So this was an interesting season. I should have just kept a running commentary of the season. I took two days off of my five day quota period for my favorite WMA. Found a turkey to work and he worked me over real good. I hunted the place where Steve shot his last turkey. And there is a dandy in there, he just didn't want to cooperate. I had hens fly down into my decoy, walk by, talk to me, want to beat me up but I couldn't entice the gobbler to me throughout those four days. I knew he was there. He would gobble for me.
The last day of the permit I got a phone call saying I would be at work all alone all week because I had a coworker pop positive for COVID. Greeeeaaaaatttt such fun all by myself at work all week. So, the following weekend after my permit (the property is open to everyone after the initial 9 days for three more weekends) I decided to hunt Steve's Burn again. That Saturday I was walking out very quietly and slowly back to the truck. There was a good bit of water out there so the path I was on was sometimes wet, sometimes dry and in places very open because they had recently burned and looked like they did some chopping.
Well, while walking back to the truck Saturday I passed some little clumps of palmettos and startled a turkey. All I saw of it was it slinking down really low to the ground and getting out of there. Couldn't really tell head color but ten feet from me, it was BIG. I pulled my face mask up, got my gun ready and slowly walked towards where the turkey went. It hadn't been putting, it was just getting out of there. I come around the corner of the palmettos and there are two red headed birds about 25 yards from me. I knew they were males cuz of their red heads but I refrained from shooting because I couldn't see a beard. Our regs say they must be bearded and it would be my luck for me to shoot a beardless jake and have to argue with a game warden (and I never see a warden out there). So, I let them go and headed back to the truck. Sunday I was back and instead of heading off to Steve's burn I decided to wait by the truck to see if I could get a gobble in the area I saw the two birds.
I did. He gobbled hard and crazy. I headed off to a spot where I hoped he might fly down and sat and listened to him. The sad thing is that he chose to roost in a little hammock at a T intersection of two roads (one private hunt club and one WMA). Someone chose to drive down the WMA road about 30 minutes after the sun came up. I never see anyone out there! The turkey was still in the tree and had been gobbling. But the truck scared him and a buddy out of their trees. They flew off and though I was able to get gobbles later in the day, he wouldn't cooperate.
I left early one day to go check out my other turkey areas. I figured with as much water in the area I had been hunting, that my preferred areas would require a canoe to access them and I was correct.
I didn't bother since I had two gobblers that I knew where in general they were.
It was also nice to see them burning the property in places. They'll be nice areas next year.
Luckily, the next Tuesday most everyone was back. It was nice having people to work with again. The next Saturday found me back at the wet jake/gobbler area near the truck and that was a short hunt. I knew weather was going to be coming in but it wasn't expected as early as it actually blew in. I had a bird gobbling at me early in the morning, only to disappear with hens. Had a hen talk to me and come on in and hang out with me. I also had a buck sneak up behind me that was already well into his velvet antlers (he will be a good one). But I also had wind beginning. And then wind beginning to really blow. Then it really, really was blowing where lots of pine cones were dropping. Then it really, really, really began blowing and limbs were dropping here and there. Then I hear some thunder about the time I get a Tornado Warning alert on my phone and I said NOPE! I'm out!
I knew I'd be heading into some bad weather heading home and boy did I.
It was still nasty Sunday morning but it cleared out by noonish. FL now allows hunting all day even on public land so I headed out for the last day on this property. It was a bit wetter but beautiful. Not many bugs. I decided to ease into the woods directly from my truck rather than the way I normally went. There were LOTS of fresh turkey tracks too.
