Atchman2
Well-Known Member
Today is the opening day of spring turkey season in TN. I lost my place to hunt when my friend Jim retired and moved to Florida. I've hunted there for five years now. It is strange to not be sitting in that field anymore. I'm going to try and talk to the new landowners soon and see if I can go hunt there. The last few weeks I've been so busy at work I haven't had a chance to go ask them. 
I'm leaving tomorrow to hunt Rio Grande turkeys in KS. It is an archery only season. I've left a bow and a crossbow out there to use. My friend John left a blind and chairs out there as well. My brother in law is stopping by Cabellas to get us a couple of decoys in case we need them. I'm PUMPED! We have permission from a brand new farm just across from his house. The landowner is my father in law's cousin. He doesn't let ANYONE hunt there, but this year due to the tremendous number of turkeys I got to go! WOO HOO!!!! It is nice to have everything out there I need. I even have a coyote e-caller out there and my .223. If the turkey hunting gets slow or I limit early in the week, I'm going to try and call some coyotes.
So I was gathering my gear last night and decided to try the TVA land on Melton Hill lake. It was a last minute decision to go as I was just going to wait until I got back. It was still dark when I arrived there. The parking lot was full. I had to back down the road as there wasn't much room to turn around. Oh well. It was my fault anyway for waiting too long to consider going.
There is a place nearby where I hunt coyotes sometimes. A couple of years back it was LOADED with turkeys, but I haven't seen any in awhile. I decided to go there to see if there was anything happening. I didn't have my 4 WD so I had a decent walk into the spot. As I crested the hill, I could not see any turkeys in the field. They used to strut in this one corner, but those days have obviously came and gone.
I opened my turkey belt and grabbed out my Flextone Coyote Howler. Now it is in there not because it is good or the best, but because it will a) fit in my pouch and b) probably is a total failure calling real coyotes. I have MUCH better howlers for coyote hunting.
Since so many people use owl calls and crow calls, I decided to use a coyote howler as a locator. I blew the call three times with a respectable lone howl. I didn't hear any turkeys gobble nor did I hear any coyotes. So I basically decided to just sit there and watch the sun come up and enjoy the morning. I was texting Joe Pearson checking on his turkey hunting. I looked up and I saw two shapes pop up out of a brush filled draw-COYOTES! Now I always have some sort of call with me. I reached in my bag and grabbed this little call. I'm not even sure what it is, but I'm pretty sure I grabbed it out of a bargain bin for $5 at Sportsman's Warehouse in Chattanooga. I pulled my hat down to cover up my eyes as best I could and blew the call. Sure enough they started running towards me. At about 150 yards they stopped. I blew the call again making is sound like a rabbit was in agony. That did it! They came on a dead run! One started circling to my right the other came straight in towards me.
Where I was at was on the crest of a hill. Both of them dropped below the crest of the hill and I lost sight of them. I knew this was going to be up close and personal. As they vanished, I reached up and remembered to turn on my red dot sight.Sure enough one of them popped up at about 30 yards. When its head popped up, I let fly with the Federal Turkey Thug #4 shot from my Mossberg Turkey Thug shotgun. His head snapped as I hit it. I could tell it was a good shot. Nonetheless it took off to my left at high speed stumbling and falling. It got up and I broke both its back legs with the next shot. Then I calmed down and rolled it with another shot to the head and front shoulder. He was a goner, but I closed the range and put him down for sure with my fourth shell. It was my first shotgun coyote ever! It was also the first coyote I've shot in over a year as well.
I've got to admit my heart was pounding I was so excited! I don't think I've ever had such a rush while hunting anything!
I don't know the name of that hand call, but it worked!!
I'm leaving tomorrow to hunt Rio Grande turkeys in KS. It is an archery only season. I've left a bow and a crossbow out there to use. My friend John left a blind and chairs out there as well. My brother in law is stopping by Cabellas to get us a couple of decoys in case we need them. I'm PUMPED! We have permission from a brand new farm just across from his house. The landowner is my father in law's cousin. He doesn't let ANYONE hunt there, but this year due to the tremendous number of turkeys I got to go! WOO HOO!!!! It is nice to have everything out there I need. I even have a coyote e-caller out there and my .223. If the turkey hunting gets slow or I limit early in the week, I'm going to try and call some coyotes.
So I was gathering my gear last night and decided to try the TVA land on Melton Hill lake. It was a last minute decision to go as I was just going to wait until I got back. It was still dark when I arrived there. The parking lot was full. I had to back down the road as there wasn't much room to turn around. Oh well. It was my fault anyway for waiting too long to consider going.
There is a place nearby where I hunt coyotes sometimes. A couple of years back it was LOADED with turkeys, but I haven't seen any in awhile. I decided to go there to see if there was anything happening. I didn't have my 4 WD so I had a decent walk into the spot. As I crested the hill, I could not see any turkeys in the field. They used to strut in this one corner, but those days have obviously came and gone.
I opened my turkey belt and grabbed out my Flextone Coyote Howler. Now it is in there not because it is good or the best, but because it will a) fit in my pouch and b) probably is a total failure calling real coyotes. I have MUCH better howlers for coyote hunting.
Since so many people use owl calls and crow calls, I decided to use a coyote howler as a locator. I blew the call three times with a respectable lone howl. I didn't hear any turkeys gobble nor did I hear any coyotes. So I basically decided to just sit there and watch the sun come up and enjoy the morning. I was texting Joe Pearson checking on his turkey hunting. I looked up and I saw two shapes pop up out of a brush filled draw-COYOTES! Now I always have some sort of call with me. I reached in my bag and grabbed this little call. I'm not even sure what it is, but I'm pretty sure I grabbed it out of a bargain bin for $5 at Sportsman's Warehouse in Chattanooga. I pulled my hat down to cover up my eyes as best I could and blew the call. Sure enough they started running towards me. At about 150 yards they stopped. I blew the call again making is sound like a rabbit was in agony. That did it! They came on a dead run! One started circling to my right the other came straight in towards me.
Where I was at was on the crest of a hill. Both of them dropped below the crest of the hill and I lost sight of them. I knew this was going to be up close and personal. As they vanished, I reached up and remembered to turn on my red dot sight.Sure enough one of them popped up at about 30 yards. When its head popped up, I let fly with the Federal Turkey Thug #4 shot from my Mossberg Turkey Thug shotgun. His head snapped as I hit it. I could tell it was a good shot. Nonetheless it took off to my left at high speed stumbling and falling. It got up and I broke both its back legs with the next shot. Then I calmed down and rolled it with another shot to the head and front shoulder. He was a goner, but I closed the range and put him down for sure with my fourth shell. It was my first shotgun coyote ever! It was also the first coyote I've shot in over a year as well.
I've got to admit my heart was pounding I was so excited! I don't think I've ever had such a rush while hunting anything!
I don't know the name of that hand call, but it worked!!
