A pair of turkeys feed at the edge of a wood line in Butler County. Along with ghosts and goblins, Halloween weekend also features the start of fall turkey season.

Along with trick-or-treaters, Halloween weekend also ushers in the opening of regular fall turkey season, as well as for all small game species.

This is the time when all kinds of hunting activity is in full swing.

For years, the opening day of fall turkey season has been an action-filled day when I get together with my hunting companions and good buddies. More times than not, we have had success in finding some birds.

But that doesn't always mean success in getting them. I can recall too many times when turkeys seemed to resemble goblins more than gobblers.

You probably think I'm going to tell you a hunting story about turkeys. Well, I am. Not about any old turkey, but about one that was so wary, he seemed like a spook.

The previous year found me hunting some trails on Game lands 95. My old pal Jimmy and I were walking the grassy trails when we came across some fresh turkey scratching and droppings.

Anyone who knows turkeys will attest to their keen eyesight and hearing, which doesn't allow much chance for walking them down.

As luck would have it, we tried to get ahead of them, but they were always one step ahead of us.

We finally decided to walk back to the starting point of our hunt to regroup. Shotguns on our shoulders and with light banter filling the air, we walked around the bend in the trail.

Then Jimmy jumped to the ready and yelled out, "Turkeys!"

We had stumbled into a flock, and turkeys burst into the air and flew in every direction. But Jimmy got the bead on a bird and made his shot count. I missed my shot and watched the birds sail down into the nearby creek bottom.

We retrieved Jimmy's bird and were excited about his unexpected good fortune. The truth is that I was not pleased that I fanned on a chance of our group getting a double. How could I miss a bird that big!

Jimmy was going to take his home to dress it out and I was going to find a place to sit out the scattered birds. However, I was going to trade my pump gun in for my over-and-under that had both the .22 Hornet rifle barrel and a 12 gauge.

I found a small cluster of pines on one of the mining spoil pile that dot the area and sat down. I'm not really much of a turkey caller, but I was going to try a couple of recall soundings.

Much to my surprise, I heard a faint reply from the hollow and I called back once more. The over-and-under firearm is very versatile in the right circumstances, but you need to decide if you are going for the rifle shot or the shotgun.

I wavered between my choices, and, just like that, a turkey head came over the bank and a lone eye was fixed on my position with his head cocked at attention for any sound or movement.

I couldn't move as he stared me down. I could cock the hammer and take a shot, but in the heat of the moment I forgot which barrel would fire.

I put the crosshairs of the rifle on the bird and squeezed the trigger, expecting to join Jimmy back at the house with my own bird.

Instead of the crack of the rifle, I received a jolt from my shotgun barrel and pine tree flew everywhere. The turkey ran past me and I could only watch in dismay and express my cursed luck. The scope sight was clear, but the lower shotgun barrel was lined up on a pine branch.

I found that the best plans don't always go the way you expect them — especially with the turkey goblins of Halloween.

Jay E. Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.