NC jakes
04-11-2005, 01:25 PM
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NC jakes
Saturday was opening day here in NC. My son successfully drew a public land youth hunt, and we got out early to make sure we got to the pre-determined spot where we knew there were a couple toms, at least.
It had rained through much of the night, and was blowing and drizzling as we waited for first light. Jared laid down on my poncho and took a snooze - but I am always too excited to sleep in these situations.
The rain ceased, but it was still breezy with thick overcast as gobbling time arrived. I woke Jared -- a pair of young ears are valuable -- to help me listen. We didn't hear any gobbles at all on the roost. So we got comfortable and I began some soft yelps. Immediately, a hen about 60-70 yards away answered me back, and we commenced to chit chatting.
It only took a couple of exchanges before a gobbler about 50 yards on the other side of the hen joined in the conversation. He gobbled about 6 times in the course of 10 minutes. They were EVER so slowly working our way.
Then, out of nowhere, some joker with a tinny sounding crow call tromped in, sounded off, and the hen flushed, heading for the next county, I presume. Hoping to forestall any additional incursions into my boy's hunt, I got up and walked in his direction, hoping to quietly ask him to stay away in that direction and come no closer, but the woods were thick and I couldn't quickly find him. Not wanting to stir the woods up any more than he had already managed to do, I went back to Jared where I called some more, hoping the hunter would hear me and stay away. But that was probably a mistake as I now believe my calling drew him to me rather than keep him away.
And the gobbler never gobbled again.
So, in an effort to get away fromm the clumsy hunter, we walked a ways to to pre-determined spot B, and set up hastily. My first series of yelps was answered by a jake. He was pretty close, and I was confident he would come to our nice, inviting location.
Then, out of nowhere we hear a large stick snap very close to where the jake was, and once again, the tinny sounding crow call.
Needless to say, the jake was also spooked and long gone.
So, feeling it was time to fold our hand, we picked up and headed out for a different location where I was pretty sure there would be no more jokers in the woods. It was still fairly early, about 8:00.
We had to walk quite a ways to the second location, and Jared was very glad to sit down. Our first set up (about 40 minutes) yielded no action, so we picked up and went further till we hit some VERY fresh sign (scratchings) from that morning.
Jared was tired of walking and got too comfortable. Within ten minutes of the commencement of my calling, I see some movement, and sure enough, a turkey is sneaking in quietly. I tell Jared to get ready, and he is painfully slow getting his gun up. Luckily the turkey didn't see him move, but Jared is already clicking off his safety, and I remind him that I'm not sure if it's a hen or not so be careful. He nods understanding, and then I see a second turkey.
They're slowly looking and pecking, and then stop, starting to turn around. So I cluck twice, one yelps back at me, and they resume coming our way. Then, I see the third turkey, and positively identify them all as nubby bearded jakes. I relay that info to Jared and he is VERY nervous.
As they get into gun range, I tell Jared to take one any time he has a good shot. He nervously asks which one, and I tell him whichever one he wants. Well, at this point he tells me that he thinks he is going to miss them! And so I encourage him to take careful aim and he'll get one.
At this point, the first jake sees us, and starts to quarter away a bit. He never putted, but did a nervous wing set and craned his neck trying to figure out what we were. The other two keep pecking around and maintained course. I encourage Jared to hurry and shoot one, and he mutters something under his breath. Several more seconds go by, and I encourage Jared again to shoot. He is obviously uncomfortable with the shot, and I am getting nervous about missing the chance.
Finally, Jared shoots, the front turkey runs off, the back bird flies, and the middle one just sits there. Jared stands up and the turkey runs off and Jared chases him with a second shot.
He was sick. So was I, but I tried to make him feel a little better by saying it happens to everybody.
I marked the distance off at about 25 yards. Oh well.
We go to one more area and set up, where either a gobbler or a jake yelped back at us. I think it was another jake. He never showed himself, but Jared thought he heard something walk in behind us. But I never saw him.
