| TURKEY HUNTING 2002- WEEK 1 |
| APRIL 21--Craig and I arrived in Hocking County Sunday eve and we were welcomed by a thunderstorm with hail and lightning. We stood on the porch of the 1880's house and watched as the hail tumbled down the hillsides like an avalanche of white marbles. The creeks rose and almost overflowed their banks in a matter of minutes. We were thankful that we were not staying in our tents on this trip! Due to the storm we didn't have a chance to roost any birds that evening. April 22-Opening Day-As I headed up the north ridge I heard a gobble that came from the top of the ridge above me and to my right. When I was about 50 yards from the top I heard the Tom gobble again. In fear of being seen I sat down on the trail, set up, and faced the direction of the roosted bird. I soon heard hens clucking and then saw some birds fly down from a few trees that were near the top of the ridge. I couldn't believe that they were roosted that high up on the ridge during that stormy night. Soon I could see the birds scurrying my way as if they were spooked. I could make out a bearded Tom and about 5 or 6 hens in the early morning haze. I started making a few clucks and yelps with my mouth call but the birds did not pay me any attention. I could see the Tom chasing the hens around. They were only about 50-60 yards from me. I hoped that they would continue coming towards me and that I could get a shot at the Tom as he crossed the trail that I was sitting on. Well, after 5-10 minutes the hens and the Tom turned around and went the other way! Throughout the rest of the morning I set up in different locations and did some blind calling hoping that a nearby Longbeard would hear me and come to investigate the lonesome hen. But it didn't work out that way. I heard very little gobbling and only a few shots in the woods nearby all morning. APRIL 23-Tuesday morning I headed up the same trail to the top of the ridge. I set up against a tree overlooking a hillside bench. I heard a few Toms sounding off in the distance but none near me. I started calling and soon below me on the bench two deer strolled by and stopped to check me out. They were curious about the sounds that were coming from the base of the tree. In a few minutes they were joined by a third and I could hear others milling around on the hillside to the right. Eventually the deer went on their way and soon after I heard a Tom gobbling on the hillside of the next ridge. After about a half hour I heard gobbling on the hillside to my right. I didn't know if it was the same bird from across the way but I moved down the hill to reposition myself. I called some more but there was no response. About a half-hour later I heard a gobble from the ridge above me, not too far from where I first set up! After a bit I made my way back to the top of the ridge and set up against a tree on the other side of the top. I called for a while and got no response. I saw a few deer about 200 yards away moving down the hillside. I decided to move down to the end of the ridge to try a different location. As I approached the end of the ridge a hen flew up and scared the heck out of me! I took a few more steps and another turkey ran away towards a pine grove. After walking another 20 yards or so I jumped a grouse. It seemed that I had the whole woods stirred up! I then set up on a trail and faced towards the pines. I let the woods settle down for awhile before I started to call. It wasn't long before a deer showed up and walked right towards me, stopping about 20 yards away to check me out. The deer stood there as I continued to call and it would just tilt its head from side to side as if to ponder about the sounds. Finally it winded me and took off. That was about all the action for the day. I did find one giant morel mushroom though. APRIL 24-I again headed up the same hillside knowing that there were birds in the area the last few days. I set up on the end of the ridge and called for about two hours. I only heard one far off gobble. I then went over by the pine grove and set up and called for another two hours and didn't hear a thing. Around 11:00 I headed West along the ridge top and when I was about 75 yards away from my next intended spot I heard a gobble coming from the same general area. This time I set up two decoys on the ridge top and backed off one side and sat up against a tree. I called and got the Tom to gobble back and I thought that I was in business. After about 15 minutes I heard him gobble again but this time it sounded like the loudmouth was walking away from me. That was the last I heard from him! I must have spooked him with bad calling or something. I had him interested but he didn't commit. APRIL 28-Friday morning I hunted down in Scioto County with Piff. This is the same place that Piff bagged a buck with my crossbow last fall. We walked through the pasture and weaved our way through the cattle on our way back to the end of the property by the pond. I set up my two decoys in the pasture about 20 yards away from our setup against a huge oak tree. We nestled in side by side and Piff was watching the pasture and I was facing the woods. The plan was to try to call in a Tom who then would see the decoys and walk up to them within gun range. After calling for awhile without hearing any gobbling Piff nudges me and tells me to look out in the pasture. I was expecting to see a Tom coming our way. As I turned to look what I saw was a cow nose to nose with one of the decoys!!! One by one three cows took turns sniffing the fake turkeys. One of them actually jumped back when her nose bumped the decoy's beak. Piff got it all on his camcorder. We tried shooing off the big heifers by throwing sticks at them but they didn't budge. After about a half an hour they began to feed away from us. Soon we heard a gobble way off in the distance in the woods. We continued to call every now and then and after about 45 minutes the gobbles were sounding closer. A short time later I saw three Toms and a hen scurry by from my right to left in front of me. They slipped up through the woods across the pond from us. We clucked and yelped and every now and then we would get one of the Toms to gobble. Soon a hen runs away from the pond and about collides with a small deer that was coming down the trail to the pond. I wish we got that on tape! After awhile the three Toms and the hen came back towards us and ran by from left to right. We yelped but got no response. The three gobblers went on up through the greenbriar behind us but the hen stopped and began clucking and yelping in response to our calls. She eventually ended up about 15 feet from us and stood on a log. With her yelping and us yelping we hoped that all the calling would bring back the Toms. After about five minutes a Tom gobbled on the opposite hill where the other Toms ran. When the hen heard him she ran off towards him. For about an hour we would call and occasionally the Tom would gobble back at us. Then all at once the Tom comes down the hill and runs in front of me and we get him to stop to one of our calls. I could see him about 30 yards away through the greenbriar and dead limbs but could not get a shot. He eventually disappeared. Well that was it for the week. All in all I had a good time and witnessed a lot of different activity. I didn't have to hunt in the rain or fight off any mosquitoes or pick ticks off of me! I had Gobblers in close but couldn't get them to fan or strut showing that they were interested in courting me. Maybe I need more sex appeal!!! |
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