Details

Category: Turkey

Published: Monday, 13 April 2026 23:55

Written by Greg

Quick Start

Just as I was about to begin my hike up the mountain on the opening day of turkey season, the waning crescent moon that peaked over the mountain appeared right at the perfect moment. The early morning moonlight provided just enough light that I wouldn't need a headlamp during the morning hike. For me the reason that this was important is that I didn't want to give away my position to the mob of hunters who also held a limited-entry turkey tag here in Central Utah.

After about an hour of hiking, I reached an area that was quite a distance from the nearest road so I stopped to listen for turkeys calling from their roost. Unfortunately the forest was silent. As it got light, I began to walk while occasionally yelping with the aid of my mouth call in hopes of locating some turkeys. About an hour later I finally got a response, but it sure sounded like a fellow hunter as opposed to a wild turkey. A minute later I called again and got the same unnatural sounding response. Slowly I crept 50 yards up over a small rise and peered through the oak brush. Using my binos I spotted the ground blind of one of my competitors.

Quietly I slipped away and headed in the opposite direction. Thirty five minutes later I found a small clearing in the oak brush which was positioned on a fairly steep hillside. I decided to place my decoy, set up my light weight blind and call down into the ravine below. My first calling sequence fired up a gobbler somewhere in the distance! However, my concern now was that every hunter nearby would be targeting this same bird. I looked at my phone, 8:09 a.m.

      The impenetrable view from where the turkey gobbled

Not waiting too long between calls, maybe five minutes, I would yelp and the turkey would instantly gobble. At the twenty minute mark the gobbler's response was noticeably closer. At that point I was hopeful that this turkey would continue forward toward me. Finally the silence was broken a few minutes later when the gobbler sounded off 50 yards below and in front of me, but the turkey was still completely invisible. However, I figured the tom would come into view soon so I grabbed my 20 gauge and pointed it forward.

  Looking into the clearing where tom appeared                  The blind from where I called

To my left was the small clearing, but straight ahead from where the turkey gobbled the oak brush was a thick tangled mess. If the tom was to sneak through the thicket and into view, it was doubtful that a shot could penetrate the dense brush. And any movement made to adjust for a shot would likely be seen by the wary tom, blowing the entire setup. Only a minute later the tom gobbled to my left 25 yards away, he was now poised to appear in the small opening any second! Suddenly the vibrant red head of the tom popped up above a small clump of brush, that's all it took, the gobbler hit the dirt!

       Got it done...about ready to head down off the mountain

It was now 8:40 a.m., a quick start to the turkey season. I gathered my gear to begin my descent off the mountain since later this afternoon I'd be Idaho bound with my grandson for his youth turkey hunt!