Best gobbler hunting was short-lived this year

This year's spring gobbler season (which ends tomorrow) brings to mind a couple of tired but true sayings , "the early bird catches the worm," or "he who hesitates is lost" - for both could easily be applicable to the what occurred during the month-long season.

In recent years, I've forgone the first few days of the spring turkey season because of the usually high hunter density that normally occurs then. Because toms are normally vocal, their gobbling is easily heard by hunters as far away as a quarter mile. The result often is more than one hunter moving closer to get in position to attempt enticing the gobbler within shotgun range. This is especially true on public land as hunting access to private lands has steadily shrunk.

This year I decided to tempt fate by hunting opening day. I was fortunate enough to know of a small patch of private land where the owner allowed access. But to be on the safe side, I decided not to be there at dawn, hoping that many of those hunters who did get out early would be gone, either to work or for an after-hunt breakfast. I reached the forest edge spot where I could see both the woods behind me as well as the large field in front. I could see a gobbler and a hen in the field, about 125 yards away. I'd no sooner gotten set up when I heard a motor of some kind. Here came a hunter driving a golf cart along the edge of the field. The two turkeys immediately vamoosed. I stayed around about an hour before heading home. Teach me to hunt opening day, right?

Despite reservations caused by the opener, I ventured out the morning of the second day. About 7 a.m. I heard a bird gobble that wasn't far away, so I answered him. I was again hunting near an open field and had a pretty good view. Within minutes after I'd called I spotted a big longbeard heading across the field toward me and the hen decoy I'd placed. He had his head down and was coming on a steady trot. Oh boy, here we go.

As the gobbler closed to about 70 yards I saw movement in the field off to my right. Here came five jakes, making a beeline toward the big gobbler. I cackled loudly, but the juveniles never changed their course. They had one thing in mind - to harass and drive that bigger gobbler away. And that's exactly what happened. If you've ever seen what I refer to as a "jake street gang" going after adult gobblers, then you probably haven't hunted spring turkeys as long as I have. The magic number of jakes in a flock that will usually do this seems to be at least four. Less than that, and they seem to lack the confidence to tackle the bigger bird.