I forgot to mention in response to M12 Shooter’s “Black on White” photo essay, (yesterday), that MI turkey season begins today. My spring turkey season ended at 0830 this morning when a bird that took 50 minutes to call in (there’s a reason for that, I think) decided to try to be slick and take a route to my decoys through the wood line to my right instead of walking down the road directly or by way of the blueberry bushes on the left, where he had been strutting for a long time. He came through the woods and directly in front of me; between me and the decoys—bad move (#4).
Initially only a couple of hens came by about 100 yards distant (#1). About an hour later, one tom began to strut and gobble back for the longest time, venturing only to within about 50 yards and in the bushes at that (I told the owner I would not shoot his bushes or sprinklers. Eventually he went back to 100 yards. DECOY NOTE: I purchased a new decoy a few weeks ago and this was the first time I used it. It was one of the free-wheeling jobs that swayed and spun around with every breeze, while the other two old decoys were fixed and did not move. I think it was the unnatural and rapid movements of the new decoy that spooked the tom and later, two (#2 & 3) of them causing them to remain at a distance. You experienced turkey hunters out there think that could have been the problem? Seems logical to me.
Otherwise a fine morning in fairly light clothing. Nice to not dress to look like the Michelin Man. Also, I’ve been using some of my son’s gear (pack, gear vest--#5) as a means of honoring him. In a week or two I’m going to take a friend’s son, aged 13, on his first turkey hunt. That way I’ll get more calling practice and he’ll (possibly) bag his first big bird (he’s a good trap shooter and has nailed some crows—good kid, eh?).
Good hunt! Thanks for the report. Looking forward to May 1 here. Not sure about the decoy spooking the gobblers. Maybe they were just chicken -- sorry, really bad joke.
