mcelweed
Member
I took my daughter for some NM fall turkey hunting last weekend. We had arranged access to on individual's property in an area where there is virtually no public land but lots of turkeys. Originally we were counting on having access to about 300 acres with several roost sites. After meeting with the landowner the night before the hunt that grew to almost 1500 acres and about 60 acres of Open Gate land. Prospects were looking up.
The next morning we set up well before light on a tree line near where we knew there were several toms roosted. As it grew light I saw turkeys in the trees. As luck would have it they didn't fly down into the field we were watching but into the barnyard to the north. We waited to see if they would work into the field to feed but didn't see them. About 15 minutes later when we were about to move to the barnyard to see where they went I heard a noise behind me in the other field. As I glance over my shoulder I saw 8-10 turkeys within 20 yards of us. Apparently we were "lucky" enough to set up where they cross under the fence to go into the field. They didn't bust us as much as there was something different they didn't like and fed away without our being able to take a shot.
We packed up and drove over to check out the Open Gate property about 10 minutes away. As we crossed through the gate my daughter said "turkeys!". Sure enough there were approximately 100-150 turkeys across the field along the tree line. We circled back around to the adjacent property that we happened to have gained access to from another landowner. As we slipped into the back of the tree line we ran into a group of about 30 turkeys about 15 yards away through the brush. They all looked to be hens and my daughter was holding out for a gobbler. We tried to ease through the tree line without pushing them too hard to see if we could set up on the turkeys we had seen in the field. No luck.
After lunch and some rest we headed back to the first property to try to catch the toms heading to roost. The landowner told us they had been roosting in the same tree for the past several weeks. We set up north of the roost tree, the direction they had flown down that morning. We waited and near dark I saw movement. It turned out to be a hen. We were watching here with my daughter occasionally checking the field to our south. She spotted the toms moving through the field to the roost tree just before dark. Unfortunately we were out of position to get to them before they got to the tree so we sat still until after dark and slipped out. We decided they must fly down into the barnyard to the north and fly up from the field to the south so our plan was to set up north of the barnyard the next morning.
Again we slipped in before sun up and got set. Just like the previous morning we could see turkeys in the roost. Also just like the previous morning they flew down in the opposite direction of where we set up. We had good cover so we tried to circle through the trees around the field and get in front of them but they fed the opposite direction. We then circled back through the trees to get in front of them that direction and they slowly feed away from us back through the field again. How does it feel to be outsmarted by a bird with a brain the size of a pea? Just ask us.
Feeling rather aggravated, we headed back to the Open Gate property hoping to get into the field before the turkeys came in. We had made it about halfway down the road by an irrigation ditch when I spotted a turkey come out of the trees onto the road about 150 yards away. I knew more would be coming from that area into the field so we pressed out luck and moved to within 30 yards of the property line where the turkeys typically entered the field. We got set up against a brush pile with a burlap curtain in front of us for cover. From the adjacent properties we could hear multiple birds yelping, some poults kee-keeing, and an occasional gobble. Things were looking up.
After about 15 minutes two hens emerged from the irrigation ditch but on the wrong side of the fence. They stayed within 40 yards of us but on the wrong side of the fence. We could see 30-40 birds slowing feed our direction through the irrigation ditch and nearby field. After about another 20 minutes, with the two hens still feeding on the other side of the fence we saw 6 jakes jogging across our field toward the hens. As they moved down the fence line to the road I was trying to convince my daughter to just take a jake, but she hesitated and they dropped crossed under the fence and into the irrigation ditch. She was still holding out for a gobbler. Since this was our last day, I finally convinced her to just get a turkey on the ground regardless of sex and we could concentrate on a tom in the spring. We saw 3 more birds coming from the same direction as the 6 jakes. I checked and didn't see any beards, but my daughter was ready to just get a bird. As they traced the path of the jakes they didn't present a shot. They first on didn't stop moving so she wasn't comfortable taking a shot so it disappeared under the fence. The next two wouldn't separate enough to offer a shot. The first one went under the fence so that they were lined up in front of us. Still no shot. At this point I'm thinking the last one is going under the fence and both disappearing like the first one, but it hesitated as the second bird bailed off into the ditch. "Shoot, shoot, shoot" I whispered in my daughter's ear. Her brand-new Mossberg 500 Super Bantam boomed and it was bird down.
After sitting still for nearly 45 minutes neither of us could hardly move and almost fell on our faces when we tried to stand up. When we got to the bird, I rolled it over to pick it up and was surprised to see a small beard. She got a jake! She was ecstatic because she thought she had had to settle for a hen. Lots of high fives and hugs followed by filling out her tag and pictures.
That evening we went back to the first property to see if I could get one of the toms. Unfortunately they never showed up and I wound up settling on a hen. Normally I wouldn't have shot a hen, but part of the reason we got access to these properties was because there are so many turkeys they are becoming a nuisance. Besides, there are enough that one hen won't affect the population in the least. And she'll be good eating.
