To say this was a lousy turkey season, would be too kind.   The weather here has been rainy, no monsoon-like.  We have been getting "inches" of rain almost daily.   And it has been cold.   So cold that I barely got my blind set up.  At first the snow would not melt.  Once the snow finally melted, the cold weather kept the frost in the ground, so I could not get my stakes in to hold the blind in place.  I finally secured it with some rocks a day or two before my season.  Wisconsin has weekly seasons in the spring and mine ran April 10th to the 16th.  I usually get it out weeks prior to the season.

Ok enough whining...but I had to set the stage that my first time out, was my last chance to get out as I abhor sitting in a wet blind at 33-34 degrees.  For me that damp cold is the nastiest combination there is...I would rather have 20 degrees and dry.   The damp - and the combination of the blind - makes for some bone chilling - no fun - cold.  So I didn't even get out until the 16th at 1:00 PM.    Most days, were horrible as I noted, and other days work or family kept me from hunting.  Tues. was even a last minute thing as the weather briefly broke and my work schedule opened up - so the afternoon was available.

   

With the lack of decent prep, I wasn't expecting much but a nice spring sit in the outdoors.  Again that has been long in coming, as the winter was long here too.

My plan is simple...set the blind in good spot, two Avian X decoys; one jake, one hen courtesy of Cabela bucks as I would have had a tough time justifying the cost straight-up, and lightly call every half hour until I get lucky or 4:30 rolls around when I have to go to my daughters soccer game.  Felt really good to be out and made me sad that this was the last of my season and realizing I was ever so close to missing it or just lucky that I didn't miss it.

Pick one I guess.

First call nothing...no big deal.   About 1:20 I hear something...not sure what it is...as several crows were close-by doing that crow thing...One piece of woodsmen-ship advice I never forgot is, if you ever hear a sound of something in the woods that sounds odd, and you really cannot place it, odds are very good that it came from a crow as they have an amazing amount of vocalizations.  I am sure that doesn't work 100%, but is sure works as a good rule-of-thumb.

QuoteOriginally posted by lt-m-grow:
if you ever hear a sound of something in the woods that sounds odd, and you really cannot place it, odds are very good that it came from a crow as they have an amazing amount of vocalizations.

I'd say that statement is spot on!

Waiting for more!

So I am hearing something that sounds like a cross between and hen and a gobble or more like a baritone hen.  Not mixed together, but from the same bird.   At first I thought she must be uuuuuggggly... but then I begin to wonder whether it was the crow...Right now, I am thinking the latter...though as the story plays out you may not think so, so feel free to let me know I am full of it, or at least full of it on this idea.

Anyway, not knowing what it is and being close enough to a turkey sound, I lightly call to "it".  On and off for about 10 minutes - we chat a bit - it more than me, by design.  I also hear one hen at a distance and in the same direction as the bird I was chatting with...so I figure the gig is up regardless.  So when the chatting stopped, I didn't think much about it and continued to enjoy the sit.

When the next half hour rolled around, I called again.  Didn't hear a thing...  In fact, as a sidebar, I have not heard a gobble yet this year.   I live in a wonderful place and always hear turkeys throughout the spring - March thru June at my house.    I don't know if it is the weather, but they are quiet this year - though I know they are around.   So getting back to the calls, I didn't really expect an answer anyway or at least a super vocal tom.

And then.......

   

About ten minutes later, I hear footsteps behind the blind.  When you look at the pictures, the back is up the hill into the woods.  I have all the ports closed in the back, and try not to peak back there as there isn't a shot there anyway.  BTW:  I have used this spot for the blind about the last three years, so I know the limits of the location fairly well.

The walking I hear I am sure is a turkey.  Good stuff, but thinking this is likely a hen as this is a prime dusting spot too.  Soon I hear a heavy footed stumble or at least it sounded like that and wonder if it is someone - a person - walking in the woods as it sounded that heavy.  I wait, again not peaking behind the blind, and  I hear a little more walking, a step or three.   Then a few more...waiting ...then I hear the awesome sound of the whoosh a tom makes going into full strut.  Excellent.

I have my bow up.  Have the bow shield on (look at pics).  Yes in the blind.  I bought it to try some running and gunning this year, but with the horrible weather that didn't happen.  When I went into the blind, I thought - what the heck  - leave it on, cannot hurt.  As it turned out, that was the case  I think it helped some, or made me think it helped some which has value as I had the window screens open (just like pics).

So finally I see the tom.  He is close. 8 yards or so as I set my decoy close.  He is focused on the jake deke.  His fan...it is junk and I am thinking, my first turkey with a longbow and it is ugly.  The fan had feathers missing and two were broke and bent forward.    Ohh well, not going to be picky and settle in to wait for a good shot.  As I wait, the tom is giving the deke the stink-eye.  The next I know, he lights into the deke and proceeds to show it who is the boss.  His first attack made me jump.  Fun stuff.   I wait for a shot hoping he spins some so I can draw.

He attacks several more times.  The Avian X is holding its ground. I am proud of it. :-)   BTW: this is off to the side of the blind, where the pictures are taken so kind of in my periphery versus straight in front of the blind.

 

Shoot straight, Shinken

 

Next I know there is another tom along with the first.  Then another and another.  Four mature toms together.  I have seen jakes do that, but not mature toms during the season.   Seems the first tom on the scene must have taken the brunt of the wrath of others, hence the  broken tail feathers.  He was obviously trying to find someone lower than him in the pecking order as all four were ok with each other but not with the deke.