I went out this morning and had quite a time! Here is my turkey hunting diary:

Today's turkey hunt was neat. I had not pre-scouted as I got permission just last night. I had a long visit with the property owner who leaves for the winter. She is very supportive of hunting though she does not hunt herself. It is the property I also lease to hunt deer on and I have seen turkeys there many times during deer season and knew some of the trees they liked to roost in until the leaves fell. Once the leaves leave, so do the turkeys.

I decided I would take my chance that possibly they would be using them now. I figured if they weren't, at least I might find them this morning by listening for birds. I was basically out to scout, but ready should the opportunity appear. Damp and humid, hot already, I was up at 0430 hours. I took the day off work to take a go on turkeys. I arrived there at 0520 hours. Once parked and "saddled up", I started to walk slowly into the woods, the high canopy well sprouted in spring leaf. I put some "Sneaky Leaves" on my camo last night. I will blend in well, I think to myself!

The woods were still and the air thick with humidity.  It stormed furiously the previous night but I could see stars through the hazy darkness now. I wore my rubber boots since there had been so much spring rain. Good thing I did, the woods were sopping wet. I walked on towards the last place I saw birds roosting this past fall.

Well, turns out the birds were there where I had seen them before. I ended up walking in right under a small group roosted high up in a tall basswood tree. It was still quite dark, but one of them putted a couple of times. They stayed where they were and I hurried on ahead further into the woods. I was hoping they would forget about me as it would not be light out for a while yet. I set up quietly about seventy yards away. I had my shooting stick, a folding seat, my shotgun with #5 in it and a box call all ready to go. I took my time and drank some hot coffee, savoring it's flavor and listened to the waking song birds as they let it be known they were awake. I still had lots of time yet and watched things lighten up slowly.

I about lost it though when a gobbler erupted in his morning "hello!!!" almost directly above my head!

Well, it turns out he was about seventy yards west of me high in a swamp maple. It took me some time to locate him, there were several trees in between us. He was the only one gobbling and the only bird in that tree. He did not know I was there but answered all of my squeaky yelps. I was sure he was in love! WOW, I thought, he is real close and HE IS TALKING TO ME! I could barely make him out through the branches, but could see part of his tail. He was fanning and displaying while up in the tree! Occasionally I could see his red and blue head, which looked small.

He took his sweet time getting down from the tree though. I watched him fly down, but then flew to where the other birds were roosted when I came in. I never heard them fly down but they were gone. I knew they would be. The tom looked around for them, I could still see him puffing up and strutting whenever I called. He was at least ninety yards away.  Too far! I could tell he was a mature bird and not a jake. I called to him and he answered every time, but he did a semi-circle and headed north through the woods. I could hear him get quite distant.  He was the only gobbler, I am sure as no other gobblers were heard. I am not sure what the other roosted birds were. I figure hens were nesting by now but maybe not? These birds may remain a mystery. A friend had run across some nests with hens on them while doing a tree survey recently in a nearby area.

I waited a while and decided to skedaddle and try again tomorrow. I figured it best to not let the tom know I was there by foolishly looking for him in the woods. I always walk real slow going out of the woods and saw a lot of other game, several deer, rabbits, chucks and many song birds. I walked past some young deer in my sneaky leaf costume. They didn't really look at me, but I could see them clearly. They continued to browse undisturbed. That gave me some ideas for fall.

I was almost out to the car when I heard the tom come back, he apparently was looking for the mystery bird he heard! This was nearly an hour after I lost him. However, I could hear his loud gobbles. I smiled, I knew where he was. Later, a friend told me that being that close to a mature gobbler is as good as if I got him.

So I hope he will roost again in the vicinity. I will be near where I saw him fly down today....calling and waiting.

Wish me luck!