I have a spot. Many of us have that spot where we can count on seeing wildlife that could translate into a harvest. My particular spot in western Illinois is affectionately named the Honey Hole. I have been hunting this spot for about ten years. The craziest part of this special spot is it is only an acre.
I have reserved this spot (which has only one tree stand) for deer hunting. I hesitated to set up at the Honey Hole because I did not want to educate the deer any more than I had to. This year I started hunting another part of the farm but I could not ignore hearing the gobbles from the Honey Hole for two mornings straight. I decided to take a chance and set up in the east corner of the field.
On the third day, as soon as I got set up, I heard a gobbler directly behind me at fifty yards. I became excited about the potential. I hit my box call after he pitched off the roost. We began a long conversation over the next half hour but to no avail, he never came in. The fourth day was very slow due to storms in the area.
Day five he was back behind me gobbling early. We had a brief interaction but he quickly moved on to the east. I sat patiently waiting and watching. About seven thirty, five deer came across the field to get a drink of water from a small watering hole in the south corner of the Honey Hole. About the same time two Canadian geese landed about twenty yards from my decoys. Before I knew it the deer were within twenty yards from my set up. As I looked to the North, I saw a Bobcat, coming down the fence row from the north right toward me. He got within fifteen yards before busting me, scampering off quickly.
So I have five deer, two Canadian geese, and a bobcat around the decoys but no turkey. As I pulled out that morning, I thought to myself, "What an amazing picture of God's creation for me to see and enjoy."
By Friday of that week, I had logged about eighteen hours in the Turkey woods. I did not take the week off, just went in late to the office. To say the least, I was one tired hunter. My mind began to tell me to take a couple days off and hit it again at the beginning of the next week. The conversation I had had with "that Tom" inspired me to give it a go on Saturday morning.
Saturday morning was perfect. No wind, no weather, and the Tom gobbling from the roost again. I got set up and waited for him to pitch off the roost. Once he was on the ground we picked up where we had left off the day before. He stayed behind me for at least an hour before he went silent. I was committed to waiting him out.
Around seven thirty the five deer that I saw the morning before came across the field to the watering hole. As I watched them the two geese flew in and landed near my decoys. I could not believe my eyes. The same thing was happening two days in a row. As I surveyed the field two hens came out from the tree line that I was sitting in. I was just excited to see all of the creatures in one place at one time.
It wasn't two minutes before he joined the hens in the field. He was at full strut. I pulled out my Strut Li'l Deuce slate call and began to purr to get his full attention. He was on a rope to my set up which is a submissive hen, a jake, and two feeding hens. He walked right to the jake. He was not having it! He was on the ground moments later. This guy had a nine-inch beard and three-quarter-inch spurs, weighing twenty-one pounds.
I texted Kevin the land owner and told him where I took the Tom. He texted back, "The Honey Hole does not disappoint." Boy was he right about that.
By the way, the geese never left the field. As I pulled out and drove away, they were there.
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