2012 Turkey Bowhunts

[CAPTJJ]

After being out of town last week and working over the weekend I felt behind on the scouting, so I made sure to get out the day before the opener. Found birds gobbling on their own in two spots: first one was where I videoed the jake a couple weeks ago and sounded like a jake(probably the same one); second spot was where I had been seeing a hen, sounded like a good bird, maybe two. Went back in the afternoon and found lots of scratching and saw "strut marks" in the sand right where I park at the end of the pavement. Went at sundown but no gobbles.



Rain in the forecast didn't bother me with birds in the area and a blind, got it set up before daylight and before the rain started back up again. Didn't hear any gobbles but wasn't suprised with the weather. Started some light calling around 7am, heard a three note yelp and soon saw a tom on the edge of the dirt road(private) about 35 yds away, he was in and out of strut. The hen then came by a little closer, 20 yds at one point, scratching and feeding.

Rather than download the video here is a screen shot that shows the hen and the tom in the background:


They went off to my right and I decided to do an aggressive cut/yelp, sure enough the hen came back headed for the decoy this time clucking, I was filming her for a while and kept looking for the tom.(click for video)


Finally spotted him and he was on the hen's path, he should come right by me, but for some reason he went back along the dirt road again. (click for video)


I was set up above where I heard the birds yesterday, there was a good opening at a Y in two old logging trails.


I kept looking behind me and finally spotted a hen right behind the blind about to step out on the trail @ 8am, I hoped she would come attack the decoy but she headed off toward the direction of the first hen. I couldn't here anything with the light rain and wet leaves so I kept checking out the back, and then saw a nice tom coming from where the hens went about 5 minutes later. He came to about at 25yds, right turn puts him in my lap, straight and no shot, too thick. He kept straight and continued on across the road, stopping in the open a couple times at 30-35yds. I turned the camera on but after he was gone I didn't see the red light on for "record", I'll blame the gloves. Here's where he came through, made sense he went along the "path of least resistance". Not sure, but I think it was the first tom that came back.


All in all a pretty good morning in lousy conditions, lots of season left.

[stka]

Sound like a pretty good day, you've got them patterned well. If no one messes them up on you it should just be a matter of persistence.

[bogmanjr]

The bow sure add's another element of difficulty JJ. KUDO's for sticking with it. I see a dead bird very soon for you.

[CAPTJJ]

Damp and foggy this morning, pretty uneventful except the end. Had to go back to the same spot as yesterday, they were there the last two days; should have known better after recently posting that mountain/woods birds are tough to pattern. Did hear some gobbles way off below me, headed off North and away. Stayed till 7:30 and decided to look around at a few spots; saw 3 jakes cross the road at the bottom of the hill and noticed there was no fog. Seemed the birds were staying down with the low clouds up the ridges. Had one bird shock gobble to a call at one spot so I set up above; stayed an hour and heard nothing. Checked more spots and got no gobbles, so I decided to set up where I thought the bird(s) I heard this morning were headed. Got set up by 10 and started calling; every once in a while thought I heard a gobble, then definitely did way above me. Kept calling aggressively but never got a response; thought it was all over when I heard one sound off above but  much closer, within 200 yds I figured, 11:38am. More calls with no answers, then heard a loud gobble, he was on the flat above me about 100yds away, 11:54am. I called once more to see if he would come but he was probably busy with a hen; stayed till 12:30 to make sure I didn't spook him folding up the blind. Trying a different area at first light tomorrow where I haven't done any calling yet, had good action there last year.

[jlaclair]

good luck man, you are at least having some action, Ill be out with the bow tomorrow too, but in more of a farm mountain setting so hopefully I will have some luck, these mountain birds sure are tough, probably wouldnt have got my buddy on his jake today without the help of a fellow hunter

[CAPTJJ]

I'm taking a couple guys out on a nice abandoned farm this weekend, highest gound in the area with pines and they like to roost there. The owner has a couple food plots that had corn last year, he said they are feeding on the kernals still.

Only had one mouth call left that sounded good from last year, actually it sounds really good, but eventually the latex will tear and I'll be stuck. Been trying to get a couple more mouth calls to work good without the "squeakies", need to bend them just right for my mouth(narrow palate according to my dentist) and it can get frustrating. Finally have another that is just about right, I know a call is good when I can pop it in my mouth and do a purr easily; they do need some "break in" time, I find chewing the tape to soften it helps.

[bogmanjr]

Been working hard on it and I can't purr to save my life.

[Raquettedacker]

I can't purr to save my life.

    That's cus your not getting your ears rubbed just right.....     Works every time on my kids cat....

[bogmanjr]

    That's cus your not getting your ears rubbed just right.....     Works every time on my kids cat....

OH....................... Maybe we can work on that sometime.

[mookie]

OH....................... Maybe we can work on that sometime.

Thats just wrong 

[Green Mountian Hunter]

    That's cus your not getting your ears rubbed just right.....     Works every time on my kids cat....

  They sure do love having there ears rubbed 

[upstatehunter]

.....And now back to the hunting.....
 
Hope they turn on a little on Friday...

[jlaclair]

you ever cut the call down? they also make small profile calls

[stka]

I have to bend mine and trim the tape, still can't call reliably with them though.

[stka]

I have had some that weren't metal frames and broke when I tried to bend them.