I found myself in this situation several years ago. At that time, I had only four or five turkeys under my belt.
I'd been scouting and hunting a public land area with a few turkeys on it for two years. I had seen some sign, but never a turkey, and never heard a gobble at all. I had a three day permit to hunt.
When the first hunting day rolled around, I arrived before gobbling time only to be rewarded with no gobbles, again. I hunted an hour or so before I had to go to work, with nothing to show for it.
On day two, I again heard no gobbles, but I did get to watch a jennie walk up the path to me. She contentedly purred and pecked her way up the path to me, then abruptly halted, shut up, and took a 90 degree detour when she saw the hen and jake decoy I'd set out. That was all the action for day two.
Well, the night before day three, I made up my mind that I was going to either kill a turkey, or spend the whole day trying. So, I came up with a game plan and swore allegiance to it. In the event that I once again heard no gobbles, I strategically picked four spots that I had seen the most sign around, and planned to set up at each spot at one hour intervals, rotating from one spot to the next till I killed a turkey, or till the sun went down. I packed two granola bars, a few baby carrots, a full canteen of water, my poncho, binoculars, and no decoys.
When the alarm clock for day three went off, I jumped into my camo, grabbed my gear and headed off. I arrived at my parking spot relieved to see that nobody else beat me there. I had to walk about 3/4 mile to my pre-determined pre-dawn listening post, and as darkness gave way to light, once again, I was rewarded with silence.
But no need to fear, because I had a plan. So, I set off to pre-determined location number one, sat down, got comfortable, pulled out my Hustlin Hen box call, inserted my Primos Double Diamond mouth call, and gave it my first volley. About 15 minutes later, I let loose with volley number two -- and a faint "GOBBLLGOBBLLGOBBLLE!!!!!"
What the..!!! I couldn't believe it -- a dadgum turkey gobbled back at me!! I'd been on this property quite a few times over the past three years, but had heard nary a gobble!! It was faint, but I'll be durned!!! A dadgum gobble!!
Now my mind raced as I looked over the terrain between the turkey and me. If he came in a straight line, he'd have to walk right through some impenetrably thick three year old cutover. So, he'll have to walk down the edge on the inside of the hardwoods for a couple hundred yards quartering towards me right to left, and then make a 90 degree turn to his left towards me and come down the path I was set up on. But if he comes in silent, I won't be able to see him till he gets right up on top of me from that side. As there were some small pines that might obscuring my vision and shooting lane in the direction he would walk down the path from, I could easily find myself in a position of having to shoot at the turkey at 5 yards or so -- if he came that close.
There was open woods behind me, and he could always cross the path, and come in behind me. I could guard against that by backing away and setting up in the woods a ways. But I was in the absolutely best spot on that path.
I was faced with a decision. Should I move? If I move, where to? Back into the open woods behind me? Dash down the path and set up in the open woods he would come through to get to the path? Should I be patient and stay put in a potentially poor setup?
What would you do?
I'd been scouting and hunting a public land area with a few turkeys on it for two years. I had seen some sign, but never a turkey, and never heard a gobble at all. I had a three day permit to hunt.
When the first hunting day rolled around, I arrived before gobbling time only to be rewarded with no gobbles, again. I hunted an hour or so before I had to go to work, with nothing to show for it.
On day two, I again heard no gobbles, but I did get to watch a jennie walk up the path to me. She contentedly purred and pecked her way up the path to me, then abruptly halted, shut up, and took a 90 degree detour when she saw the hen and jake decoy I'd set out. That was all the action for day two.
Well, the night before day three, I made up my mind that I was going to either kill a turkey, or spend the whole day trying. So, I came up with a game plan and swore allegiance to it. In the event that I once again heard no gobbles, I strategically picked four spots that I had seen the most sign around, and planned to set up at each spot at one hour intervals, rotating from one spot to the next till I killed a turkey, or till the sun went down. I packed two granola bars, a few baby carrots, a full canteen of water, my poncho, binoculars, and no decoys.
When the alarm clock for day three went off, I jumped into my camo, grabbed my gear and headed off. I arrived at my parking spot relieved to see that nobody else beat me there. I had to walk about 3/4 mile to my pre-determined pre-dawn listening post, and as darkness gave way to light, once again, I was rewarded with silence.
But no need to fear, because I had a plan. So, I set off to pre-determined location number one, sat down, got comfortable, pulled out my Hustlin Hen box call, inserted my Primos Double Diamond mouth call, and gave it my first volley. About 15 minutes later, I let loose with volley number two -- and a faint "GOBBLLGOBBLLGOBBLLE!!!!!"
What the..!!! I couldn't believe it -- a dadgum turkey gobbled back at me!! I'd been on this property quite a few times over the past three years, but had heard nary a gobble!! It was faint, but I'll be durned!!! A dadgum gobble!!
Now my mind raced as I looked over the terrain between the turkey and me. If he came in a straight line, he'd have to walk right through some impenetrably thick three year old cutover. So, he'll have to walk down the edge on the inside of the hardwoods for a couple hundred yards quartering towards me right to left, and then make a 90 degree turn to his left towards me and come down the path I was set up on. But if he comes in silent, I won't be able to see him till he gets right up on top of me from that side. As there were some small pines that might obscuring my vision and shooting lane in the direction he would walk down the path from, I could easily find myself in a position of having to shoot at the turkey at 5 yards or so -- if he came that close.
There was open woods behind me, and he could always cross the path, and come in behind me. I could guard against that by backing away and setting up in the woods a ways. But I was in the absolutely best spot on that path.
I was faced with a decision. Should I move? If I move, where to? Back into the open woods behind me? Dash down the path and set up in the open woods he would come through to get to the path? Should I be patient and stay put in a potentially poor setup?
What would you do?