Yesterday was opening day in RI. Hunted on public land, out before sun up trying to locate a gobbler. No response to the locator calls, so I set up and started calling where I had seen some sign while scouting. Nothing. Moved several times, no response to locators or to blind calling. On the way back towards the truck, I set up again near the first spot, finally, one gobble. Nothing again for 5 minutes, then one more gobble. 15 minutes passed, nothing. I was about to move, when I get one more gobble. This bird was working me! Nothing for another 30 minutes. I was about to move again, and guess who gobbles again. Finally, I got this bird talking. Multiple gobbles. All of a sudden, I hear something crash through the woods. Here come two dogs with orange collars heading straight towards the bird! There was a guy on a mountain bike on a trail about 75 yards away who must have had his dogs out for a run (guess he didn"™t see the signs saying that dogs must be leashed"¦). Figured it was all over, but guess who started gobbling again 5 minutes later? He gobbled pretty good for about another 15 minutes without taking another step closer. Finally, he just quit talking. 30 minutes later, time to move.
I went to the spot where I bagged my first gobbler last year. Again, no response to locator calls, but I set up and started calling softly anyway. I heard a bird fly down and caught the black shape coming down about 50 yards behind my deke. I figured it"™s game time! I didn"™t see or hear anything more for the next 10 minutes. He circled around and started gobbling behind me! I called him in to about 40 yards, but couldn"™t move to face him. He gobbled with every purr from Ol"™ Yeller, but wouldn"™t take a step closer. He was strutting behind some small pines, I was facing the wrong way, and had no chance for a clear shot. I probably should have stopped calling to get him to move closer, hopefully see my deke and pass me, but I couldn"™t resist answering his gobbles. He continued to alternately strut and gobble his head off for about 30 minutes or so. Finally, he started moving, and looked like he was going to head my way. He moved behind some trees, and I was able to get my gun up. I waited for him to step out, but he never did. I yelped a few times on my diaphragm to try to coax him along, but he turned and started heading back to where he was strutting. Safety off, I had one chance of getting him in a small opening, but I was twisted like a pretzel and didn"™t want to chance crippling him, so I let him pass. Then I experienced my first alarm puts, cluck"¦ cluck"¦ cluck"¦ as he"™s walking away. After a minute or so, he returned my calls with gobbles, but never came back and he eventually shut up. It was about 12:30 now, and legal shooting hours are done at 1:00, called it quits.
Went back today. Checked multiple locations and didn"™t hear a gobble. No response to locators or to blind calling. It started raining pretty good, but I kept at it. Finally called it quits about 9:00. I didn"™t get my bird last year until my 3rd day out, which was the second Saturday of the season. Maybe 3rd time will be a charm this time around as well. Sorry for the long post, but I"™m sure those who read this far are more interested in the story than my wife!
My wife used to ignore my turkey tales, too. Then I convinced her to come along and she shot one. Now we " compete for air time" on our hunting tales!!!
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Peace.
"Always do the right thing- this will gratify some and astonish the rest."-- Mark Twain
RI Opening Day (no turkey dinner yet)