I knew of a kinda high spot on the way to the area I wanted to go near where I had seen birds fly down from a roost. I walked slowly through the woods. There wasn't much opportunity for me to hide behind much since what vegetation there is is either low small palmetto clumps or skinny pine trees. So I walked slow. Stopping to watch the woods. Good thing I did because up ahead of me I could see two jakes walking through an open lane between pine trees. Towards me. I snuck closer to them, slowly, but eventually they saw me leaning up against a pine tree. We were about 80 yards apart or so. They didn't like what they saw and they eased into some brushy areas. I didn't move. I just stood and watched. Turned out they were watching me watch them. Eventually they relaxed enough to feed around in that spot where they were, constantly stopping to look at me. We watched each other for 30 minutes. In that time I had a hen walk up right behind me. She didn't like what she saw either and turned around and walked away from me but in the direction of the jakes. She never putted. She just walked quite noisily through the water. Maybe ten minutes after the hen left me, the jakes decided to come out of hiding. I think the hen was near them and they went off to join her. Turns out there were three red headed birds in that clump. I had seen two jakes for sure but then a third one stepped out a few minutes after the jakes left. I don't know if he was a gobbler or not. I stood there a bit longer and decided I would head off to where I planned on going anyway.
The roost area is too brushy to sit against a tree and be able to see, so I went to the open area near it where I have seen hens walking the edge and looked for a tree that I could sit against that I wouldn't be in the water but was close to the edge.
I sat there quietly and called from time to time. Enjoyed the evening. Nothing was talking, not even little birds. I got bored and checked my phone. My boss said CALL ME NOW!!!!!!!
Soooooooo, I did. Luckily I had good service. Turns out that the week I had, happy to be back with coworkers...well one of those coworkers had popped positive that afternoon. We aren't allowed back until we have two negative tests and he had that but turns out it wasn't enough time. Soooooooo while I am talking to my boss about this, I am also watching the woods. I look to my left to the edge near the roost and I see a turkey walking. With a red head. I interrupt my boss and say, "hey....I hate to do this but I gotta go. I might have a turkey coming in!" Luckily she just laughed and said call me back. The turkey had walked behind a rather large clump of palmettos so it gave me great cover to get my gun up in position. Finally, my turkey walked out. It was looking my way but it really wasn't concerned cuz it was just beebopping its way through the woods. My red headed turkey had turned into a hen! WHAT?!?!?!?!!?!?!? I watched it and watched it and watched it and it kept walking off. I looked back at my clump of palmettos to see a red headed turkey watching me. So my heart sped up a bajillion miles an hour again. He eventually walked out but he did a good job of keeping brush between me an him. I couldn't tell what he was. He kept disappearing. I didn't want to take a shot on a bird that I couldn't fully see or verify that it has a beard. ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH! Oh well....that's turkey hunting.
I call my boss back and she informs me that I will have to take all week off because I won't be able to test until Thursday and they won't allow us back until 24 hours after we take the test and get a negative. Pros and cons. Pros: turkey hunting is considered a quarantine worthy endeavor. Cons: I am being forced to use my own leave.
I decided I would just grumble about the cons and enjoy the pros. That Sunday ended my ability to hunt that property so I found myself back at the property that is 30 minutes from my house.
I did a lot of hunting over those next seven days. I had a couple of gobblers in a general area but there isn't really a "favorite" roost area in those swamps. The gobblers were still henned up and very much of the thought process of you need to come to me, not me come to you. I had gorgeous weather. Hot so I was happy to be back in the swamp where it was very shady.
This year is apparently and eruption year for several moths so I had more caterpillars than I knew what to do with. There were some days that there were soooooo many caterpillars falling from the tree tops it actually sounded like soft rain in the swamp.
These two are stingers:
I also had plenty of birds to watch me.
I also startled a hen on an evening walk. She was sitting on a nest. I think it was a renesting effort being late in the season.
No turkey season is complete without a few reptiles.
This one startled the heck out of me, and I it. Early morning walking to my spot and almost stepped on a stick that was too squiggly that wasn't there yesterday.
I did kind of talk a gobbler in coming to visit late one morning. He gobbled once, I yelped back and got ready. He didn't say anything else but slowly I began hearing him drum. I had had a decoy out that morning and I think he saw my decoy and got hung up. He didn't want to come into the clearing. He kept strutting and drumming around the edge of the clearing, trying to get the hen to come to him. He stayed for about 15 minutes and then gave up.
