There are times sitting in the turkey blind that I feel like the Maytag repairman -- I'm getting no respect, a least from the turkeys I was trying to call in.
Over the past couple of week's I'm been making trips to eastern Kansas to hunt turkeys. I'd like to say I've had great success, but the story is always the same -- no luck.
It's interesting with turkeys that if they know you're in the area, you can sit for hours without them coming to your call.
The son-in-law has a camera set up near where I've been sitting. The pictures show turkeys, raccoons and deer are in the area, but never when I'm there.
Let's take Sunday, for example, I got to my hunting site about mid-afternoon. I set up in a new spot. With all the recent rain, the grass has really gotten high. The ground was very wet from the overnight storm.
As I settled into my "gobbler lounger" I pressed by hands into the ground to get adjusted. The results -- wet hands. I then fired up my personal propane-powered mosquito repellent machine that keeps the mosquitoes away. By the way, it works. And if you're wondering what the "gobbler lounger" is like, it is a small chair with arms and a back support that sits about six inches off the ground.
What with the wet ground, it is sure better than sitting on a cushion on the ground. And with the back support you don't lean up against a tree, where you risk a tick crawling down your back. And I saw a couple crawling across my camouflage shirt.
Speaking of ticks, I've been using a tick repellent from Cabela's for years. You spray your hunting clothes with it. It's good for a couple of washings. Best of all, I've never had any make their way inside the clothing and attaching themselves to me, thus avoiding Lyme disease.
As I settled into the chair, I could barely see the head of my decoy about 15 yards away through the tall grass. I waited a little bit before calling on my mouth call. So I sat there for over an hour with no response.
I decided to move to a nearby blind. I had a good pathway where I could get there undetected. As I moved closer, I saw a dark spot in the grass. A turkey that was ducking down to escape, I thought. But, alas, it was a lonely groundhog, who made its way into the woods.
I got into the blind, settled down into my chair. Then off to the south I heard a faint gobble. I waited a couple of minutes and called back with my best hen call. I didn't hear a thing the rest of the day.
Of course, they "little B...." would come out after I moved to my new spot. It's always a dilemma to decide whether to move or not. Generally, I haven't had good luck trying to follow a gobble, especially since I couldn't crawl along the ground because of the wet conditions. And with the tall grass, it's more likely they would have spotted me before I spotted them. So I stayed put for a couple of hours.
With all the rainy weather, it's been tough working an all-day hunt into my work schedule. I usually try to get a couple of hours here and there to try to hunt. I hope to make it up one more this coming Memorial Day weekend, which will be my last shot, no pun intended, before the season ends on May 30. However, as usual, rain is being forecast all three days of the holiday weekend, so we'll see.
I've never had good luck hunting in the rain. Generally, it's cold and miserable. So we'll have to see.
I've found -- whether it's hunting turkey or quail and pheasants -- that getting out in the outdoors is really what I enjoy the most. One morning last week, the owls where out hooting. Generally, there are lots of birds and squirrels moving about the area.
I've had deer come by within feet of where I was sitting. They know a human is there, but they can't see me in my camo. It's great fun.
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This coming Monday is Memorial Day, when we take time to remember those who have given their lives fighting for our country. It also is a time when we remember our lost loved ones.
This year's ceremony will be at 10 a.m. at the Bella Vista Memorial Garden Cemetery on Buckston Road with the American Legion hosting the ceremony. Retired National Guard Chaplain Maj. Mark Golaway will be the guest speaker.
Prior to the ceremony, at 7 a.m., the Legion is looking for volunteers to help put up American flags along the roads in the cemetery. They'll also need some help taking them down at 3 p.m.
So, if you have a couple of spare hours, I'm sure the Legion members would appreciate your help.
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Throne is managing editor of The Weekly Vista.
Editorial on 05/20/2015