Textbook hunt...with a not so textbook ending (Central Florida WMA)

Glenn

Senior Member
Took the opportunity this morning to go give a local WMA (non quota) a try this morning. Place is usually hunted hard the first 9-days and the birds get educated quickly, so I wasn't expecting for much excitement.

Anyway I had the area to myself and decided to walk down a closed road that has a lot of cypress ponds and oak hammocks surrounded by some recently burned Flatwoods...beautiful area.

I get about 1/2 mile back and it is just getting that grey light time with a heavy fog in the air. I decided to stop an owl hoot...silence....I do it again and BAM! One fires off 150 yards down on the edge of a pond. I immediately head straight to him slowly and by now the locals owls have him firing off enough for me to get within 50 yards of where he is roosted.

I find a tree straight in front of him with good cover hoping he comes right down through the hardwoods.

Once settled I give a couple soft tree yelps and clucks and then shut up. A minute later I hear wing flaps and see him land to my left on the edge of hardwoods and burnt Flatwoods and then he disappeared.

I give out some soft purrs and yelps, but no gobbles...about ten minutes go by and he fires off directly behind me about 100 yards out in the hardwoods. I guess he didn't hear my calls earlier and was trying to find me...so I give him a loud series of yelps and he cuts me off. At this point I can't move to the other side of the tree for fear of being seen.

A few minutes go by and he double gobbles super close and is coming around to my left. I already had my gun up expecting him to come around a brush pile about 25 yards out. Next thing I hear is him walking and drumming and he much..much closer...like on top of me close. And then I see him and he is inside of 10 yards about to step in the open. I maneuver quickly...aim and boom! He putts a couple of times and takes off...WTH!!

I try to get another round off and my CensoredCensoredCensoredCensored gun jams, which it has never DNR before.

I finally clear it and jump up to see if he landed nearby or may flew a little and died, but I looked for over an hour and found no trace.

So I go back to where I was sitting and run the whole thing through my head again with the only conclusion that I completely missed him. I found the wad from the shell at about 25 yards along with saplings nearby torn to shreds. I know my gun patterns tight but geez I could have hit him with a CensoredCensoredCensoredCensored rock he was so close. Makes me sick to my stomach for sure.

I have certainly been given many chance this year...
 

blood on the ground

Cross threading is better than two lock washers.
Took the opportunity this morning to go give a local WMA (non quota) a try this morning. Place is usually hunted hard the first 9-days and the birds get educated quickly, so I wasn't expecting for much excitement.

Anyway I had the area to myself and decided to walk down a closed road that has a lot of cypress ponds and oak hammocks surrounded by some recently burned Flatwoods...beautiful area.

I get about 1/2 mile back and it is just getting that grey light time with a heavy fog in the air. I decided to stop an owl hoot...silence....I do it again and BAM! One fires off 150 yards down on the edge of a pond. I immediately head straight to him slowly and by now the locals owls have him firing off enough for me to get within 50 yards of where he is roosted.

I find a tree straight in front of him with good cover hoping he comes right down through the hardwoods.

Once settled I give a couple soft tree yelps and clucks and then shut up. A minute later I hear wing flaps and see him land to my left on the edge of hardwoods and burnt Flatwoods and then he disappeared.

I give out some soft purrs and yelps, but no gobbles...about ten minutes go by and he fires off directly behind me about 100 yards out in the hardwoods. I guess he didn't hear my calls earlier and was trying to find me...so I give him a loud series of yelps and he cuts me off. At this point I can't move to the other side of the tree for fear of being seen.

A few minutes go by and he double gobbles super close and is coming around to my left. I already had my gun up expecting him to come around a brush pile about 25 yards out. Next thing I hear is him walking and drumming and he much..much closer...like on top of me close. And then I see him and he is inside of 10 yards about to step in the open. I maneuver quickly...aim and boom! He putts a couple of times and takes off...WTH!!

I try to get another round off and my CensoredCensoredCensoredCensored gun jams, which it has never DNR before.

I finally clear it and jump up to see if he landed nearby or may flew a little and died, but I looked for over an hour and found no trace.

So I go back to where I was sitting and run the whole thing through my head again with the only conclusion that I completely missed him. I found the wad from the shell at about 25 yards along with saplings nearby torn to shreds. I know my gun patterns tight but geez I could have hit him with a CensoredCensoredCensoredCensored rock he was so close. Makes me sick to my stomach for sure.

I have certainly been given many chance this year...

I'm not laughing at you brother... but your story is something we have all gone thru in the turkey woods! :rofl: better luck next time:flag:
 

Bubba_1122

Senior Member
Turkey Hunting - The Addiction/The Affliction.

Nothing quite like it.

We all been there (n it ain't fun).
 

blong

Senior Member
I bet you let him get out of sight and turn on your tree next time before you call. Maybe you will get him next time.
 
Top