Target bird turns into Roadkill
I've been watching a particular field for TurkeyWes and I to get after a couple of particular birds. Get out last night and get them going from the field into the treeline where they tend to roost inside about 100 yards....
I get out this morning on my own as TurkeyWes is out of town but still says to go get them if they're huntable...
So I'm in along another narrow treeline perpendicular to the treeline they're back from at 445, full dark, set my decoys, find my spot and wait.....
I'm in position and waiting and I see a shadow moving towards my set up....Coyote?? Lots of them around...No, it's a doe, and while cautious, not spooky, no snorting or stamping....She wanders around a bit, nuzzles the decoys and at one point is between me and the decoys.....She hangs around for 10-15 minutes and then moves off without ever acknowledging that I'm there....I figure I'm golden, no deer spooking to alert anything, we're good...
As dawn creeps closer, I hear the first gobble....nuts, he's right along the field edge...I'm just hoping he didn't see me come, but so far so good, he just keeps gobbling every couple of minutes...Not long after he starts another starts going off a bit further up the same line and he's on the edge too... They never do that...But again, he just keeps gobbling and I settle in, not calling, not even moving or shifting, they're both within 100 yards and clear sight to me and the decoys...
This goes on for 20-30 minutes, the two of them yelling in the woods and I'm thinking, I'm still in the game....I jinxed myself...
No sooner as I was getting optimistic about my options, but one of them takes flight, but not towards me, towards and across the road....Nuts again....
Not long after the one remaining birds sets wing and flies out along the same treeline but over a ridge and out of sight....
I'm bummed, the only thing I can think is that they watched the non-moving decoys for long enough and smelled a rat so bailed out....
So I pack up the jeep and figure, I'll head down the road, see if they're in field down there....
Get over a rise in the road and see a bunch of feathers blowing around, and there's one of the birds on the shoulder....Now I hadn't heard a car go down the road, the only thing I can think of is that buddy hit a power/phone line and went down....
So I'm definitely not going to waste him, so I throw him in the back of the Jeep and take him home....Everything I can find online and even in an article from OOD says that roadkill isn't required to be reported unless it's large game or a falcon type bird, things like turkeys are good to go....and I don't have to use my tag on him to possess either per the same article...
I get home and he's still warm even, 10 inch beard, 1 inch spurs, 21 1/2 lbs....a beauty bird, but not how I wanted to take him home....
TurkeyJohn
