April 28, 2011:
It was almost strange to see the stars and the silver crescent of the moon as I stepped out into the cool night air and headed west to meet up with friend and fellow turkey hunting enthusiast Carl. We conversed about the season so far, our expectations of the day and as the miles rolled away, I began to think of what it really means to me to take on the challenge of hunting public ground. There are many reasons that I am so drawn to the situation, first and foremost in my situation it is a couple days annually for my buddy and I to "just hunt", no guiding, no worrying about getting someone on a bird, no cameras, no expectations, and no cares as to who shoots...just a couple of good friends that work well together in the turkey woods.
On top of that, is the challenge of birds that have seen and heard it all, the variable of other hunters, and where they will be also adds to the intensity of the situation. There is no good way for me to explain, I don't feel like a better hunter than other people when I kill a bird on public ground, but I have certainly become a better hunter because of the experiences in these places. There is almost an "extra" rush for me when working a bird with all these extra variables thrown in, and I feel as though every time we work a bird on public ground it requires...perfection. Not saying we ever achieve it, but you do have to be close just to have a chance. Throw out working a bird at all...and its just nice to see new scenery from time to time.
All those thoughts pouring through my head and the next thing I know we are standing in a familiar listening spot after a mile or two walk through the darkness and watching mother nature raise from a night of rest. As the darkness lets go, the woods comes alive, with the cardinals, robins, and occasional whipper will. There is always that anticipation of the first gobble of the morning, and today was no different, perhaps a little more with our surroundings. Finally a faint gobble found my ears and then another, and as we zeroed in on the gobbling, Carl informed me that he believed it was coming from the other side of the property...across a flooded creek bottom , a good walk back to the truck and 20 minute drive away! I trust his opinion more than any other turkey hunter I know, but every once in a while one of the birds gobbling...just seemed closer. As with any team, the best ones compliment each other and its no different with our "turkey team", finally compromising, we began walking to the back of the property, just to be sure.
We reached another good listening spot and to my dismay a gobble rang out and it was definitely across the creek out of reach from our position. I was kicking myself as I just cost us an extra 1/2 mile one way, but the thought was cut short as a gobble rang out from much closer! Ok game on I thought! We eased down a logging road and as we debated as to how far away he was he HAMMERED with a booming gobble approximately 200 yards away. We hurriedly set up on the edges of the logging road, as the bird HAMMERED two more times. As Carl touched the call, the bird hammered back with a thunderous double gobble and the game had officially started. We had a beautiful open timber flat off the edge of the road that stretched to the area where the bird was, a natural spot for him to come through. After a couple more gobbles , he went silent for a few moments and I was sure he was coming. Over the next 30 minutes, he did not come where he "should", bur rather gobbled his head off and began dropping down in a deep ravine and circling to our left.
We adjusted several times and then he went silent again and the next time he gobbled he was directly behind US! In the field we had just came from. We both eased around and started in on him again with some very subtle calling as the bird stood somewhere near the opening to the field or the mouth of the road we were on and gobbled his fool head off. Every few minutes he would absolutely shatter the timber with his gobbles. He would close the gap to where he sounded just around the bend, forcing my head down on the gun, but never showing himself. He would start to work off, gobbling, then he would come back to our calls...an ole cagey veteran that just wasn't going to close that final gap.
As he stood in the field gobbling, he even exchanged gobbles with a couple other birds, one of which seemed to be headed our way as well...I thought now we can close the deal. But he stayed put gobbling. At one point a distant shot rang out and he even gobbled at that. After what seemed like hours, his gobbles suddenly became very muffled and then disappeared. We regrouped and moved to the area he was in , when he gobbled again down in a deep ravine (explaining the sudden drop in volume) By this point the wind had started to pick up and we tried two more set ups and the last time I thought I heard him gobble he had gone about 270 degrees in a giant circle pattern. We made a game time decision, to back out and leave him until the next day. A solid 2 1/2 hour duel and he had the upper hand. Before moving on to the next spot, we studied the lay of the land and compared notes to get a peg on where we thought he came from and went.
The remainder of the day was uneventful, with high winds we never heard another gobble that we could confirm.
