After 30 minutes I call again on the wingbone trying to attract some other tom that had been interested by my earlier conversation with Tom#1, and from the general direction the first tom had gone I got a responding gobble. He was interested but he wasn't coming, she'd have to follow. Smart bird.
After awhile I moved on to an oak lot and once again had swans fly overhead. They must be migrating north as I doubt the ponds on the farm are big enough for them. I don't hear any more gobbles and after awhile I head to another field that toms often come to mid-morning to strut and dust. It's hot by now and although I see plenty of sign my calls get no response and nothing shows. My hunt is over for the weekend and I know it. I head back to the front of the property. My father will be back to pick me up in about an hour and I thought I'd try calling in an area I hadn't been in all week. After about 30 minutes I decide just to lie down in the shade and wait for my ride. It's a beautiful, almost summer-like day. A hammock would be perfect. But rain clouds are on the way.
We leave and hit some rain on the way west to our homes. Two days later a tornado touches down within 5 miles of our hunting lodge and snaps the treetops and takes the roof off of a nice man's house who has let us hunt turkeys on his farm a few years back. It's the only damage in the area. Suffolk, my old hometown, didn't fare as well, with a possible 10 tornadoes hitting the area more familiar with hurricanes than tornadoes.
I try to slip in a couple of pre-work hunts on Thursday and Friday. Thursday I go directly behind work wear I killed my shotgun tom. I see a couple of hens in the field in front of me and hear even more in the woods behind me. I also see a couple of deer kick each other. But no tom. Friday I went on to National Forest land to an area I've had close encounters with birds year after year but not this year.
My last morning I go up the mountain behind my house and try some calling. I had over slept a little (stayed up too late posting
) and was late getting out in the woods. I wanted to get to a saddle before light but it was well light before I got there. The ground is torn up from turkeys scratching for that last acorn. My property goes to just at the crest. I have permission to hunt the adjoining property to my right and it also follows the ridgeline. I go that way until I come to a fenceline. Calling to the bottom below I get a gobbling response. It sounds like its in the cowfield below, probably well over 100 yards away. I can't go to him so I call some more. He sounds farther this time. I set up my decoy and sit down in a good ambush site. I've got on two armguards and I'm kneeling this time. Another gobble comes from below, this time sounding closer. I answer. After a pause another gobble, again fainter. He's struting back and forth, sometimes facing me sometimes with his back to me. Each time he gobbles I answer. Other than that I'm quiet, except for an occasional cluck like a feeding hen. (I'm not sure if my calling strategy is the best and those with more knowledge feel free to point out what I do wrong) After awhile I know I need to leave if I'm going to get Miss Hope to the post office before it closes. I head towards home, occassionally yelping like a saddened hen who must reluctantly leave her tom. He doesn't follow.
Topic: The Adventures of Hope and Faith Striker (Read 6865 times)
