14 hours in a blind is true love.… for turkey hunting, that is. It was a soggy, humid weekend in SC, but no passionate turkey hunter like me would let that bother them. My morning guided hunt started with great anticipation. Walking the long dark trek down the power line to the blind was a welcomed stretch of my legs, considering the long hours I would spend in the blind. I learned what coyote stink is as we walked through a downright disgusting patch. “Coyotes must have bedded down here at some point, leaving their distinct stench,” my guide explained. I immediately started turning and looking behind to ensure no coyotes were nearby.
We settled in the blind, and during daybreak, my guide got the attention of a huge gobbler with his expert calling. He was strutting about 15 yards in the woods, and this Tom would not come out! It must have been an old and very experienced bird, and not much time had passed since a very willing hen appeared on the scene and stole the show. She was super aggressive when calling him, and after 20 minutes of being ignored, she went to him in the woods. What goes on from there, I can only guess. A bit later, she appears, lays down on her tummy at the edge of the woods, and fluffs her tail feathers, signaling her desires! This went on for at least a half hour. Again, the wise old Tom did not walk out. Finally, the hen gets up and proceeds to walk up the power line, and surely, he is following, never leaving his protection of the wood line. The morning hunt was over, but not without much drama with our happy hen.
That afternoon, I went back to the blind solo, hoping to have an opportunity to call in the gobbler. I heard some gobbling deep in the woods throughout the afternoon but no luck calling him in; for me, just being out in the woods was a big reward. After all, I learned from a hen what the meaning of fluffing your tail feathers meant. It didn’t look like a dirt bath, which sometimes turkeys do, so I am guessing she was just happy! Sure, I would have loved to have harvested a big Tom that hunt, but there will be other hunts and lessons learned!
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