Turkey season began Sunday, April 15th, but it didn’t look like Tom was going to get one. Though we had seen as many as 50 turkeys at a time, and a small flock of two toms and 7 hens drifted around our place the week before the season opened, Sunday was cold and blustery and there was nothing about, no preening males dancing, saying, "Look at me!" and no females studiously ignoring them.
Tuesday morning, however, Tom called one in from the neighbor’s property, over 500 yards away. It took almost an hour for the bird to get within range, but he was patient. Tom pronounced Ms. Pearl "a champ,” tied up ten yards up the hill from where he sat, and told to “be quiet.” Pearlie obviously liked this turkey.
Three days later, Tom decided to try filling his second spring tag, and seeing some turkeys by our south fence, went out and sat in front of a tree on the other side of our wall. He called a little and then waited, and sure enough, another “gobbler” strode in front of his shotgun, across the creek. A little longer shot this time, it took two to put the turkey down permanently. Ms. Pearl was again nearby, behaving excellently like the half a hunting dog that she is. She was delighted at Tom’s----and her----success.
When I asked him how he knew how to call, he said “That part was easy. I just tried to sound like you during our fight the other day……”
Turkey.
