The season stated off with terrible weather for the first 3-4 days, there were hunters everywhere and I had no action whatsoever. It's been the slowest season that I can remember. Thankfully, things have started to pick up. I roosted a lonesome looking longbeard saturday evening. Got set up the following morning in the area where I figured he might be roosting. Around 5:30 a bird gobbled deeper in the woods than I figured he'd be. He gobbled a few more times and I thought about moving in on him but I wanted to be sure that there wasn't anything closer. Sure enough...has a gobble rip out only 50 yds away! I got turned around on the tree and pointed in his direction. A few soft calls and he flew down and was on his way!!! Soon I see a snowball head coming and he was puffing into a little strut. Two jakes came following him...I got the gun up and was ready to blast him but to my dismay he ended up being a jake too. DAMN!!! They passed by at 15 yds and headed towards the other gobbler. I had to leave for work shortly but I got up to where the other bird was and called...he hammered back. I picked out a tree and called again...he was coming!!! All of a sudden I see several birds running around chasing each other...the lead one was headed right for me. I could see a beard swinging but he was in a hurry to get rid of the jakes on his tail. I putted and stopped him several times but before I could get the bead settled on he would be on his way again. Finally, he was about to circle and get past me so I cutt real hard...he froze in his tracks...two more steps and he was gone. I guess I ended up rushing the shot and missed...
Today, my wife and I went back to see if he was still around. Sure enough, he started gobbling early at 5:00 not far from where I had missed on sunday. We moved in and got set up about 100 yds from him. He hammered on the roost for the next 35 minutes but flew down into the woods across the field. He gobbled decent on the ground but wouldn't advance. I was playing with him and another bird gobbled behind us less than 60 yds away...I got the wife turned around and ready. Ended up being those three stinking jakes again.
Later in the morning my dad and I went to hit up some winery property near Keuka Lake where he'd heard a couple gobblers this morning. We ended up splitting up. It was 11:35 when I finally got a response. I got set up and another bird gobbled across the gulley. I got turned around and next thing you know I heard a cluck and a red headed turkey starts walking away. I called and he turned around...ended up being three more jakes that had flown across the deep ravine to get to me. They came in and actually layed down on some logs 20 yds away and started napping!!! There were more turkeys across the gulley but they never showed. I literally had to chase the three little short bearded punks away so I could leave. I left empty handed but it was a cool encounter. Hope to get on a willing longbeard tomorrow...
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