A great morning of Gobbling in the Manistee National Forest this morning, from 6:00 till 9:00.
I had positioned myself between a number of Roosted Gobblers and worked them gently. It seemed that a good number of them worked me too, never hanging up, but circling my location and Gobbling, on a hasty retreat. With the last Gobble coming from less than 70 yards across the two-track I was working from about 9:00 AM, a "gruffy old hen" (whom's yelp I must say, Made me Mighty Proud of My Shallow Rio Long Boxes Sound) intercepted the seaking Tom Turkey. Knowing my limitations, I let nature take its coarse, knowing that I could duplicate her yelp in an hour or two.
I retreated back to my vehicle a mile up the two track for a breakfast of leftover pizza and surmised the plot book. I had realized that I had been working the birds in the same manner everyone else had over the past week and a half. With sparse pieces of private ground, we play it safe and call from the main drag to keep from trespassing. A good plan but the Gobblers seamed to have it figured. After a short break and scout further up the trail I returned to my original position, but now I'm going on the Gobblers side of the line and around the private property that was initially questionable. Finding myself in much thicker cover than any one would care to Turkey hunt from and beginning to jump other critters I reluctantly positioned myself on the edge of a slight knoll. After a short break and a chew of home made jerky I gave a cadence of Yelps from my half finished Shallow Rio Butternut Long Box. Several minutes past before a Gobble rang out from about 300 yards. I immediately answered with three Cutts from a Pure Walnut, Shallow Rio Short Box... minutes pass, another Gobble, less than 200 yards, I wait several minutes. I give a few mild Yelps from the Long Box... minutes pass.. a squirrel chatters excitedly.. Gobbles just over the knoll, 60 maybe 70 yards out to my hard right. I carefully repositioned, sitting on my right hip leaning against the tree... A White Head...thick brush.. another White Head and another. They seam to want to continue past, I carefully reach down with my left hand, rest my thumb against the lid of my Walnut Short Box and gently tap a peep using my fingers. That's all it took to turn them and I opted for the first open shot at 40 yards. Dealings done 11:15 AM. He wasn't the biggest one of the three, but it felt a lot like the Good Ole Days when the 7 1/2 inch beard he sported was the average.
Call a little, Wait a Lot, Stephen Twork
Shallow Rio Custom Calls
Nothing other than a Shallow Rio Box Call was used in this hunt.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...owrio/3843.jpg
A Classic Hunt
