The Hung Up Toms

Up north to another location was the plan.  After hunting just north of Fort Calhoun for ten years, the realization came that it was the spot not the hunter that had brought me so much success.  Just knowing the ground and where the birds hung out and their habits had brought a lot of success.  Nothing is static in the world and change is always taking place.  The ground to the east had been leased to a hunting company, and they were feeding the birds.  We all would go for a free meal if it were offered.

This is the spot where for ten years I had excellent success.  The birds came from the lower left of the picture and to the right or upon the dam and the upper right.  Note the young doe in the middle of the picture.  She is looking the wrong direction. I am on her left.

This is the spot where I sat and pushed myself up against the big tree.  For now, gone are the days.

The only reason this ground was not hunted more was the Fort Calhoun location was closer to home.  The farm north of Tekamah held more turkeys and deer.  Crop land surrounded the land, but it was exclusive for hunting by the owner and his select friends.  The land held an abundance of really big toms and the jakes were very very plentiful.

I set up right along a fence line that is not visible at the bottom of the picture.  You can see the type of terrain with woods on each side of a narrow valley.  The birds traversed this area from one side to the other. 

I got to the farm just before daylight and set up the decoys in a valley that opened up to a pasture.  Timber was on each side and the valley opened up wider to the east.  It ran east and west.  The activity was brisk and hens were clucking and the toms were starting to gobble as it slowly became light. 

The Double Bull Blind was pushed tightly back into the timber.  As the dawn began to peek into the valley, the noise became louder.  There must have been eight to ten toms gobbling away.  Grabbing my slate call, I gave some yelps and then a constant flow of cluck and purrs.  Straight across from me came a tom.  Off to my right a jake appeared, looked at the decoys, then decided to move on.  He was right in range and would have been a 15 yard shot.  The name of the game on that day was Big Tom.

By 8 AM it grew quiet.  Then it started up again around 9:30.  The toms were everywhere in the timber.  It was just impossible to count the number of locations that were heard.  The yelps from my slate call would help identify my location.  More jakes came by, but they were given the opportunity to live another day.  I guessed that the toms would come within about 15 yards from me, judging by the noise.  Hwever, they did not finish.  Something was wrong.

When it got quiet, the decoys were re-positioned and the same thing happened again.  Close, but they did not finish.  Around noon I took a break and decided to come back late in the afternoon.  It was a beautiful day for a nap in the woods after lunch.  It couldn't get any better than that.

Around 3 PM  everything was re-located and the waiting started.  It did not take long before more toms were heard gobbling behind and in front of me.  More jakes came by and they, like the first groups, were given a pass. How much generosity can a man have?  The toms would just not come out of the timber and stopped just short of my location.  I never saw one.  It was only by sound that their location was identified.

The tent is to the left and the decoys are spread out in front.  This is looking west.  As the sun moved lower it put the tent in the shadows and also made the decoys stand out.  Right at that time, I was ready to tell Pretty Boy he was fired.

By 6 PM my tent was folded, the decoys picked up, and I headed for home.

The landowner believed the toms were still on hens.  Later in the season hunting would improve after the majority of the hens were bred out.  My friend in Mo Valley felt I should use a crow call to identify roosting positions and then be there the next morning.  My good friend John in Omaha also wanted to add extra decoys, plus a tom that was mounted on a hen.  He had always had outstanding success with this combination.  It made the toms really angry.  It sounded like a great idea.  

Just a side note, it appears the mosquitoes are starting to appear, and I recommend the following product.  I own the ThermaCell Mosquito Repellent from Bass Pro purchased last year,  it is very effective.  When we have friends over and sit out on the deck, it is placed close to the group.  The comments have been very positive. Click on the link or the picture to price and order.

ThermaCell Mosquito Repellent - Olive Green - General Camping

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Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

http://www.outdoorswithhank.com/

Look for us on Facebook at Facebook.com/outdoorswithhank and friend us please.
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The Time Has Come to Fold My Tent

Getting up at 4 AM and heading to the farm north of Fort Calhoun was like going to say goodbye to an old friend. Only I and one other person had the privilege of hunting this ground, the landowner's neighbor and myself.  I hunted it for over ten years every spring and fall for turkey.  Since the farm was overrun with deer, I helped with depradation whenever that was required.  Several positive things took place with that part of hunting on the farm.   First, I did not have to purchase a Nebraska Deer Permit because I was on the depradation permit.  Second, a locker plant in Omaha took the deer for no fee and it was donated to the shelters.  I will still have a good friend there.

