Silent Toms

[Indian Summer]

I can hunt right out my back door. Sometimes I do, but never for turkeys. I'm pretty sure the ones back their have bachelor degrees in human behavior. Seriously. They do not talk. It's been 10 years since I've heard a gobble back there... but I see turkeys and fresh sign every single time I walk there which is alot. I saw them yesterday and today. Needless to say some of them get huge.

Earlier this year I saw a monster 100 yards from my house crossing the road. If there is such a thing as a Booner turkey he is it. A beard can only grow so long before it brooms off from dragging on the ground and ice during winter. At that point they can only get thicker. I've heard the term paintbrush beard before and have seen more than my share of them over the years. This dude was in a class of his own with a beard like a horse tail.

Months later... last week, I was walking back there and there he was... with a buddy. Two of them with a single old hen. Since then I've snuck back there several times a week. I have not heard a peep but have seen them, or signs of them every time. It's the most I've ever seen them there. The hen has obviously taken up residence...right near my deer stand. I hate to not do the spring ritual of calling in a longbeard. I know for a fact the only way to kill one of them is to climb up the stand before light and hunt them like deer. I'm going to go for it. To add some excitment and challenge I decided to try them with a bow. If I can kill old horsetail with my bow I'll be happy call or no call. I don't know why I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. To tell the truth I'm so sure they are going to outsmart me that I'm almost positive I'm going to regret not taking the shotgun. I'll only get one crack. If they see me up there they won't be back for a year. So anyway... wish me luck. Lots of luck, cause I know enough to know I'm gonna need it!

Finally... a cure for my nearly terminal cabin fever! Bring on Saturday!!!!

These are last years birds. Me and a buddy doubled up. If you've never matched wits with hard hunted eastern birds you can't imagine the tricks they pull. The Leafy Wear Bug Tamer suit is great for spring bugs including ticks, isn't to hot, and makes great cover. I bought it for spring bear but it's my go to for turkey now.

[buglmin]

The problem we are having is the high high winds. The birds are acting weird, not responding much to calls, toms are not hanging around the hens, weather is cold. Plus, we have a high high number of out of town and state hunters around here forced to hunt limited areas cause of forest service closed roads.
Im in no hurry to kill a tom yet, cant really hunt too much cause the effects the meds have on my body, and just hating dealing with other hunters. I dont want to kill the toms on the ranch, cause I feed them and they are more like pets, and hate it when guys sneak onto the back property to hunt them.
I only hunts birds now with my recurve, get more of a kick from it them killing one with a shotgun or compound. So Im just waiting for the right time..Good luck this weekend, knock one down, and have fun chasing the damn things...

[bnsafe]

your right on indian, ive killed a few rios and they arnt even in the ballpark with easterns as far as how smart they are. maybe just cause they werent gettin the hunting pressure that easterns get. they quit gobbling bout 10 years ago in mo to. they will gobble 3-4 times in the tree then nothin the rest of the day. so if you cant see em out in the fields you just gotta set up and blind call. takes the fun out of turkey hunting really quick. they are killable, just not fun.

[elkmtngear]

Good Luck Indian Summer !

We have some public land and remote private land birds (Rios) out here, that are the same way. If you hear one gobble per day in a one mile area, you are lucky. I think there are a lot more predators (lions, bobcats, coyotes) in those areas, because the birds down on the private ranches tend to be much more vocal.

If you can locate the roost tree, you increase your odds tremendously! Sometimes I do not call at all on birds like that, I just put a decoy in sight of the suspected fly down area. It has worked well several times over the years