meyeri
PMA Member
It took about 8 hours, but on opening day I was blessed enough to get it done. The morning started with me busting my target group out of the roost right when I was about to get set up. I setup anyway since I was quite a ways in and none of the gobblers really wanted to cooperate.
After a morning of little action to my calling, I moved to another spot I had scouted out prior to the season at about 11am. I started still hunting, listening for a gobble and spotted 3 toms in a field with a bunch of hens. Problem was, that they were a hundred plus yards on the other side of the fence line, where I can't hunt. I pulled out the fan and call to try to get their attention, but they were locked on the hens and showed little interest in my fan. Eventually the hens pulled them the opposite way, so I moved back down the fence line where I saw a small break in the fence and setup my decoys 10 yds in the woods.
I sat and called for an hour or so in the rain and eventually heard a gobble the opposite way of where the group went. I decided to move my setup for this bird and after packing my gear I glassed the field one last time and caught glimpse of a hen. Wouldn't you know it, it was the same group and the three toms were in tow. They slowly worked their way towards me, so I pulled out the fan and call again to get their attention. The hens filtered off into the opposite wood line never getting closer than 50 yds. The toms showed little interest again at long range, but as they closed, my jake fan got a little too tempting for them not to investigate. Eventually the lead gobbler broke off towards me and the other two followed. I realized I was at the fence line, so as they came closer, I moved backwards into the woods. I was crouched behind my fan, moving my bow back and I looked up to see the lead tom ducking through the fence break. I came to full draw as I raised my bow with a fan attached and he looked a little concerned at the second turkey fan that just showed up. I didn't give him time to decide what to do next and sent a rage through his center mass at 10 yds. He was a young bird, but I was happy to put my tag on him. 20 lbs, 8 inch beard and 1-1/8" spurs.
After a morning of little action to my calling, I moved to another spot I had scouted out prior to the season at about 11am. I started still hunting, listening for a gobble and spotted 3 toms in a field with a bunch of hens. Problem was, that they were a hundred plus yards on the other side of the fence line, where I can't hunt. I pulled out the fan and call to try to get their attention, but they were locked on the hens and showed little interest in my fan. Eventually the hens pulled them the opposite way, so I moved back down the fence line where I saw a small break in the fence and setup my decoys 10 yds in the woods.
I sat and called for an hour or so in the rain and eventually heard a gobble the opposite way of where the group went. I decided to move my setup for this bird and after packing my gear I glassed the field one last time and caught glimpse of a hen. Wouldn't you know it, it was the same group and the three toms were in tow. They slowly worked their way towards me, so I pulled out the fan and call again to get their attention. The hens filtered off into the opposite wood line never getting closer than 50 yds. The toms showed little interest again at long range, but as they closed, my jake fan got a little too tempting for them not to investigate. Eventually the lead gobbler broke off towards me and the other two followed. I realized I was at the fence line, so as they came closer, I moved backwards into the woods. I was crouched behind my fan, moving my bow back and I looked up to see the lead tom ducking through the fence break. I came to full draw as I raised my bow with a fan attached and he looked a little concerned at the second turkey fan that just showed up. I didn't give him time to decide what to do next and sent a rage through his center mass at 10 yds. He was a young bird, but I was happy to put my tag on him. 20 lbs, 8 inch beard and 1-1/8" spurs.
