Been watching this spot for a while now in one of my favorite orchards to hunt.
Birds usually work their way up a hill from the north. So I built a ground blind right under one of the pear trees a couple days ago with the idea of hunting with my ghillie to intercept the flock going to roost.
As I was pulling in the orchard I saw the turkeys just coming out into the orchard at the bottom of the hill...I'd have to hurry to beat them to my blind!
I double timed it to the blind and got geared up quicker than ever. I also had an idea to put a single hen decoy behind me to draw the birds past me close. I've never had birds come in from that direction, so I didn't worry about the fact that I wasn't set up to shoot toward that way.
The direction I expected the birds to come from...
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The decoy behind me...
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I'd been sitting on the edge of my seat just waiting for the birds to show as any second when I caught movement.
4 deer were headed for me. I thought..."boy this might get interesting"...
The lead doe was a big ol' gal, and she had the scrawniest looking spike I've ever seen(about 1 " on one side, and 2" on the other), and two big fawns trailing behind. They were all passing about 15yds to my left. She looked at me once and never even hesitated, she was fooled. But she locked right on to the decoy behind me!
As she moved closer behind me, the last deer in line caught me trying to get my camera going. When it saw me, he(button buck) started walking straight at me...and he just kept coming...closer...closer....closer...I couldn't get my camera going with the gloves I was wearing!
Just when I thoug he was coming into the blind with me, about 4 ft, he got a whiff of where I'd walked to get into the blind, wheeled and bolted away....Talk about an exciting encounter!!!
Not 5 minutes later, the turkeys showed about 60yds. away meandering around.
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For some reason, known only to them, they never came all the way up the hill to where I was waiting.
They walked back down the hill after a while. As they walked away, I started to call to try and turn them around. But they just kept going....
I called on and off for about 10 minutes, hoping their curiousity would get to them and they'd come check out the source of the calling, see the decoy behind me and be sucked right into my "trap".
Little did I know what was going on behind me. Ya know, the place where turkeys "never" come from :knothead: .
I'd looked down at my phone and saw I had a text. I checked it, and as I put it back, glaced back behind me......there was probably 20 birds about 15yds. behind me standing looking at the decoy!!!
But the lead hen had caught my movement! There was no way I could shoot back that way anyway. As they started moving off slowly, not spooked a bit, I tied to call to them but they'd already checked out the decoy, and the hen had seen "something"...they continued off...
That was pretty much it except for one more deer that passed by about 50yds. away.
What a hunt! All the turkeys, and the closest on-the-ground deer encounter I'd ever had!
This ghillie is awesome!
I sure feel that this weekend the luck will run out for at least one bird in those flocks. Time will tell...
Tomorrow.
Good luck to you this weekend sir! i bet that got your pulse rate up a bit!
....you still look like swamp thing.. :)
Just a pair of eyes floating around is pretty spooky. :D
The ghillie may be the next big thing! Sounds like a cool hunt Bro! :thumbsup:
Nice afternoon Curt.You look a little like a green yhetti in that sweet ghille suit that you made.This might be a real bad weekend to be a turkey,or a smallmouth.Glen
Nice, ya can Thank me for text most likely as I saw the photo of you in the text ya just sent me and about jumped out of my skin!!(LOL) Sounds like good times and the Ghillie monster is gonna score soon! Shawn
Good luck with them Curt !I have been toying with the idea of getting a ghillie suit . I have some leafy wear that I don't feel confident with . I like to hear them breathing !
QuoteOriginally posted by Guru:
What a hunt! All the turkeys, and the closest on-the-ground deer encounter I'd ever had!
This ghillie is awesome!
I sure feel that this weekend the luck will run out for at least one bird in those flocks. Time will tell...
:pray: Prayers going out for it to be, but turkeys can be fickle creatures...
On the ground with the ghillie makes fer some close encounters and Sensory Overload!!! Glad it's going well for you... But I think one of them deer woulda been in trouble if'n it were me, Wish you lotsa luck!!!
what an exciting hunt! coincidently, i just ordered a ghillie poncho not an hour ago! hope i have such luck myself! thanks for sharing.
Kennyb
Good Hunt Guru. RC
:clapper: :clapper: way to go Bro.
Still, that's heart pumping stuff right there! Great hunt!
Great hunt :thumbsup:
It's a whole new hunting experience in a ghuillie huh Guru?
It's about as close to feeling invisible that I can imagine or experience, is it the same feeling for you?
Thanks for sharing your hunt with us.
God bless,Mudd
Thanx fellas...yes it's almost like being invisible!
*********** edit ********
I forgot about the 2nd spike that walked by my after evrything had calmed down. I'd gotten up to stretch my legs and I heard something over my left shoulder and here comes about a 6" spike walking parallel to me. He was passing by about 15yds away. When he got into the line of pear trees I was in I sat down real quick before he came out the other side.
He was clueless to me being there. I tried to get my camera into position to take a pic, but he was out of site before I could.
Anybody ever notice how much bigger deer look at ground level?? ;)
By the way...deer season isn't open yet here... only reson that first big doe got a free pass.... :dunno:
Sounds like a great time.
Very cool Curt. Sounds like you need a little cam-corder on a tri pod. That would of been some awsome video of that spike.
WoW Curt,I like your gillie!
Good Gosh Ghillie! Did you make that one Curt? What camera are you taking pics with? Good luck, bro!
Guru,
Deer do seem to look Bigger at ground level especially if you are sitting down...I had some within 5 yards and had some little ones a few years back poke there head in a V pattern of a Oak tree that recently fell that year That I used as a blind and nearly stuck it's nose on my Broadhead...Never winded me and I wasn't in a Silly suit..I meant Gilly suit but want to make one someday...Is yours homemade?
Curt, how is that add on bow ghillie working out. Thinking of adding one to my rig.
ChuckC
:thumbsup: Cool!
Yes, I did make this one guys...
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000113
The bow ghille blind is working well Chuck. It's something I'll probably just use for turkeys though. When I hunt deer I'll go without it.
Camera is a Panasonic DMC-TZ3, been using these for over two years now...awesome little camera!!
Did you make that Ghillie?
Awesome Curt.
I've got a spot in a broken brush field. I've watched numerous big bucks walk past this small clump of cedars in the past. I was thinking of trying the Chia Pet aproach myself on them. Good job Curt ya convinced me.
i like the looks of your guillie suit mr curt, i also liked your build-a-long.i definately need to look into making one or purchasing one for myself.ive had several close encounters with deer already this season. i think i would have been able to harvest a deer sooner if i had a better camo system. im not a fan of the gloves though, sometimes it gets so hot here.i'll have to find a remidy for that though. great stuff though hope it works well for you, ruddy
Kurt I cut off the tips of the glove fingers I use for camera and texting. Makes it so much easier.
Curt- I've been flirting with getting/building a ghillie suit for a while- since I talked to Charlie after he used one for antelope a couple years back. This yarn may have done it,lol. Any suggestions on optimum shadinfg and colors. Grant
Grant, I just went kind of neutral with mine, some greens and some tan/browns.