Well we had a good time and a great hunt this morning. It all started last night. I got a call from another turkey nut; Dan Grover. He had a friend to take out in the morning and could not get out to roost. Since they were going to let me tag along, I was eager to get out and try and find a tom to play with. I spent 2 hours driving around and did not see one bird. About 10 minutes before fly up time, I finally stumbled across a tom and 2 jakes fightingit out in a cornfield. I popped a squat and waited to see where they would go. Two minutes later, I noticed something coming out of the woods off to my right. It was a huge bobcat and he had turkey dinner on the mind. I jumped out and yelled at him. He never even took his eyes off the prize. I did however manage to scare the birds onto the roost. Whatever works, birds were in the tree. I called Dan to let him know what I had seen. He had hunted this tom before and knew all his tricks.
3:00 am Dan, myself and the hunter, Jarrett, met at Dans and got the all out toys ready. Well before daylight we tip toed across the filed and set up near a small island Dan knew of in the back corner of the cornfield. We had plenty of time to goof around, swap lies (hunting stories), and cut up. At about 5:00 a hen started calling from just off the field edge. I did a few light tree yelps with a slate call. The hen got all in a huff and triggered another hen off to our left. Within minutes it was like someone shook the turkey tree, because the fruit was falling everywhere. Several jakes and hens we now in the field and the tom was down and only about 120 yards back. I had not sanded the slate call and could not get it to yelp right, so I switched to a reed call. It did not take long and the jakes and hens were at 20 yards in the decoys. The Tom was in tow about 50 yards out.
Here is where it gets a little crazy. Two more hens flew down behind us and the tom was circling around to our right. He was going around the island. Jarrett could not get a shot as they were to far right. Those jakes in the decoys started looking pretty good. I could tell Jarrett was giving it some thought. So we made a move. I got on the ground so Jarret would have room to move around. I started calling very aggressive. The idea was to make noise to cover me unzipping the back window. It worked like a charm. The hens came right by us at 15 yards with big boy in tow. Jarrett steadied a bead and let lead fly. Dan was right, he can shoot. Bird was doing the upside down bicycle dance.
Jarrett's Tom was 21ln, inch spurs, and had a 9 inch beard.
Friut of the turkey tree
