The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

bamaranger · April 23, 2025, 11:16 PM

22April, #16
A series of squalls and storms sweep through the area, but by 3:00PM things have cleared enough that I run the ATV over to my neighbors 160ac to hunt his back hayfield. I make a wide swing to another field and take the Steiners and glass carefully, it's late in the PM, I don't want to spook any birds already in the open. Satisfied I can get over there and set up, I loop back over to my original destination, dismount and load up. When I turn to walk, there's 3 turkeys hotfooting it into the pines about 600 yds away. Whether I missed them glassing, or they appeared while I looped back, I dunno, but I educated that bunch. I'm a little surprised, they were a considerable distance away, but still spooked wildly.

I set up anyhow, no calling, just the blind (darn thing) and the dekes. Very late in the afternoon, after 7:00PM, a lone hen appears on the opposite end of the field, perhaps 300 yds off. I yelp at her with the slate, she stands tall, eyeballs the decoys....and skidaddles into the woodlot nearby. Huh! Not confidence inspiring regards my calling. Actually I think I understand what happened. I had a jake decoy out, she saw that facsimile of a gobbler and wanted nothing to do with him. I've seen it before, and have about quit placing a jake decoy. They can be effective when a boss 'tom comes into to fight, but more often, seems to me they cause hens and young, subordinate gobblers to shy away.

As dusk falls, I move my set up over to where I'd seen the 3 turkeys when I first arrived, I'll hunt here tomorrow AM.

-hunt #17, 23 April
As above, I'm back over on my neighbors property near home. I leave the ATV well away from the setup, stick my dekes (3 hens, no jakes!!!!!) out and am settled in the goofy blind again before dawn. As seems the usual this season no gobbles or turkey noise is forthcoming. I stick it out 'till noon, over 6 hours, calling very softly once an hour with no results. It's a nice morning too, no wind, moderate temps, there's turkeys here.....but I see or hear nothing.

April 23, 2025, 11:16 PM	#25
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,788	hunts 16 & 17 22April, #16 A series of squalls and storms sweep through the area, but by 3:00PM things have cleared enough that I run the ATV over to my neighbors 160ac to hunt his back hayfield. I make a wide swing to another field and take the Steiners and glass carefully, it's late in the PM, I don't want to spook any birds already in the open. Satisfied I can get over there and set up, I loop back over to my original destination, dismount and load up. When I turn to walk, there's 3 turkeys hotfooting it into the pines about 600 yds away. Whether I missed them glassing, or they appeared while I looped back, I dunno, but I educated that bunch. I'm a little surprised, they were a considerable distance away, but still spooked wildly. I set up anyhow, no calling, just the blind (darn thing) and the dekes. Very late in the afternoon, after 7:00PM, a lone hen appears on the opposite end of the field, perhaps 300 yds off. I yelp at her with the slate, she stands tall, eyeballs the decoys....and skidaddles into the woodlot nearby. Huh! Not confidence inspiring regards my calling. Actually I think I understand what happened. I had a jake decoy out, she saw that facsimile of a gobbler and wanted nothing to do with him. I've seen it before, and have about quit placing a jake decoy. They can be effective when a boss 'tom comes into to fight, but more often, seems to me they cause hens and young, subordinate gobblers to shy away. As dusk falls, I move my set up over to where I'd seen the 3 turkeys when I first arrived, I'll hunt here tomorrow AM. -hunt #17, 23 April As above, I'm back over on my neighbors property near home. I leave the ATV well away from the setup, stick my dekes (3 hens, no jakes!!!!!) out and am settled in the goofy blind again before dawn. As seems the usual this season no gobbles or turkey noise is forthcoming. I stick it out 'till noon, over 6 hours, calling very softly once an hour with no results. It's a nice morning too, no wind, moderate temps, there's turkeys here.....but I see or hear nothing.