Post by slambound on May 1, 2015 11:30:32 GMT -6
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Well with all this new learning I have to do...here is a link to the tom I took on the last day of Iowa's 3rd season with my boy Marshall. I'll figure out some time how to actually make it a picture!
Story time...Honestly folks I am so busy right now I hardly know which way is up...and turkeys do not make my schedule any easier. I raise labs and by MY choice I currently have 2 litters, but I love my dogs...evidently as much as turkey hunting because I am having to sacrifice some of my hunting time which is limited to be able to spend the quality time with my dogs and puppies. Most of the time comes in the form of lack of sleep...but as I have heard from many an elder..."you can sleep when your dead". For the last month or so and for the next month or so that is my mantra.
In Iowa we have 4 seasons in which you can buy a tag...similar to Illinois and Wisconson and Minnesota, but different. We start with a 4 day season, then 5 days, then a week, finally something like 19 days. At least one must be during that last season and with the puppies I thought about holding out until then, but the weather looked good, the scouting looked good and I saw a window of time for the weekend of the 25th to be able to get some time in the woods so I bought a 3rd season tag. Ironically the travel call showed up in my mail the same day! It is a wonderful box call and I love box calls! Thanks Scott Berry!
I had some difficulties however! My front sight on my gun had shifted out of line and I did not take the time to "hunt" down the replacement. I figured i could compensate...rookie mistake from a so called veteran. First part of long story short I was set up on Saturday evening in a familair spot and noticed 2 black spots a long ways off...lets just say over 1/2 a mile after I had called on the box about 10 minutes prior. I watched them for a minute and determined they were turkeys and were working in my direction. I gave another series on the box and here they came...still having the 1/2 mile to traverse. Lets just say they did so in minutes...then cut into the woods some 80ish yrds in front of me to my right. I was not certain if they had entered the woods or were now hugging the edge out of my sight, but there path was soon confirmed as one crossed thru the fence 35 yds to my right at the 3 o'clock position...perfect for a lefty...too bad I'm a righty! I waited for the 2nd to appear and then turned and clucked at the same time. I drew a bead on the first bird and fired...nothing, fired, nothing, fired, nothing. Oh it went bang, bang, bang, but I never touched a feather.
I did not even think about any compensation for the screwed up sight. Grover has heard all this...so I figured I just as well tell the world! He hasn't heard the Paul Harvey version yet. I heard birds fly up that evening and was back in the morning with a fixed gun. Marshall my # one side kick was with me and we sat down near where I knew the birds had roosted. Now I honestly try not to over embelsih a story, but were set up 35 yds from one roosted tom (verified later with a range finder). 60 yds from 2 more and had 2 more just to the south of us and 2 more a little further to the north. What a gobbling morning! 3 flew down litterally in our laps! They were fighting and pushing and strutting...hearts pounding...what a show. The light was low and they were right on the edge of a drop...didn't want to shoot and hit more than one and next thing we knew...poof they were gone! They dropped off the lip out of sight and headed for the field.
Marshall and I had to let those 3 toms in our laps walk and try and set up on them another place. One started gobbling with in 15 min and we moved and set up. We worked with that bird for 2 hrs and then spotted 2 coming from the north REAL similar to when I had missed the shot...bee-lining. Then one veers off and the other veers the other way...soon we have 4 toms and 2 jakes out in the field fighting and chasing and cussing...and they forgot ALL about that sexy hen on the hill calling...and chased each other off to the north...but that's ok a bird to the south has fired up and is now in our patch of timber...but we really can not get to a good set up...they (there were 2) are on us and we are able to turn around...but we are in thick stuff...too thick to be able to shoot...unless they happen to come in for a kiss. They spit and drummed for an hr before finally walking off...it is now 11 am and we had had birds ON us ALL morning and no dead bird. Frustrating!
So We decide to try another faithful spot on Tuesday evening...after chores at home we run over to a spot notorious for toms passing thru looking for hens on the way to roost. First call at 5:30. 2nd at 5:45. 3rd at 6 pm...Tommy appears at 6:10. and comes looking!. He crosses 2 terraces and just got bigger and prettier as he came! At 20 yds I sent him a load of "longbeards". 24.4 lbs, 10 inch beard, and 1 1/8 pretty spurs! Now on to our last season!
