|
|
Talk about stretching the limits! It was the last day of the extended fall turkey season 2002 and I had yet to even SEE a turkey! I had heard several turkeys the first day but was unable to get them to come in. Several other trips yielded similar results. My usual turkey trips find me travelling to Bedford County here in Pennsylvania. However, I would be spending the final weekend in my home county of Allegheny. My usual turkey hunting partner, my brother Mark, would be joining me at noon. We first decided to check out a spot near his home both for turkeys and to see how the deer were moving for the upcoming deer season. That trip yielded no turkey sightings but some valuable info on deer movements. We then traveled to one of Mark's favorite spots. We had stopped and listened for turkeys there several times in the spring and even saw a hen there once, but this is a spot that Mark likes so I hesitantly went along. We separated about 2 to 3 hundred yards and began our walk through the woods to try and locate some birds. It was nearly 3 PM when we started so things would have to happen fairly soon as shooting time ends around 5 PM. I had walked into a hollow and was trying to cross a creek when I slipped and fell into the water... Boy was I mad! I was wet and muddy and had almost decided that I was just going to turn around and sit in the car. I walked a bit further onto an old road and was looking around when I heard a faint soft yelp... I thought I was imagining things, but decided to make a call anyway... To my surprise my yelps were met with a definite response! It was just a short series of yelps... but it was something. I scrambled a bit towards the calling turkey and set up in front of a BIG tree. I called softly with short series of yelps and heard TWO respond. One clucked and the other made a short series of yelps. At that moment I thought perhaps they might be gobblers... but was unsure. I clucked and purred and surely one turkey was moving closer! I waited a bit and softly yelped. A moment or two later he responded with a cluck. I waited. A few more calls between us and I could see him moving through the trees. No more need to call he was walking straight to me. He stopped behind some brush and I made a soft purr and he continued walking. At fifteen yards he stepped into the open and I took a fine bead on him and my season ended with a bang! It was 4 o'clock! Just one hour before the end of the season! That was cutting it close! My trophy weighed 18.5 pounds, had a 10" beard and 1 1/8" spurs. Another memorable turkey hunting trip for my brother Mark and I and a fall long beard that fell to my call.
Fall long beards are among the most challenging quarry to a hunter and to call one in is even MORE of a challenge. Long beards, old gobblers, are less gregarious and tons more wary than the fall family flocks usually encountered. After being broken up they may not try to get back together for a day or two... and then you may only hear a cluck or a short yelp as they approach cautiously scanning the terrain. To take a fall gobbler a hunter must have the perfect set up so the turkey has to come within gun range before seeing the area where the call is coming and exercise the patience of Job.