Title: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: tlh2865 on February 20, 2021, 09:41:54 PM
Post by: tlh2865 on February 20, 2021, 09:41:54 PM
Some of the story threads made me want to hear from others on this one. I have my turkey hunting white whale that eluded me for 4 seasons.
I first got pictures of the gobbler in 2015. It is dang near impossible to tell any gobbler apart from every other member of the flock. But this bird was different. I have never seen another beard like his in 13 years of hunting the same patch of ground. And he was already an older bird by the spurs he was sporting. Now I am a spurs man myself but that beard and the sheer size of him had me enamored the first time I recognized him on camera. That first season I saw him I killed two very respectable birds, but never got a chance at him.
I normally limit myself to one gobbler off of this property per year, so I decided that I would not focus on killing a bird the next year. Wouldn't you know it I was out hunting with just my camera and I brought him in silent from behind me while I was working two fired up birds in front. He came in at 35 yards to check out what all the noise was, and then drifted back into the woods and gobbled. Never saw him again until after season went out.
Next year was different, he was back and I was going to go after him. I never laid eyes on him that year. Him and another large bird were using the oak ridge he frequented to roost, I killed the second one. I got plenty of pictures, but another season passed without laying eyes on him.
Season #4 was the worst of all. I couldn't sleep for a week before opening day. I wanted this bird, and no other. He was under my skin something awful. I roosted him the night before opening day, and was set up in a spot that had worked from that roost in the past. His hens took him away from me and that was the end of our first encounter.
2 weeks later I got another chance. I set up in a small clover plot on the side of a hill by a creek crossing he frequented. The morning came without a gobble on the roost or the ground, but I was going to stick it out until hours ended at noon. I was blind calling every half hour or so, and about 10:35 I thought I heard a gobble. I couldn't tell though so I cut hard on a box, and he answered having already closed the distance. I gave him the silent treatment, and he went to the wrong ridge. I watched him strut and gobble in the open 130 yards away on the opposite ridge for 40 minutes. I knew he could see me if I moved so I was stuck. Finally he dropped over the back side of the ridge and I took my chance. I swung all the way around him, closed the distance to 80 yards and put myself on the line he had been traveling. I called, but no answer. I waited 20 minutes, and still no sign. Now I was beginning to run out of time because hours ended at 12. it was 11:35. I finally struck him again and he had moved down between where I was, and where I had moved to, in the open with no way to approach. I ran out of time and had to walk away from him.
3 weeks later I was on my last opportunity to hunt him. I had the entire last week of the season to hunt, so I put myself on the oak flat that he most often roosted on every morning for five days. Day five I finally hit pay dirt. He sounded off on the limb 85 yards away. I was above him and had his two favorite strut zones covered. I gave him a little pillow talk, he didnt answer, but I knew he had heard me. He pitched down perpendicular to me, and began to strut where he hit the ground. 85 yards away, around the corner of a logging road. I thought it was over, no hens to contend with, he would eventually break and come around the corner of the road to see and he would be in range.
We had a stalemate for close to an hour. I called like two hens talking to each other and ignoring him and scratched leaves. He got more fired up than any bird I had heard in years. But he would not budge from his strut zone. I couldn't risk a move being so close to him already, so I brought out my last ditch effort weapon. I began to cut off his gobbles with my own. He gobbled, I would cut off. Gobble again, and I'd cut him off with a double gobble. It took about 10 minutes, but he finally broke and came in...the wrong way. Instead of coming up the logging road on the spine of an open ridge towards me, he put a deadfall between us and came out at 65 yards below me. He then crossed a ravine and barbed wire fence and circled around behind me.
Then I thought I had him. He was heading for a cow pasture 60 yards behind me where I had seen him strut before. All I had to do was beat him to his strut zone at the edge of the pasture and he would come right to me. I got up and went straight for the fence line, and picked out the tree where I would make my stand. I was 3 steps from that tree when his head popped up over the hill. He beat me there by 3 steps. I froze, not having any shot, and he flew away across the pasture.
I put close to 1000 miles on my truck, and spent 3 weeks hunting just that last season. And he beat me at every opportunity. I have never had any animal get me riled up like that gobbler. And I look at a picture of him every day, and think about just how much I love this crazy obsession.
So what Else have you all got? Any stories about the gobbler that haunts your thoughts and dreams?
I first got pictures of the gobbler in 2015. It is dang near impossible to tell any gobbler apart from every other member of the flock. But this bird was different. I have never seen another beard like his in 13 years of hunting the same patch of ground. And he was already an older bird by the spurs he was sporting. Now I am a spurs man myself but that beard and the sheer size of him had me enamored the first time I recognized him on camera. That first season I saw him I killed two very respectable birds, but never got a chance at him.
