Post by ridge on May 25, 2020 19:47:44 GMT -5
There was quite a debate with myself as to whether I would buy a license. The plan was for me to do the calling and for her to do the shooting as this was her first turkey hunt. In the end I bought a license.
The decision made, I bought a license. It ended up being used 1/2 day unless my granddaughter changes her mind AGAIN. Being 17 with a boyfriend does change the importance of hunting with pops.
The night before I got a response from an owl hoot call so I was a little hopeful. Mistake one, I did not hear the alarm. When the granddaughter arrived she turned on the light and up I came. I made a few suggestions as to gear and out she went to set up the blind. I grabbed a pop, some cold pop tarts, my calls, and the shot gun I was using, a .410 single and down the trail I went with my rollator. My granddaughter had my 12 and after a couple of reviewing demonstrations on how to load and eject [at camp] (This was her first turkey hunt, but she had gone on deer and small game hunts with me.) she had been good to go.
My arrival was about 15 minutes later than I hoped. Zoe had everything set up for me. Not being fully with it, I made a little more noise than I should have. Luckily Zoe thought it was funny so she forgave me.
We let the woods get quiet and then I went with my morning call. Nothing, no response so I went with some soft purrs and feeding calls. Still nothing but I whispered now we wait for awhile. That gave me more time to munch on the pop tart and take a swig or two from the pop. During which time Zoe whispered, "Is this like deer hunting now." I knew what she meant. Nothing would show up but squirrels, birds, and MAYbe
a turkey while we took turns napping, She propped herself up and waited with drooping eyes.
Then I began with some medium clucks and feeding calls, repeated a couple of times, and ended with some purrs. We had a short wait during which I caught the eye from Zoe. She looked back out with an exasperated sigh and in came running one large coon. Her eyes got large as she watched the antics of the coon which soon went off to the swamp below the ridge. Zoe tilted a little and shielded her eyes with her hats as that is what a good hunter does.
I worked my slate and box calls into some competing clucks and yelps and then went down into some softer feeding calls. A few minutes later 4 deer walked in about 80-85 yards out and the largest doe laid down behind a large tree that was down. Zoe now figured out that I call deer when turkey hunting and turkeys when deer hunting. She was learning. Then a tom showed itself and got her attention. The tom was about 20 yards to the right of the sleeping doe and it came up within 100 yards. The worst then happened as hens began calling to the north, northwest, and to the south. The tom stopped dead, was silent, spun around and gave the Oh Boy what now look. Zoe wanted to shoot but I whispered too far. I gave some soft purrs and the hen in the north yelped. The tom looked as if he had enough and he drifted back due west.
The woods went quiet and so did Zoe as she put her feet up began some serious napping. After 20-30 minutes I began doing some feeding and clucking calls which I then followed with yelps that imitated those hens. I then did something I normally do not do, I finished with a couple of higher pitched gobbles. I went silent and contemplated a nap myself. Just about then a tom came in from the northwest. My hat went over to Zoe which woke her up (I have to give her credit as she didn't startle or jerk up.) I Pointed and she looked but a tree and some small saplings were blocking her view. The tom stopped about 85 yards out at the top of a ravine. It just refused to move no matter what I did so I went silent. It never gobbled. After 4 or 5 minutes it turned and went back the way it came. Zoe was fit to be tied so she said she was taking matters into her hands. Upon taking my push button call she went out to try to stalk the tom. She did a respectable job with the call using it now and then to let the tom know that his date was coming. (Zoe had done a fairly good job of stalking a deer on one of our deer hunts so I let her make her decisions.)
I decided to call back every now and then but the tactic did not work. She came back tired but with a smile. "I didn't quite get it done pops but I tried." She then gave me the LOOK (inherited from grandmomma) and said, "Do you think it would have made a difference if you had not forgotten the decoy." I gulped and did not have to answer. That girl is a fast learner and I was caught again. The heat was building so she said let's call it a hunt because I have things to do that are easier than melting in a blind. She was laughing and said next year, pops. And that was that. What can I say she even had learned my last line. All in all it was a great hunt.
