Great Hunts are Made of Turkeys, Yelling, Cats, and Migraines

Kendus Turkey Hunting Report - New Jersey Week A

3:45 AM comes quick!

New Jersey turkey hunting season started this week. Since I had a permit for this week (Week A), I pursued the wary and elusive long-beards Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday mornings. Although I have no filled tag to brag about, I have some interesting stories. The turkey hunts of this week are chronicled below.

Monday, April 14

Competition for public turkey hunting spots is high in South Jersey, so I make sure to get to my hunting spots EARLY -- like 4:45 AM! With shooting times around 6:00 AM, I find 4:45 AM to be a perfect arrival time.

On Monday, the opening day of the New Jersey turkey season, I understandably couldn't sleep, so I was out of bed before the alarm went off. I dressed quickly, slammed back some day-old coffee, packed the truck, and drove east. I arrived at my secluded, off-the-beaten path turkey hunting spot in 38-degree weather, and walked to the location I scoped out the night before. I set up against a pile of stacked logs that bordered a powerline cut, and I placed two hen decoys in the open of the powerline clearing (essentially about the size of 1.5 football fields). In the midst of situating my decoys, I heard a vehicle pull up near my parking spot. I then heard the disgusted yelling of a man who was apparently disappointed that I arrived at the location before he did! He yelled, "Goddamn it! Some guy from Delaware is here! You better come move your truck! You're parked in a no parking zone!"

You can imagine my initial reaction. Are you kidding me? It's opening day. 5:00 in the morning. I'm trying not to disturb any turkeys, and this guy is on the road screaming! I left my decoys in the field, and I walked out to the parking area, blinking my flashlight to alert the guy I was coming. I walked up to him and asked what was going on. He said he was disappointed because he wanted to hunt this spot. Never wanting to ruin anyone's hunt, I told him that the spot was big enough for both of us. He calmed down and turned out to be a nice guy. He was an older gentleman with some health issues, so he couldn't walk far. I told him to set up near his vehicle, and I told him where I was. Things turned out OK. (By the way, there was no "No Parking" sign.)

I heard some faint gobbling around 6:00 AM, and I heard a hen walking in the woods behind me. I didn't see a turkey until around 7, when I saw two jakes diagonally across the field from me. I tried calling them, but they wouldn't answer. They just made a beeline for my side of the field, but about 100 yards away from me. After they fully crossed the field, a nice gobbler followed -- in full strut. He answered my calls once, but he, too, walked across the field to the same place the jakes went. I left the spot around 7:45 AM since I had to work, but I made a plan for the following day.

Tuesday, April 15

Every once in a while, life is better than fiction. As a writer, I have a creative mind, and I can spin yarns with the best of them. However, this "one that got away story" is entirely true. I don't think I could have made this up.

I arrived at the same location where I hunted Monday, but this time I set up just in the woods where the turkeys walked to. I found a nice tree about 20 yards off the woods' edge and set my decoys near the opening where the turkeys came in yesterday. I heard tree calls, fly-down cackles, and gobbles early, so I knew the turkeys were around. Around 6:45 AM, I heard constant clucking and blue jay screams coming from the woods behind me. It sounded like the bird was walking back and forth, but I never saw it. (More about this later.)

I knew my new friend from yesterday was hunting in his same spot. I heard his calling, and I could just see the outline of his decoys. Around 7:15 AM, I heard a bunch of gobbles. They weren't necessarily answering my calls, but I knew they were close. I couldn't see the turkeys, so I moved closer to the field. There, I saw 4 jakes about 100 yards away, half way between me and the other hunter. I began calling excitedly, attempting to sound like a lonely, desperate hen. Within seconds, I got gobbles from the jakes, and they all began walking my way. I called them the length of the field, but they stayed on the opposite side of it. There was a small ridge down the middle of the field, so I could only see the birds' backs and heads. They stayed across from me for 20 minutes, and they were raising all kinds of hell. I thought they were fighting because I heard cackling and saw the occasional bird jump in the air. After some more calling, all of them began walking directly toward me.

Dropping my slate and aluminum calls, I quickly put my mouth call in. Within 2 minutes, all of the birds were in range, though they were obscured by brush at the edge of the woods. Literally, they were within 25 yards, but I didn't have a lane to shoot through. I had my shotgun up and aimed at the opening -- just waiting for a bird to take TWO MORE STEPS! Then--things got weird.

I saw the birds hopping up and down and running in circles, and I heard them making noises I never heard before. I was quite perplexed. I then saw something else walking near the birds, but it was about half their size. With my gun still trained at the opening, a friggin' CAT walks out. The turkeys run the other way, but now this dumbass cat sees my decoys. He promptly leaves the live turkeys alone, and begins a tiger-like stalk on my decoys! Are you kidding me? Not wanting to move, I tried flicking sticks and leaves at the thing, but that didn't work. The stupid thing just stared at me (or probably through me, since I was in full camo) and wouldn't leave. I then just picked up a stick and through it at the cat. The cat finally left, but the turkeys were gone. I guess the only good news is that I don't think the turkeys knew I was there.

Leaving the woods after this escapade, the other hunter drove up to me. He said that he could see a big gobbler in the woods strutting back and forth all morning. That must have been the clucking I heard! Can't I catch a break?!?!

Thursday, April 17

I couldn't hunt Wednesday because I was out of town on business. I went back to my Monday and Tuesday spot on Thursday.

Nothing really eventful to report. I heard turkeys gobbling all morning from all directions, but I saw none of them. They must have been 'henned up'. I left the woods around 7:45 AM and quickly drove to another spot. I began yelping with my calls, and I heard yelps in reply every time. I swear I thought these were coming from another hunter, because they just sounded too perfect and too much like the calls I was making. I kept it up, and soon a hen began walking right to me -- yelping like crazy. Oh well. Off to work.

Friday, April 18

Last day of the New Jersey Week A permit. I had the alarm sent for 3:45 AM, but I awoke at 3:00 AM with a migraine. I called off my hunt. I now will begin my Week B quest on Monday.