Bc Deer Hunter
04-26-2014, 06:07 PM
Thought I would post my thread on this forum to for some of the others can see it as well. So here it goes...
This turkey season has been a blast for me. Two weeks ago i finally put my Google earth scouting to good use and got into a spot i have seen turkeys around before. It was about a 2 hour hike before i was into some good sign and decided to take a break and yet out a couple yelps, and clucks. To my surprise a get an almost instantaneous gobble from a small meadow about 200 yards downhill from me that my friend heard. So once more I cluck and all you could hear was gobbling... This sent chills up my spine, and i can easily say will never forget that first gobble! Now with decent cover we close the distance to about 150ish yards and set up. After talking back and forth with this tom another had decided to tune in only he was probably another 200 yards behind the first one i originally was trying to call. Now with me been a newbie turkey hunter, after 20 mins i had figured the first tom had hung up and wasn't interested cause he already had hens.. Soooo i snuck forward in hopes of an ambush/chance to get a glimpse of this illusive birds... not 20 yards forward busted.... Now let me let ya that sucked having to watch those hens clear the small meadow with the tom in full pursuit, but it made me that much more aware of the challenges involved with getting a tom!
Now go back to only last weekend out for a second kick at the can. This time to a larger meadow with a very promising swamp in the middle of it. Now with this being the only water source for a ways i just knew they had to be hitting it. As i round the last bend on the old deactivated road i followed to get up to this meadow, right away i caught movement in the middle and low and behold to colour phase black bear cubs where out playing in the meadow with there big momma sitting off to the side watching over her little ones! Here is a picture of them taking with my phone camera through my binos haha http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc428/BcDeerHunter/20140421_173922_zps6c92aa72.jpg (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/BcDeerHunter/media/20140421_173922_zps6c92aa72.jpg.html)
Now that was cool but not what i was after ..
So i wait, and not 30 minutes waiting i spot my first turkey making its way into the field behind the bears! It was really cool seeing them within 80 yards of each other without a care in the world! So after watching her for about 1 hour with the odd yelp back and forth, one of her buddy's decided to clear the forest wall an join her! It was probably only 20 minutes before i heard my first gobble of the day and low and behold a tom made his way out in the field full strut showing off to his hens! I watched them for long enough to snag these crappy pics of the tom through the binos again.
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc428/BcDeerHunter/20140421_183433_zpsaf62dcd3.jpg (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/BcDeerHunter/media/20140421_183433_zpsaf62dcd3.jpg.html)
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc428/BcDeerHunter/20140421_183351_zps0fb872f1.jpg (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/BcDeerHunter/media/20140421_183351_zps0fb872f1.jpg.html)
With not whole lot of interest towards my calling i had decided once again to make a stalk around to where i think they would end up and it turned out perfect! As i crest the small ridge the tom busted me right away though not spooked yet, he had just kind of started to make his way back over to wear he had come from. He actually kind of paralleled me for a bit but then started to turn i found my shooting lane but didn't have enough time to range it, so was going right off of instinct really. Full draw i let it fly only to have my arrow skim over his back... http://bigshotsbc.ca/images/smilies/disgust.png Discouraged i had decided to head home early that day and not spooked the other tom that was gobbling away in the distance.
Now fast forward to today. My Dad gave me the okay to take his shotgun that i had patterned for him a couple days ago. I arrived at the trail head as soon as i could after my school which ended up being about 5, then off i go up the mountain. What i didn't expect was to have a hen run across he old road about half way up and to my greater surprise a big ol tom right on her tail. Mouth dropped i didn't even have time to think 'shoot' so he slipped away.. After that i was a little discouraged to be honest but still knew there was a possibility at another tom if i could make it to the meadow with the swamp in it, on time. Sure enough i hoofed it up there and got set up probably about 10 minutes before that tom had entered the meadow the weekend previous. Literally on the minute here one comes filing in from the same corner of the field slowing making his way to the water. He slipped behind some cover on his way over but knowing where he was headed, i quickly ranged the spots i figured he would go through. With him slipped behind some cover on his way over but knowing where he was headed, i quickly ranged the spots i figured he would go through and go line up with the shotty. Sure enough he breaks the alders and steps out about 45 yards away, i let one go and it dropped him right in his tracks!!! Woooohoooo what a rush, now im hooked for good! hahaha Here is a pic of my first ever tom!