Hopefully we can get access this spring to head back out and chase those toms again. I can't wait to see my daughter take one of those big Rio toms!
The next morning we set up well before light on a tree line near where we knew there were several toms roosted. As it grew light I saw turkeys in the trees. As luck would have it they didn't fly down into the field we were watching but into the barnyard to the north. We waited to see if they would work into the field to feed but didn't see them. About 15 minutes later when we were about to move to the barnyard to see where they went I heard a noise behind me in the other field. As I glance over my shoulder I saw 8-10 turkeys within 20 yards of us. Apparently we were "lucky" enough to set up where they cross under the fence to go into the field. They didn't bust us as much as there was something different they didn't like and fed away without our being able to take a shot.
We packed up and drove over to check out the Open Gate property about 10 minutes away. As we crossed through the gate my daughter said "turkeys!". Sure enough there were approximately 100-150 turkeys across the field along the tree line. We circled back around to the adjacent property that we happened to have gained access to from another landowner. As we slipped into the back of the tree line we ran into a group of about 30 turkeys about 15 yards away through the brush. They all looked to be hens and my daughter was holding out for a gobbler. We tried to ease through the tree line without pushing them too hard to see if we could set up on the turkeys we had seen in the field. No luck.
After lunch and some rest we headed back to the first property to try to catch the toms heading to roost. The landowner told us they had been roosting in the same tree for the past several weeks. We set up north of the roost tree, the direction they had flown down that morning. We waited and near dark I saw movement. It turned out to be a hen. We were watching here with my daughter occasionally checking the field to our south. She spotted the toms moving through the field to the roost tree just before dark. Unfortunately we were out of position to get to them before they got to the tree so we sat still until after dark and slipped out. We decided they must fly down into the barnyard to the north and fly up from the field to the south so our plan was to set up north of the barnyard the next morning.
Again we slipped in before sun up and got set. Just like the previous morning we could see turkeys in the roost. Also just like the previous morning they flew down in the opposite direction of where we set up. We had good cover so we tried to circle through the trees around the field and get in front of them but they fed the opposite direction. We then circled back through the trees to get in front of them that direction and they slowly feed away from us back through the field again. How does it feel to be outsmarted by a bird with a brain the size of a pea? Just ask us.
Feeling rather aggravated, we headed back to the Open Gate property hoping to get into the field before the turkeys came in. We had made it about halfway down the road by an irrigation ditch when I spotted a turkey come out of the trees onto the road about 150 yards away. I knew more would be coming from that area into the field so we pressed out luck and moved to within 30 yards of the property line where the turkeys typically entered the field. We got set up against a brush pile with a burlap curtain in front of us for cover. From the adjacent properties we could hear multiple birds yelping, some poults kee-keeing, and an occasional gobble. Things were looking up.
After about 15 minutes two hens emerged from the irrigation ditch but on the wrong side of the fence. They stayed within 40 yards of us but on the wrong side of the fence. We could see 30-40 birds slowing feed our direction through the irrigation ditch and nearby field. After about another 20 minutes, with the two hens still feeding on the other side of the fence we saw 6 jakes jogging across our field toward the hens. As they moved down the fence line to the road I was trying to convince my daughter to just take a jake, but she hesitated and they dropped crossed under the fence and into the irrigation ditch. She was still holding out for a gobbler. Since this was our last day, I finally convinced her to just get a turkey on the ground regardless of sex and we could concentrate on a tom in the spring. We saw 3 more birds coming from the same direction as the 6 jakes. I checked and didn't see any beards, but my daughter was ready to just get a bird. As they traced the path of the jakes they didn't present a shot. They first on didn't stop moving so she wasn't comfortable taking a shot so it disappeared under the fence. The next two wouldn't separate enough to offer a shot. The first one went under the fence so that they were lined up in front of us. Still no shot. At this point I'm thinking the last one is going under the fence and both disappearing like the first one, but it hesitated as the second bird bailed off into the ditch. "Shoot, shoot, shoot" I whispered in my daughter's ear. Her brand-new Mossberg 500 Super Bantam boomed and it was bird down.
After sitting still for nearly 45 minutes neither of us could hardly move and almost fell on our faces when we tried to stand up. When we got to the bird, I rolled it over to pick it up and was surprised to see a small beard. She got a jake! She was ecstatic because she thought she had had to settle for a hen. Lots of high fives and hugs followed by filling out her tag and pictures.
That evening we went back to the first property to see if I could get one of the toms. Unfortunately they never showed up and I wound up settling on a hen. Normally I wouldn't have shot a hen, but part of the reason we got access to these properties was because there are so many turkeys they are becoming a nuisance. Besides, there are enough that one hen won't affect the population in the least. And she'll be good eating.
Hopefully we can get access this spring to head back out and chase those toms again. I can't wait to see my daughter take one of those big Rio toms!
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