Well I was lucky enough to draw a quota permit for a management area over on the gulf side of FL for the first four days of turkey season and Steve said that he’d book a ticket and come to hunt with me. Having never been there before, never even heard of the towns surrounding the management area, I spent several hours pouring over various maps and aerial photos of the place and trying, before even going out there, to locate an area that likely would have the least amount of people hunting it. I chose an area and then learned the roads and the trails that are visible on Google Earth, and then spent the two weekends prior to the opener scouting and learning the area and looking for birds.
I found a really pretty spot, back up in the woods a bit that I hoped because it is back up in the woods that folk wouldn’t want to go through the hassle for a turkey. It’s a good sized tupelo swamp that follows along several creeks back in there.
I also found some birds. I saw at least two mature gobblers following a horde of hens around, as well as a few bachelor groups of toms and jakes wandering the woods, and I was able to roost them.
So, after two weekends of scouting I was almost uncontrollable in my excitement for Steve to get here, turkey camp to be pitched, and a four-day weekend to be spent with good friends, good drinks, good food, and turkeys.
After picking up Steve from the airport and heading west to the campground (which by the way wouldn’t have been awful if they hadn’t created the campground at an intersection of two state roads that stayed busy all weekend and all night, it sounded like the big semi’s were hauling ass right through the middle of our camp), we pitched camp and then headed out to roost the birds I’d scouted.
The first morning, Steve got one of the hens all riled up. What a talker she was too. But the gobblers…well the gobblers did not want to talk at all. Not in the trees, not on the ground, nothing. After spending much of the day wandering the swamp, stopping in some spots to sit and see what goes on, the day ended without a bang, though we did see a flock of jakes wandering together…about four or five of them.
The next morning, the gobblers were on FIRE! They gobbled, at least three different ones, until easily 0930. But we couldn’t put a move on them without busting them. So, after doing some sitting, we decide to go for a walk through the woods, after they left the general area. I learned a lesson that day: don’t walk through the woods with your gun slung over your shoulder while you’re turkey hunting.
We entered the woods, Steve doing a bit of calling, and us just walking towards the ridge in the swamp. I’m looking around, Steve thought he heard a cluck and I wasn’t sure if it was a cluck or not…hell what do I know about turkey hunting? And we continue our walk through the woods, when I look to the right and there are two turkeys headed straight for us. One is a jake and the other I don’t know for sure a hen or jake. The jake presented me with a brief opportunity to shoot him, had my gun not been slung over my shoulder like a doofus. After scouting around, looking for the easiest and quietest way in for the next morning, we went for another walk to see what might be around. There is a LOT of hogs back in those woods.
And so ended the second day, though we did see quite a few hogs back in the swamp. And this guy was walking down one of the roads that I was.
The next morning we get out to the woods, I try to get us lost in the dark, Steve is being patient with me though I wondered a few times if he wasn’t just shaking his head at me, and we finally get to our entrance point and try to be very, very, very quiet when walking into the swamp. And what do those turkeys go and do?!?! They decided to roost across the road in the pines. While they aren’t on fire like they were the day before, they did a bit of gobbling. So we do a lot of moving that morning, and then a lot of walking the roads. We sit down in the middle of the road, near another part of the swamp where I’d heard some bossy hens and a gobbler telling the world how great he was, have a snack, enjoy the shade and just chill a bit.
We’re sitting there talking and I think I hear a critter walking through the woods, though I can’t tell if it’s got two legs or four…it sounds a little “off”. I listen for several minutes before I see movement back in the woods. It’s a whole FLOCK of turkeys. I know that two of them are male since I saw that bright red head and some beard. They get closer and there are FIVE boys coming through the woods, not really coming to us but casually getting closer. Steve starts calling, getting their attention, getting them interested and I try and get in a position to shoot.
Two birds step out into a little clear zone for me to shoot, about 30 yards out, and I shot…and MISSED! ARRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH Oh the shit I heard the rest of the day and most of the night!!!! Damn bird is standing still and I missed him!!!! What a doofus!!!!!!!!! (Among other more creative names.)
