- Joined
- May 27, 2015
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Opening day of the Virginia season was yesterday and I always like to get a score in the first week so I can hunt or fish. No fishing until I or someone with me gets a bird.
I gathered all the turkey stuff together and walked across the field to the wood line. I thought I was going to have a long hike to get to the two birds I saw late in the morning last weekend on youth day. It was couple of minutes past six and he fires off about 150 yards away. Man, what luck this is. I had been to this very spot twice in the last week scouting and had not heard a peep. Birds in my area just are not acting like they normally do this early in the season. Very little gobbling and sporadic from day to day.
I entered the woods and went about 25 steps and picked a tree to sit by. Walked 25 steps toward the bird and sat up the hen and Jake decoy. I looked around and thought this was a pretty good set up. Visibility was limited but that works both ways. I could shoot to the field edge if he went to the field but I thought that was unlikely since my white truck was in plain view across the field.
He was gobbling a little but he sure didn’t sound like he was very anxious but it was early and he was still on roost. I made a few very soft “tree clucks” and waited. Nothing, he had shut up already. A minute or so later I made more clucks followed by three yelps. He fired a gobble back and I felt a little better. I waited a minute or so and yelped a few more soft notes. His next gobble was closer and to the right so he was on the ground and interested. My next call was the softest three yelps I could make with two short little purrs. He did not respond and I decided right then that I would wait it out. Not more calling and I would sit here for a good while. It wasn’t very long and I noticed a dark spot beyond the decoys. Nice!! It was his fan.
It was only 6:25 on opening day and I already have one in sight. I was very thankful and the hunt was a big success already in my opinion. He could have just melted away into the brush and I would still have been content. But, at 6:50 he had closed the distance to where I was confident with the Winchester Longbeard load of 6’s in the barrel and when I had a clean view of head and neck it was over.
He was a very nice bird at 20.03# with 10” full beard and 1” spurs. The good lord blessed me for sure!!
I gathered all the turkey stuff together and walked across the field to the wood line. I thought I was going to have a long hike to get to the two birds I saw late in the morning last weekend on youth day. It was couple of minutes past six and he fires off about 150 yards away. Man, what luck this is. I had been to this very spot twice in the last week scouting and had not heard a peep. Birds in my area just are not acting like they normally do this early in the season. Very little gobbling and sporadic from day to day.
I entered the woods and went about 25 steps and picked a tree to sit by. Walked 25 steps toward the bird and sat up the hen and Jake decoy. I looked around and thought this was a pretty good set up. Visibility was limited but that works both ways. I could shoot to the field edge if he went to the field but I thought that was unlikely since my white truck was in plain view across the field.
He was gobbling a little but he sure didn’t sound like he was very anxious but it was early and he was still on roost. I made a few very soft “tree clucks” and waited. Nothing, he had shut up already. A minute or so later I made more clucks followed by three yelps. He fired a gobble back and I felt a little better. I waited a minute or so and yelped a few more soft notes. His next gobble was closer and to the right so he was on the ground and interested. My next call was the softest three yelps I could make with two short little purrs. He did not respond and I decided right then that I would wait it out. Not more calling and I would sit here for a good while. It wasn’t very long and I noticed a dark spot beyond the decoys. Nice!! It was his fan.
It was only 6:25 on opening day and I already have one in sight. I was very thankful and the hunt was a big success already in my opinion. He could have just melted away into the brush and I would still have been content. But, at 6:50 he had closed the distance to where I was confident with the Winchester Longbeard load of 6’s in the barrel and when I had a clean view of head and neck it was over.
He was a very nice bird at 20.03# with 10” full beard and 1” spurs. The good lord blessed me for sure!!
