Saturday, March 10, 2004

Turkeys chasing Turkeys

By Karl DeHart

Edited by C. Moulton

Location:  Grimes Creek

Talk about jumping in with both feet.  This spring, I’m turkey hunting (my first attempts) here in Idaho and back in Iowa.  To start it off right today, Jim and I took some time and scouted in the area we will hunt next Thursday.  In all I saw a minimum of 4 toms…the hard part is done, right?  That’s pretty funny. We got out before light to determine where the birds I’ve been listening to for the past 3 weeks were roosting. Not only were we treated to a strutting tom chasing 5 hens, but we also watched a group of 3 hunters (youth hunt opened today) try to lure this group in. It was our real life outdoor channel.  The only difference was we had no remote, although the turkeys seemed to have a fast forward button, as will see as my story unfolds.

The hunters came in above the birds, which were feeding in an open grassy field.  Well, the hens were feeding, and the lone gobbler was fruitlessly trying to work his magic.  We were 300+ yards away, and when this big-boy was strutting, his blue and red head was distinguishable against the backdrop of the tail fan with the naked eye.  The hunters positioned themselves on the hillside behind some shrubs; where we thought they were going to wait.  They started to call to the group of turkeys and almost immediately the birds turned and moved in that direction. 

Jim and I were having a blast lounging on our hillside playing armchair quarterbacks.  “Why is that person moving!  Oh…that was dumb!”  Of course, we could not see the world through the eyes of the hunter who was moving out to place a decoy.  I imagine the birds moved behind an obstruction of some type and they thought there was time for a mad dash.  Wrong.  “The birds were moving directly to them!?  What were they thinking!  They should have sat still!”.  In almost sports commentary fashion I return with, “I agree Jim, although a short run, he completely exposed himself.  Bad call”.  Ok, maybe those weren’t the exact words we were chattering but the critique was the same.  Unfortunately we were right.  I think we both wanted to see a young hunter be successful, but the turkeys had a different idea.  This is where the birds found that fast forward button; or, more accurately, a fast reverse button, and did a 180 race to the cliff edge at mach 1.  As they reached the cliff, one by one they launched into flight, landed across the road and creek to a steep slope, and out of sight in the pines.  I wonder how long it took for that young hunters’ heart to settle down.