewarded by a gobble. Half an hour goes by, another yelp or two and a gobble. It's clearly closer. We set up (sitting on the ground) and get ready.
Another 15 minutes and a gobble. Closer, right in front of us!
But wait, Ana says he's actually behind (her hearing impaired old man). Can't be says I, he's right in front.
Then I hear the turkey walk across the ridge to our right and behind us! Wait until the turkey walks below the crest of the ridge, scramble madly around the tree and set up again.
I pulled the trigger at about 7:45AM and had not called again. The mature gobbler had walked straight to us.
I've probably ruined her for turkey hunting for the rest of her life. It will probably never be as perfect again for either of us. But we'll sure try.
It was a morning I will never forget!
Pretty sure she will never let me live down my directional and hearing impairment, either. Perfectly okay with me.
I have three daughters and over the years I've made a habit of asking if they care to go hunting with me, more as a irritation to them (based on the fact that few, if any, teen age girls would willingly give up a morning when they could sleep in - for anything).
On Friday last week, I asked Ana, our youngest (17 years) if she wanted to get up at 5AM and go turkey hunting. To my absolute shock and surprise, she said yes (I've grown accustomed to rejection). Since it was late Friday, there was no way to source camo and I promised we'd shop on Saturday and Sunday morning we'd go.
We discovered that camo is actually made to fit females and that part was taken care of.
In the meantime, I prepared myself for what I was convinced would be a nice walk in the woods. No owls would be heard, no squirrels would be seen, and certainly, no turkeys would gobble. It would be an excellent opportunity to spend time in the woods with Ana but I couldn't be convinced any hunting would take place.
Sunday morning was cool and Ana was up before our agreed 5AM. We left at the appointed time for the 45 minute drive. We arrived on time and got into the woods as planned.
I'd shared my experiences with owls, specifically Barred Owls. A wild turkey will very often gobble at an owl hoot and the area we were in has a very good population of owls who regularly put on an absolute auditory show. They make sounds the books and experts don't know about.
After about 5 minutes in the pre-dawn darkness, an owl lit in a tree not 20 yards from our listening tree. What commenced was as good a show as I've heard. Perfect. We enjoyed it immensely.
Then the turkeys gobbled and I'd guess we were listening to 5 or 6 different birds but none were very close. I was surprised and figured it couldn't get better.
Then we moved about 150 yards and it got better just before they shut up. From 5-6 turkeys to zero. So we moved again.
After a couple more moves, I finally yelped on a box call and shortly thereafter was rewarded by a gobble. Half an hour goes by, another yelp or two and a gobble. It's clearly closer. We set up (sitting on the ground) and get ready.
Another 15 minutes and a gobble. Closer, right in front of us!
But wait, Ana says he's actually behind (her hearing impaired old man). Can't be says I, he's right in front.
Then I hear the turkey walk across the ridge to our right and behind us! Wait until the turkey walks below the crest of the ridge, scramble madly around the tree and set up again.
I pulled the trigger at about 7:45AM and had not called again. The mature gobbler had walked straight to us.
I've probably ruined her for turkey hunting for the rest of her life. It will probably never be as perfect again for either of us. But we'll sure try.
It was a morning I will never forget!
Pretty sure she will never let me live down my directional and hearing impairment, either. Perfectly okay with me.
