Mike Stevens Turkey Report 5-21-10

It’s hard to believe the 3^rd week of turkey season is here. We haven’t been hearing much gobbling in our haunts the last 4-5 days. Truth is, we kill very few gobblers at first light. In fact, looking back in my logs from years gone by, I see 70 % of the gobblers killed were shot after 09:00. Of the three birds killed this week, two were shot after 10:30 and one at 07:00. Walking the woods and calling in the late morning is my favorite way to hunt gobblers.

 The other morning, longtime Cedar Ridge regular, Bob Elliot and I were checking fields looking for a lonely gobbler to chase just before the final bell. We looked down the backside of a huge apple orchard and saw a big strutter standing alone at the edge of the orchard. I told Bob, we could be on that bird in 15 minutes of fast walking. Bob had all the fast walking he wanted already, but shook his head and agreed. I knew a tote road in the woods that would take us directly to the gobbler. We cut through 300 yards of awesome deer cover, which Bob pointed out several nice rubs, and found the road. We crept along the road to a long open spot about 100 yards from the field. Looking around, I saw this would be a great place to set up if the bird was still in the area. I hit a raspy mouth call and he gobbled. I cut and yelped. He gobbled. I quickly set the decoy in the road and we setup against a big pine. The bird came within 50 yards in no time flat. He gobbled and gobbled, but wouldn’t come over an old rock wall. We got chills every time he gobbled, but he just wouldn’t come over the wall. Well, I just shut down the calling and decided to wait him out. He hated it and gobbled his brains out, finally stepping into the tote road. Bob saw him first and slowly raised his 12 gauge. I saw him just as he strutted towards the Floozie decoy. He got just short of the deke and I whispered to Bob, I’ll get him to lift his head then you can take the shot. Sometimes a strutting gobbler just won’t come out of strut. My favorite remedy for this is simple, I say: “Good morning”. Well, I spoke to the gobbler and he just kept strutting. Bob gave him a load of Hevi-shot anyway. Big Gobbler Down !!

 

BWB Tip of the Week: The hunt above proves, the best hunting is late in the morning when the gobblers are lonely and looking for love. Stay out of the fields and wander the woods calling every 70-100 yards. The hens will go to nest around 10am leaving the boys to look elsewhere for companionship. Stay in the woods………

 

Mike Stevens

BWB Pro-Staff