Three great hunts this year at the Q. The first one (top pic) was the Jan goggler from a group Patch broke up and I believe I covered that hunt in another thread.
The second one was the opening day bird in April (middle pic). Located 5 birds in this one area a week before the season. Drove down this gravel road and pulled into the spot I wanted. Watched as 2 other vehicles drove down past me and park about a quarter mile down the road. Light was approaching so I had to walk into the woods about 400 yards the opposite directions the cars went. I then went in about 500 yards and cut back in the direction parallel to the road the truck was parked on. I then slowly moved into a position that the birds were roosting in and gobbling from prior to the season. That would have put the birds between me and the road. Hoping they were there and I arrived just a first light I gave a single owl hoot and 2 answered. I was about 150-200 yards from them. They were on a ridge to my right. I was at a small ridge flat and another small ridge to my left. I set out a hen and jake decoy about 18 yards just where the point dropped off. Once back at the set up a third bird gobbled about 150 straight down in front of me. So I waited knowing those other 2 hunters heard the birds, I knew them both and they knew me and no interference would happen. I gave out some tree yelps and got response from all 3 birds. Waited till they gobbled on the ground and gave a fly down, the 2 too the right gobbled. I then waited and gave some more soft clucks and yelps. The bird in front gobbled. The 2 on the ridge on the right gobbled going up thier ridge. They continued to gobble going over the ridge and away. I then broke out the magic box and gave some yelps and the bird in front gobbled off to the right front of the ridge I was on. For the next 45 minutes he gobbled and I called sparingly. The last he gobbled I cut him off with some cutts. I put the call down and sat there with the gun on my knee. About 10 minutes I noticed movement to the right front behind a blowdown about 25 yards out. I gave one cluck on the trumpet and he came out from around the blowdown 25 yards in front of me and went into strut. The decoys were about 10 yards from him. He just stayed in strut and my arms were getting tired, so I just gave a little putt blowing air between my lips. The last thing he remembered was what was that noise and putting his head up to see. Got back to the truck and there were the 2 other hunters, the hunt was discussed and then asked if I would mind if they went in after the other 2. I know a lot of folks have had bad experiences on public land but I have more of this encounter then bad ones. Of course I said go get um and told them where I thought they were headed.
That Tuesday a good friend of mine was coming down from Lessburg and asked where to go. I gave him the grid of the 4 birds in 6B, the lay of the land and how the birds where moving. He hunted that area 3 years ago so some what knew it.
Third bird (bottom pic). It was the first Tuesday. I was in another area from Mike. He gave me a call as I pulled into my area. We went over where the turkeys were or about. He did about the same thing as I did and up on the same point I found out latter.
I was at my LP along a power line when only 1 bird went off from a real owl hoot. He was roosted right along the power line from me. I knew the lay of the land in fact had constructed a log blind about 125 yards off the power line where the bird was this past fall season. So I ducked into the woods for about 200 yards and came up from behind the bird. Of course I could not make it to the blind being the hardwoods was wide open. So I eased along the transition of thicker pines and hard woods and got set up. Facing the power line the bird was 150 to my left 45 degrees. He gobbled a couple more times and it was light as I sat down. I gave a fly down. He sailed out the tree and landed in the power line edge. I gave him some cutting and yelping and he double gobbled. He gobbled a couple more times and in 10 minutes here he comes sneaking in right down the woods transition line looking. I did not put out decoys since it was light and I was closer then I thought when I set up. But it took another 10 minutes for him to get to the 30 yard mark where he was so noble to give me a great off the roost hunt.
Yep, when I got back to the check station Mike pulled right in behinde me. He did buy me breakfast for the turkey info.
Earl