April 29, 2011:
Day 2, there was no question where we would be as I had heard this birds gobbles in my sleep that night. We headed right to the mouth of that road with a plan. If the bird was in the same spot we would drop Carl off into the field and I would set my dsd hen up at the corner of the field and road knowing he crossed right in that area. We stood and again watched the woods come alive. All the birds were singing, the woodducks were buzzing over head, even a few honkers announced their presence...yet the calm cool morning air was strangely void of gobbles. I mean ANY gobble, close or far. I shot a nervous glance at my buddy a couple times, checked my phone...5:45...nothing...6:00...nothing...I am starting to think, chit the birds are on the ground and we didn't hear a thing! 6:20 and we are talking about easing down the road when a gobble rings out from the same spot that bird was yesterday!!! I pointed and whispered there he is! Carl didn't hear him and even as I doubted myself, he gobbled again! There! Again, Carl didn't hear him, as I am describing where I heard it he gobbled again and this time Carl heard it. He was definitely on the ground and moving already! Carl dropped up the field as the bird hammered again and I scrambled to get the decoy set, and get my hide situated.
I grabbed a couple branches to help hide myself on the edge of the road as the bird let out another gobble, this one jolting me with the volume! I eased quickly into my hide but had to stand back up to adjust my seat when I hear a faint call coming from Carl's location and immediately a thunderous gobble as a response. Holy crap! I am standing up and this bird is COMING.!!! I dropped into my turkey seat and grabbed my gun as he gobbled again. My pulse went through the roof and my breathing started to go out of control. As I got the gun up Carl let out another quiet series and the bird absolutely blew our hats off just off the field edge.
HE was less than 100 yards out, and I suddenly realized how out of control I really was, this bird working and all those variables I mentioned earlier had my heart racing and I was breathing so hard I figured that bird might be able to hear me. I took a deep breath and just as I did I saw him! A white head bobbing up the edge of the field where he let out another huge gobble. I got down on the gun, and started cussing myself, how far is he, how far is that...why didn't I range it! He hammered again, and then periscoped his head and spotted the decoy....We rarely try decoys on public ground but I wanted to give it a whirl on this bird to see how these birds react to a dsd decoy which so far has been nothing short of amazing on my other hunts. He eyeballed the deke and started taking a few steps towards me!
At that point a calmness came over me, I knew he believed the decoy was real and he was relaxed, as he pecked at the ground a few times, paused, then gobbled again! I guessed him at 50 yards and decided I would let him come. We were in a perfect situation, he had to come around a ravine to get to me and if he skirted away from me he would be right in Carl's face! He took a few more steps and I eased the safety off. I beared down on the gun and just as I put pressure on the trigger he moved again, another deep breath as I tracked him till he stopped and looked again, again I put pressure on the trigger and at the last possible millisecond he twitched and took a couple more steps. I just KNEW he was gonna come to the decoy, but all at once it hit me. I picked up foot steps to my right and behind me, I thought about how hard we had to work and how at any moment some other hunter may come to this spot. As much as I wanted to let him come to the decoy, and even though I had already had pressure on the trigger, I suddenly had an urgency come over me, I settled the bead, and tracked him until he stopped raising his head again to look at the decoy, took a deep breath and BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The bird flew over backwards and began flopping, I jacked my empty out and as I started out in the field I saw Carl running across the field to get to my bird! He put his foot on its head as I ran out in the field and as we made eye contact I slid on one knee in the field and pumped my fist!!!! We were absolutely elated, fist pumping high fiving and going bonkers. Two grown men so shook up we were both visibly shaking from the adrenaline over flow! The kicker....it was 6:37 when I finally looked at the clock after hooting, hollering and pictures...we estimated he came 200 yards and to the gun in about 10 minutes. I ranged the shot after the fact, it was exactly 38 yards. A monster of a two year old bird 24 lbs on the nose, 10 3/4" beard, and 15/16" spurs. 64.25
Turned out I DID hear foot steps as a hunter came wandering out from that area as we were taking pictures. I have to say this one ranked right up there with the top few hunts of my life.
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| The author with his public land gobbler. |
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