Stubborn Gobbler
By Glen Wunderlich
It was May 11 several decades ago and I was in northern Michigan hunting turkeys with my pal, Fast Frank. We hadn’t had any good luck back in the day when that was the norm. The reason I recall the date so well is that when we woke up and exited the tent in the morning, we were greeted with a present from Mother Nature: a couple of inches of wet snow. That was enough to send us packing.
However, May 11, 2019 would be completely different. It started out like most other hunts with a routine that includes a checklist and arriving on stand before the sun rises. A heavy frost had descended onto the clover field and the temperature had dipped to 36 degrees (F). After getting settled into the portable blind, the heat from the Buddy heater was much appreciated.
The blind has been a productive location over the years, although the drawback of facing east can make the rising sun unbearable. But, usually it can be overcome by shifting the seat a bit; other times, there’s nowhere to hide. I was about to pay the price.
From the roost I could hear a distant gobble being repeated well before sunup. Once I figured the birds were on the ground, I let out a few hen yelps scratched out from a custom slate call from Rodney Hairell of Grand Prairie, Texas. It wasn’t long before a lone, curious gobbler was spotted heading in my direction. A good beard was evident through my Burris binocular, as the seemingly tricked bird kept strolling toward me.
He began gobbling, as he closed the distance to some 90 yards in the openness of the field. Not being sure if he had seen my decoy, I sent some softer calls that solicited quick responses. I’d seen this movie before and all that was left was for him to take a few more steps.
At 72 yards he bellowed clearly visible steam enhanced by the bright sun at his back – and, yes in my face. Over and over that love sick Tom puffed out clouds like he was smoking a cigar! Trouble was, he had hung up and wouldn’t take another step. Oh, he kept up the display with his wings to the ground and tail fanned out. And, those gobbles just kept on coming. But, he had seen the reflection of the sun from my glasses.
I still thought I had a chance, because he was still there. But, when a mission-bound, traveling hen entered the dance floor, my only thought was that my chances for drumsticks would follow the female where ever she was headed. It didn’t happen, however, and she cleared the area, while the bearded beast stood his ground.
Soon, however, he began to move parallel to my position. This is the part of the movie where he comes right in for his final move. Instead, he high-stepped it even farther away and kept the show going from a safe distance. Eventually, he wouldn’t play anymore and departed.
Sorry, I didn’t get any still photos, but even better is a short video of the excitement on YouTube.
