Yesterday was a beautiful morning to be in the turkey woods. Clear, cool, and perfect gobbling conditions. I have small children and live in a larger city and so didn't get to do any scouting this year. Heard quite a few sounding off at daylight and moved on the closest bird....but he shut up as I got closer to where I thought he was. Nothing, nada, and once I was over there--it was hard to say where he had been gobbling from. So I went after another bird. The process repeated a couple of more times. I assume that all of these birds basically flew down and were with hens. Gobbling slacked off. The morning dragged by as I slowly crept from spot to spot and listening and glassing spot to spot. The morning was beginning to turn into one of those "well guess it ain't happening today" mornings. But the day was so pretty and weather so nice it was just great overall being out in creation as it comes to life in the spring. I also have to just remind myself that all it takes is one to sound off and totally change the tone of the entire morning. Which is what ended up happening.
I was walking down a wooded two track road and all of a sudden one gobbled right through the woods and over a slight rise in a field. That field falls away at the edge of the trees so I couldn't see the bird but knew where he was and it was close. I momentarily thought about creeping up through the woods to the edge of the field and looking over to see where he was. But knew that would be a mistake. I crawled up through the leaves into the trees to about 20 yards off the edge of the field (it rises up to the edge of the field and then falls away into the field). I scratched in the leaves and made one quiet yelp series. When he was gobbling it was sort of jake sounding so I was half expecting to be disappointed. I scratched in the leaves a little more. There was quite a bit of underbrush in between me and the edge of the field. I was straining to see through it all. I was listening as intently as I could for footsteps, drumming or anything. Then I heard it...he was spitting and drumming. That wonderful exotic sound of a huge bubble escaping from underwater to the surface. Where is he? It almost sounds like its behind me? Oh man....did I screw up? Is he behind me? But about that time I see his fan come over the edge of rise in the field. He's following the script! He is coming in to look for "her" and I set up perfectly! Heck yeah! Ok calm down. Take some deep breaths.....is he a jake? Nope, I can see the full fan. I can see a beard hanging down. Ok, he's in strut. I am not in a good position. There are so many trees in between he and I that I watch him strutting back and forth and finally gets a tree in between he and I and I can re-adjust my position and get my gun up. On him. He's close but can possibly just turn around and walk back over the edge if he doesn't see her quick. I cutt at him and he lifts his head slightly....BOOOOOMMM. He never moved another feather and collapsed in a heap. I looked at my watch and it was 9:15 in the morning.
I rose slowly and walked towards my prize. I brought him back to where I had been sitting and just sat there for a hard 10 minutes taking it all in. My emotions, my breath, my contemplations on the Spring of the year opening up and coming alive all went through my thoughts. This forest monarch was absolutely beautiful too as I sat there with him. It was almost religious. It was a feeling of supreme satisfaction. I just sat there another ten minutes soaking it in and not wanting it to pass. I hope you all feel the same way when it all comes together.
Quote from: Bagg-it Tag-it on April 05, 2020, 03:42:35 PM
Yesterday was a beautiful morning to be in the turkey woods. Clear, cool, and perfect gobbling conditions. I have small children and live in a larger city and so didn't get to do any scouting this year. Heard quite a few sounding off at daylight and moved on the closest bird....but he shut up as I got closer to where I thought he was. Nothing, nada, and once I was over there--it was hard to say where he had been gobbling from. So I went after another bird. The process repeated a couple of more times. I assume that all of these birds basically flew down and were with hens. Gobbling slacked off. The morning dragged by as I slowly crept from spot to spot and listening and glassing spot to spot. The morning was beginning to turn into one of those "well guess it ain't happening today" mornings. But the day was so pretty and weather so nice it was just great overall being out in creation as it comes to life in the spring. I also have to just remind myself that all it takes is one to sound off and totally change the tone of the entire morning. Which is what ended up happening.
I was walking down a wooded two track road and all of a sudden one gobbled right through the woods and over a slight rise in a field. That field falls away at the edge of the trees so I couldn't see the bird but knew where he was and it was close. I momentarily thought about creeping up through the woods to the edge of the field and looking over to see where he was. But knew that would be a mistake. I crawled up through the leaves into the trees to about 20 yards off the edge of the field (it rises up to the edge of the field and then falls away into the field). I scratched in the leaves and made one quiet yelp series. When he was gobbling it was sort of jake sounding so I was half expecting to be disappointed. I scratched in the leaves a little more. There was quite a bit of underbrush in between me and the edge of the field. I was straining to see through it all. I was listening as intently as I could for footsteps, drumming or anything. Then I heard it...he was spitting and drumming. That wonderful exotic sound of a huge bubble escaping from underwater to the surface. Where is he? It almost sounds like its behind me? Oh man....did I screw up? Is he behind me? But about that time I see his fan come over the edge of rise in the field. He's following the script! He is coming in to look for "her" and I set up perfectly! Heck yeah! Ok calm down. Take some deep breaths.....is he a jake? Nope, I can see the full fan. I can see a beard hanging down. Ok, he's in strut. I am not in a good position. There are so many trees in between he and I that I watch him strutting back and forth and finally gets a tree in between he and I and I can re-adjust my position and get my gun up. On him. He's close but can possibly just turn around and walk back over the edge if he doesn't see her quick. I cutt at him and he lifts his head slightly....BOOOOOMMM. He never moved another feather and collapsed in a heap. I looked at my watch and it was 9:15 in the morning.
I rose slowly and walked towards my prize. I brought him back to where I had been sitting and just sat there for a hard 10 minutes taking it all in. My emotions, my breath, my contemplations on the Spring of the year opening up and coming alive all went through my thoughts. This forest monarch was absolutely beautiful too as I sat there with him. It was almost religious. It was a feeling of supreme satisfaction. I just sat there another ten minutes soaking it in and not wanting it to pass. I hope you all feel the same way when it all comes together.
Great story!!! Congrats on a fantastic hunt!! Did you get any pictures?
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I did but I can't figure out how to size them to post. I used to use photobucket but can't access that anymore.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200405/6b96bd7e65e57c923524e7ae94eea4f7.jpg)
Quote from: Bagg-it Tag-it on April 05, 2020, 03:51:06 PM
I did but I can't figure out how to size them to post. I used to use photobucket but can't access that anymore.
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(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200405/6ec3718e1a8df3be5badf3cfabaf0c6f.jpg)
Figured how to do it thru Tapatalk
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(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200405/188c868ceb3f14f412b9090f73400ce5.jpg)
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Congratulations brother!! Sounds and looks like it was a fine morning to be in the woods!
Congrats great story
Great story! I love me a mid morning gobbler!
That's why we do this, great story, great job.....
Congrats, and thank you for a great read, hope you can get out again.
Great job. Congrats!
Nice bird , congrats ..
Congrats on a nice bird
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Congrats.
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Great story and great bird!
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Congrats on a nice bird
Congratulation on a great bird, very well written description
Congrats on a nice bird. Good read too!
Congrats, good story hope more people can do the same.
Great read, Congrats on a nice bird.
Quote from: ddturkeyhunter on April 06, 2020, 11:42:46 AM
Congrats, good story hope more people can do the same.
I love reading stories from others on "how it all went down". Used to be a fella on here from the Memphis area named "Catman" or something close (not the young Catman of YouTube fame but a different one) and he wrote great tales about his battle of wits with the turkeys. Fantastic stories.
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