Sometimes the difference between success and failure in hunting is a snap decision. A moment’s hesitation can result in opportunity gone.
Saturday, the opening day of the Texas spring turkey gobbler season, found my brother, Wayne, and I at our turkey lease on Cibolo Creek. We hunted together for the first hour and then I moved down the creek to a second fence row. Wayne was trying to call a distant turkey as I crawled under the fence and set up my blind. No birds were in my field and nothing was gobbling, but I made a few “yelps” on my call. To my surprise I got an immediate answer. The gobbler was close. He gobbled again and sounded farther away. I know now that it was a second gobbler. Suddenly, a red and white head slipped up over the creek bluff. He was about 30 steps and slightly to my right. My Browning 12-gauge came up automatically and the bead covered the gobbler’s head. I should have pulled the trigger but I wanted him to make one step to the left for a better shot. Then came the alarm “put” and he was gone. My split-second hesitation cost me an opening day gobbler.
About an hour later a big gobbler (it may have been the same bird) was moving quickly through the brush along the creek bluff. I saw a small opening in the brush and put my barrel bead on the opening. I knew he would cross that little gap. But after a few seconds my arm grew tired and I lowered the gun. You guessed it. He crossed the clearing about one second later and was gone.
