TURKEY HUNTING

VIDEO/HUNTS FOR 2014

DEREK FOWLER

MARCH 29, 2014 VIDEO HUNT #1
LOCATION: JASPER COUNTY, PRIVATE LAND
PARTNER: DAD
AM HUNT CALLED IN 1 GOBBLER

Well opening day on our hunting club in Baldwin County was silent and uneventful. I hunted each day of the following week with no success. On Saturday of the second week Dad and I hunted the Cullum farm and heard 4 gobblers on the roost. We were in the field and all the birds were across the creek on the hillside. We sat and called for a couple of hours when 1 of gobblers separated from the others and made his way across the creek. He entered the field from up the road on our right. As he approached our decoys I whispered to Dad for him to shoot. He had killed the last bird on the property last season and told me too shoot. The gobbler approached our first Avian jake and began to flog him. I had glassed his spurs and determined him to be only a 2 yr old. Hesitant to shoot we watched the gobbler over 30 minutes and finally decided to take him. I had gotten excellent footage and needed to get a bird under my belt for the 2014 season. The bird weighed 19 lbs. and had a 10 inch beard and almost 1 inch spurs. See this hunt on my 2014 video: Turkey Hunting with Derek Fowler.

APRIL 3, 2014 VIDEO HUNT #2

LOCATION: BALDWIN COUNTY, PRIVATE LAND
PARTNER: DAD
AM HUNT CALLED IN 1 GOBBLER

On Thursday Dad and I traveled back to our Baldwin Club and set up in a food plot that we normally hunt on opening morning. There were 3 gobbling at daylight but as soon as they hit the ground the gobbling stopped. After a couple of hours a bird gobbled down in the swamp and I immediately called. In a few minutes the bird entered the plot and headed straight to the Avian Jake. Dad was ready to shoot, but I was enjoying the show. I got about 4 minutes of footage before the gobbler inched far enough away from the decoy for Dad to get a shot. The gobbler weighed 20 lbs had a 10 inch beard and 1 1/4 inch spurs. See this hunt on my 2014 video: Turkey hunting with Derek Fowler

LOCATION: TWIGGS COUNTY, PRIVATE LAND
PARTNER: DAD
AM HUNT CALLED / SEEN 3 GOBBLERS, 7 JAKES AND 2 HEN

Dad and I hunted my Twiggs Club on this morning. We setup in the open newly clear cut property. There were numerous birds gobbling all around the perimeter of the club. The best we could tell there were 13 birds gobbling. Once the birds hit the ground most of the gobbling stopped. We spotted 3 Gobblers 7 Jakes and 2 Hens across the property line in the neighboring pasture but could not get the birds to come to the clear cut. See this hunt on my 2014 video: Turkey hunting with Derek Fowler.

LOCATION: TWIGGS COUNTY, PRIVATE LAND
PARTNER: DAD
AM HUNT CALLED / SEEN 3 GOBBLERS AND 1 HEN

Dad and I thought it was time again to try the birds on my Hunting club hoping they would have separated and be easier to call. At daylight we heard 5 gobbling. A hen came to the property line and would not come into the clear cut. Afterwards the 3 Gobblers came across the pasture on the neighboring property but would not come to the calling. See this hunt on my 2014 video: Turkey hunting with Derek Fowler.

LOCATION: LAURENS COUNTY, WMA
PARTNER: KEITH SMITH
PM HUNT CALLED 1 GOBBLER AND 1 HEN

Keith Smith and I were in pursuit of getting him a gobbler with the bow. It was windy and turning colder on this evening but they say that’s when the tough get going. We set the blind up in the edge of a food plot hoping if any birds were near wouldn’t have been spooked. Our set up used two hens and two Avian Jake decoys. Keith was showing me a glass call he had and when I ran it I thought I heard a gobble. In a short while we spotted a hen along the upper edge of the plot. Soon after Keith spotted the gobbler on the far end of the plot. The hen had made her way across and in front of us and into the bottom while the gobbler stayed on the upper side of the plot the way the hen had came. He finally got close enough to see the decoys and made his way in to the jake. Keith drew and when he shot the gobbler almost acted as if he wasn’t hit. I had brought along the shotgun as a backup and was ready to shoot if needed. As the gobbler started walking away I took aim and then saw him stumble. He made it into the edge of the woods before expiring. The gobbler weighed 18 lbs. and had a 9 3/4” beard and 1” spurs. See this hunt on my 2014 video: Turkey hunting with Derek Fowler.

LOCATION: BALDWIN COUNTY, PRIVATE LAND
PARTNER: DAD AND CHASE
AM HUNT CALLED IN 2 GOBBLERS

Dad, Chase and I hunted our Baldwin Club on this morning. Dad had shot the previous bird so it would be Chase’s turn. We entered the food plot and were a bit late so I stopped and owl called. A bird within 100 yards of our set up gobbled. We made our way as quietly as possible and completed our set up. Two more birds gobbled along the edge of the swamp in front of us but the first bird didn’t gobble again. After the birds had flown down they became silent. After about two hours of calling the birds in front of us had moved around the road and gobbled again at my cutting. In no time the birds entered the plot to our front left. As they made their way to the decoys they seemed intimidated by the two Avian jakes. They had made their way far enough for Chase to shoot but there would be no way for me to also get a shot. I told Chase to take the closest bird. As he shot the bird seemed to begin running and the shot was not on target. Sometimes the hunter wins, sometimes the gobbler. See this hunt on my 2014 video: Turkey hunting with Derek Fowler.

