The twist almost worked!  As it turned out Weasel wanted to try his hand at sitting under or very near a roost tree.  We snuck in under the cover of darkness and he set himself up.  I kept going up and over to another spot, one in which Dry Dog knows very well.  I staked out Gretchen and then went to building myself a blind next to one of the only oak trees in the area.  I was positioned about 15 yards from my decoy (Gretchen).  My blind went together really well considering I was working almost exclusively without my head lamp.  I didn’t want one of the birds to wake up and see me playing around less than 100 yards from where we suspected they were sleeping.

Once my blind was put together, I snuggled into it and began my long wait for daylight.  The day was overcast with a very slight breeze.  The birds woke as usual:  First the robins, then the tweetie birds, followed by the magpies, crows and pheasants….and then the distinct and very close call of a gobbler!  Right where we wanted it!  YES!

I figured Weasel must be sitting in its poop under the roost tree and he probably added a bit to it as well when that bird sounded off.

I laid out a couple of soft purrs and a cluck or two hoping that when the bird flew down he would come over to check Gretchen out.  Gretchen is one sexy little beast.

Now remember my hearing is terrible and even though the birds were on the roost less than 100 yards away, I could not hear any hens, only the gobbles of the birds and it sounded like there could have been 3 in there.  It wasn’t long before the sun was trying its best to poke through the clouds, but obvious at the same time it was not going to happen.  That is when I heard the distinct sound of a PUTT!  What on earth is a bird putting for?  We are both hidden very well and not making any noise.  But putting was for sure what I was hearing and it was going away and down hill from where Weasel was.  I never saw the bird.

Later, I could hear the distinct sound of a gobbler drumming his wings on the ground.  That sound will never leave you once you hear it.  I’ll describe it as a soft and very low drum beat with a fast cadance…..boomp, boomp, boomp, boomp…..This went on and off for the next several minutes and then I heard the gobbler call out, but he was not coming my way, instead going down hill and away from my position!  He will come back up, I kept telling myself.  I continued to offer seductive sounds of a hen in heat, about 5 minutes apart.  Some louder than others, but no response.  I figured he was coming in silent and so after each series of calls, I put the call down and the gun up to my shoulder, aiming at Gretchen the whole time.  I expected to see the red head come popping up just over the decoys back and I wanted to be ready for action.  Nothing.  This went on for over an hour and I never heard another gobble anywhere around us.

I did see a distant red fox however!

Soon Weasel came over to my spot and told me he had had a great morning.  Here is what I remember of his story:

I was hidden pretty good but when that first Gobble sounded off, I about crapped my pants.  He was about 15 yards from me and up in the tree.  I could see him through the branches.  I was ready for when he came down, I was going to blast him to smitherins!  The hens were all making their sounds as they all were waking from their nights sleep.  There were at least 3 gobblers sitting in the branches around me and I wish I had been about 15 yards farther down the hill from where I was and pointing a different direction but I couldn’t do anything about it now, it was too light and they would have seen me for sure.  So, I just tucked myself down and held fast.

It didn’t take long once it got light for the hens to come off the roost.  They just fluttered straight down.  As I sat there pointing my gun at a small rise in front of me, up popped the head of one of the hens!  BLAM (not a gun blast but more of a swear word)!  She spotted me right off and began to Putt!  Once she started that, the gobblers all shut up and stayed in the trees.  She putted off down the hill and to my right taking all the other hens with her.  Then the gobblers flew down about to where I thought the hens were and off they all went.  The first gobbler that hit the ground came through a small opening about 35 yards out  and I was on him, but not 100% sure it was a gobbler so I didn’t shoot.  Had I known for sure, I would have taken the shot.  (Weasel is shooting a 3 inch 20, loaded with Heavy Metal Turkey loads, 35 yards is not too far for that load)

So, there you have hunting day 6 for us….Turkeys 6, hunters 0.  At least Weasel got to aim at one!  That was the first one he has aimed at in his life!

We came off the mountain and I had some business to take care of, so no extended hunt was allowed for us today.

Bears Butt

May 12, 2014