Unlike A week where I got out late and scored on a windy day gobbler I got a good early start and went back to the same area this morning... The Story:
After a wet, windy and extremely quiet week of turkey hunting I went back to the area where I had success in the first week of the season. It was one of those mornings where everything was alive and this longbeard let me know of his presence up on the ridge almost instantly. The way he was carrying on had me thinking it was a jake. The deep gobble told me otherwise. It was as if someone turned on the gobble switch with this rooster.
I found a three trunked tree and quickly settled in against it looking up the hill. I learned a long time ago that when they are that close you duck for cover. I made some soft tree yelps and went quiet. He gobbled twice, but this time it was from the ground. He gobbled again, but was headed in the other direction so I cut and clucked a few notes and then yelped again. This time a bit louder. He responded and was at least pointing in my direction. I figured he would show himself sooner or later. It wasn't but a minute when I saw and heard a hen coming in. She was very vocal making some sounds only turkeys can make. Clucking, putting, whining and even a little kee kee run. She ended up not 20 yards in front of me looking everywhere for the noise maker like she wanted to kick some azz.. Her racket stirred up the gobbler who was on his way, but still unseen. Not one hen sound was heard before which tells me I am in desperate need of a hearing aid..
I was thinking I was caught with my butt in the breeze as this hen was looking right at me in the early din of the morning woods. All I could think of was how bad this was going to turn out. It was then that the longbeard appeared on the same path as the hen had come. His blue head like a beacon gobbling the whole way. The terrain was like a terrace and they were on the next level up. The hen relaxed some and continued on as the gobbler was pumped up and fanned out behind a ways. The hen now out of sight and the gobblers head behind a tree as he moved along had me raise my 1100 and wait. I lined up the tru glo sight on his head as he cleared the tree. He gobbled for the last time as I fed him a load of Federal #5's. The bird tumbled down the hill almost into my lap....
I looked to see the hen standing there and could have sworn I heard her whimper. She ran off before I could get my camera on her.
Once again, you just never know when it will all happen. I heard more gobbling today than I heard in 9 previous days of chasing. Spending time in the turkey woods is the best any of us can do. Past success came to play on a Friday again![smoke]
After a wet, windy and extremely quiet week of turkey hunting I went back to the area where I had success in the first week of the season. It was one of those mornings where everything was alive and this longbeard let me know of his presence up on the ridge almost instantly. The way he was carrying on had me thinking it was a jake. The deep gobble told me otherwise. It was as if someone turned on the gobble switch with this rooster.
I found a three trunked tree and quickly settled in against it looking up the hill. I learned a long time ago that when they are that close you duck for cover. I made some soft tree yelps and went quiet. He gobbled twice, but this time it was from the ground. He gobbled again, but was headed in the other direction so I cut and clucked a few notes and then yelped again. This time a bit louder. He responded and was at least pointing in my direction. I figured he would show himself sooner or later. It wasn't but a minute when I saw and heard a hen coming in. She was very vocal making some sounds only turkeys can make. Clucking, putting, whining and even a little kee kee run. She ended up not 20 yards in front of me looking everywhere for the noise maker like she wanted to kick some azz.. Her racket stirred up the gobbler who was on his way, but still unseen. Not one hen sound was heard before which tells me I am in desperate need of a hearing aid..
I was thinking I was caught with my butt in the breeze as this hen was looking right at me in the early din of the morning woods. All I could think of was how bad this was going to turn out. It was then that the longbeard appeared on the same path as the hen had come. His blue head like a beacon gobbling the whole way. The terrain was like a terrace and they were on the next level up. The hen relaxed some and continued on as the gobbler was pumped up and fanned out behind a ways. The hen now out of sight and the gobblers head behind a tree as he moved along had me raise my 1100 and wait. I lined up the tru glo sight on his head as he cleared the tree. He gobbled for the last time as I fed him a load of Federal #5's. The bird tumbled down the hill almost into my lap....
Once again, you just never know when it will all happen. I heard more gobbling today than I heard in 9 previous days of chasing. Spending time in the turkey woods is the best any of us can do. Past success came to play on a Friday again![smoke]