And the walk out through the blooming dogwoods, red buds, jasmine and wysteria ended this year's youth hunt.
Hal
It had rained through much of the night, and was blowing and drizzling as we waited for first light. Jared laid down on my poncho and took a snooze - but I am always too excited to sleep in these situations.
The rain ceased, but it was still breezy with thick overcast as gobbling time arrived. I woke Jared -- a pair of young ears are valuable -- to help me listen. We didn't hear any gobbles at all on the roost. So we got comfortable and I began some soft yelps. Immediately, a hen about 60-70 yards away answered me back, and we commenced to chit chatting.
It only took a couple of exchanges before a gobbler about 50 yards on the other side of the hen joined in the conversation. He gobbled about 6 times in the course of 10 minutes. They were EVER so slowly working our way.
Then, out of nowhere, some joker with a tinny sounding crow call tromped in, sounded off, and the hen flushed, heading for the next county, I presume. Hoping to forestall any additional incursions into my boy's hunt, I got up and walked in his direction, hoping to quietly ask him to stay away in that direction and come no closer, but the woods were thick and I couldn't quickly find him. Not wanting to stir the woods up any more than he had already managed to do, I went back to Jared where I called some more, hoping the hunter would hear me and stay away. But that was probably a mistake as I now believe my calling drew him to me rather than keep him away.
And the gobbler never gobbled again.
So, in an effort to get away fromm the clumsy hunter, we walked a ways to to pre-determined spot B, and set up hastily. My first series of yelps was answered by a jake. He was pretty close, and I was confident he would come to our nice, inviting location.
Then, out of nowhere we hear a large stick snap very close to where the jake was, and once again, the tinny sounding crow call.
Needless to say, the jake was also spooked and long gone.
So, feeling it was time to fold our hand, we picked up and headed out for a different location where I was pretty sure there would be no more jokers in the woods. It was still fairly early, about 8:00.
We had to walk quite a ways to the second location, and Jared was very glad to sit down. Our first set up (about 40 minutes) yielded no action, so we picked up and went further till we hit some VERY fresh sign (scratchings) from that morning.
Jared was tired of walking and got too comfortable. Within ten minutes of the commencement of my calling, I see some movement, and sure enough, a turkey is sneaking in quietly. I tell Jared to get ready, and he is painfully slow getting his gun up. Luckily the turkey didn't see him move, but Jared is already clicking off his safety, and I remind him that I'm not sure if it's a hen or not so be careful. He nods understanding, and then I see a second turkey.
They're slowly looking and pecking, and then stop, starting to turn around. So I cluck twice, one yelps back at me, and they resume coming our way. Then, I see the third turkey, and positively identify them all as nubby bearded jakes. I relay that info to Jared and he is VERY nervous.
As they get into gun range, I tell Jared to take one any time he has a good shot. He nervously asks which one, and I tell him whichever one he wants. Well, at this point he tells me that he thinks he is going to miss them! And so I encourage him to take careful aim and he'll get one.
At this point, the first jake sees us, and starts to quarter away a bit. He never putted, but did a nervous wing set and craned his neck trying to figure out what we were. The other two keep pecking around and maintained course. I encourage Jared to hurry and shoot one, and he mutters something under his breath. Several more seconds go by, and I encourage Jared again to shoot. He is obviously uncomfortable with the shot, and I am getting nervous about missing the chance.
Finally, Jared shoots, the front turkey runs off, the back bird flies, and the middle one just sits there. Jared stands up and the turkey runs off and Jared chases him with a second shot.
He was sick. So was I, but I tried to make him feel a little better by saying it happens to everybody.
I marked the distance off at about 25 yards. Oh well.
We go to one more area and set up, where either a gobbler or a jake yelped back at us. I think it was another jake. He never showed himself, but Jared thought he heard something walk in behind us. But I never saw him.
And the walk out through the blooming dogwoods, red buds, jasmine and wysteria ended this year's youth hunt.
Hal
