I had nearly given up on turkey hunting the rest of this season. Finelyshedded has been diligently pursuing turkeys this season and inspired me. Work has been crazy, but it rained last night pretty good and we had a scheduled late start in order to let things dry out. I woke up at 4am coughing and wheezing from my allergies so I figured it was meant to be. Showered, ate, and trekked into the darkness.
Sat with no sightings and no audible verification of any birds in the area the first hour or so. I pondered the insanity which brought me into the woods again to chase these nonexistent critters. Made a few calls periodically until 7am and then decided to make my first camera card change of the season. I moved several hundred yards north along the edge of a picked corn field which runs jagged along a creek. At the north end of the field a railroad track separates the field from some woods. On the opposite side of the creek are two fields which have already been planted. I slowly stepped up onto the tracks to peek across the creek to the other fields to see if there were any turkeys out there and I saw one.
I slip back in the direction I came from and grab a tree. Ironically it is the same tree I killed a doe out of last deer season. I hear a couple yelps. I responded with 3 yelps. We repeat this a couple times when I suddenly hear a gobble. My heart rate increased! I wait until the hen yelps again then I mimmick her in a bit higher/quicker pitch. Gobble number 2! I stay quiet until the hen lets out a couple of yelps again. I respond with 4-5 faster and higher pitched yelps then shut up. No response for a bit until I hear a gobble and it is closer! I stay quiet and listen intently. A couple times I let out the softest purrs I can hoping to direct him to my location. I was pretty sure I heard some grasses moving and peered out of the corner of my eye until I saw him!
This is amazing. It is the first interaction I have ever had with a turkey and it is actually working! I sit perfectly still, only moving my eyes. He continues into the open looking for the "hen" which had been coaxing him in. My gun was off safe when the third gobble sounded off right behind me and the gun was resting on my knees already as well. When the tom turned I raised the gun up, drew my bead, and squeezed the trigger. Thud is all I heard. No boom. He gone.
No clue what happened. The primer was not dented. There was a round chambered. Safety was off. The round was fully chambered. Just no boom. Not sure what to think.
The turkey? Not too shabby. Appeared to have about a 10" beard. No less than 8", no more than 12". Not a huge body. Didn't think to look for spurs because I saw beard and decided to shoot. When the gun didn't fire, he scooted. "Free bird".
Sat with no sightings and no audible verification of any birds in the area the first hour or so. I pondered the insanity which brought me into the woods again to chase these nonexistent critters. Made a few calls periodically until 7am and then decided to make my first camera card change of the season. I moved several hundred yards north along the edge of a picked corn field which runs jagged along a creek. At the north end of the field a railroad track separates the field from some woods. On the opposite side of the creek are two fields which have already been planted. I slowly stepped up onto the tracks to peek across the creek to the other fields to see if there were any turkeys out there and I saw one.
I slip back in the direction I came from and grab a tree. Ironically it is the same tree I killed a doe out of last deer season. I hear a couple yelps. I responded with 3 yelps. We repeat this a couple times when I suddenly hear a gobble. My heart rate increased! I wait until the hen yelps again then I mimmick her in a bit higher/quicker pitch. Gobble number 2! I stay quiet until the hen lets out a couple of yelps again. I respond with 4-5 faster and higher pitched yelps then shut up. No response for a bit until I hear a gobble and it is closer! I stay quiet and listen intently. A couple times I let out the softest purrs I can hoping to direct him to my location. I was pretty sure I heard some grasses moving and peered out of the corner of my eye until I saw him!
This is amazing. It is the first interaction I have ever had with a turkey and it is actually working! I sit perfectly still, only moving my eyes. He continues into the open looking for the "hen" which had been coaxing him in. My gun was off safe when the third gobble sounded off right behind me and the gun was resting on my knees already as well. When the tom turned I raised the gun up, drew my bead, and squeezed the trigger. Thud is all I heard. No boom. He gone.
No clue what happened. The primer was not dented. There was a round chambered. Safety was off. The round was fully chambered. Just no boom. Not sure what to think.
The turkey? Not too shabby. Appeared to have about a 10" beard. No less than 8", no more than 12". Not a huge body. Didn't think to look for spurs because I saw beard and decided to shoot. When the gun didn't fire, he scooted. "Free bird".