Well after scarring the hell out of the swamp, my being disgusted with myself, and Steve riding my ass about it, we set off back towards the swamp closer to the truck and sit in the woods to see if anything wanders by for the last hour or so that is left for the day (the management areas close spring turkey hunting at 1 pm). No other birds that day, and we get back to the truck and it kind of looks like it’s going to rain.
Sure enough, it rains, most of the afternoon and pretty heavy on into the night. At least when it’s time to get up, the rain isn’t there anymore. So off we head back into the woods so that I could get another chance at Steve “coming out to hunt with me, all so’s I could miss the birds.” We get out there and the birds decided to roost early I’m told, what with all the rain. They aren’t there, and they aren’t talking either. So, we walk down the roads, were going to set up someplace but someone decided to park their truck there, and we head back and sit in an area where we’ve seen birds each day. We sit, have snacks, chat, and I see a hen. She moves on, she’s solo and we move to a slightly different spot with a slightly different view and sit there for awhile. Steve enjoys a nap minus the roaring traffic and I sit enjoying the sun.
With about two hours left in the day, we pick up and go sit on the ridgeline in the woods, at least it is cooler there and prettier, even if the turkeys are being uncooperative. After a slow wander along the ridgeline, we pick some trees with a good view and sit. Steve thought he heard clucking, I thought I heard clucking and some yelping, but I can’t be sure so I kind of keep an eye on that general direction. As I’m watching the woods, I see a flash of red. A flock of red headed turkeys are coming towards us! I turn my body when the birds go behind some trees and I can’t see them. Apparently one of the jakes saw me move. I thought he was going to bust me, but he didn’t make any noise.
Two of the others keep coming towards us and they present a clear shot at around 18 yards. I pick one bird and fire. DAGNAMMIT!!!!!! I missed AGAIN!!!! WTH?!?!? Steve’s hollering at me to shoot him again…now I’m waiting until the bird presents me another clear shot and he finally stops and does. And I shoot again. FINALLY! I got that sum’bitch. Knocked him over at about 32 yards or so. The other jake was just standing around, trying to figure out what was going on and the other three hightailed it out of there. He weighed in around 12-14 lbs, little knobby spurs, a 4 ½” beard and all Osceola.
I didn’t have my camera in my pack that day, it was at turkey camp (like the dork I am), so I don’t have pictures of my turkey, but Steve took some pictures and I’m thinking he’ll likely post some when he gets the chance. At least I hope so…
Dani
I found a really pretty spot, back up in the woods a bit that I hoped because it is back up in the woods that folk wouldn’t want to go through the hassle for a turkey. It’s a good sized tupelo swamp that follows along several creeks back in there.
I also found some birds. I saw at least two mature gobblers following a horde of hens around, as well as a few bachelor groups of toms and jakes wandering the woods, and I was able to roost them.
So, after two weekends of scouting I was almost uncontrollable in my excitement for Steve to get here, turkey camp to be pitched, and a four-day weekend to be spent with good friends, good drinks, good food, and turkeys.
After picking up Steve from the airport and heading west to the campground (which by the way wouldn’t have been awful if they hadn’t created the campground at an intersection of two state roads that stayed busy all weekend and all night, it sounded like the big semi’s were hauling ass right through the middle of our camp), we pitched camp and then headed out to roost the birds I’d scouted.
The first morning, Steve got one of the hens all riled up. What a talker she was too. But the gobblers…well the gobblers did not want to talk at all. Not in the trees, not on the ground, nothing. After spending much of the day wandering the swamp, stopping in some spots to sit and see what goes on, the day ended without a bang, though we did see a flock of jakes wandering together…about four or five of them.
The next morning, the gobblers were on FIRE! They gobbled, at least three different ones, until easily 0930. But we couldn’t put a move on them without busting them. So, after doing some sitting, we decide to go for a walk through the woods, after they left the general area. I learned a lesson that day: don’t walk through the woods with your gun slung over your shoulder while you’re turkey hunting.
We entered the woods, Steve doing a bit of calling, and us just walking towards the ridge in the swamp. I’m looking around, Steve thought he heard a cluck and I wasn’t sure if it was a cluck or not…hell what do I know about turkey hunting? And we continue our walk through the woods, when I look to the right and there are two turkeys headed straight for us. One is a jake and the other I don’t know for sure a hen or jake. The jake presented me with a brief opportunity to shoot him, had my gun not been slung over my shoulder like a doofus. After scouting around, looking for the easiest and quietest way in for the next morning, we went for another walk to see what might be around. There is a LOT of hogs back in those woods.
