I’ve been hunting on a 10k acre WMA quota hunt the last week. It started last Saturday, and ended today.
1st day: couldn’t hunt…kid had an activity
2nd day: got to the river at daylight putted along trying to shock gobble a bird in the fog. I could only hunt until noon because of another family event, didn’t hear a bird.
3rd day: I couldn’t hunt until 11am work had to be done. Found a bunch of sign, but no birds.
4th day: It rained all night, and it quit raining when I got out of the truck. I heard one gobble 2 ridges over. I went around and above him, and got within 100 yds of his tree. The ridge was a spine about 20 yds wide so I dropped off the back side, and waited for him to come to the top looking for me. I make a series of click and purrs while scratching the leaves. He went silent when he hit the ground. About 15 mins later I heard a hen make a single cluck just on his side of the ridge. Five mins later I hear 3 more clucks, and he gobbles once. He’s so close I can feel the gobble. Immediately after I see the hen pop her head over the ridge. She purrs her way along heading to my right, but I lose sight of her. I sit for 30 more mins, and never see the gobbler.
I dropped off the back side, get in the river bottom, and slowly worked my way around towards him. I hear a hen cutting after I get back in his area. I sit down immediately because I can tell she’s coming my way. I scratch the leaves, and wait. I’m probably 40 yds from a wide creek to my right, and a wide creek to my left center. They have to come my way. Not long after I sit down 2 birds pitch over the creek right in front of me about 70 yards away. I see a red head, so I cackle, and slap the side of my leg.several times. Both birds come running at me gobbling. I have my red dot on the front bird. He hits 20yds and I realize they are both Jake’s. Five more birds pitch over the creek, and come right by me, all hens. I sit for about 30 mins to make sure there wasn’t a gobbler hanging around, and go back after the 1st turkey which I never found.
5th day: I go back after the bird from the previous day knowing he’d be in the same area, and hoping he’d be in the same tree. He was much deeper on the back side of a steep ridge. From where I was it sounded like he was in a bottom between 2 ridges. I got on the opposite ridge from him before realizing my mistake. I tried to fleet him to pitch across, but he didn’t. I went around him, and got on the same ridge he was on. I got within 100 yds of him he gobbled once for me, but a hen drug him off once again. I searched for him until 3pm, but he went silent.
6th day: no hunting, work had to be done once again.
7th day: (today) I hunted for him for 5 hrs walked 8 miles up, down, and around ridges, but never heard a gobble.
The WMA is open to everyone tomorrow, so I’ll stay out of there for a few days, and hunt somewhere else the next few days. It’s a 2 mile walk in some hilly terrain, so I’m thinking he isn’t going to be messed with. I didn’t see a boot track in there all week besides mine. I rarely zero in on one bird, but I have a score to settle.
Thanks for reading my long post. I hope everyone has a successful weekend!
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then my common sense kicked back in. Didn't want to booger them off of the property.
