Turkeys are much harder to hunt than I imagined they would be. I went out in the rain Friday, and started calling… One answered! We kept calling to each other, but he just would not come in closer. After an hour or so, I got up and started off towards him. I found him on the other side of a fence, that was posted, and could do nothing but look at him.
Saturday Chip (my cousin) and I went out at 5am. I got in my blind by 5:30am and waited as the world woke up around me. There was fog, so I really couldn’t see much. I started calling, and I got an answer! I kept calling, and I kept getting an answer, my heart was pounding now. Then… I got another answer and another, pretty soon I had 5 toms answering back to me. Two to my north and 3 to my south. This is where I made my rookie mistake. I sat there calling, and they were not moving, I should have gotten up and went towards them. I have learned that in the early season here in Wisconsin, the tom’s expect the hens to come to them. Later in the year, the tom’s are more likely to come after a hen.
Later in the day, I was walking up a trail to cross a ridge and stopped at the top. As I turned my head, I saw a bird sitting on a log about 10 yards in front of me. As soon as I moved my gun, he saw me and was up and flying instantly. His flight scared up 5 more birds from the trees below him. I ended up scaring another off that trail, but just could not get a shot off.
It was frustrating and exciting. Hearing the Owl behind me, the crows, turkeys and see chipmunks eating acorns while I sat not 10 feet from them… It was great, and I’ll be going again this fall and in the spring again next year I’m sure!
