Almost!

Sunday morning I headed out to find me some dang turkeys! I got to the parking lot about 515 am. It was still pretty dark. I started hiking down the hill into the canyon. It was kinda scary Im not gonna lie! Its creepy all by yourself hiking in the dark. I found the trail and started into the wooded area when I heard a grouse drumming.

If you havent ever heard it, it sounds almost like a lawn mower trying to start.. its them flapping their wings back and forth really fast. It was about 5 feet off to my side and scared the crap outta me. I climbed up the hill and into the next wooded area. By this time its almost light enough to not have to use a flashlight.. I was about 5 min from the spot I was headed when I heard GOBBLE GOBBLE.

I stopped for a min and decided  keep going.

GOBBLE GOBBLE!

Well its gonna be light in about 15 min...maybe I'll sit and wait for a minute and see if he keeps talking. So I drop down next to a tree and for fun start calling back. The hills CAME ALIVE. About 4 Toms gobbling away. Several hens answering back too. I am sitting just downhill but there is a hill blocking any view. I drop my stuff and walk up the hill some just taking the call and my gun.

GOBBLE GOBBLE!

GOBBLE GOBBLE!

Im creeping through the trees trying to be quiet but the ground is covered in dead fall. Limbs. Leaves. Weeds and other crunchy things.

GOBBLE GOBBLE!

I keep sneaking my way up and am in some thick trees so far. Its almost light enough to shoot.

The Toms are answering my calls before I even finish calling. Its like the hens and I are fighting over them

GOBBLE GOBBLE

GOBBLE GOBBLE

GOBBLE GOBBLE

A flock of geese fly over and the turkeys are gobbling back at the geese.

A rooster pheasant is answering the turkey calls also.

My bloods pumpin at this point. I'm not quite into a good clearing to get a shot. All of a sudden I hear 4 or 6 sets of wings flapping and see about that many turkeys fly down out of the trees and land right on the edge of the clearing up the hill from me. Right on the edge of the treeline.  A tom puffs up big and his head turns red. I dont really have a clear shot. There is still a bunch of branches in my way. Im about 40 yards from them. I use my call a time or two more and they answer back.

Im trying to quietly sneak through all the crunchy ground covering with out spooking them to get into the cl clearing. Im almost 30 yards from them at this point and can see 5 or 6 turkeys. But no one is puffed up and my dang binoculars are in my bag I dropped in the trees. I cant tell which one has a beard and they are side- hilling it across the mountain.

The sun comes out.

I finally am in a good spot to shoot and they are off into the trees at the base of the hill. I call a few more times and they ignore me and head up the hill.

I tried to make noises to get them and turn and look at me. Anything but they just ignored me and kept heading up the hill through.

I hiked all over and never heard anything more. Didn't see anything else. I did see a hen pheasant and 3 doe. But I know where they are now and can only hope they are there when I go out with my dad the next day.