A Wild Turkey Bowhunt In Progress

Speaking Of Longbeards ...
May 11 (Afternoon): Back to Blind #1. Gobbles, gobbles and more gobbles -- all afternoon. I searched my pockets for my mouth call but I had left it in Blind #2. Today's first visitor at the decoys was a whitetail doe. It watched them a while and walked away.

During the first hour I saw a large turkey about 100 yards away, walking along a trail that ran parallel to my blind. My binoculars revealed it to be a longbeard, mature bird. But there was no way that gobbler could see my decoys. I decided to do something about it ...

More Wild Turkey Action & Pics
May 10 - (Afternoon) To change the decoy scenario I set out 3 in a triangle and positioned them so they appeared to be looking at one other. It worked. A hen approached them and checked them out and I got pictures of it for ya.

Will Gobblers Come To Decoys?
May 9 - (Afternoon) Half an hour after I set up I heard gobbling, so I called on an aluminum slate call. When the gobbling stopped and I quit calling. A fence line is directly ahead of me and 20 minutes after my last call I spotted gobblers walking parallel to the fence. They stopped and looked over my decoys for several minutes. I took this one picture, I didn't want to risk spooking them. There were 3 in all, and they walked out of view to my left. I waited, they were not spooky and I felt chances were good they would come pay the decoys a visit. I was right, here's the pics and what happened.
 
May 9 - (Morning) Through one of the shooting windows of my blind I spotted a coyote -- sneaking up on my turkey decoys. I reached down, picked up my camera, turned it on and panned in on the coyote. The sun must have glarred off the camera becuase it picked me up immediately and retreated to where it came from.
 
May 7 - Today, before I got in the blind, I trimmed some limbs so I have better shooting opportunities in more directions. When that was done, I set out two decoys. As I was shoving the stake in the ground to anchor one decoy I heard the first gobble and quickly got in the blind. I heard more gobbles on three occasions and at 5:30 it sounded like one was on its way to the decoys. But nothing came within sight this afternoon. 

May 6 - I slipped into my blind at 4:58 this afternoon. Both the decoys were out and I was good to go if a gobbler showed up. Gobbles sounded from several directions as it got later. At roughly 6:30 I called in response to a gobble that was close by. Without any hesitation the Tom came toward me, gobbling as he approached. He stopped 35 yards from the decoys and began making a soft call to them. Then he did something that every veteran turkey hunter has experienced, he hung up. Permanent. But I did get his picture!

Wild Turkey Bowhunting 2002
Apr 8 - Here is the Short Video Clip I got today of a puffed up gobbler messing with a flock of turkeys.

Wild Turkey Bowhunting 2002
Sunday: More rain. It slacked in mid afternoon and I took advantage of the quiet footing and skulked around. 100 yards from the Point I spotted 2 wild turkeys walking along in the dried range grass and brush. I closed the distance between us and got their pic, two Gobblers. Then I back trailed and found a place to put a ground blind. It was 3:00 and I'll be back asap, same time same station, with the blind and some decoys.
Saturday: One word for opening day of our spring gobbler season. Rain! 

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