What can a person say when the birds move to a free meal.  Wouldn't we all do the same? 

The intent was to hunt two spots only and be gone by noon as there were things to do at home.  The same thing happened this morning as before, but there was always a chance.  By 8 AM, it was time to move to a calf corral.  The landowner rents out his pasture.  Starting June 1st, the place is teeming with cattle and calves. This corral is for calves, and I have no idea why it is set aside, but there is a calf feeder in it.  I've seen a lot of turkey passing through the area between the wooded areas.  They stop, scratch around and peck the ground like they always do, and then leave.  It was worth a try, but nothing came through. 

Next, I headed down into my favorite valley on the farm and was almost heart broken.  Here turkey and deer had been harvested almost every season. It is here that is one of the most scenic spots in this area.

I set up near a game trail and just sat and listened to the sounds in the forest.  If a hen had yelped or a tom had gobbled, there would have been some encouragement.  It did not happen.

I moved up onto the ridge line where the area is blessed with some beautiful tall and mature oak trees.  Here acorns litter the ground, and the deer and turkey frequent this spot continually.  I flushed up a young deer and made a slow steady movement toward the oaks.  There were no tracks of any kind and no sounds of hens or toms.

Stopping to spend some time with the farmer is a must.  Over the years we have become good friends, and I  still will come up periodically just because I can.  He told me he had been hunting for mushrooms the last few days and only came upon two turkey nests.  This is highly unusual. 

We both decided that a section of ground just beyond the house should be hunted.  That was agreeable to me since it was a chunk of pasture and timber I had never hunted.  It might hold a surprise.

I am out of turkey hunting ground, and that is a big NO.  You always want to have a good supply of inventory. Thankfully, another farm in Nebraska is available and two in Iowa.  It's not over till it's over.

Click on a banner to find some great buys.  There is free or reduced shipping going on at these outdoor suppliers plus there is always a sale on something.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

http://www.outdoorswithhank.com/

Look for us on Facebook @ facebook.com/outdoorswithhank

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Day Three, Where are the Turkeys

It was time for a meeting with an expert turkey hunter.  Two days worth of pounding the farm ground, timber and pastures had produced nothing.  In fact, my trigger finger had developed a horrible itch.  With two days of rain forecasted, the meeting was held at a rural diner over breakfast.  We are both up really early regardless of what we are doing. 

The first question asked was, "what has changed?"  Looking at the area it was exactly as it had been for ten years.  The second question was, "Are there any commercial hunting leases that have been set up?"  That required a call to the landowner. He told me a commercial hunting company had leased the timber to the east.  There were "NO TRESPASSING" signs posted along his lot line, but I never paid any attention to them as I never crossed the line.  Researching the company's name, we found they had built feeders in the timber to insure the hunters would have plenty of turkey and deer on the ground.  We also found it was really expensive to belong to the club.  Neither of us were interested in the baiting game, just the shooting game.   My friend told me this was a really tough deal to beat, as the feeders kept the birds on that property and foraging was not difficult for them.  Good grief, who would not go for a free meal!

My friend has experience in western Nebraska where a commercial hunting company had leased hundreds of acres from farmers in prime turkey country.  On his trip to western Nebraska, he had been skunked out while the leased area had shot a lot of birds.  This had been a yearly ritual for his friends and family.  Now it was over.

So, we plotted what I could do on the next available hunting day. 

As planned, I headed to my favorite spot on the Nebraska mountains.  (They are really just big hills).  I placed five decoys on a high spot where they could be seen below and from both sides.  They were really out in the open.  I placed my decoys closer to timber so there would be good spots for me to hide.   Also, my Double Bull Blind was placed about 20 yards back up the hill from the decoys.  It was right out in the open.  Again, my friend and advisor told me not to worry about it.  He was hunting in open fields with his blind right out in the open areas. He shoots a lot of birds.

Five decoys were set out:  three hens, a jake, and of course, Pretty Boy, the big Tom. 

All the above was done in the dark.  As the sky became lighter and well before daylight, the toms woke up.  They commenced to gobble, letting their locations be known.  There were a lot of toms.  Doing any gobbling or calling on my part was ruled out.  The plan was visual.  We wanted the toms to see the hen decoys, the jake, and of course the big tom, Pretty Boy.  This big decoy has sucked them in before.  When they came, they came to do battle.  It was a sight to see.  My trigger finger began to itch. 

I changed their position to make the big tom more visible.