LOCATION: JASPER COUNTY, PRIVATE LAND
PARTNER: JESSE DENARO AND MARK STEED
AM HUNT CALLED IN 1 GOBBLERS AND 2 HENS

I Traveled up to Jasper County on this hunt to try and video a gobbler for Mark Steed’s son-in-law. Jesse Denaro was looking for his first gobbler and Mark had roosted this bird the previous evening. We entered the pasture well before daylight and set up our blind across from where Mark thought the bird had roosted. At first light the gobble heard was a little farther down but Mark said he may have moved. We called enough to give the gobbler our position. After about half an hour the first birds we saw were two hens. He then appeared through the fog behind them and was stutting at about 125 yards. We knew we would need to call the hens in to get him to come so Mark and I both called softly with a lot of purrs and clucks. The birds stayed in sight for about an hour and then made their way back out of sight. This was a very good bird and hopefully will be even better next year. See this hunt on my 2014 video: Turkey hunting with Derek Fowler.

APRIL 29, 2014 VIDEO HUNT #8
LOCATION: WILKINSON COUNTY, PRIVATE LAND
PARTNER: ALONE

I hunted the McEachern property on this afternoon. I was able to slip into the end of the food plot and as far as I knew had not spooked any birds. I set up an Avian Hen and Jake decoy. After about an hour I heard a gobble to my left in the bottom which I had heard a bird on a previous hunt. As I cutt to the gobbler a hen in front of me answered. I knew as long as I had her attention and she stayed nearby I should have an excellent chance to call the tom in. As the hen made her way to my Avian hen decoy I looked hard to the left and could see the Gobbler coming. I moved the camera to try and pick him up and could see him in my view finder and he was in shooting range but was behind some brush from my visual. I had the hen within 15 yards and couldn’t move so I waited. As the gobbler got closer he spotted the Avian jake and did not want any confrontation. He was close enough to shoot but by the time I inched the gun up he was hard to see in the high wheat. He made a semi-circle around me staying right at shooting range. The hen moved on behind me but he disappeared through the wood in front of me. As soon as both of these birds were far enough away, I got up and retrieved the Jake decoy. With any luck I might be able to call him back. A half hour passed and 2 more birds gobbled to my right. They moved around to my front and came to the edge of the plot. Surely they saw the hen decoy, but would not come any closer. I eased the gun up to take a shot but one of the birds spotted me or just felt nervous and moved quickly away. Maybe if I had left the Jake out there the two gobblers may have come out. You just never know and lately guessing at the decoy set up was starting to be an issue. See this hunt on my 2013 video: Turkey hunting with Derek Fowler.

Dad and I would hunt some private property on this hunt in Monroe County. We had made a couple of hunts and heard a couple of gobblers on each hunt but could not get the birds to respond and come to our calling. We set up a the large field plot and as soon as it started to break day a bird gobbled directly in front of us within 200 yards. We felt this would be our best chance to get the gobbler so I only called enough to let him know where I was. A hen started calling and I knew we were in trouble unless she came our way. They both went away from us and eventually became silent. About an hour later he gobbled again and was closer. When he finally made it to the edge of the field we saw him just standing and looking. I called softly with low clucks and purrs and he started slowly making his way to us. It took over 30 minutes for him to come 75 yards. We felt this would be a really old bird. When he finally got close enough to see the Avian Jake he finally picked up the pace and made a bee line for it. I wasted no time and made the shot. The bird only weighed 18 1/2 lbs. and had a 10” beard. One spur was really sharp at 1” but the other was broke at 3/4”. This was not the results I expected from a bird as cautious as he was. See this hunt on my 2014 video: Turkey hunting with Derek Fowler.

MAY 3, 2014 VIDEO HUNT #10
LOCATION: TWIGGS COUNTY, PRIVATE LAND
PARTNER: ALONE

With the season winding down fast I was still in need of another gobbler. I decided to make a short hunt near home on some private land. I set up on the edge of a pine and hardwood thicket but soon felt this was not the best area. I moved back around the edge of the pine field and set up in an open area of the road. After a bit I thought I heard a gobble in the distance. I called some and did hear the gobble several hundred yards up the road. With a bird gobbling in the evening and responding to my call I knew my chances were good at getting him in so I moved back a little to give myself a bit more camouflage. I had set the decoy in the edge of the road opposite the side he would enter approximately 75 yards. He finally made it to the edge of the opening and as he moved around the road he finally saw the hen and became very nervous. I wasted no time in making the shot. Afterwards I saw that the hen decoy had fell forward and was not standing upright. This may have been the reason the gobbler was nervous and suspicious. The gobbler weighed 18 lbs. had a 9 1/4” beard but only had ¾ and ½ inch spurs. See this hunt on my 2014 video: Turkey hunting with Derek Fowler.

On the last Saturday of the Georgia season Dad and I made our way back to the Cullum farm. We had made several hunts and the birds had always seemed to elude us. We set up on a large field that had just been planted for doves. We heard 2 birds at daylight but they were far across the creek. The first birds to enter the field were a couple of hens. Then a couple of Jakes entered. None of these came very close which was a little concerning. We decided to get up and move down to the creek before noon. We sat there a couple of hours and decided to go back to the field for the remainder of the evening. About 2:30 we saw the 2 jakes again going back toward where we had just left. About 4:00 we saw a nice gobbler enter the field about 200 yards away. We called to get his attention but he would only look. We assumed he could see the two Avian jakes and just would not come in. We sat for a while longer and decided we would hunt until 6:00 and then leave. At 5:45 a good bird followed by 7 jakes entered the field to our right. The gobbler came to the first hen decoy and Dad took the shot as the bird started to move away. This was a very nice late season gobbler and weighed 21 lbs. had a 11 ½ inch beard and 1 1/8 inch spurs. See this hunt on my 2014 video: Turkey hunting with Derek Fowler.