I normally limit myself to one gobbler off of this property per year, so I decided that I would not focus on killing a bird the next year. Wouldn't you know it I was out hunting with just my camera and I brought him in silent from behind me while I was working two fired up birds in front. He came in at 35 yards to check out what all the noise was, and then drifted back into the woods and gobbled. Never saw him again until after season went out.
Next year was different, he was back and I was going to go after him. I never laid eyes on him that year. Him and another large bird were using the oak ridge he frequented to roost, I killed the second one. I got plenty of pictures, but another season passed without laying eyes on him.
Season #4 was the worst of all. I couldn't sleep for a week before opening day. I wanted this bird, and no other. He was under my skin something awful. I roosted him the night before opening day, and was set up in a spot that had worked from that roost in the past. His hens took him away from me and that was the end of our first encounter.
2 weeks later I got another chance. I set up in a small clover plot on the side of a hill by a creek crossing he frequented. The morning came without a gobble on the roost or the ground, but I was going to stick it out until hours ended at noon. I was blind calling every half hour or so, and about 10:35 I thought I heard a gobble. I couldn't tell though so I cut hard on a box, and he answered having already closed the distance. I gave him the silent treatment, and he went to the wrong ridge. I watched him strut and gobble in the open 130 yards away on the opposite ridge for 40 minutes. I knew he could see me if I moved so I was stuck. Finally he dropped over the back side of the ridge and I took my chance. I swung all the way around him, closed the distance to 80 yards and put myself on the line he had been traveling. I called, but no answer. I waited 20 minutes, and still no sign. Now I was beginning to run out of time because hours ended at 12. it was 11:35. I finally struck him again and he had moved down between where I was, and where I had moved to, in the open with no way to approach. I ran out of time and had to walk away from him.
3 weeks later I was on my last opportunity to hunt him. I had the entire last week of the season to hunt, so I put myself on the oak flat that he most often roosted on every morning for five days. Day five I finally hit pay dirt. He sounded off on the limb 85 yards away. I was above him and had his two favorite strut zones covered. I gave him a little pillow talk, he didnt answer, but I knew he had heard me. He pitched down perpendicular to me, and began to strut where he hit the ground. 85 yards away, around the corner of a logging road. I thought it was over, no hens to contend with, he would eventually break and come around the corner of the road to see and he would be in range.
We had a stalemate for close to an hour. I called like two hens talking to each other and ignoring him and scratched leaves. He got more fired up than any bird I had heard in years. But he would not budge from his strut zone. I couldn't risk a move being so close to him already, so I brought out my last ditch effort weapon. I began to cut off his gobbles with my own. He gobbled, I would cut off. Gobble again, and I'd cut him off with a double gobble. It took about 10 minutes, but he finally broke and came in...the wrong way. Instead of coming up the logging road on the spine of an open ridge towards me, he put a deadfall between us and came out at 65 yards below me. He then crossed a ravine and barbed wire fence and circled around behind me.
Then I thought I had him. He was heading for a cow pasture 60 yards behind me where I had seen him strut before. All I had to do was beat him to his strut zone at the edge of the pasture and he would come right to me. I got up and went straight for the fence line, and picked out the tree where I would make my stand. I was 3 steps from that tree when his head popped up over the hill. He beat me there by 3 steps. I froze, not having any shot, and he flew away across the pasture.
I put close to 1000 miles on my truck, and spent 3 weeks hunting just that last season. And he beat me at every opportunity. I have never had any animal get me riled up like that gobbler. And I look at a picture of him every day, and think about just how much I love this crazy obsession.
So what Else have you all got? Any stories about the gobbler that haunts your thoughts and dreams?
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: 3chunter on February 20, 2021, 11:22:03 PM
Post by: 3chunter on February 20, 2021, 11:22:03 PM
I got one I could write a book about. Actually four of them over my 25 years. One I killed. Two I didn't. One I am hunting now that is 8-9 years old. I have atleast 5,000 pics of this bird in the last 5-6 years. Conservatively speaking. I had one that I hunted 4 years that was just the dang hardest bird ever known. He died of old age I suppose but he was over 1 1/2" spurs when I first ran into him. That bird I almost think about daily. Seriously. He still pisses me off. Right now I am still mad at him.
The picture attached is from last year on the bird still living. One more month and I just hope he will live until then. It won't matter though cause he will disappear here soon. Sorry joker.
The picture attached is from last year on the bird still living. One more month and I just hope he will live until then. It won't matter though cause he will disappear here soon. Sorry joker.
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: Tail Feathers on February 20, 2021, 11:36:15 PM
Post by: Tail Feathers on February 20, 2021, 11:36:15 PM
He hung out every spring at a relatively small oak flat near the property line. He would roost in the same tree most nights I think. He would gobble at your call and head the other way. Over three years I couldn't call him in with any call.
