Got a story for you hunting fans.
I live and die for spring turkey season. Truly obsessed. The opening day, yesterday, I always go with a buddy. We were successful in spite of the rain and had a good hunt with a dead turkey for him by 7am. Then we sat in the rain the rest of the day trying to get me a bird without success.
This morning, I was on my own. I knew exactly where I wanted to go. I had scouted a gobbling bird on a particular ridge early Saturday morning before season and figured he would be back there and hopefully gobbling.
I parked the truck about 6 am and waited for dawn to show its first light. Then started with the owl call. Shortly there was a bird gobbling exactly where I had expected him to roost. I put the sneak on and was able to set up on the crest of the ridge within about 75 yards from the constantly gobbling bird. I carefully set up a jake and hen decoy and found a seat against a large tree with a downed snag next to me for cover. I even cut a few sprouts for more cover. I quietly made 2 yelps with my trusty slate which were drowned out by a barrage of gobbles. I figured that was enough and continued my preparations getting settled in to wait for the bird to fly down.
I had hardly put the call down when I heard a familiar sound. It was the drumming of a very excited tom turkey...then more drumming and spitting...Holy crap! He's on the ground and close. I didn't even hear him fly down! Then he gobbled! He can't be more than 60 yards away! As I strained through the brush for a glimpse of the bird his drumming and spitting and gobbling got even closer. Then he gobbled to the right of the decoys and he was in view and gun range. A jake with a barely visible beard. Good enough for me; at least for the first bird of the season. He was in full strut and I chuckled at the site. I was really enjoying this.
As he stepped behind a red oak, I turned and raised my gun. When he came out from behind the oak at 35 yards, he came out of his strut and was met by the 3.5 inch number 5 shot 12 gauge I uncorked on him. He did a back flip and flopped a couple times. I got up and headed toward him as I have heard of birds running off and wanted to get my hands on him. After I took about 5 steps something passed me on the right and ran up to the bird. It was a damn coyote trying to get off with my jake! I was caught totally off guard and didn't know what to do for a few seconds. Then I decided that if that coyote wanted my bird, he'd have to earn it and with a little persuasion from my 12 gauge he decided to leave the bird alone.
When I approached the turkey, he was still showing some signs of life, so I did the obligatory victory dance on his head. I stood there for a couple minutes soaking up what had just happened. I looked at my watch...it was only 6:20 am. All of this took less than 20 minutes. I have worked gobbling turkeys for hours before. Well, it was time to get on with the bragging so I got my phone out. The turkey was laying on his back with his feet in the air. I usually position them on their chest for photos but thought his pose would work just fine. When I took the picture the flash went off which annoyed me because the cover on my phone interferes with the flash and makes the picture grainy. But I noticed that when the flash went off, the turkey blinked!
Before I could pocket the phone, the bird flipped over on his chest. Holy shit...he still isn't dead?! I looked around for something to club him with but my gun was to far away. I decided to stomp his head and when I tried...he jumped up!
Faster than my brain could even comprehend what the hell was going on the bird put 50 yards between us. He was running like a clumsy, half drunk world-class sprinter. I couldn't believe he would go far...after all he was dead! I began to run after him. Then the turkey that I started out after in the first place, that had been watching the whole deal from his bedroom in the tree, decided to fly off adding insult to insult. The "dead" turkey swiftly ambled out of site over the side of the hollow. I followed but to no avail. I was duped by a opossum playing jake turkey.
Didn't want to have to clean the damn thing anyway. 'Remshot'
