Rookie Mistake.......

KySongDog · December 08, 2008, 07:27:12 PM

Fall shotgun turkey season is under way in Kaintuckee. And this morning I made my mistake right off the bat. I left home late, about 20 minutes late to be exact.

Everything went down hill from there.

I made it to where I park my truck and took off for a particular honey hole spot I knew about that was 3/4 to a mile away. By the time I made it there it was already light. I knew I had to set up quick because the birds (assuming they were there) would still be in the trees and could easily see little 'ol me tromping through the woods.

So I eased in to the woods about 5 yards from the field I had walked and sat down. I was looking directly at a blown down cedar tree about 10 yards in front of me and the immediate area was very thick with small trees to boot. Not a good set up. In fact it was a terrible set up. I needed to be further in to the woods where it opened up but I couldn't get there because I was late and it was light already. So I decided to make the best of it where I was.

After sitting still for about 20 minutes I hear a soft low yelp about 60-70 yards on the other side of the blown over cedar tree. I knew it had to be a gobbler or a very old hen. The bird was close. I called as softly as possible just to let it know it had company. Another 15-20 minutes passed and I heard the fly down. Through the thick stuff I could barely see a fan about 75 yards away. I called again. No response and the bird disappeared. I had been sitting motionless for at least 50-60 minutes and my gun felt like it weighed a ton. I had it up to my shoulder the entire time. Then I saw movement. The bird was coming to me! I only caught glimpses of him as he made his way through the brush. He was on the other side of that damn cedar.

I thought OK when he gets completely behind that cedar tree I'll move the gun to where he'll come out. He can't see me behind that tree and I can move. That's when his three buddies showed up!

The bird I was going to shoot was behind the blown down cedar tree headed exactly where I figured he would and now I have 6 eyes looking directly at me through the brush. I couldn't move.

I was trapped.

The bird stepped from behind the cedar not 10 yards away and looked at the pathetic lump sitting beside the tree. The adrenaline was hammering me and I felt like I was going to explode. The bird immediately reversed course and went back putting all the way. At this stage I tried a hail mary shot through the trash and managed to kill a nice 5 inch tree.

The four birds went airborne and I sat there telling myself how dumb I was.

All because I was 20 minutes late leaving the house.

Gawd! I luvs turkey hunting!

:roflmao:

Frogman · December 08, 2008, 07:33:00 PM

Great story Semp! All of us could probably fill a rather long thread on here with the mistakes we have made while hunting. I certainly have my share of them.

Jim

Coulter · December 08, 2008, 07:47:28 PM

Sounds like you had some fun either way. I enjoy that adrenaline rush more than I do pulling the trigger

I made a mistake before..well actually pretty recently. I had a double on some geese and while I was celebrating in the layout boat, the rest of the flock of 400 decided to take off 20 yards over my head - before I reloaded my gun. I could have filled my limit pretty quick if I would have reloaded

That's why hunting is so fun...I have not heard the end of that one yet

Steve

coyote101 · December 08, 2008, 08:08:21 PM

Semp,

I went out this morning to see if I couldn't get a coyote (I couldn't, but that's another rookie mistake story). Anyway out in the field in front of me this shows up:

My lens isn't wide enough, there were at least forty of them.

These are about tens yards away.

A couple came within about six yards, but my camera kept shutting down because the batteries were low so I didn't get a picture.

Of course if I was after a turkey they wouldn't have come within a mile of me. Better luck next time.

Pat

FinsnFur · December 08, 2008, 08:18:32 PM

Aint it funny how it works that way

When ya dont want them, they are everywhere.

Nice bunch of turkeys though. Reminds me of this place

Frogman · December 08, 2008, 08:38:38 PM

A good hunting buddy of mine is really into deer hunting. I was too until I got hooked on these coyotes. So I'm trying to get my deer hunting friend a coyote kill, thinking that will bring him over to the dark side. We went to a location where we had called coyotes before but never closed the deal on any of them. I let my buddy use my AR and I took my Remington 700 in .222 cal. We had a really good setup looking down into a meadow with a brush filled ravine about 100 yards below us. I was set up watching down a little swale and he was set up about 100 yards to my right watching down the next little swale. The Scorpion was between us up in an old tree stump. After a few minutes of the bunny blues here came a coyote out of the brushy ravine right below me running at an angle from my left to right and going like an arrow right accross the meadow and right at the e-caller. No way could that coyote avoid being shot by one of us. It finally stopped on my side of the swale about 75 yards away just below the e-caller. It was facing away from me looking toward where my buddy was. When the .222 cracked the dog spun around a couple of times and went down. I had just been learning about using the wounded pup sound right after you shoot one so I looked down at my remote to turn that sound on on the Scorpion. I had it preprogramed as my #4 call, but was new to the Scorpion remote at the time and had to look down. When I looked back up the dog was trying to get up. He finally got his legs under him and started limping his way back down the meadow toward the brushy ravine and a slab pile in it. I lined up the scope on him and pulled the trigger, nothing, I had forgotten to work the action after the first shot??? (Big time rookie mistake) I finally got the action worked and got off the second shot just as the dog went into the brush and the slab pile. Saw dirt kick up just the left of him. It would have taken an end loader to have gotten that coyote out of that slab pile. We found blood, but no coyote. Looked for over an hour. Lost him?? They say you learn a lot from your mistakes. I should be an expert by now??

Jim

pitw · December 08, 2008, 10:15:40 PM

Them are some of the best pic's and stories I've seen.

PS I'm a near genius now.

alscalls · December 09, 2008, 04:48:33 AM

Semp,
You got this>>>>>>>"The adrenaline was hammering me and I felt like I was going to explode."
And you did not have to skin a turkey.

We have been there many times and if it weren't for that feeling you got....None of us would hunt. Never give up and who knows what adventure awaits you!
Ya done fine....Wish I were there...Thanks for the great story.

KySongDog · December 09, 2008, 06:00:22 AM

I've been hunting turkeys way over 20 years so ya'd think I would have learned by now. It seems when you do everything right the bird lands in your lap. Then you start getting lazy and cut corners and 'ol Tom reminds you how dumb you really are.

Great stories guys. Love those turkey pics!

Silencer · December 09, 2008, 02:07:56 PM

Even after you shoot wait and use the kee-kee run. They'll come back for sure. You may have to re-adjust your location but they WILL come back. Thats the best time to call them is after you break them up.

Speaking of fall hunting btw...

KySongDog · December 09, 2008, 02:25:42 PM

After what I did those birds didn't land until they were in the next county.

But you are right, bust up a flock, go 50-75 yards in the direction most of them went, wait several minutes and then call them back using a kee kee run or a few assembly yelps. Works lots of times.