I went home to the farm this past weekend to do a little hunting and cut some brush and tress for a conservation program. I got there around 4:00 PM on Friday and started cutting brush at 5:00. I was making all kinds of noise pumping the sprayer and crawling around in the rose bushes. I stopped cutting at about 7:00, and decided to walk around the other side of the field. I walked onto my neighbors property and back into my meadow field. I got about 75 yards into the field and saw two hens running ahead of me. So, I thought I'll fix you! I was intending to run towards them and scare them away from their normal roost. After taking a few steps I saw a gobbler off to the left, so I ran faster. It worked perfectly. The hens flew off down the ridge and the gobbler flew the opposite direction. I thought I had it made!

Well, I waited around and listened for him to gobble, and at 7:45 he let out a gobble. He gobbled twice more, and the last one was at 8:15. But, he had made his way back onto my neighbors property! Ohh no, I thought. I have permission to hunt both neighbors property, and only one of them hunts turkeys. Unfortunately, this bird was roosting about 75 yards on the other side of my field. And, you guessed it, on the property of the neighbor that hunts.

I knew he was there listening to that bird gobble. So, I decided to pay him a visit. After talking for a while I told him what had happened. He told me that he planned to hunt for that bird and set-up between him and the hens! I figured this was what he had in mind before telling him about what happened in the field. So, I kindly offered to call for him. He replied by saying if I could call the bird in then I should take him! He did not want to hunt with me, but he told me that I had as much right to the bird as he did. He told me to sit at the edge of the field and give it a try. I told him that I was not about to hunt the same bird he was, and I would try to strike a different bird.

I was disheartened to say the least. I knew he had an excellent chance to kill this bird. After all he was between the hens and the gobbler, and they had spent the night apart. Well, the next morning I did what I told him I was going to do, and tried to find a different bird. I heard one bird gobble a few times, but he was a long way off. And, of course the roosted gobbler gobbled about 6 times. I just walked back to the opposite edge of the field and thought I would observe. I just knew the gobbler would fly down and go right towards those hens, and my neighbor would bag him. I knew it was a done deal!

He hit the ground about 50 yards from where my neighbor told me to sit and gobbled about 3 times. I could have easily taken him if I had followed my neighbors advice! Well, a little later I heard a hen yelp three times, but in the opposite direction of the way the other hens flew and away from my where my neighbor was set up. It was all over; the bird went right to those other hens. One of the hens came out into my field and I watched her through binoculars. I finally saw the gobbler in full strut just outside the field edge about 225 yards away.

I couldn't believe it! Where had those other hens come from? It just goes to show you that sometimes you know you have them according to classic theory, but then again maybe not! Well, neither I nor my neighbor got him. I stopped hunting at 7:30AM. The earliest I have ever left the woods without killing a bird. There were no birds on my place, and I would have had to spook that bird by crossing a big open field to try and get to my other neighbors property.

I heard that same bird today, in the same spot, and the same hen was in my field too. Just like the day before. I may get the chance to go back and hunt him next week. I do believe he will be in the same spot.

I admire your discipline and respect. You understand what its really all about!!!!

true sportsmanship there.

Now if only you could teach those guys on the boats that jump in front of hunters what sportsmanship is

fencelines and property lines disapaear or are deemed out of existance in many turkey hutning areas, at least between march and june. You did the right thing. It is disappointing to me that apprently not many seem to follow that path anymore.

I agree GN. I have permission to hunt both neighboring properties, but chose not to hunt that particular bird because I don't want to encroach on the same turkey he is hunting. I really hoped that he would get him. He is part owner of the property, and is the only one that is interested in the land. So, I feel that if something happens and he looses interest, or dies, the others will sell the property. He was very generous to offer to let me hunt the same bird he was going after.

Nice touch Criggster. Proud to know ya! Keep on hunting and you'll connect!