I managed to pull off an un-intended quick sneak in the other direction while trying to call in a Tom for Batchief909 on Thursday. 8-) Unfortunately, the rain and front moved in and shut the birds up completely. I was unable to put Batty on another hot Tom but there are weeks left in the season. Batty didn't like getting up at 2AM for the 3.5 hour drive to my honey hole but we heard several Toms ins pretty much all directions at sunrise. 8-)
Batty and I were hunting in my Indiana honey hole on a field edge where I have killed several adult Toms. We set out a simple hen decoy and waited. After Toms started gobbling on their own, I began to call on my newly acquired SS Custom Calls pot call and scratch box. Hard gobbles everywhere, especially directly in front of Batty and I. 8-)
I decided to move and motioned to Batty (I found out later that Batty never saw or heard me get up and move). My plan was to yelp while walking away from behind Batty and draw the Tom right into him. Waiting for what I thought would surely work, Toms gobbled closely right over my left shoulder. I laid down on the ground immediately and called again. The Tom in front of Batty gobbled and so did "more than one" directly over the small rise in the pasture that blocked my vision.
I kept calling and the Toms kept answering so I thought my calling might serve a dual-purpose: pull Jeff's Tom in and bring a Tom to the rise where I was hiding in some old weeds. After ditching my turkey vest, I crawled into a smal "tuft" of weeds that allowed enough of a vantage point for me to see. Two strutters and a subordinate Tom with around 8 hens. All were just milling around in the corn-stubbled field in the "bowl" portion of the field. About 90 yards out so I called a little with a pleading yelp and a kee-kee and the hens drew closer. 8-)
Like the ornery boys they are, the Toms followed in tow to about what I guess-timated as "50 yards." I waited until the strutter popped out of strut and craned to see what was kee-keeing over the hill (me). I fired and missed. Quickly seeing mudd fly up, I knew the shot was a little short for my "dead on at 40 yards" Gold shotgun. :oops: The Toms flew a couple yards straight up in the air but did not run off!
They could not determine which direction the shot was coming from and stayed in the "bowl" section of the field pretty much in the same spot.
I knew I had mere seconds before they figured the situation out so I locked the EOTech back down on the strutter's head and elevated my reticle 2 inches over the top of his head and fired again. Straight down he went and the flock scattered! I walked out to find the number 5 Hevi-13 had pulverized this 2-3 year old Tom. I walked back to my hiding spot and disovered that 57 paces was a longer shot but fooled my eyeballs. I met up with Batty and told him the story. I was happy but probably not more happy since my calling did not pull the hard gobbling Tom to the decoy Batty was setup near.
Batty and I continued to hunt 3-4 different spots until around noon when we left the field (Batty's back was really hurting him). Hopefully, Batty can go out again Sunday with me and whack a 20+ pound Tom!
I know we didn't get you a Tom that morning Batty but I will keep taking you until we do!
I hope you had some fun anyway!
The SpecificsSpecies: Meleagris gallopavo silvestris (Eastern Wild Turkey)
Date of Harvest: 04/22/09
Time of Harvest: 8:40 AM
Temperature: 65°F
County of Harvest: Jefferson County (IN)
Shotgun: 2004 NWTF 3.5" Browning Gold MOBU w/ 24" barrel
Sight: MONBU EOTech Model 552 Rev. F Holographic Sight decorated by Camo-Solutions
Choke: 2" Extended Indian Creek .665" Black Diamond Strike with IWCT
Load: 3.5" Hevi-13 2 1/4 oz. number
5sShot Distance: 57 yards (paced)
Call: SS Custom Calls Cherry/Cedar scratch box (Josh) and SS Custom Calls Wormy Ambrosia Maple Crystal over Glass
Decoy: None.
Turkey's Weight: 21 lbs. 0 oz.
Left Spur: 0.87 inches (22 mm)
Right Spur: 0.87 inches (22 mm)
Beard Length: 9.50 inches (thick paintbrush beard )
NWTF Score is 21 + 8.7 + 8.7 + 19 =
57.4
