Turkey Hunting Day Five: No Bang, No Glory!
Alright…whomever did the rain dance late last week will you please stand up and identify yourself? I’ve got a bag full of rotten tomatoes I’d like to throw at you. No doubt about it the weather over the past several days here in Minnesota has left me feeling very depressed…not only because I didn’t get a decent shot at a Minnesota gobbler, but because the late winter doldrums are setting in once again because of all the gloomy weather. C’mon…it’s supposed to be spring with lots of sun and things like that! 
Yea, whoever coined the phrase “April showers bring May Flowers” obviously wasn’t a turkey hunter. Truth is, at least for this year, April showers brought very ornery, frustrated turkey hunters. In fact, when you compile the rainfall totals during the month of April it turns out to be the second-wettest April of all time in the Twin Cities. This record was bolstered by a continuous rain that fell during the last three days of April. (Did I mention it also rained almost all day today, May 1st?)
Indeed, the only decent day of turkey hunting we experienced for our time slot was our very first day. I’m not trying to diminish anything about the hunt…because the first day was exciting enough to make the season for us. Yet, sometimes you yearn for what could have been if only the weather had been slightly more cooperative. In talking to a few other hunters slotted for this same time period…most experienced their best action on last Thursday (the first day of hunting during this time period in Minnesota). After that, turkey activity died off greatly because of the rain, wind and cold.
I think during the last few days I have also developed another pet peeve when it comes to other hunters. I’ve come to the conclusion that everybody must think they are some sort of turkey hunting expert. Seriously! I’ve received more unsolicited advice from other hunters than I cared to listen to. The truth is turkey hunting is a very fickle sport…and that’s part of what makes it so exciting. The birds are unpredictable…often times they’re aggravating…and always they are capable of throwing you a surprise. The point is any person who tells you they know how a turkey is going to behave or that they have a sure-fire way of bagging the ol’ boy is a big fool themselves. And if you listen to them you might be an even bigger fool.
On any given morning the script for what is going to happen for the day is completely ad-libbed by the turkeys. Unlike deer, bear and other animals that can be somewhat predictable in their daily behavior patterns…the wild turkey has an uncanny way of keeping you wondering and guessing on his next move.
Today I spoke at great length with a nationally known wildlife photographer friend of mine whom I trust knows a great deal more about wild turkeys than most other people who make such claims. When you spend time out photographing nature you get to know the animals on a completely different level. You get to understand their personalities and learn if they have certain tendencies of behavior. What he told me was that based on his experiences turkeys will react differently on any given day to a same set of circumstances. Meaning their personalities simply cannot be predicted with any measure of certainty. In fact, he contends that whether he gets the right turkey shot with a camera or by using his gun, it’s more a matter of pure luck than any great strategy employed on the part of the photographer/hunter.
He did give me some food for thought, however, that I might consider next time I’m out turkey hunting. First, he advised not to use a flock of turkey decoys and that perhaps I would have been better served to just use a single hen decoy. He believes that some mature gobblers lack confidence and will not approach a flock when it sees hens with a jake. Why take the chance?..he says. Also, he told me that he never places a decoy where he suspects the tom will see it further than about 60 yards away. If the tom is coming in to the calling you want to keep him curious and coming. As soon as he sees the hen (decoy) and makes eye contact the tom expects the hen to now come to him. That’s how it happens in nature. To expect the tom to continue making progress toward the decoy (which is what most hunters hope will happen) is only hoping for something very unnatural to occur.
Also, if you read my blog post from last Thursday you will recall that I showed pictures of a hen that lingered in and around my decoys/blind for quite some time. At one point I even described how the hen laid out in the field and would not move for several minutes with wings spread. At the time I never considered it…but my photographer buddy insists that she was likely performing those antics because she was waiting to be bred by my jake decoy. Now that I think about it, such a response was certainly plausible. I guess both turkeys and turkey hunters can share disappointment in a certain lack of expected activity. 
No, I ended the 2006 Minnesota spring turkey hunting season very satisfied on one hand for the many experiences I was able to witness in the woods…while just a bit bitter the weather couldn’t have cooperated so I could have seen a little more responsive turkey action. Still, I keep reminding myself that it’s the process of hunting where I derive my pleasure from this sport…and not simply in the mere act of killing this majestic game bird.
2006 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.