HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!
I photographed this bird in Maryland a few years back, and yes it is a wild turkey which did not at that time make it to the oven.
I recall the first wild turkey I ever saw. It was during college a hundred eighty years ago in central Pennsylvania.
I photographed this bird in Maryland a few years back, and yes it is a wild turkey which did not at that time make it to the oven.
I recall the first wild turkey I ever saw. It was during college a hundred eighty years ago in central Pennsylvania.
I was actually hunting for them, with a turkey call, shotgun, camo, the whole nine yards.
The first day out in the woods I actually called up a young bird or "Jake" as they are called. Missed him completely. Had no idea what I was doing or even what a turkey even sounded like, but I kept scratching the box used to imitate the critters. As I recall I even had a fleeting glimpse of a bobcat. Neat! Only one of those I have ever seen in the wild.
The second day out I called and called, using the sexiest turkey talk I could muster. I talked to one bird halfway up the side of a mountain for over an hour....he never moved.
So, like any decent deer stalker I donned my coonskin cap (camo) and started to sneak up the mountain ---calling intermittently. Cautiously from rock to rock, tree to tree, I went. I discovered in the mountains of Pennsylvania, if you jump quietly from rock to rock you make no noise underfoot. You just have to check the wind to make sure your scent doesn't go in the direction of the critter being snuck up upon, and go slow so your motion is not detected.
Finally, within about thirty yards of the other calling bird I thought --- I've got this guy beat and a shot at a sizable gobbler was just ahead. Get out the cranberry sauce. Poking my head around a tree.....my coonskin covered head remember. Great camo!
And there before me was a turkey covered in hunter's orange calling his head off. I had been talking and stalking another hunter and he me for over an hour and half.
I slowly slunk away, leaving no evidence of my presence, inexperience, or humiliation, and went to the super market to complete my Thanksgiving hunt!
The second day out I called and called, using the sexiest turkey talk I could muster. I talked to one bird halfway up the side of a mountain for over an hour....he never moved.
So, like any decent deer stalker I donned my coonskin cap (camo) and started to sneak up the mountain ---calling intermittently. Cautiously from rock to rock, tree to tree, I went. I discovered in the mountains of Pennsylvania, if you jump quietly from rock to rock you make no noise underfoot. You just have to check the wind to make sure your scent doesn't go in the direction of the critter being snuck up upon, and go slow so your motion is not detected.
Finally, within about thirty yards of the other calling bird I thought --- I've got this guy beat and a shot at a sizable gobbler was just ahead. Get out the cranberry sauce. Poking my head around a tree.....my coonskin covered head remember. Great camo!
And there before me was a turkey covered in hunter's orange calling his head off. I had been talking and stalking another hunter and he me for over an hour and half.
I slowly slunk away, leaving no evidence of my presence, inexperience, or humiliation, and went to the super market to complete my Thanksgiving hunt!
I have had much better luck with these critters after putting the gun down and taking up the camera. But my deer stalker days had taught me just how to get close to my subjects and there is really more to it than just going into the woods and pretending to be a bushel of apples.
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