Where do I start? Birds that had been so highly pressured they would run at the sight od a decoy? trying to avoid a deer on a dark, early morning gravel road and ending up in a ditch? Or maybe the stolen DB Matrix and Magnus Rack Pack that a friend was gracious enough to let me borrow? Whithout doubt this was the worst hunting trip of my life. The outfitter, who shall remain nameless in public, had a blind stolen a couple of weeks ago from the same spot on the same isolated private land. He failed to mention this until I told him about my blind being gone. Nice heads up there. When I mentioned to him that a Tom came over a ridge saw my lone hen decoy he turned straight around and ran, the outfitter told me, " yeah, you have to use taxidermy dekes here, they're pretty wise to decoys." Another nice heads up! I had asked about pressure before the hunt and was assured it had been light. after the decoy conversation he told me the place had been hunted evry day but one for the past 2 weeks. Even with all of this I did manage to set up on a travel route I saw birds using on my first day there. I set up there on the second morning and got a shot at what would have been the best tom of my life. I blew it. That ones all on me. I hit him low and off he went. I searched for 5 hours to no avail. I found wing feathers on the ground but never found blood. To the outfitters credit there were a ton of birds just like he told me. On the first morning I was making the 45 minute drive from the nearest campground to the lease. I was about a 1/4 mile from my destination, driving about 30MPH on a gravel road when out jumps adeer. In avoiding the deer I ended up bass-akwards in a ditch. I managed to get my little Chevy Cobalt out but did bang up the rear bumper. It turned out better than hitting the deer would have been. On the second afternoon I set the DB up in a clearing I'd seen birds use. My plan was to get thereearly and try to call them in from a nearby roost. I should have known better than to leave that blind overnight on unfamiliar land, especially since it wasn't my blind. I really thought it would be fine since it was so far back in on private land. I was wrong. Now I have to buy a $400 blind and a $150 Rack Pack. I'll be listing my Pedersoli double barrel BP 12 ga. in the classifieds to pay for that gear. I may just quit turkey hunting after this experience. In the past 5 years I have spent in the range of $3000 to $3500 and have killed 2 birds. Thats a rotten payoff for my investment. If there were birds around here where I live it might be different but I have to travel at least 2 hours and hunt high pressure public land or pay through the nose to hunt private land and as this past week indicates that not alwys a bargain. Anyone interested in a good shotgun?
Sorry to hear about your bad experience, but don't let it deter you from turkey hunting altogether. Maybe you could find some people to swap hunts with or something, hogs for turkeys perhaps? That sounded like a really unfortunate trip, and I can say I don't really have anything to compare. I hope everything comes out alright for you in the end.
Sorry to hear that Greg. That really sucks. Thieves are one of the things that really makes me PO'ed. Sorry again to hear it was a horrible trip
Greg, that really sucks man, I hate that for you. Next season you are more than welcome to come up into OK and hunt birds for free, heck my wife will even cook so no meal cost either.
Sounds like a horror movie, but hey, that's what separates the men from the boys. Stick with it brother.
You know, you don't need all those fancy blinds and double bulls to kill a bird. Usually good camo, traveling light and fast is a much better approach. Sorry for your troubles. The guide/outfitter should be shot for failing to warn you. Why oh why would he recommend you set up in the same spot or did you accidently pick the same spot. For turkeys I'd rather do my own thing. I don't need some outfitter to pin point a location for me. Do some glassing, roasting and go hunting. How many guys do you suppose he sends to the same spot every year. Pressured birds... well tactics change. Hell, you got more birds in Texas than they ever had in Kansas.
TX, try adding some real wings to your deak. You can clip them down to make them fit the size of the deak to. trust me, real eye appeal really helps.
Sorry for the bad luck Greg! I wish we had more birds on our place in Okla. but maybe Zach can put you on some at his place next time.Our place has sporadic turkey and hogs on it but great deer population.
Wow that really sux. sorry to hear that you had to go thru that, that makes for one crappy hunting memory. another thought might be to see here would have you out for a turkey/deer shoot. I'm sure there are plenty of enough guys here willing to help you out w/a hunt on some land, and it won't cost you a guide's fee either. Hang in there, it'll be deer season soon.
Dang Greg, you had a bad dose of Murphy there. That can really turn you off for a while and make it not so much fun. Hope things pick up for ya and your luck turns around in the near future.
