Strut&Rut

I have permission to hunt 300 acres 5 minutes from my house. Because my wife is 7+ months pregnant, I've been hunting these parcels instead of the 200+ acres 30 miles away. First day I drive to hunt the larger parcel, to find 3 other guys---who I met today---were already there. I swung around and hunted the smaller piece by myself. Got setup on some birds, but they decided they would rather walk around with the hens... One of the guys I met today harvested a decent tom there on day 2, 20+# with an 8" beard and no spurs. I slept in with a migraine....

Day 3 found me back at the farm, with birds working, only to have a coyote bust through the setup, without a chance at a bird or the dog [:@] Saturday was horrific weather, gusts to 30mph with heavy rain...I panned the fields and basically never left the truck.

This morning, I finally get to hunt the larger parcel myself, and get close to some birds on the roost. They pitch down away, and I work them back with the jake gobble tube and some clucks/purrs. I go quiet, and then after 15 minutes (~6:30) I hear a soft cluck about 50 yards in front of me...and a hen materializes soon after. I immediately hear a gobble, and there the big boy is about 60 yards out, full strut following the hen into my lone decoy. Swwweeeeeet...

Out of nowhere, the hen looks to her right (I'm on the left), putts once, clucks and runs back to the gobbler. I was like, "Hmmmm, knew I should have left that damn decoy in the truck." But then the hen clucks and the gobbler lets loose with a roar, so I'm like, "What the hell is going on..."

When lo & behold, out of the bushes, not more than 20 yards away scampers a large male Fisher cat, obviously looking for chipmunks. He proceeds to not only investigate the decoy, but scamper after the turkeys and then try and decipher what I am... I scared him off at 5 feet with a pine stick. Cute little guy though, played hide-n-seek behind a large boulder with me for about 5 minutes...but damn!

I've been on the snide for over a year, and I'm starting to go nuts. Dogs, coyotes, cats, other hunters, and now fisher cats?! I'm about to my wits ends...although I did meet the other guys that are hunting the property, who nicely informed me that 3 jakes were harvested on youth day, and they all tagged out within 2 days last year. This year won't be so easy it seems...

Anyone else out there feel like they're not only dealing with henned up toms, but also the sun/moon/stars and cosmic forces?!

MassHntr

Last year I had 5 straight set-ups busted... but by other hunters. No critters. At least you were able to work some birds. Take a camera. That way you'll never see anything worth photographing, and you'll be all set. I got blown off the field Saturday, too. And with the wind and rain, the toms aren't talking up here. There's always tomorrow...

And best to your patient wife...

X Legion General

It is tough to blow off one busted set up and not think about for days. I think I would be going nuts too if I was in your shoes. I guess all you can do is keep going out and trying, at least as long as you are still sane.
Good luck. Hope you get a bird.

jepcho

Keep on em. It'll happen sooner or later. Good luck and make sure to let us know if you get one.