I have been watching some birds out in Smith Country property i have the past few mornings. Seems every morning they roost up on a ridge and then fly down into this open field. It is a pretty steep ridge and a creek at the bottom so they have been pitching out into the field the past 4 times i have been out there. Problem was the past few times i would be up on the ridge trying to get them to stay up top with no luck. Once in the field you cannot get to them without them seeing you. Heck yesterday sat and watched 10 LB's out in strut in the field and could do nothing about it...
so had the idea this morning to get out there in the dark and set up on the field edge they fly into with a few deeks just hoping they would fly into my flock (did it last year and killed 2 birds on the same property) So i get set up hoping they were still on the ridge and OH yes at first light I hear approx 11 birds sounding off with another 5-8 a short distance behind them so I just KNOW i am in the money. Well the first hen pitches out and flys over me out into the field, then the big boy does...he lands 80yds away and is straight into strut. At the same time for some reason all the others pitch out up on the ridge which they have not been doing the past few days. So he is sitting 80yds from me in stut and gobbling from time to time.....
HE NEVER WOULD GET ANY CLOSER. THEN TURNS AND JUST WALKS BACK THE WAY HE CAME IN A FLYS OVER A CREEK TO FLOCK UP WITH THE OTHER TOMS ON THE RIDGE. I was at a loss of words, i could not believe he would have a hen in the field + 3 more of my hen decoys 80yds away and leave all of them to fly over a creek where the other toms were. He was right there for the killing just didnt want any action i guess.
other things i noticed this morning. Most all of the birds i heard in the tree didnt make a peep when they hit the ground, in addition i scoped out a field on the opposite side of where i was when i left (was in the direction i heard all of them going this morning) and counted 21 toms in a huge field basicly together.
Turkey 2 (actually 1 because I was not the one that missed opening morning)
Me 0 lol
I just cannot believe they have done the same thing for 4 days and the day I set up for it they do something different, but that is the nature of the game i guess. I just know if I would have went up on the ridge like the previous day they would have flew down in the field right were I was this morning....I HATE TURKEYS!!! hahah
so had the idea this morning to get out there in the dark and set up on the field edge they fly into with a few deeks just hoping they would fly into my flock (did it last year and killed 2 birds on the same property) So i get set up hoping they were still on the ridge and OH yes at first light I hear approx 11 birds sounding off with another 5-8 a short distance behind them so I just KNOW i am in the money. Well the first hen pitches out and flys over me out into the field, then the big boy does...he lands 80yds away and is straight into strut. At the same time for some reason all the others pitch out up on the ridge which they have not been doing the past few days. So he is sitting 80yds from me in stut and gobbling from time to time.....
HE NEVER WOULD GET ANY CLOSER. THEN TURNS AND JUST WALKS BACK THE WAY HE CAME IN A FLYS OVER A CREEK TO FLOCK UP WITH THE OTHER TOMS ON THE RIDGE. I was at a loss of words, i could not believe he would have a hen in the field + 3 more of my hen decoys 80yds away and leave all of them to fly over a creek where the other toms were. He was right there for the killing just didnt want any action i guess.
other things i noticed this morning. Most all of the birds i heard in the tree didnt make a peep when they hit the ground, in addition i scoped out a field on the opposite side of where i was when i left (was in the direction i heard all of them going this morning) and counted 21 toms in a huge field basicly together.
Turkey 2 (actually 1 because I was not the one that missed opening morning)
Me 0 lol
I just cannot believe they have done the same thing for 4 days and the day I set up for it they do something different, but that is the nature of the game i guess. I just know if I would have went up on the ridge like the previous day they would have flew down in the field right were I was this morning....I HATE TURKEYS!!! hahah