In the end, my turkey season ended without a gobble, very high winds and looking up from my blind at just the right time. I had a bird late in the morning just walking through. I hadn't called in a good long while and I was just sitting around watching the woods and contemplating things. He never made a sound.
Another season has come to a close. It was a very good one though.
Dani
The last day of the permit I got a phone call saying I would be at work all alone all week because I had a coworker pop positive for COVID. Greeeeaaaaatttt such fun all by myself at work all week. So, the following weekend after my permit (the property is open to everyone after the initial 9 days for three more weekends) I decided to hunt Steve's Burn again. That Saturday I was walking out very quietly and slowly back to the truck. There was a good bit of water out there so the path I was on was sometimes wet, sometimes dry and in places very open because they had recently burned and looked like they did some chopping.
Well, while walking back to the truck Saturday I passed some little clumps of palmettos and startled a turkey. All I saw of it was it slinking down really low to the ground and getting out of there. Couldn't really tell head color but ten feet from me, it was BIG. I pulled my face mask up, got my gun ready and slowly walked towards where the turkey went. It hadn't been putting, it was just getting out of there. I come around the corner of the palmettos and there are two red headed birds about 25 yards from me. I knew they were males cuz of their red heads but I refrained from shooting because I couldn't see a beard. Our regs say they must be bearded and it would be my luck for me to shoot a beardless jake and have to argue with a game warden (and I never see a warden out there). So, I let them go and headed back to the truck. Sunday I was back and instead of heading off to Steve's burn I decided to wait by the truck to see if I could get a gobble in the area I saw the two birds.
I did. He gobbled hard and crazy. I headed off to a spot where I hoped he might fly down and sat and listened to him. The sad thing is that he chose to roost in a little hammock at a T intersection of two roads (one private hunt club and one WMA). Someone chose to drive down the WMA road about 30 minutes after the sun came up. I never see anyone out there! The turkey was still in the tree and had been gobbling. But the truck scared him and a buddy out of their trees. They flew off and though I was able to get gobbles later in the day, he wouldn't cooperate.
I left early one day to go check out my other turkey areas. I figured with as much water in the area I had been hunting, that my preferred areas would require a canoe to access them and I was correct.
I didn't bother since I had two gobblers that I knew where in general they were.
It was also nice to see them burning the property in places. They'll be nice areas next year.
Luckily, the next Tuesday most everyone was back. It was nice having people to work with again. The next Saturday found me back at the wet jake/gobbler area near the truck and that was a short hunt. I knew weather was going to be coming in but it wasn't expected as early as it actually blew in. I had a bird gobbling at me early in the morning, only to disappear with hens. Had a hen talk to me and come on in and hang out with me. I also had a buck sneak up behind me that was already well into his velvet antlers (he will be a good one). But I also had wind beginning. And then wind beginning to really blow. Then it really, really was blowing where lots of pine cones were dropping. Then it really, really, really began blowing and limbs were dropping here and there. Then I hear some thunder about the time I get a Tornado Warning alert on my phone and I said NOPE! I'm out!
I knew I'd be heading into some bad weather heading home and boy did I.
It was still nasty Sunday morning but it cleared out by noonish. FL now allows hunting all day even on public land so I headed out for the last day on this property. It was a bit wetter but beautiful. Not many bugs. I decided to ease into the woods directly from my truck rather than the way I normally went. There were LOTS of fresh turkey tracks too.
I knew of a kinda high spot on the way to the area I wanted to go near where I had seen birds fly down from a roost. I walked slowly through the woods. There wasn't much opportunity for me to hide behind much since what vegetation there is is either low small palmetto clumps or skinny pine trees. So I walked slow. Stopping to watch the woods. Good thing I did because up ahead of me I could see two jakes walking through an open lane between pine trees. Towards me. I snuck closer to them, slowly, but eventually they saw me leaning up against a pine tree. We were about 80 yards apart or so. They didn't like what they saw and they eased into some brushy areas. I didn't move. I just stood and watched. Turned out they were watching me watch them. Eventually they relaxed enough to feed around in that spot where they were, constantly stopping to look at me. We watched each other for 30 minutes. In that time I had a hen walk up right behind me. She didn't like what she saw either and turned around and walked away from me but in the direction of the jakes. She never putted. She just walked quite noisily through the water. Maybe ten minutes after the hen left me, the jakes decided to come out of hiding. I think the hen was near them and they went off to join her. Turns out there were three red headed birds in that clump. I had seen two jakes for sure but then a third one stepped out a few minutes after the jakes left. I don't know if he was a gobbler or not. I stood there a bit longer and decided I would head off to where I planned on going anyway.