The decision made, I bought a license. It ended up being used 1/2 day unless my granddaughter changes her mind AGAIN. Being 17 with a boyfriend does change the importance of hunting with pops.
The night before I got a response from an owl hoot call so I was a little hopeful. Mistake one, I did not hear the alarm. When the granddaughter arrived she turned on the light and up I came. I made a few suggestions as to gear and out she went to set up the blind. I grabbed a pop, some cold pop tarts, my calls, and the shot gun I was using, a .410 single and down the trail I went with my rollator. My granddaughter had my 12 and after a couple of reviewing demonstrations on how to load and eject [at camp] (This was her first turkey hunt, but she had gone on deer and small game hunts with me.) she had been good to go.
My arrival was about 15 minutes later than I hoped. Zoe had everything set up for me. Not being fully with it, I made a little more noise than I should have. Luckily Zoe thought it was funny so she forgave me.
We let the woods get quiet and then I went with my morning call. Nothing, no response so I went with some soft purrs and feeding calls. Still nothing but I whispered now we wait for awhile. That gave me more time to munch on the pop tart and take a swig or two from the pop. During which time Zoe whispered, "Is this like deer hunting now." I knew what she meant. Nothing would show up but squirrels, birds, and MAYbe
a turkey while we took turns napping, She propped herself up and waited with drooping eyes.
Then I began with some medium clucks and feeding calls, repeated a couple of times, and ended with some purrs. We had a short wait during which I caught the eye from Zoe. She looked back out with an exasperated sigh and in came running one large coon. Her eyes got large as she watched the antics of the coon which soon went off to the swamp below the ridge. Zoe tilted a little and shielded her eyes with her hats as that is what a good hunter does.
I worked my slate and box calls into some competing clucks and yelps and then went down into some softer feeding calls. A few minutes later 4 deer walked in about 80-85 yards out and the largest doe laid down behind a large tree that was down. Zoe now figured out that I call deer when turkey hunting and turkeys when deer hunting. She was learning. Then a tom showed itself and got her attention. The tom was about 20 yards to the right of the sleeping doe and it came up within 100 yards. The worst then happened as hens began calling to the north, northwest, and to the south. The tom stopped dead, was silent, spun around and gave the Oh Boy what now look. Zoe wanted to shoot but I whispered too far. I gave some soft purrs and the hen in the north yelped. The tom looked as if he had enough and he drifted back due west.
The woods went quiet and so did Zoe as she put her feet up began some serious napping. After 20-30 minutes I began doing some feeding and clucking calls which I then followed with yelps that imitated those hens. I then did something I normally do not do, I finished with a couple of higher pitched gobbles. I went silent and contemplated a nap myself. Just about then a tom came in from the northwest. My hat went over to Zoe which woke her up (I have to give her credit as she didn't startle or jerk up.) I Pointed and she looked but a tree and some small saplings were blocking her view. The tom stopped about 85 yards out at the top of a ravine. It just refused to move no matter what I did so I went silent. It never gobbled. After 4 or 5 minutes it turned and went back the way it came. Zoe was fit to be tied so she said she was taking matters into her hands. Upon taking my push button call she went out to try to stalk the tom. She did a respectable job with the call using it now and then to let the tom know that his date was coming. (Zoe had done a fairly good job of stalking a deer on one of our deer hunts so I let her make her decisions.)
I decided to call back every now and then but the tactic did not work. She came back tired but with a smile. "I didn't quite get it done pops but I tried." She then gave me the LOOK (inherited from grandmomma) and said, "Do you think it would have made a difference if you had not forgotten the decoy." I gulped and did not have to answer. That girl is a fast learner and I was caught again. The heat was building so she said let's call it a hunt because I have things to do that are easier than melting in a blind. She was laughing and said next year, pops. And that was that. What can I say she even had learned my last line. All in all it was a great hunt.