Who says you can’t call a gobbler across a creek.

    Sure, fences and creeks can become barriers to gobblers coming in to calling, but turkeys often fly for short distances when moving through the woods and will wade shallow riffles in creeks.

    If a turkey is really gobbling, and wants company, you can call them from almost anywhere, to almost anywhere.

    Wednesday morning we proved that again, when I called a gobbler across a steep valley, and small creek bank full from recent heavy rains.

    The turkey was apparently alone (no hens) and started to gobble soon after sunrise.

    We set up in some big cedars at the edge of open woods, about 75 yards up the slope from the creek. Since the trees haven’t leafed out yet, we couldn’t get closer, or risk trying to cross the creek.

    I yelped. He gobbled. I clucked. He gobbled. So I shut up.

    After a few minutes I saw his white head bobbing, then his full body, as he walked downhill, across the valley. I saw him step into the creek bed, then he disappeared behind the bottom of the hill.

    John had his shotgun up, but didn’t see the gobbler until he was almost in range. It was an easy 25-yard shot.

    We took this photo in a grassy clearing, just below the Old Tobacco Field.

    After several days of cold, rainy weather it looks like hunters are going to get a break in the weather.

    But the hunting is still tough. Most gobblers are “henned up “ and not gobbling very much in the early mornings.