Local Radar

Outdoors
By Freddy Petersen

Opening Turkey Day ‘06

web posted April 10, 2006

Opening day of turkey season this year was like no other I’ve seen in some time. The morning began as I crawled from my hotel bed listening to the rain as it poured outside my room.  Nothing is worse than rain and turkey hunting.  It’s bad enough to try and fool toms on a good day, add in rain and wind from a cold front and well you get the idea.  Moments later, Jeff is up, smiling, saying a little rain never hurt anybody.  Little did he know I had already packed up for the days hunt and was ready to head for the truck. 

A short drive later we had arrived at the hunting club; soon we were sitting around waiting on the draw to see who hunts where.  Lucky for us, we got first draw and picked the location we wanted and off we went.  Soon as we got in the truck to leave the rain stopped.   Good timing, were the first words out of my mouth even though I knew the birds may hold out in the roost due to the rain.   Later, as we walked to the area we knew birds were in we began first with a series of crow calls with high hopes of hearing ole tom return his good morning gobble.  After about 30 minutes of daylight had passed we still had not heard a single gobble. Jeff and I both started to think the rain just may have messed us up. 

Figuring there is no bad day in the woods we settled down beside a creek we knew the birds often frequented.  We had switched over to sweet but simple yelps, purrs and cuts, this went on for about another thirty minutes until I fell sound asleep.  I’m not sure just how long I had sat there up against that oak snoring when I was brought back to life quickly as I heard a very loud gobble that seemed to be just on the other side of the creek. Another quick yelp on the slate call was quickly answered by a loud and even closer gobble. This assured us that our tom was looking for his date and he was just on the other side of the creek.  I could hear him really good, but still could not see him just yet.  Quiet fell over the woods when the tom went silent. 

We sat there patiently waiting for his next move.  Soon the loud sound of flapping wings could be heard as our tom flew into the pine just in front of us.  He sat there for a few minutes searching the ground for his date.  We sat perfectly still as he scanned the ground then just as quickly as he flew in the pine he flew down over our heads to the food plot just behind us.  Jeff and I quickly moved into position on the back side of the pine tree we were sitting up against. 

Our tom was gobbling every other minute now as he called for his date.   Unfortunately he was headed in the wrong direction going to the opposite side of the food plot.  We called him a couple of times then I moved deeper into the wood’s as we knew he would not come where we were but would insist the hen come to him.  Once I moved further away and began to call the tom now moved once again toward Jeff.

Our tom was answering every call then suddenly fell quiet.  It was then Jeff whispered, “There he is” Looking toward the edge of the food plot I could see the toms white head as he cautiously headed straight toward Jeff.  He began walking rather quickly not giving Jeff a clear shot, we both knew if he did not stop and do so quickly, Jeff would have to reposition himself to get a shot.  Well, the tom never slowed and Jeff began to move ever slowly to reposition himself, it was then the ole tom spotted the movement.  At first we thought he would stop to see but quickly it was evident he had seen too much and vanished into the high weeds just on the other side of the food plot.  With a big sigh both of us sank.  Man, 2 hours of being in the woods calling this bird and all it took was fifteen seconds for it to be all over. 

I thought for sure this would be our morning of luck; instead it was this ole tom’s day.  That ok though, it started off as a rainy day but it ended up full of excitement calling in a tom and having that few seconds of high energy that brings us all out early in the morning, with one goal in mind fooling these ole toms.  We will be back another day! Maybe next years opening day will bring us another tom and this time, even up to those last few seconds, all will go our way!  This ole tom just had his last lucky opening day!

 
 

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Heritage Jubilee 2006
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