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc428/BcDeerHunter/IMG_0646_zps8a5618f3.jpg (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/BcDeerHunter/media/IMG_0646_zps8a5618f3.jpg.html)
This turkey season has been a blast for me. Two weeks ago i finally put my Google earth scouting to good use and got into a spot i have seen turkeys around before. It was about a 2 hour hike before i was into some good sign and decided to take a break and yet out a couple yelps, and clucks. To my surprise a get an almost instantaneous gobble from a small meadow about 200 yards downhill from me that my friend heard. So once more I cluck and all you could hear was gobbling... This sent chills up my spine, and i can easily say will never forget that first gobble! Now with decent cover we close the distance to about 150ish yards and set up. After talking back and forth with this tom another had decided to tune in only he was probably another 200 yards behind the first one i originally was trying to call. Now with me been a newbie turkey hunter, after 20 mins i had figured the first tom had hung up and wasn't interested cause he already had hens.. Soooo i snuck forward in hopes of an ambush/chance to get a glimpse of this illusive birds... not 20 yards forward busted.... Now let me let ya that sucked having to watch those hens clear the small meadow with the tom in full pursuit, but it made me that much more aware of the challenges involved with getting a tom!
Now go back to only last weekend out for a second kick at the can. This time to a larger meadow with a very promising swamp in the middle of it. Now with this being the only water source for a ways i just knew they had to be hitting it. As i round the last bend on the old deactivated road i followed to get up to this meadow, right away i caught movement in the middle and low and behold to colour phase black bear cubs where out playing in the meadow with there big momma sitting off to the side watching over her little ones! Here is a picture of them taking with my phone camera through my binos haha http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc428/BcDeerHunter/20140421_173922_zps6c92aa72.jpg (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/BcDeerHunter/media/20140421_173922_zps6c92aa72.jpg.html)
Now that was cool but not what i was after ..
So i wait, and not 30 minutes waiting i spot my first turkey making its way into the field behind the bears! It was really cool seeing them within 80 yards of each other without a care in the world! So after watching her for about 1 hour with the odd yelp back and forth, one of her buddy's decided to clear the forest wall an join her! It was probably only 20 minutes before i heard my first gobble of the day and low and behold a tom made his way out in the field full strut showing off to his hens! I watched them for long enough to snag these crappy pics of the tom through the binos again.
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc428/BcDeerHunter/20140421_183433_zpsaf62dcd3.jpg (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/BcDeerHunter/media/20140421_183433_zpsaf62dcd3.jpg.html)
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc428/BcDeerHunter/20140421_183351_zps0fb872f1.jpg (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/BcDeerHunter/media/20140421_183351_zps0fb872f1.jpg.html)
With not whole lot of interest towards my calling i had decided once again to make a stalk around to where i think they would end up and it turned out perfect! As i crest the small ridge the tom busted me right away though not spooked yet, he had just kind of started to make his way back over to wear he had come from. He actually kind of paralleled me for a bit but then started to turn i found my shooting lane but didn't have enough time to range it, so was going right off of instinct really. Full draw i let it fly only to have my arrow skim over his back... http://bigshotsbc.ca/images/smilies/disgust.png Discouraged i had decided to head home early that day and not spooked the other tom that was gobbling away in the distance.
Now fast forward to today. My Dad gave me the okay to take his shotgun that i had patterned for him a couple days ago. I arrived at the trail head as soon as i could after my school which ended up being about 5, then off i go up the mountain. What i didn't expect was to have a hen run across he old road about half way up and to my greater surprise a big ol tom right on her tail. Mouth dropped i didn't even have time to think 'shoot' so he slipped away.. After that i was a little discouraged to be honest but still knew there was a possibility at another tom if i could make it to the meadow with the swamp in it, on time. Sure enough i hoofed it up there and got set up probably about 10 minutes before that tom had entered the meadow the weekend previous. Literally on the minute here one comes filing in from the same corner of the field slowing making his way to the water. He slipped behind some cover on his way over but knowing where he was headed, i quickly ranged the spots i figured he would go through. With him slipped behind some cover on his way over but knowing where he was headed, i quickly ranged the spots i figured he would go through and go line up with the shotty. Sure enough he breaks the alders and steps out about 45 yards away, i let one go and it dropped him right in his tracks!!! Woooohoooo what a rush, now im hooked for good! hahaha Here is a pic of my first ever tom!
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc428/BcDeerHunter/IMG_0646_zps8a5618f3.jpg (http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/BcDeerHunter/media/IMG_0646_zps8a5618f3.jpg.html)