I went out today, early early morning. About 12 minutes after I got settled in, I see the light from an approaching hunter. I flash him with a beam of light to let him know I'm out there. He alters his course, sets up about 150-180 yards south of me, along the same eastern field edge. The field is former crop land, now overgrown into semi-dense, waist, high weeds, with bottomland timber behind us.
Very few gobbles heard today. I did have a response from a gobbler back in the timber to the north of me, but he was more interested in the hen also back in the timber to the north of me.
As the morning wears on, I spy a group of turkeys moving thru the weeds in the field. They are 150 yards away, crossing left to right, past me. I put the bino's on them to discover it is a bachelor group of jakes. I call a few times but they have no interest in what I'm offering. They disappear into the North timber.
Soon after, a group of 4 deer come out of the North timber, cutting across the corner of the field. Thru the bino's I can see small nubs growing on the foreheads of the bucks.
Probably 30 minutes pass and I spot a mature Tom following the same path across the field, that the jakes had taken earlier. I call to him, with the same results as the jakes, no interest on his part. He too, disappears into the timber on that same trail. I am beginning to think I need to be closer to that opening in the timber.
A few more minutes pass and I hear a gunshot. That other hunter set up south of me, has made good on a turkey. Never heard him call, never heard a gobble. I am happy for him. Even more happy he will not be coming back out tomorrow morning.
I know why he was sucesseful. He was near an area that the turkeys use to dust bathe and just gather. I was also in a similar area, just not the one they used this moring. sigh
The silver lining is, I get to hunt again tomorrow!!