And so ended the second day, though we did see quite a few hogs back in the swamp. And this guy was walking down one of the roads that I was.
The next morning we get out to the woods, I try to get us lost in the dark, Steve is being patient with me though I wondered a few times if he wasn’t just shaking his head at me, and we finally get to our entrance point and try to be very, very, very quiet when walking into the swamp. And what do those turkeys go and do?!?! They decided to roost across the road in the pines. While they aren’t on fire like they were the day before, they did a bit of gobbling. So we do a lot of moving that morning, and then a lot of walking the roads. We sit down in the middle of the road, near another part of the swamp where I’d heard some bossy hens and a gobbler telling the world how great he was, have a snack, enjoy the shade and just chill a bit.
We’re sitting there talking and I think I hear a critter walking through the woods, though I can’t tell if it’s got two legs or four…it sounds a little “off”. I listen for several minutes before I see movement back in the woods. It’s a whole FLOCK of turkeys. I know that two of them are male since I saw that bright red head and some beard. They get closer and there are FIVE boys coming through the woods, not really coming to us but casually getting closer. Steve starts calling, getting their attention, getting them interested and I try and get in a position to shoot.
Two birds step out into a little clear zone for me to shoot, about 30 yards out, and I shot…and MISSED! ARRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH Oh the shit I heard the rest of the day and most of the night!!!! Damn bird is standing still and I missed him!!!! What a doofus!!!!!!!!! (Among other more creative names.)
Well after scarring the hell out of the swamp, my being disgusted with myself, and Steve riding my ass about it, we set off back towards the swamp closer to the truck and sit in the woods to see if anything wanders by for the last hour or so that is left for the day (the management areas close spring turkey hunting at 1 pm). No other birds that day, and we get back to the truck and it kind of looks like it’s going to rain.
Sure enough, it rains, most of the afternoon and pretty heavy on into the night. At least when it’s time to get up, the rain isn’t there anymore. So off we head back into the woods so that I could get another chance at Steve “coming out to hunt with me, all so’s I could miss the birds.” We get out there and the birds decided to roost early I’m told, what with all the rain. They aren’t there, and they aren’t talking either. So, we walk down the roads, were going to set up someplace but someone decided to park their truck there, and we head back and sit in an area where we’ve seen birds each day. We sit, have snacks, chat, and I see a hen. She moves on, she’s solo and we move to a slightly different spot with a slightly different view and sit there for awhile. Steve enjoys a nap minus the roaring traffic and I sit enjoying the sun.
With about two hours left in the day, we pick up and go sit on the ridgeline in the woods, at least it is cooler there and prettier, even if the turkeys are being uncooperative. After a slow wander along the ridgeline, we pick some trees with a good view and sit. Steve thought he heard clucking, I thought I heard clucking and some yelping, but I can’t be sure so I kind of keep an eye on that general direction. As I’m watching the woods, I see a flash of red. A flock of red headed turkeys are coming towards us! I turn my body when the birds go behind some trees and I can’t see them. Apparently one of the jakes saw me move. I thought he was going to bust me, but he didn’t make any noise.
Two of the others keep coming towards us and they present a clear shot at around 18 yards. I pick one bird and fire. DAGNAMMIT!!!!!! I missed AGAIN!!!! WTH?!?!? Steve’s hollering at me to shoot him again…now I’m waiting until the bird presents me another clear shot and he finally stops and does. And I shoot again. FINALLY! I got that sum’bitch. Knocked him over at about 32 yards or so. The other jake was just standing around, trying to figure out what was going on and the other three hightailed it out of there. He weighed in around 12-14 lbs, little knobby spurs, a 4 ½” beard and all Osceola.
I didn’t have my camera in my pack that day, it was at turkey camp (like the dork I am), so I don’t have pictures of my turkey, but Steve took some pictures and I’m thinking he’ll likely post some when he gets the chance. At least I hope so…
Dani
