I am more of a turkey caller. When I lived in Delaware my hunting partner, (Dave Cernos) taught me how to use a mouth call. Dave loved turkey hunting and I went just for something to do. I moved to North Carolina 20 yrs ago and Dave came down. I remember that first morning, we called in 5 gobblers. Well, after my grandfather died and not having Dave around, I lost interest. My grandfathers farm was the turkey spot.
A few years ago, I was watching the Management Advantage show and the tip was, if you want turkeys, you have to control the raccoons and opossums. I began a relocation program. I trapped and moved them 30 miles away. Rumor has it, if the coons are released to close, they can follow the smell of the water back to their home range. I did not want to take no chances. I thought about putting a small cattle tag in their ear to see if any would return. Over the next 2-3 years, our scant turkey population grew to hen flocks of 25 to 30 this winter. I decided to take a Mature Tom if I could.
Opening day, load blind , decoys ,bow onto the Polaris and drive to the top of the property. I get set up and get ready to call when I hear snorting. It is my stepson's 40 lb beagle. It likes to follow me to the woods. He walks around the decoys then around the blind few times. I am thinking, if I am quiet, he will walk home. Things settle and I began calling. Fifteen minutes later, I have a Tom at 10 yards. I position for the shot that does not happen. What happened, he just had to walk into my view. He vanished. Maybe he did not like the two hen set up. Maybe he is in the back of the blind. I peaked out the back of the hidden hunter blind to see our beagle walking down the trail.
The next weekend, I didn't hunt. I went to NCTAR. Charles Suttles donated several nice prizes for our raffle. One was a new Bear bow fishing set up. That's several hundred dollars alone. He also donated an avian jake decoy. I wanted one but did not want to spend a hundred dollars. I bought 20 dollars worth of raffle tickets and placed all of them on the decoy. Luck would have it and they called out one of my tickets.
This morning I went back up the mountain to the top of our property and used the same set up plus the jake decoy. I heard faint gobbling several hundred yards away and over the next half hour, I called the Tom even with me. He walked up through the woods, strutting and drumming all the way. I had the jake facing off to the right of the blind at a angle. When the Tom, strutted around to the front, I buried the STOS broad head. I was using my Welch Dakota Pro
hunter, 46@29, Axis 400's with 175gr Stos
We are allowed two turkeys but I am done for the year. I heard other Gobbles from the south on the ridge in front of our farm. I am content and happy watching the hens daily nesting habits and patterns. Hopefully, they will spread to adjoining mountains. Thank you, Dave for teaching me to call and Charles for the chance at the decoy. Tim in NC
I will try to post some pics
Topic: I am not a turkey hunter (Read 444 times)
