Charlie Elk

pseudonym of a man

Druming & Spitting Turkey

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At least they were there

Once upon a time turkey hunters had to stop hunting at noon.

Now all states I hunt in are open to sunset or 20 minutes after. At one time we referred to this as cruel and unusual punishment. 4:30 a.m.  to 9 p.m. is a long day. Long gone are those  idle afternoons with time to relax and and recharge because I have now discovered  gobblers are active all day long so if you want to do the Snoopy Dance,  you have to be there.

The Wyoming Black Hills are one of the hardest places I have ever hunted turkey.  Late in the afternoon, on the last day of the hunt I heard a half hearted gobble at least a 1000 feet up on a plateau. After gasping in as much of the thin air as possible I set up with my back against a large ponderosa pine.

After 45 minutes of calling to dead silence some kind of liquid started hitting my neck the sun was shining so I assumed the pine was sapping.  Never mind a little bit of sap somewhere behind me a turkey’s war drum was starting up. Thinking he  was over on my strong side I shifted slightly to get readyas more of that dang sap splashed  my neck.

Suddenly there was a thunderous gobble; startled and spinning around a  Merriam  5 feet away bugged eyed and frantically wing-beating to increasing that distance.

Was what I thought pine sap really turkey spit?

Turkey Call with Pen Barrel

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Turkeys can be called in with a wide variety of things, even your common ink pen.

Turkeys can be called in with a wide variety of calling implements.  From all types of friction calls like box and pot calls to wind calls such as trumpets, wing-bones and yes even a common everyday ink pen.  So if you forget your calls as I did one day—–
More accurately I did not forget my calls so to speak; as I was on my way out to hunt something else. There was a group of toms in a field I had permission to hunt. Then I discovered the box call usually kept in glove box was missing, there was the pen. I got out rushed the toms to break em up, only one peeled off a different direction from the rest. I set up in a hurry wearing a blue and black plaid flannel

Smile the Gods did, the gobbler sported three beards

shirt, smeared a bit of dirt on my face, the shotgun was mod choke loaded with #6 Fiochhi pheasant and sometimes as in this case the turkey gods of the hunt smile on you.

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Caught Red-Handed

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“Where’d those feathers in the truck come from? Is that blood on your collar?…..you’ve been turkey hunting again………haven’t you?!

 

This is Vic’s first experience with his master going turkey hunting without him.  He just is not understanding the concept of seasons.  He says that’s what goes on food right?

He was a loyal pup last fall hunting his heart out and tolerated me hunting deer alone, but that was it!  Now the spring turkey season is in full swing, dogs are not allowed and he is getting his feelings hurt.  So is it best to honest tell him to stay while I leave or is there some good sneak tactics?

32.5 Pound Turkey

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turkey-with-remington-1100

As I hoisted the freshly killed turkey, I thought he was unusually heavy, and upon arrival at the shed, I hung him on the scale and to my amazement he weighed 32.5 lb. Must be seeing things, yelled for the wife to double check and she says yes 32.5 lbs.
Thinking this might be the new state record I start considering what to do to get folks to believe me. First, stop – the registration station. Their scale reads 27.5 lbs. What the heck; where did the 5 lbs. Go? Oh well, their scale must be off – my friend runs the local grocery, and he has a certified scale back in the meat department.

Only in a small town, WI can you carry a dead turkey over your shoulder, down the aisle of a grocery store, to the scale in the back and no one raises so much as an eyebrow.
On the way down the aisle the gobbler does not seem as hefty as he did at first, but then adrenaline could be the cause of that perception.
Certified scales don’t lie– he is 25.3 lbs!

Back in my pole shed, I’m staring at the turkey hanging from my scale it now reads 25.1 lbs. What the heck?

It was pouring buckets when I shot this turkey, so his feathers were full of water. Have you ever wondered how much water a gobbler’s feathers could hold?  This one had 7.4 lbs of water.
No real concern, this is one beautiful bird, but so much for my brush with a state record bird.