The roost area is too brushy to sit against a tree and be able to see, so I went to the open area near it where I have seen hens walking the edge and looked for a tree that I could sit against that I wouldn't be in the water but was close to the edge.
I sat there quietly and called from time to time. Enjoyed the evening. Nothing was talking, not even little birds. I got bored and checked my phone. My boss said CALL ME NOW!!!!!!!
Soooooooo, I did. Luckily I had good service. Turns out that the week I had, happy to be back with coworkers...well one of those coworkers had popped positive that afternoon. We aren't allowed back until we have two negative tests and he had that but turns out it wasn't enough time. Soooooooo while I am talking to my boss about this, I am also watching the woods. I look to my left to the edge near the roost and I see a turkey walking. With a red head. I interrupt my boss and say, "hey....I hate to do this but I gotta go. I might have a turkey coming in!" Luckily she just laughed and said call me back. The turkey had walked behind a rather large clump of palmettos so it gave me great cover to get my gun up in position. Finally, my turkey walked out. It was looking my way but it really wasn't concerned cuz it was just beebopping its way through the woods. My red headed turkey had turned into a hen! WHAT?!?!?!?!!?!?!? I watched it and watched it and watched it and it kept walking off. I looked back at my clump of palmettos to see a red headed turkey watching me. So my heart sped up a bajillion miles an hour again. He eventually walked out but he did a good job of keeping brush between me an him. I couldn't tell what he was. He kept disappearing. I didn't want to take a shot on a bird that I couldn't fully see or verify that it has a beard. ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH! Oh well....that's turkey hunting.
I call my boss back and she informs me that I will have to take all week off because I won't be able to test until Thursday and they won't allow us back until 24 hours after we take the test and get a negative. Pros and cons. Pros: turkey hunting is considered a quarantine worthy endeavor. Cons: I am being forced to use my own leave.
I decided I would just grumble about the cons and enjoy the pros. That Sunday ended my ability to hunt that property so I found myself back at the property that is 30 minutes from my house.
I did a lot of hunting over those next seven days. I had a couple of gobblers in a general area but there isn't really a "favorite" roost area in those swamps. The gobblers were still henned up and very much of the thought process of you need to come to me, not me come to you. I had gorgeous weather. Hot so I was happy to be back in the swamp where it was very shady.
This year is apparently and eruption year for several moths so I had more caterpillars than I knew what to do with. There were some days that there were soooooo many caterpillars falling from the tree tops it actually sounded like soft rain in the swamp.
These two are stingers:
I also had plenty of birds to watch me.
I also startled a hen on an evening walk. She was sitting on a nest. I think it was a renesting effort being late in the season.
No turkey season is complete without a few reptiles.
This one startled the heck out of me, and I it. Early morning walking to my spot and almost stepped on a stick that was too squiggly that wasn't there yesterday.
I did kind of talk a gobbler in coming to visit late one morning. He gobbled once, I yelped back and got ready. He didn't say anything else but slowly I began hearing him drum. I had had a decoy out that morning and I think he saw my decoy and got hung up. He didn't want to come into the clearing. He kept strutting and drumming around the edge of the clearing, trying to get the hen to come to him. He stayed for about 15 minutes and then gave up.
In the end, my turkey season ended without a gobble, very high winds and looking up from my blind at just the right time. I had a bird late in the morning just walking through. I hadn't called in a good long while and I was just sitting around watching the woods and contemplating things. He never made a sound.
Another season has come to a close. It was a very good one though.
Dani