Another friend had skinned a big Tom and built a decoy.  He stretched the skin over Styrofoam and added all the necessary appendages.  He told me that when the toms saw the decoy, they came in a pack to fight and do battle.  After he plunked one, he had to run the others off to save the decoy.  You can buy one like that from Bass Pro.

With the decoys.

Still, there were no hens coming off the roost. That really began to bother me.  Sitting in the Double Bull Blind allows a hunter a little movement. Plus, sitting on a folding chair is the better way to be comfortable.  In the past, having a good book along was a great way to relax, pass the time, and wait for some action.  Today was down to serious business.  Besides a big tom, it was the meat of wild turkey that was being hunted.  It is high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol.

With the blind above the decoys.

The dam is just below the weed line.  In the past ten years the turkey have poured out of these woods.  It is also a really great place for mosquitoes.

The day was repeated.  Should I try one more day here or move onto another farm? 



The sales just never quit at these outdoor suppliers.  Click on a banner and  check out the deals. You cannot own enough gear.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

http://www.outdoorswithhank.com/

Look for us on Facebook @ facebook.com/outdoorswithhank

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Day Two of the Great Nebraska Turkey Shoot

Behold the mighty hunter.

He riseth early in the morning and disturbeth the whole household.

Mighty are his preparations

He goeth forth full of great hope,

and when the day is spent, he returneth

smelling of strong drink, and the

truth is not in him. 

I do not drink any alcohol while fishing or hunting, but I have been known to expand on the truth. 

Four in the morning came really early, but I wanted to move to a different spot on the hill overlooking the the dams at the bottom.  The plan was to set up along the tree line half way up the mountain and to the south. I would place the decoys about thirty yards from my hiding spot.  The movement of the turkeys had been toward that direction.  These were the plans in case there was bad news at this location. 

With the advent of dawn, the toms began to gobble.  They were really talkative and must have come down off the roost.  I counted at least eight different locations with two really close behind me.  Six were  announcing their location closer to the dams and hidden in the timber.  It was unusual that there were no hens yelping, clucking, and chattering like females do in the morning.

I hid back in the trees.  The decoys were to my right just on the top of the terrace.  There was a deep ditch behind me and fence line beyond that, marking the boundary line.  To the left of the picture and down about 300 yards is where the NO HUNTING area begins. 

As it became a little more light, my location was somewhat exposed.  I moved back into the timber behind some fallen trees which provided a better hiding place.  Easing my slate call into my hand,  I began to cluck and yelp to the toms.  They responded, but did not come out of the timber.  "Patience, patience, patience, and don't move, don.t move, don't move," kept crossing my mind.  My backside was getting very, very uncomfortable, almost to the point of pain.  Still they did not come out of the timber. By their sounds, they had not moved much. 

Still not one hen was heard.  Slowly they began moving to the east and deeper into the timber.  Now what?  This was my prize location and the sun was now fully up.  There were no sounds from anywhere.  It was time to re-locate. 

Across from my location and on top of a hill is a tall oak tree.  I had seen birds traverse this area many times. Therefore, I decided to move to this location.

I set up the Double Bull Blind under the oak tree.  With this added advantage, any detection of movement would be very limited.  However, with a leaf suit on, being detected has not been a problem.  One time, while taking a short nap, the noise of hens scratching and pecking woke me up.  There were five hens slowly walking by within five to six feet.  They never noticed me. 

Periodic calling did not produce anything.  There was no reason to stay after several hours in this location. 

I moved around the farm, visiting some of my old haunts with no results.  It was troubling to see that there were no droppings, scratching, or tracks.  The birds were just not here. 

In a valley where the birds traverse between wooded areas has alway had some action.  Notice how high the foilage is for the middle of April.  We should not have this type of cover until late May.

This road leads up to the farmers home.  Birds have come out of the woods and crossed over at this point to the next stand of woods behind me.

Birds will traverse this area stopping at the corral to peck and scratch.

This called for a visit to the landownder.  To my surprise, he had not seen any traffic like he had witnessed in the past.  The landowner has a big dog, and we both always gave the dog credit for keeping away the deer and turkey.  However, out in the timber or pasture, something should have been seen.

This called for a consultation with a turkey hunting expert.  His opinion has always been respected.  He should write for an outdoor magazine as he is great at this game. 

Good hunting good finshing and good luck.  Hank

http://www.outdoorswithhank.com/

Reduced or free shipping, big discounts, the sales just never end and there is always the bargin section to at least check out.  Take your tax refund and spend it on gear before your wife gets it and spends it on clothes.

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