Goulds turkey hunt part 2- New Mexico hunt

[Couestracker]

First, I want to thank everyone for the nice comments I received about my Chiricahua Goulds turkey hunt story.

 

 

 

I hadn't had a chance to write the second part of my hunt, the New Mexico leg, until now, because, well, lets just say life has been happening! At first, I figured it has been so long, who's going to care? I know how much I enjoy reading about other peoples hunts, plus turkey season is right around the corner, and what better way to get fired up about turkey hunting than reading about it, right? To get back to telling the story, here's a little prelude.

 

April 2013 was totally awesome for me. I got to hunt turkeys for 16 days! I had a San Carlos turkey tag, 2 New Mexico tags, a unit 29 Goulds tag and I volunteered to mentor at the NWTF Juniors turkey camp at Colcord Ridge. Thanks Julie!

 

It all started Friday April 5th. I left work early and headed to the San Carlos Reservation and set up camp. Having Saturday through Monday morning to hunt, I ended up getting my bird on Monday morning. Story at:

 

http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/46558-2013-san-carlos-success-update-full-mount-pics/.

 

I broke camp and went home Monday afternoon, then worked Tuesday through Friday (yuck), repacked Saturday, left Sunday April 14 for New Mexico unit 23, and set up camp. Opening day, Monday the 15th, through Thursday morning was spent hunting turkeys, although I never saw or heard one. I broke camp Thursday the 18th and moved it to Colcord Ridge for the NWTF Juniors Turkey Camp. Then mentored youth hunters Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We got close to some and had a blast doing it, but just couldn't get a tag on one. Camp was packed up Sunday the 21st and went home that afternoon. Had to work Monday through Wednesday (yuck again) and left Thursday the 25th for the Chiricahuas. I got my Goulds turkey on opening day, Friday the 26th.

 

(http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/40065-my-chiricahua-goulds-turkey-hunt/)

 

I broke camp early Saturday and moved it back to New Mexico. OK, TMI. Here's Part 2, the New Mexico hunt.

 

After setting up camp, I had just enough time to go out for the evening and try to roost a bird. I didn't hear much out there, just 1 bird that was way off the beaten path. Fine, I said to myself, Ill be back in the morning. I get there in the early dawn light and I hear him gobbling, about ¾ of a mile out, near the base of a mountain. I hike out, closing the gap about in half and set up at this awesome junction of two dry creeks. He responds to my calls for a while but doesnt show, then he went quiet. I stayed put and called off-and-on for a while, then hiked around some and sat and called some, but I didnt see or hear anything the rest of the morning. After going back to camp for lunch, I returned to the area and hiked around more, getting familiar with the lay of the land and looking for sign. Plus I sat in several spots and called for a spell with no luck. Did not hear a bird the rest of the day, nor any that evening. This is the only tom around?

 

The next morning, Monday the 29th, the only bird I heard was him, in the same place near the bottom of that mountain. I don't know if I was tired, lazy or both, but I just didn't feel like hiking out there again, so I found this cool spot on a ridge that flattened out and sloped down into a clearing, then wound down to the creek which was about a quarter mile in front of him. I sat up against a huge juniper tree and began calling. He gobbled back immediately each time and he sounded hot. We did this for quite a while, but I could tell he wasn't budging. Then he got quiet again. So I moved around a little, calling from different spots but didn't hear anything back. I sat back down in my spot, thinking about my next move. I let out another series of yelps and then I heard him gobble-he was real close! Wow, I got him to come in! Now I'm so excited I'm almost panting. I try to calm down, get my shotgun up and at the ready, checked my setup and let out a couple of yelps with my slate call. He gobbled again-so loud he startled me-he was right behind me! Oh man, I just froze and proceeded to get eye cramps from trying to look behind me without turning my head! I waited and strained to hear him walking, hoping hes going to come around the tree I was against, but nothing. He was gone. I walked over there and found his tracks in some loose dirt. He had back-doored me. But hey, even though I was frustrated at not even seeing him, I realized I called him in! There was hope with this lone bird.

 

I hiked out again, towards where he was roosted and worked my way around to the bottom of that mountain, looking for sign. I found where he and his flock had been roosting, there was a ton of not very fresh droppings everywhere. They must be off sitting nests, I thought. I looked all around, looking for a good ambush spot for when he returned. This was my last full day and I didn't want to waste it going back to camp. I had brought enough munchies and water to get me by, so I looked around further out, found a couple of good looking spots and did some more calling. I didn't hear anything back, and then I caught some movement-it was a hen, kind of hurrying through the woods. She must have seen me move, I thought. I ended up following her up the mountain, hoping I'd find the garden of toms." All I found was some awesome country, some great views and a cow elk carcass. I was tired. This was my 15th day of hunting, not to mention all the camp work, driving and downloading/uploading for the trips. I took a nap.

 

I awoke to a crow cawing. Or a raven, still can't tell the difference. I had a bite to eat and some water, then headed back down to my ambush spot. I wasn't sure if I should just lie in wait quietly, or call once in a while. I chose the latter, scanning the woods for movement as the shadows grew longer. I neither saw nor heard anything and headed back to the Ranger in the dark. When I got back to camp, I sat and drank a beer, thinking of what I'd do for the last mornings hunt. Hearing another bird would have made the decision easier, but he's the only one I had heard so far.

