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Don't Hang Up!
By Cory Catlin
Cat Tracks Guide Service
www.merr.com/users/catlin
How barriers can affect the outcome of your next spring turkey hunt.
Get Out There!
The sun was rising quickly now and I only had moments left to get into position before the mornings first gobble breaks the silence. Time was precious now. I knew for sure he would be there, just like the days
leading up to the hunt. I had patterned his roosting habits and had all the confidence in the world that once again he would be heard calling from the Oak Ridge. I approached cautiously, leaning over so as not to be
seen. Using the cover of the nearby bushes, I crept up into what I thought was killing range. I set out the decoy, snuggled up against a large tree, and waited for the action to begin. I even set up on the east side
of the clearing, as I remembered being told once that the wild turkey had a tendency to pitch out towards early morning light. Every detail was in place for a quick hunt. Then it happened. "Garrobble!" It was the
first of the morning. Within minutes the woods came alive with sounds. More toms gobbled in the distance, crows cawed, and all I had to do was be patient and call sparingly.
It's Time!
At first I softly tree yelped to let him know he had company. Then increased the volume slowly to make it appear I was an anxious hen ready to leave the roost. To finish off the illusion I took off my hat and shook
it violently to mimic the sounds of a hen flying down from the tree. After replacing my hat, I leaned back with my 12 gauge resting on my knee and waited to pull the trigger. The tom pitched out to the east all
right, but far short of my expectations. Nearest I could figure he was over 75 yards off, and doing his best Nancy Kerrigan impression by pirouetting in place for over ten minutes. He eventually grew tired of my
calling and decided to distance himself from my set up.
Hurry up and Wait!
The questions began. Did he see me sneaking to my set up? Is he busy with other hens? Was I calling wrong? Did I call too much? Should I follow him? What Should I Do?! Since I had patterned this bird in the
preseason, I knew exactly what to do. During preseason scouting I noticed that this particular bird seemed to have a favorite place he liked to visit regularly after leaving the roost. Turkey hunters like to call
them strut zones. This bird was no different. After he cleared my field of view I quickly set my plan in motion. I retrieved my decoy and headed out away from the direction the tom was headed. I knew this birds
strut zone was a five tier wire fence to the west of my location, and that I had to get there before he did. I made a large circle around to the north side of the bird, all the while keeping plenty of brush between
his sharp eyes and me. I was confident that my RealTree camo would do it's job in concealing me, and once I felt I had gone far enough I turned and walked parallel with the bird towards the final destination. I kept
him to the left side for more than 150 yards until his gobbles seemed to be coming from an angle behind me. That's when I made my move to the new set up.
Use It Don't Abuse It!
This bird had the misfortune of living in woods that held both natural and man made barriers. We all know that fences, hedgerows, or water can keep a tom from reaching his final destination in front of the shotgun.
They can also help in holding them there
My second year, after an initially successful first year, was a disaster for that reason alone. I set up in a small clearing about 100 yards from where I was certain several gobblers had roosted the night before.
They were there for sure. Gobbling the whole way in until they hit the aforementioned fence line. I found out too late that I was on the wrong side of the fence that day. Then as I crawled up to put myself into a
better position for the shot, a sharp-eyed long beard from the left inadvertently busted me. After that I wasn't looking forward to continuing the days hunt. What I saw next quickly changed my outlook. Two proud
toms making their way across an alfalfa field some 300 yards out. I made my way through the woods undetected and decided to set up on the other side of the field. As with most fields there was a type of hedgerow
that separated the two properties. There were also two small openings in the barrier that I thought would surely be large enough to allow the birds' access to my field. Not learning from my earlier mistake, I set up
on the other side of the grassy barrier in hopes the two would find one of those openings. Of course they didn't. It wasn't until after the season had ended that I read about how barriers can kill a successful hunt.
That's when I decided to use them to my advantage.
Now I am not saying a turkey will never go through a barrier to reach you. After all, they're not noted for their higher intellect. I've watched birds duck fence lines, fly up over gates, and even take wing to
cross a large drainage ditch. Just not nearly as often as I've seen them turn the other cheek and stroll away. I am saying, however, that barriers can be used as an effective means to controlling turkey
movement.
Moment of Truth!
As I made my way to the now infamous fence line, I was sure the combination of the two barriers would be effective in corralling the trophy bird in my direction. This was the corner where I would set up my ambush,
and erase the disappointments of three seasons ago.
He was traveling down the 5o ft. cliff ridge, still gobbling the whole way. I figured he wouldn't travel back the way he had just come, or fly down the cliff, so I decided to sit about 70 yards equally from both
barriers. This formed a box shape of the area that I had hoped would force the bird to travel in my direction. When the wandering tom finally reached the corner, he found himself without companionship, or a place he
could freely roam. His only choice was to turn my way. As it turned out the spot was perfect. A small ridge concealed my location well enough that decoys weren't needed. All that was left was to give a few soft
clucks and purrs from my Lohman diaphragm call, and #4 shot from the Winchester 1300 to bring the bird down from about 30 yards out.
Reflecting Back!
That hunt went well, but could've gone either way. Every situation has it's own unique challenges. Had this bird not had a barrier to halt his progress I could have been chasing him all morning. Pressure calling to a
henned up tom is fruitless, and frustrating. Calling a tom to a barrier that you didn't set up close enough to is devastating. Using the barriers you've scouted in the preseason to our advantage in harvesting a
turkey is woodsmanship. It's that woodsmanship that instills the pride that makes hunting sports so challenging and special.
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