Those Wily Merriam's
Written by Major F. Miller of Bare Track Trophies
In early 1999, three avid hunters from Florida set up a hunt with us in the Black Hills of Wyoming. They were experienced hunters who wanted to be able to hunt on private property without seeing a crowd. They also wanted a Merriam Gobbler if possible. They were told that 5000 acres would be their hunting domain and that birds were available.
Arriving for the Wild Turkey hunt.
Their flight from Florida to the airport in Rapid City, South Dakota was uneventful. The trip to the ranch was entertaining because there were numerous Whitetail Deer and even a few Wild Turkey along the way. After unloading their gear into the bunkhouse we took a drive to see if we could locate any Wild Turkeys in the early dusk of evening. After locating several birds in the Ponderosa Pines North of the ranch buildings we had a real good, home-cooked, meal and settled in for a short evening.
Acquaintances, Day One:
The first morning found us out early. The three hunters were separated by canyons and about 3/4 of a mile distance. Three to four dominant Gobblers entertained us with their calls and antics until about an hour after fly down when they suddenly developed lock jaw. The balance of the day was taken up with trying to get Gobblers to respond, which they did, but left us in the dust each time.
The Pursuit Continues:
On the second day one of the fellows sat on a tree screened hill overlooking some sand "dusting" spots most of the day. He was warmed by the bright sunshine and had a nap for his effort.
Another of the fellows kept after a group of turkeys on a hilltop with close sightings several times but still just out of range. He then crawled to the edge of the hill top and finally outflanked the birds and was rewarded with several strong gobbles. He eased up to his knees and took a gobbler that peeked over some low brush. However the big Tom he had been after had sent a Jake to scout for him and that Jake got a ride home to Florida in a cooler for his effort.
The third hunter followed a ridge running Gobbler all day. He was always about 1/4 mile behind this bird right up until he went to roost for the evening.
The Chess Game Continues:
On the third day the ridge runner flew down on the opposite side of the canyon from our hunter. He left him alone until mid afternoon and then started after him again. No luck until shortly before roosting time when the bird became quite vocal allowing a flanking movement to set up between the bird and his roost. Suddenly a bird flew up and was nearly taken to that great roost in the sky except for the fact that it was a turkey buzzard in the same valley. The Big Gobbler had eluded us again.
The first hunter who had waited so patiently at the dusting spot on day two had two callers helping him the third day. He still did not get a bird within range. He did get to see a lot of Whitetail Deer and heard more than a dozen Gobblers just out of range.
The three hunter's had to return to Florida and to their everyday lives with one bird and a lot of great memories from their Wyoming Turkey Hunt. They won't soon forget the owl sightings, coyote howls, Elk tracks in the forest of the remote canyon, and ,of course, those wily Merriam Gobblers.
This article was written by Major F. Miller of Bare Track Trophies, LLC. Offering Wild Turkey, Antelope, Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer and Varmint hunting. Our Guides are adept at finding mature animals in a fair chase environment. We feature good food, soft beds, and great hunting opportunities, for those who love the outdoors and don't mind sharing.
Check out Major F. Miller's Bare Track Trophies web site.To subscribe to this newsletter enter your email address below.
International Fishing Banner Exchange
