Smart dumb birds

    I've always thought of turkeys as the smartest dumb birds or the smartest dumb birds depending on how you look at it.  This spring has proved to be no different.  There are times when they will just stand there and look at you out of curiosity, seemingly knowing that it is either not turkey season or that you are not out to hunt them.  While at other times it is like they have an extra sense and they know that something isn't right even when you sit perfectly still and only move your eyeballs.  I have taken both of my boys out on numerous occasions only to be fooled by these smart dumb birds.    

​The modern technology of trail cameras has helped us to pin point when they are moving in front of our blind but it just hasn't worked out for us.  For instance, my youngest son was out on his second hunt when a Jake came in following 3 hens.  He was ready to go and all that he had to do was allow the Jake to take a few steps into our shooting lane and he would have a filled tag.  Did this happen?  No way!  The hens went straight away from us just before we had an open shot and Mr. Jake followed.

​Hunting with my oldest son has been no different.  We went out in the morning knowing that two toms have been coming through before noon.  We had sat there for a while and I could not see anything coming so I told him that he could get up and stretch his legs.  He was up for just a few seconds when I see black movement to my right.  It was the two toms!  We had sat there for two hours of seeing nothing and right when he stands up they appear.  He was able to get settled in and one of the toms came into about 15 yards but just not where we could get a shot.

​Since then we have either been busy with other activities or the weather has been crummy like the 2-5 inches of snow that are forecasted for this weekend!  The season here in Kansas ends on May 31 and I have plans to hunt them during the late season.  I know that the smart dumb birds will be even smarter by then but hopefully so will we!