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Youth weekend. We’ve been going into this turkey season low key since our plan usually ends up being the same regardless. As usual we set up low just as dawn broke, the spot is easy to slip into without getting busted but generally close enough to hear any birds on the roost.
Conditions were perfect; Clear, cool and dead still. A slight frost at the house ran out just a little ways up the hill. My daughter and I took a post at the spot the Kid killed his first bird 5 years ago. He sat behind us about fifteen yards with the GoPro and his phone to get video and to tag team call if needed. It was kinda quiet, even the tweety birds weren’t very active. I’d let out a few easy clucks and yelps now and then but no replies at all. About a half hour in the Kid starts with some yelps of his own. I turn to look and he motions to the big meadow up top. He’s chilled so I figure he’s heard a hen. About 15 minutes later I give him another look and he shakes me off. We get up and he confirms but says she went silent.
We loop around to reposition at the top of the upper meadow. We walk the road because it’s quieter but at the top we hang back from the crest where it breaks into the field. Been busted by deer and turkeys too many times over the years. The kid pulls out his Lynch box and lets out a couple yelps. I can’t hear it but both kid’s heads snap my way. He lets out another couple yelps and gets an instant response I can hear.
We back into the woods, him on the low side and us above. We hear gobbles before we get sat down. I call and get another response, then the Kid does and they hammer again. My daughter has her gun up and I tell her to take the safety off, if they break over the crest they’ll be in range and closing. One does, except he’s not stupid enough to walk in the open where he can’t see. He’s five yards in the woods to right where there’s no shot. Next thing we know more birds come waltzing in heading down to our right. The Kid is lined up perfect of course but he’s out of the game. They keep going right, she has no shot and I’ll be in the way. There’s definitely one long beard but several others look like red heads but I can’t make out beards. The Kid starts calling trying to pull them back to us but they aren’t buying it. At the same time they aren’t going anywhere, just hanging up about 40 yards out.
With nothing to lose I rip off multiple sets of cutts Eddie Van Halen would be proud of. Three jakes simultaneously gobble in that broken voice they do. Now I can see one has a beard about 2” long. A couple other birds just keep moseying away. Meantime one bird is 50 yards out blown up and motionless. The jakes are acting totally confused milling back and forth. I see a second bird down by the big tom, turns out another hen had slid up behind us. The kids had heard her but I didn’t. The hen keeps moving towards the others back in and all the rest follow. I tell my daughter to put the safe back on and we let them walk off into the woods.
The Kid is jacked, my daughter is pleased and disappointed but doesn’t show it. I’m in the same boat with my daughter, we know it was a good morning but oh so close...
The Kid has a community service obligation with Scouts at 9:00 so we all head down for breakfast. About 8:30 the girl and I head back up. We spend a couple hours of sit and move but have no encounters other than catching glimpse of two deer.
I have some errands to run on a time frame so we knock off and get back to the house about 11:00. We still have tomorrow get get it done before the regular season opens next Saturday.
Conditions were perfect; Clear, cool and dead still. A slight frost at the house ran out just a little ways up the hill. My daughter and I took a post at the spot the Kid killed his first bird 5 years ago. He sat behind us about fifteen yards with the GoPro and his phone to get video and to tag team call if needed. It was kinda quiet, even the tweety birds weren’t very active. I’d let out a few easy clucks and yelps now and then but no replies at all. About a half hour in the Kid starts with some yelps of his own. I turn to look and he motions to the big meadow up top. He’s chilled so I figure he’s heard a hen. About 15 minutes later I give him another look and he shakes me off. We get up and he confirms but says she went silent.
We loop around to reposition at the top of the upper meadow. We walk the road because it’s quieter but at the top we hang back from the crest where it breaks into the field. Been busted by deer and turkeys too many times over the years. The kid pulls out his Lynch box and lets out a couple yelps. I can’t hear it but both kid’s heads snap my way. He lets out another couple yelps and gets an instant response I can hear.
We back into the woods, him on the low side and us above. We hear gobbles before we get sat down. I call and get another response, then the Kid does and they hammer again. My daughter has her gun up and I tell her to take the safety off, if they break over the crest they’ll be in range and closing. One does, except he’s not stupid enough to walk in the open where he can’t see. He’s five yards in the woods to right where there’s no shot. Next thing we know more birds come waltzing in heading down to our right. The Kid is lined up perfect of course but he’s out of the game. They keep going right, she has no shot and I’ll be in the way. There’s definitely one long beard but several others look like red heads but I can’t make out beards. The Kid starts calling trying to pull them back to us but they aren’t buying it. At the same time they aren’t going anywhere, just hanging up about 40 yards out.
With nothing to lose I rip off multiple sets of cutts Eddie Van Halen would be proud of. Three jakes simultaneously gobble in that broken voice they do. Now I can see one has a beard about 2” long. A couple other birds just keep moseying away. Meantime one bird is 50 yards out blown up and motionless. The jakes are acting totally confused milling back and forth. I see a second bird down by the big tom, turns out another hen had slid up behind us. The kids had heard her but I didn’t. The hen keeps moving towards the others back in and all the rest follow. I tell my daughter to put the safe back on and we let them walk off into the woods.
The Kid is jacked, my daughter is pleased and disappointed but doesn’t show it. I’m in the same boat with my daughter, we know it was a good morning but oh so close...
The Kid has a community service obligation with Scouts at 9:00 so we all head down for breakfast. About 8:30 the girl and I head back up. We spend a couple hours of sit and move but have no encounters other than catching glimpse of two deer.
I have some errands to run on a time frame so we knock off and get back to the house about 11:00. We still have tomorrow get get it done before the regular season opens next Saturday.
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