 

After parking the Ranger the next morning, he was gobbling his head off, from the bottom of that same mountain. I didn't have much time to mess around and figured that he probably wouldn't come in even if I tried calling, so I went in after him. Knowing the route already, I headed straight for him and got within about 80 yards. He was gobbling like crazy the whole way there. Encountering a thicket of scrub oak that I couldnt get through without making a bunch of noise, I backed off a ways and called softly. He was going nuts gobbling, but sounded like he was staying put. We did this for a while, then his gobbling got farther apart. A few moments of silence went by and the next gobble I heard was off to my right-he was on the move! So I slowly started off to my right, scanning the woods for a path and looking for movement. He was kind enough to gobble every few minutes, giving me his location, so I forged ahead slowly and as quietly as I could. After about 100 yards, I could see a clearing up ahead past the thickets that merged with my path and looked like it went up and around the thicket. That's when I saw him, walking out from up there ahead of me-OH MAN-he was a very big bird! What a cool thing to see! Not having a clear shot, I froze until he got behind some cover. I quickly shed my pack and slowly advanced looking for him again. I caught sight of him a couple of times through the trees, but no opportunities for a shot. I kept moving slowly, hoping for a clear shot. I had my diaphragm call in my mouth ready to yelp him into a gobble. Then I saw him in a full run going away from me! I guess he saw me and took off and that was the last I saw of him. I was very upset with myself. Thats when you do the second guessing-I should have tried calling him when I saw him, should have been more careful, shouldnt have pushed it so hard, blah blah blah. I had been on adrenaline for a spell before he ran off, and now realized I was so thirsty I could hardly swallow. My water was with my pack, and even though I landmarked it when I sat it down, it took me about 40 minutes to find it. At least I did. I sat down and quenched my thirst and reflected on that bird I hunted so hard for in those 3 days. I felt like it was a successful hunt, as I dont need to put a tag on him to feel good about it. I had called him in once and stalked him up close enough to see him, just couldn't get a shot off. One thing for sure, he was definitely a survivor.

[tjhunt2]

I felt like I was there walking along side of you the whole time I was reading. Now that's what I call a good story along with my morning coffee. It's off to work in a few but that turkey will definitely be lingering in my head the rest of the day. Thanks for a great write up Tommy.

 

TJ

[IA Born]

You just described why we turkey hunt; why we keep going back even though it seems futile. I've loved my "close encounters" as much as I've enjoyed filling my tag. Great story!

[PatrickJr]

still have yet to hear a turkey gobble, I loved the story and would have loved to hear you get him, but that's hunting.

 

 

kind of off topic, but how big is that deer in your profile pic? is he from AZ?

[Couestracker]

still have yet to hear a turkey gobble, I loved the story and would have loved to hear you get him, but that's hunting.

 

kind of off topic, but how big is that deer in your profile pic? is he from AZ?

Thanks. I would have loved to have gotten him too. Maybe next time.

 

He was 124", got him in Mexico along with a 105" buck and 2 javelinas. See My Mexico double-double.... http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/37747-my-mexico-double-double/

[PatrickJr]

still have yet to hear a turkey gobble, I loved the story and would have loved to hear you get him, but that's hunting.

 

kind of off topic, but how big is that deer in your profile pic? is he from AZ?

Thanks. I would have loved to have gotten him too. Maybe next time.

 

He was 124", got him in Mexico along with a 105" buck and 2 javelinas. See My Mexico double-double.... http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/37747-my-mexico-double-double/

 

sweeeet!!! that beats my double-in-a-day............

http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/46773-patricks-amazing-year-updated-with-full-stories/ the full stories are at the end, they are really long in case you want to read them.

[huntswnm]

Good stuff. Did you win the NWTF raffle or buy your tag from the one who did? I was surprised to read you found a cow elk carcass? I have never seen sign of elk that far south. Interesting.

 

Jeff

[Couestracker]

Good stuff. Did you win the NWTF raffle or buy your tag from the one who did? I was surprised to read you found a cow elk carcass? I have never seen sign of elk that far south. Interesting.

 

Jeff

 

I was drawn for the Goulds tag (Arizona). The cow elk carcass was found on the New Mexico hunt. I've seen elk in there before.

[Couestracker]

still have yet to hear a turkey gobble, I loved the story and would have loved to hear you get him, but that's hunting.

kind of off topic, but how big is that deer in your profile pic? is he from AZ?

 

Thanks. I would have loved to have gotten him too. Maybe next time.

He was 124", got him in Mexico along with a 105" buck and 2 javelinas. See My Mexico double-double.... http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/37747-my-mexico-double-double/

 

sweeeet!!! that beats my double-in-a-day............

http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/46773-patricks-amazing-year-updated-with-full-stories/ the full stories are at the end, they are really long in case you want to read them.

 

Thanks Patrick. I did read your hunt stories- you had a fantastic year! Congratulations and thank you for taking the time to write about your hunts. You did a great job on those too.

[huntswnm]

Yes, the New Mexico tag was the one I was inquiring about. My father guided the hunter that bought the NM Goulds tag that was auctioned off at the NWTF National Convention last year. He has guided a couple of the NM Goulds tag holders over the last couple years.