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We finished it out the way most of the season went, had enough contact to keep it interesting but couldn't close the deal.
Yesterday we decided to sleep in a little since we hadn't had much early activity recently. The girl and I split up from the boy and were set up about 7am. We gave it about a half hour and decided to make a move, of course we get busted just as we get to the field edge. Looked like both a pair of toms and hens, they didn't actually catch us but the 15-20 crows around them had lookouts who did. When the crows scattered the turkeys kind of drifted up into the woods and never responded. Took a break mid morning then went back up for the last hour to nothing.
Figured the best bet was to get back up to the big meadow earlier this morning on the chance that the turkeys would be back. It almost worked. We were sitting a bit after sunrise and I'd called lightly just a couple times about 20 minutes apart. We were tucked back into a tree with some now greened up brush to both sides. All at once my daughter's eyes get real big, just as I hear a couple clucks. Through the brush I can make out 2 birds with red heads at about 20 yards. Unfortunately they're to my right and I'm on her right. I never make out beards but it doesn't matter, they turn and head back down the way they'd come from clucking the whole time. Only thing I can figure is they didn't see what they wanted and bailed out. Gave it some time then headed down for egg sandwiches and church. Afterwards the three of us sat close for the final hour. Nothing. At 11:59 I called it a season and we got up. Fittingly, we made it about 50 yards just to push a hen out of the meadow another 50 yards out in front. We did walk up on one single deer, then another pair on our way up in so hopefully that bodes well for the fall.
All in all it was a decent season, we hunted a bunch entirely on our hill and had birds around most of the time. My daughter had a shot and he boy took his first on his own. Could be a couple smart 3 year olds up there next spring, and should be a bunch of birds if the hens have decent hatches this year. We know there were some jakes around at some point, hopefully they'll show again as well.
Yesterday we decided to sleep in a little since we hadn't had much early activity recently. The girl and I split up from the boy and were set up about 7am. We gave it about a half hour and decided to make a move, of course we get busted just as we get to the field edge. Looked like both a pair of toms and hens, they didn't actually catch us but the 15-20 crows around them had lookouts who did. When the crows scattered the turkeys kind of drifted up into the woods and never responded. Took a break mid morning then went back up for the last hour to nothing.
Figured the best bet was to get back up to the big meadow earlier this morning on the chance that the turkeys would be back. It almost worked. We were sitting a bit after sunrise and I'd called lightly just a couple times about 20 minutes apart. We were tucked back into a tree with some now greened up brush to both sides. All at once my daughter's eyes get real big, just as I hear a couple clucks. Through the brush I can make out 2 birds with red heads at about 20 yards. Unfortunately they're to my right and I'm on her right. I never make out beards but it doesn't matter, they turn and head back down the way they'd come from clucking the whole time. Only thing I can figure is they didn't see what they wanted and bailed out. Gave it some time then headed down for egg sandwiches and church. Afterwards the three of us sat close for the final hour. Nothing. At 11:59 I called it a season and we got up. Fittingly, we made it about 50 yards just to push a hen out of the meadow another 50 yards out in front. We did walk up on one single deer, then another pair on our way up in so hopefully that bodes well for the fall.
All in all it was a decent season, we hunted a bunch entirely on our hill and had birds around most of the time. My daughter had a shot and he boy took his first on his own. Could be a couple smart 3 year olds up there next spring, and should be a bunch of birds if the hens have decent hatches this year. We know there were some jakes around at some point, hopefully they'll show again as well.
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