The Highs and Lows of Turkey Season
By Jack Orloff, Waypoint TV Social Media Coordinator
Turkey hunting is hard. It can be frusterating, annoying, and defeating. It can make you question everything about yourself as a hunter, from the decisions you make to your calling or even your shooting ability. However, the times when the plan works, and everything comes together, make turkeys one of the most rewarding and fun animals to hunt!
The first half of the 2023 season began with heartbreak for me. An early March start in Mississippi chasing hard-headed hened-up gobblers that seemed to ignore my every attempt to lure them into shotgun range burned a fire of frustration and anger inside me, making each hunt more and more difficult to deal with. The 10-hour drive home empty-handed did not help either, but knowing there was a lot more time left in the season dampened my frustrations.
In Texas, things continued the way they were going. Weaving up and down the rocky terrain in the hill country made for long hot days, glassing and listening for birds. There were a few close calls, however. After a response from a hard-gobbling Rio one morning, the bird began to approach me and stop at 15 yards, but I couldn't get a clear shot due to the thick brush and cactus blocking my view. The bird moved off, and it was over. I felt more than defeat. "Is there something wrong with me?" I thought to myself. "Was I cursed?" All these thoughts began to creep into my head, keeping me awake at night.
Things continued like that until one mid-April morning. I was walking back to the truck after not hearing a single gobble off the roost and decided to give one more call down in a creek bottom that I had seen a few birds in the year before. When I hit the call, a bird responded, and he was close! I quickly put out the hen decoy and set up, letting the bird know I was there with soft clucks. All of a sudden, here he comes down the creek bottom in full strut. I was shaking with excitement as the beautiful Rio approached within 12 steps and began to circle the hen decoy, never breaking full strut. I took a deep breath, pulled the trigger, and watched the bird flop! It was over, and I had done it. But the mission was far from over!
In May, I traveled to Virginia, where things began to fall into place. The first morning I set up on the edge of a newly planted cornfield and watched a gorgeous tom strut right into the decoy in his final call for love. That next day a hard-charging afternoon gobbler attacked my Jake decoy deep in pines in a sight I will forever remember.
Looking back on past seasons, especially this season, I feel upset with myself. The constant anxiety and worry about tagging a bird had fogged my ability to see what was really important. It's not about the kill or even about the bird itself. It's about being able to enjoy God’s creation. Listening to the sounds of the forest, strolling through a corn field. It's about a sore back and butt from sitting for hours or that one mosquito that doesn't want to leave you alone. It's about keeping a positive attitude, taking every moment in as if it were your last. There are times when all of us feel frustrated and defeated, but realizing the fun part is being in the woods and being able to experience the sights and sounds are what it's all about. Filling a tag is just a nice bonus!
Always be grateful and enjoy every moment you get in the turkey woods - good or bad!
Check out my other blog, Early Season Turkey Tips.