The streak continues

Yellowhammer

Moderator
Staff member
I had a feeling that this year was going to be a let down, and that my streak of getting an Eastern on public land was going to come to an end. I have taken an Eastern 10 out of the last 11 years years and all but one was on public land. Eastern turkey hunting in East Texas is a far cry from hunting Rios elsewhere in the state. While Texas has a large population of Rios, the Eastern population is small, and spotty. All birds have to be checked to be legal, and less than 300 are killed in the 40 some odd counties open.

I finally got my bird today. I has been an especially tough year on Public Land around here this year to even hear a bird, much less kill one. Mine was only the 7th bird checked at the local check station since season opened on the 1st, and two or 3 of those came from other counties.

I was only able to hear a couple of birds during pre season scouting, and I knew one of those birds was going to have company opening day. The season opened on the 1st and I did not hear the first gobble until the 6th hunt. I was close to getting that bird, but something made him decide something wasn't right and he shut up. The next morning, I never heard him, or again the following day.

So, I start searching out some other areas. I would drive to different spots and listen each morning until about 8:30 or so and then head in for work. Monday I heard a bird from the road gobble one time, but after hitting the woods, never another peep. Next morning - nothing in that spot. About a mile and half down the road, I could hear one gobbling. I went in after him, but after he flew down, he only gobbled one more time.

Yesterday morning, I tried to be where he had been one Tuesday morning. Gobble time came, and nothing. So, I let out a soft call and sure enough across the creek a gobble. I made the move, set up, and started some calling on the Primos piggy back stack diagraphm. In just a few minutes I could see him strutting around back and forth about 100 yards out in an open area that had been burned. A large downed pine tree made an effective barrier between us and he seemed hung up on it. He would gobble and strut, but didn't seem to want to go around it. Finally, he seemed closer, and maybe about to swing around the log when at 7:15 am I hear a low flying plane approaching. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING! Nope, the plane flies right over us, and he nervously gobbles 3 quick times, and I can see he is moving away.10 minutes later, he is now where to be seen and quite as can be. Busted by a dang air plane.

Now this morning, I decide to be on the side of the creek that he was one, but again, no sound from him well into gobbling time.

I do some calling, and then hear a gobble a far distance off along the creek. I move that way, and he seems to be moving away. To make a long story shorter, I ended up moving after him and setting up several times. I did some calling, but he didn't seem to fired up. By 7:20 he had gotten quite. Then about 20 minutes later, I hear him again farter still. Then about 8 am, he started to gobble a little more often I could get a fix on him. Still he didn't seem to intered in my calling, just gobbling to his own beat.

I decided to make a big circle to get around in front of him, and once I got as close as I dared, I set out the decoy and started some soft purrs and clucks on the slate. He was much closer now, and seemed to respond a little more to the soft calling, but he seemed to be stuck in one spot. After about 10 more minutes of a stalemate, I decided to belly crawl up about another 30-40 yards. I then did another soft purr, and then I could hear him clucking or something. At first I though he was alarm puting, but then I caught a glimpse of him slipping towards me and looking around.

At 8:45 am I was finally able to lay the hammer on him from about 38 yards with the Winchester Supreme 3" XX Mags in #6.

I then had almost a mile walk back to the truck. Now I can sleep a little later the rest of the week.

Consistantly being able to get a Public Land bird in East Texas is something I am pretty proud of because it is so hard to do. I kind of expected to strike out this year, but persistence paid off.

He had a 10 inch beard and 1 inch spurs.


MyEastern2010.jpg


HOM%20-%20Banner.jpg
 
Last edited:
Congrats on your public Eastern! Great write up as always! I've about decided the turkey(rio)population in Cisco has suffered from predation. Three years ago when I got on the place, it was not uncommon to see from 15-25 birds every time I went to the lease. Each year, fewer and fewer birds. This past season I got several pics of coyotes and bobcats (zero bobs in years past) and saw a fox from my stand while bowhunting. While I'm not sure a fox is much a threat to a grown turkey, I'm sure they would wreak havoc on a nest? I also found a pile of feathers in a spot close to where I've been getting tc pics of bobs and also close to where I killed a bobcat back earlier in the year.
I'm moving on to greener pastures this year. I'm looking forward to having a callable population again!
 
Congrats on the turkey! I'm so jealous!


The biggest culprit on turkey numbers are nest raiders like raccoons! They are by far the biggest threat. Coyotes I know can get them easily in the winter time, but have just as hard a time as we do sneaking up to nab a full grown bird.

I only know this, I'm not sure how, but I hunt raccoons in the winter with magnum air guns. I read it somewhere, perhaps in a magazine about turkey hunting.
 
Back
Top