Waking up Saturday morning to another fresh blanket of snow was not what I was hoping for. This year’s late snow seems to have really changed the bird’s movements and breeding phase. Wisconsin’s first season is always my favorite. Most years, the hens are just starting to nest and the toms are very susceptible to some aggressive hen calling. This year was a different story. While I found some vocal birds, they still were know where near as far along in the breeding stage as in normal years. I had learned a few things during last weeks youth hunt which really helped me make a game plan for this hunt. I started scouting every place I could think of with a good south facing slope and open strutting areas near by. Really, any place that was free of snow was what I was looking for. I roosted some birds in a few different locations during the week and pretty much had my plans set until I ran across a large flock of birds Friday evening. I watched them fly up and decided then to change game plans and set up on them the following morning. Friday evening, I studied google maps and basically picked the exact spot I wanted to sit. There was a rouge pine standing in the field and I wanted to be sure I was within 60 yards of it to use as a shooting reference. With a few quick key strokes, I had my GPS marked with where I wanted to set up.
Saturday morning I arrived a good hour and a half before sunlight. I snuck down the hill and quietly made my way along the field. As I got close to where I wanted to be, I turned my GPS on inside my jacket pocket and waited for it to acquire signal. Mean while I listened to hear any bird movement still in the roost. I covered the face of my GPS and shoved it inside my jacket. I buried my head in my jacket to see the screen. I was still quite a ways from where I had marked my spot the night before. I crept along the last 25 yards and ducked in the pines right where I had my waypoint. I set up one pine row in from the field edge and waited for first light.
It wasn’t long before I could hear birds calling softly from the same place I had seen them the night before. Just as it was getting light enough to see out in the field I ranged the lone pine at 55 yards. I was thankful for the snow by now. It helped me sneak in quietly and aided in ranging well before I normally could have.
By legal shooting hours, I still hadn’t heard a gobble and was a little nervous as I heard birds fly down. I called out a few soft yelps just to see if I could coax the birds on the ground my way but I got no response. I waited a few minutes and called a little louder. I was immediately answered back with three gobbles. I let all three birds feed off each other for the next few minutes. As soon as one gobbled they all chimed in. Pretty soon, they were past the point of double and triple gobbles and it was a free for all. I just sat there and held in my laugh. It’s funny they could breath in between gobbles. Soon they all pitched down and landed in the open CRP grass. This was the exact opposite direction I wanted them to go. I aggressively and loudly yelped a few times and they were on their way. One made his way in behind me. He was so close I couldn’t move. He was spitting and drumming and answering every gobble his two companions belted out. Those two had made their way up through the pines and were walking right down the field edge directly to me. They walked past the lone pine strutting and fighting for the lead position as they postured their way into 30 yards. At 25 yards, the front bird broke strut and made a 90 degree turn for the woods. As the second bird followed suit, I decided it was time finish the hunt. I had already watched them display and gobble like crazy, I had another tom directly behind me spitting and drumming so close I could feel it in my chest, and now I had a 25 yard chip shot off shooting sticks. I couldn’t have drawn it up any better! I pulled the trigger and the bird immediately tipped over backwards. I pumped the gun, got up and ran in his direction. I had one row of pines to maneuver before I entered the field and when I cleared it, there was no bird! I ran to the feathers still floating in the air just to catch a glimpse of the two toms flying out the other end of the pine plantation. I ran through the pines hoping to see which direction they flew but seen nothing. I stood there in disbelief. How in the word did that bird take 2 ounces of #6 and fly off? I walked back to where I shot and assessed the scene. I want to be 100% sure he wasn’t laying close by and the birds I had seen fly were different birds. I found nothing but two sets of tracks. I stood where the bird was and ranged my seat at 24.5yds. Upset, I sat back down in my seat and played it over in my head. The last thing I ever want to do is wound an animal. I picked up my seat and decided to just head in the direction they flew. I had the rest of the day to track him down and there was plenty of snow to do if I could just find where he landed.
As I cleared the pines, I followed a dozen or so running tracks which must have been made by the rest of the flock. They all started to turn to the right and head up the hill so I paused for a moment before following.
Out of the corner of my eye I caught movement. All of a sudden a tom gets up 10’ from me and starts to take flight. I pull up fighting to get my glove off and pull the trigger only to hear “CLICK”! Apparently, I short stroked the gun after I had shot and never cycled a new round. I quickly pumped the gun again and got one quick shot off. He continued to fly but I could see he was about to land just out of sight.
Feeling now that the game was definitely not over, I ran down to where I last saw him and snuck around the corner. I could see 25 yards ahead where he landed and made his way back into the pines he was roosted in earlier. Now I was really happy to have snow! I tracked him for 20 yards where he dropped into a small rock quarry. I slid down the steep bank into the middle of the quarry where the tracks disappeared. I thought maybe he had taken flight again when I caught movement against the quarry wall… There he was hiding on a ledge just big enough for him to stand on. I quickly backed up and with one final shot I had my bird.
The relief I had was like nothing I have felt before. From the ups and downs the morning had given me I was never so happy to have the hunt over.
I share the full details of this hunt as a learning reference. This hunt will change the way I think in the future. Obviously, my shot was not perfect. I will not blame the gun, the shell, the shooting stick, or anything else. A shot at 10 yards needs to be taken just as serious as on at 1000 yards. This is something I have learned from and will not repeat. I am now questioning whether I should have jumped up and ran to the bird as I have done since I started hunting turkeys or if I should have stay sitting and readied for a follow up shot.
As much as I dislike pointing out my mistake, I would like to point out my persistence. I could have just walked back towards my truck and went after the gobbler going crazy just across the road. Instead, taking the extra initiative to walk in the basic direction the bird headed put him in my freezer. No matter how poor the shot is, take the time to pursue the animal. It just might be closer than you think.
Picture 1 explains it’s self
Picture 2 is where he landed and I tracked him
Picture 3 is a clear picture of the ledge he flew up on. If you look close you can see the bark missing from the small popple he was trying to hide behind.
Good Luck!
Jon Stevens
To staying on the bird and not giving up.
