Jason Balazs
Tough Luck Turkey
By Jason Balazs
Aug 24, 2005, 13:12
 

I had spent the last two months in the woods checking for sign from that all elusive Gobbler.  By the time opening day had come I had 7 different Gobblers lined up for the freezer and I thought to myself, “This year I will get one for sure.” Even the night before the season opener, I had seen turkeys headed to roost.

 Like any other hunting season, I had no need for an alarm clock. It was 3:45 and even though it did not get light until 6:30 A.M., I was going to be the first one to my area. You see I hunt on a Military base and you have to draw for areas.  It is first come first serve, and even though it is over 200,000 acres, Turkeys are not everywhere.   During the week before I had been out in the mornings and heard the Tom’s gobbling every day. I was pumped and knew it was just a matter of hours before I was Eating Breakfast with my Wife.

 

Blind

I was sitting in my Hunters View blind waiting for the sun to come up and still had two hours to spare.  It was a cool morning and I was happy that I had brought my four-part hunting coat. After a good hour or so power nap the sky started to lighten. I was certain I would start hearing the gobbles that I had heard every morning for the last two weeks. I was pumped when I heard the owls start hooting. One would hoot and then another, but there were no gobbles. I sat there telling myself, “Don’t worry, they will come.” Minute after minute went by and nothing. I glassed all of the trees that the turkeys had been roosting in and saw nothing. I purred and clucked until 10:00A.M and I was frustrated, I got out of my blind and walked down to the swamp bottom to look around. Once at the edge I heard a great commotion and looked into the trees. There, a big tom was flying out of his roost right over my head. I just stood there in awe and was thinking to myself, “It is 10 and he is still in the roost.” It makes you wonder if they get a copy of the hunting dates sent to them in the mail.

 

In looking out

I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon trying to intercept or even get a bird to answer me with negative results. It sure can make a person frustrated.

Camo even in blind

 
 The next day I was in nice food plot and had my daughter with me.  There is nothing like spending time out in the woods with your family.  The first place we went already had someone in it, so we decided on another spot. After setting up the decoys in the dark we got ready. The sky started to turn light and we were listening intently. Soon the crows started and nothing answered, but at just when I thought there would be a repeat of the first morning, two hens flew into the field followed by a nice Gobbler with at least a 10-inch beard. I thought to myself, “This is going to be the morning.” The great thing was, I could hear my daughter’s heart beating faster than mine. I lightly purred and the Gobbler answered back. This went on for about 15 minutes until the big Gobbler could take no more. He dropped strut and made haste right at me. I picked up my Reflex Tundra and put my release on the string.  The big Tom came right at my Jake decoy and demolished it. My daughter let out a, “Wow,” and the Turkey froze. I thought to myself, “This is over” and then all of a sudden the Tom broke into strut. I drew, found my mark and shot right through his wings. The bird starting flopping and it was all that I could do to get out of the blind.  While unzipping the blind my daughter said, “Quick dad he is running away!” I stood up half taking the blind with me and running, only to see the Tom going out of view into the swamp.  I gave him a little bit thinking that he would set down and rest, while I gathered my gear and went over everything in my head. After about 30 minutes we took up the chase and followed the blood (what there was) into the swamp.  After about 45 minutes of looking I was getting frustrated. I walked back to the food plot and followed again, every time following the same blood trail. It seemed as if the turkey just vanished. After 5 hours of searching under every bush, tree, and log we found nothing.  Walking back my daughter said, “Don’t worry dad, you will get another one.” I went along with her, but to me there is nothing worse than a lost animal. I can’t tell you how many times I went over the shot in my head and knew that it was good.

The rest of the season went about as well as the first morning, nothing heard or seen. It seems as if the turkey went into hiding, but isn’t that how it always is when hunting in high pressured land.  The one great thing that happened this season is that my daughter was able to experience the great outdoors and see what animals do in their natural environment. She is just busting to go deer hunting this fall and I plan on taking her. I feel that it is very important to introduce your kids to the great outdoors, because if we don’t, then who will carry on this great tradition?  I know that with every year I learn something new and that will never change. Let’s hope that next year I can title this article, “Good luck Turkeys!!”

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