spqhunt Report post Posted May 6, 2015 First off a little bit about me, I hail from Oklahoma where the Rios run like water through a river, gobble like someones at the door, and will run into your calling setups before you have a chance to sit down, so I'm slightly spoiled when it comes to turkeys. Well as luck has it took a job here three years ago on Fort Huachuca and decided this year would be the year that I went Merriams hunting, seeing as the wife is in the service it may be my only opportunity before duty calls here someplace else (glad my days of that are over) So put in for the draw and as luck is didn't get drawn for any of my first choices, so nabbed on of the 12a second season left over tags as quick as I could, an area I've never set foot in and only glanced at on google maps. Made the 7 1/2 hour drive up there (did I mention I really miss OK's OTC tags) and was awestruck at the surrounding scenery, when I picture middle of nowhere that drive comes to mind. Well drove around alot that evening and saw the sites, down to Demotte Park to border, saw some grouse strutting wish could have gotten some pictures of. Probably 1000 deer or so they were around every tree and sundown and a turkey gobbling on the roost but only one, wasn't too pumped. So next morning drown down FR $%^ (see what I did there) and found one shock gobbling at a crow call, decided to stay around that general area to roost one that night, which I did. Opening day was uneventful bird came off his roost and promptly met up with his hens, no other gobbling in the area, so sat against a tree and called between naps which resulted in a hen coming to the decoys. That night roosted what I believed to be three birds maybe four their gobbles were so intertwined couldn't tell, but they were new to the general area cus I had hunted all day around where they were roosted. Next morning bright and early without a song bird tweeting, I'm sitting on a ridge I believe their roosted on waiting for the first gobble, passed the time playing solitaire on phone and after about an hour of that they gobble about 200 yards in front of me, so get down the ridge set out dekes pick good tree and settle in facing the direction of their gobbling. I let out one soft cluck and boom they gobble about, but directly behind me 75 yards and just a little off from where I just walked from Boom another TOM! Oh crap what did I do, theres no way that tom is coming my direction after just walking through there but he won't shut up, while the others I was facing have. Believing this to be the dominant tom because he's so mouthy I decided to face his direction and he proceeds to gobble non stop until fly down time. At fly down he sets off and basically just jumps off the branch the way it sounds and hits the ground and starts walking up the other ridge to my left now. Great I was right he wasn't going to come in after me walking right past him, and he is going to sit there and gobble at me every ten seconds on that other ridge until he tires. While listening to the noisy guy, I hear this very indistinguishable put where if there was any sort of wind I would not have heard it, behind me. So slowly turning my head, in the direction I was originally facing, I just catch in the corner of my eye the top of some tail feathers, near my decoy. Now I'm in trouble that turkey is twenty yards from me, and I'm facing the wrong direction, been in this situation before no matter how slow how quiet you think you are being that turkey is going to hear me or see me with his superpowered senses. Oh well time for my best shot at rotating my hips 180 degrees like an owls head and see if I can get a bead on this turkey. I began rotating my body and quickly realized I could stand to lose a couple pounds in the love handle region, and every noise I make sounds to me like someone is hitting a garbage can with a handle, but it seems to be working cus those tail feathers are still ther..... oh shoot another set of feathers, and another, and one more thats the four toms that were gobbling but shut up early on my decoys and their asses are all facing me, start turning quicker, guns around far enough, with barrel wedged into tree, get good bead alignment, dont worry what bird just get the sights right, CLUCK CLUCK from my mouth call, all the heads shoot up in the air and turn towards me, they're all about the same size, pick a head... BOOM first Merriams. Some of my other firsts this year, Mule deer from Fort Huachuca, javelina from Fort Huachuca, and blue grouse from Unit 27 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TRKHNTR Report post Posted May 6, 2015 congrats spq lots of birds up in 12A love hunting in that area. congrats on your other Arizona hunts too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Browns Report post Posted May 6, 2015 You da man! Great job! Congrats...................... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kazpilot25 Report post Posted May 6, 2015 Awesome job. Sounds like a blast. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Basser15 Report post Posted May 6, 2015 That's awesome! Congrats on the first Merriams Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xforcebaby Report post Posted May 6, 2015 That's just awesome. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4Falls Report post Posted May 7, 2015 Great write up. Thanks for sharing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cramerhunts Report post Posted May 7, 2015 Congratulations on your first Merriam's and your other success. Thoroughly enjoyed the write up! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
capoeirajosh Report post Posted May 9, 2015 Awesome job man! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capt. Don Martin Report post Posted May 27, 2015 Awesome year in Arizona! Congrats on that good Kaibab gobbler, Don Martin 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
