Well, me and my dog had some good action Sunday afternoon. Around 4:30 PM, as I was just finishing cutting the clover along the edge of the dirt road down from my cabin, I spotted some turkeys in a small clearing. I put the pedal to the medal on the mower and went back to the cabin and grabbed my dog and hustled it back down the hill.
I was holding him by his collar, and just about there, told him Turkeys, turkeys, turkeys in an excited voice to get him fired up! We rounded the corner, and I saw a few birds, tried to get him in the general direction, and he immediately took off the other way towards where I first saw them. He started getting excited, nose to the ground just as I saw a bird hightailing it into the woods. Gage ran up and down the woodline about 40 ft., he then caught their scent, and I could hear the birds scurrying in the woods!
In after them he went, next thing there was putting and wingbeats and turkeys flying everywhere! He didn't really bark, just "yipped" a little, but he was running hard, and then 2 more birds flew right over top of me. There had to be at least 15 birds, and I know 2 of them were full grown hens. After we both settled down (I was pretty excited, heart was pounding), I went back to the cabin and grabbed a mouth call. I rounded up Gage, and we sat down by a big hemlock and waited for them to start calling. After about 45 mins.....nothing. I clucked and kee-kee'd a little bit more, then I started up hill and headed back to the cabin. As soon as I got to the dirt road and walking with Gage, I heard a whistle in the woods way above me, so I Kee-kee'd back. Then another, and another.
The turkeys started calling good, all around me, up the hill, below us and to my back. I sat down on a log with some high weeds around us, grabbed Gage, and we sat and I started calling again. The birds were answering really good, and now he was all fired up hearing them call so close. I had to restrain him pretty good by his collar so he wouldn't take off right after them. The brood hen started yelping right above me, about 80 yds or so, and the peepers were whistling to her and coming in fast. She was still calling her assembly yelp, and now the birds where calling eveywhere. They were right above me at the top of the ATV trail, so I quickly grabbed Gage and we hurried to the base of the trail. They were still calling above us, he was all perked up, looking straight up the trail, then I just said "Get the turkeys" and let him go, and off he went, as soon as he got up top he started barking good, heard wingbeats and putting and the birds were flying again all up in trees and down the hill!
After about 5 mins, he came back in, I said enough, and let them get back together before it was too late. To say I was "fired up" is an understatement. This fall is gonna be fun! So much for bow season....
