Another One In the Books
Another turkey season in the books for us, and it was generally a good one. There were quite a few "conversations" with various gobblers, a few of which paid the price, but there were others that simply would not come in or actively seemed to be going away from my calls.
Why? Could it have been hens that led them away or birds that had been pressured previously? Perhaps, but I also never got visuals on the birds to confirm what may have happened. It seemed late in the season for the males to still have hens, and the majority of the gobbling activity over the last two weeks seemed to have happened while the birds were still on the roost. As soon as they would hit the ground, they would often go silent, leaving me wondering what happened.
Attempting to not call too often, I hoped to coax birds in to my position by calling softly and seldomly. I also didn't want to get busted by a bird coming in silently, and I'm reasonably confident that that didn't happen over the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately, my efforts resulted in the same hen called in two days in a row, as well as the same two deer both mornings. The males were simply not cooperative.
My last morning of hunting, on Thursday in Vermont, resulted in multiple gobbles from about 6:45 - 8:45, with moments where the birds seemed to be on their way, but ultimately with no visuals. They also seemed to be constantly moving away from me at some point. A looping maneuver to cut them off failed as well, and while frustrating, it was an exciting morning of hunting nonetheless.
Attempting to not call too often, I hoped to coax birds in to my position by calling softly and seldomly. I also didn't want to get busted by a bird coming in silently, and I'm reasonably confident that that didn't happen over the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately, my efforts resulted in the same hen called in two days in a row, as well as the same two deer both mornings. The males were simply not cooperative.
My last morning of hunting, on Thursday in Vermont, resulted in multiple gobbles from about 6:45 - 8:45, with moments where the birds seemed to be on their way, but ultimately with no visuals. They also seemed to be constantly moving away from me at some point. A looping maneuver to cut them off failed as well, and while frustrating, it was an exciting morning of hunting nonetheless.
This longbeard was taken at about 20 yards. Once his hens left him, he was open for business. My decoys can be seen far in the distance.
The apple blossoms "popped" here this week, providing an idyllic backdrop for pursuing late season turkeys.
Relying mostly on two friction calls, one a titanium for reaching out and the other a glass for producing softer sounds, I was generally able to elicit responses from nearby birds. The trusty box call didn't get a whole lot of work this year - while the variety of sounds it can produce is good, it's probably not as comprehensive as the friction calls.
Two areas of improvement for next year will be my proficiency with the locator calls (crow and owl), as well as the mouth calls. Producing small clucks and yelps with the diaphragm call is possible, but stringing together a run of cuts and purrs when needed still eludes me. I guess I'll be watching a lot of YouTube in the future ...
How's the Hatch Going?
For those wondering about how the grouse and woodcock hatch might be going, I think that our recent run of cold and rainy weather should be worrying for any upland hunter.
Last weekend's weather was particularly bad - in the 40's and a lot of rain, and my hope is that it happened early enough in the season where hens that lost nests could re-nest again.
Oh ... and it's raining again hard as I write this.
Two areas of improvement for next year will be my proficiency with the locator calls (crow and owl), as well as the mouth calls. Producing small clucks and yelps with the diaphragm call is possible, but stringing together a run of cuts and purrs when needed still eludes me. I guess I'll be watching a lot of YouTube in the future ...
How's the Hatch Going?
For those wondering about how the grouse and woodcock hatch might be going, I think that our recent run of cold and rainy weather should be worrying for any upland hunter.
Last weekend's weather was particularly bad - in the 40's and a lot of rain, and my hope is that it happened early enough in the season where hens that lost nests could re-nest again.
Oh ... and it's raining again hard as I write this.
Wild Turkey Marsala
- One Wild Turkey breast
- Rimini / porcini mushrooms
- Two shallots
- 1 cup Marsala wine
- chicken stock (optional)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Parsley to garnish
Serves 4
1. Prepare the turkey breast. Tenderize well and cut in to smaller pieces. Salt and pepper and flour. Fry in medium hot pan in olive oil until nearly done. Set aside in covered baking pan in oven on WARM.
2. Do not wash out the pan, cook finely chopped shallots for a few minutes and add mushrooms. After they soften, add Marsala wine and cook at medium / high heat for a few minutes. Can add a bit of chicken stock as well at this time.
3. After wine / mushroom / shallots have reduced a bit, add heavy cream and cook for perhaps 5 - 10 minutes. You want the consistency of the mixture to thicken. Do not serve until this happens.
4. Spoon sauce over turkey and serve over wild rice if possible, with a vegetable of your choice, and garnish with fresh parsley.
Bon Apetit!
2. Do not wash out the pan, cook finely chopped shallots for a few minutes and add mushrooms. After they soften, add Marsala wine and cook at medium / high heat for a few minutes. Can add a bit of chicken stock as well at this time.
3. After wine / mushroom / shallots have reduced a bit, add heavy cream and cook for perhaps 5 - 10 minutes. You want the consistency of the mixture to thicken. Do not serve until this happens.
4. Spoon sauce over turkey and serve over wild rice if possible, with a vegetable of your choice, and garnish with fresh parsley.
Bon Apetit!
A good Marsala recipe is a great way to enjoy the fruit of your harvest, whether it be wild turkey or ruffed grouse.