I saw him a few times when he ignored me. I once watched him from 70 yards, he never looked up from feeding with his hens or made a sound while and another gobbler answered my calls with two dozen gobbles as he came in from about 500 yards.
As far as I know, that old oak flat gobbler died of old age.
I saw him a few times when he ignored me. I once watched him from 70 yards, he never looked up from feeding with his hens or made a sound while and another gobbler answered my calls with two dozen gobbles as he came in from about 500 yards.
As far as I know, that old oak flat gobbler died of old age.
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: Gooserbat on February 21, 2021, 12:46:57 AM
Post by: Gooserbat on February 21, 2021, 12:46:57 AM
I had a guy in Missouri that looking back 15 years ago I think now I might have killed him... Maybe.
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: Tom007 on February 21, 2021, 07:33:02 AM
Post by: Tom007 on February 21, 2021, 07:33:02 AM
They all haunt me till my tag is on their leg? :turkey2:
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: ChesterCopperpot on February 21, 2021, 07:53:03 AM
Post by: ChesterCopperpot on February 21, 2021, 07:53:03 AM
Two that come to mind. There was a bird I chased for two seasons that tended to roost in the same tree and I never could get to him. His roost reminded me of a good buck bed. Pretty much any way in you were pegged, and he had a bad habit of pitching off the limb and sailing to another mountain. Then there's the one my wife calls Ponytail. An absolute loner. I think it's likely multiple beards stacked up, but if it ain't then the one's as thick as the rope in gym class.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210221/8066e933f60b67be451ac5433c971d83.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210221/e8b118b711c75b40c5efe459afcaabf5.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210221/8066e933f60b67be451ac5433c971d83.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210221/e8b118b711c75b40c5efe459afcaabf5.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: Tom007 on February 21, 2021, 07:58:08 AM
Post by: Tom007 on February 21, 2021, 07:58:08 AM
Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on February 21, 2021, 07:53:03 AM
Two that come to mind. There was a bird I chased for two seasons that tended to roost in the same tree and I never could get to him. His roost reminded me of a good buck bed. Pretty much any way in you were pegged, and he had a bad habit of pitching off the limb and sailing to another mountain. Then there's the one my wife calls Ponytail. An absolute loner. I think it's likely multiple beards stacked up, but if it ain't then the one's as thick as the rope in gym class.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210221/8066e933f60b67be451ac5433c971d83.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210221/e8b118b711c75b40c5efe459afcaabf5.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Wow, that's a rope....
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: ChesterCopperpot on February 21, 2021, 08:27:09 AM
Post by: ChesterCopperpot on February 21, 2021, 08:27:09 AM
Quote from: Tom007 on February 21, 2021, 07:58:08 AMYeah, that first picture it's like, "Oh, that's part of that log." Then that second picture it's like, "Holy s@$t! That's not part of that log!"Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on February 21, 2021, 07:53:03 AM
Two that come to mind. There was a bird I chased for two seasons that tended to roost in the same tree and I never could get to him. His roost reminded me of a good buck bed. Pretty much any way in you were pegged, and he had a bad habit of pitching off the limb and sailing to another mountain. Then there's the one my wife calls Ponytail. An absolute loner. I think it's likely multiple beards stacked up, but if it ain't then the one's as thick as the rope in gym class.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210221/8066e933f60b67be451ac5433c971d83.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210221/e8b118b711c75b40c5efe459afcaabf5.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Wow, that's a rope....
Haven't seen him yet this year, but hoping he survived. There was some pox went through late last summer and killed a couple gobblers and some hens. Hoping he wasn't part of that. I've never seen him with another bird. He tends to not regroup with other gobblers. Hoping his independence helped him out of that.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: MK M GOBL on February 21, 2021, 08:36:54 AM
Post by: MK M GOBL on February 21, 2021, 08:36:54 AM
Here's that read
I have had some history with this "bad" bird and have been hunting him for the past 3 years, he was the kind of bird who would always answer but never come in, seems he always had hens with him and 5 or 6 of them at a time. Well here we are in year #4 and have seen him out strutting with his harem of hens and have set-up on him a number of times this year already, actually killed a couple of satellite birds in his area during our first couple of seasons. So we are now into our 4th season and after a tough few days and an unsuccessful morning hunting with a buddy I was headed back to the house to mow my lawn that seriously needs it. My buddy says you can always mow lawn in 2 weeks when turkey season is over... Took his advice and went out to the blind, got the DSD's my CODY and "BIG PUFFY" out. Once I sat down this guy gobbles once at my hen talk and then shuts up, I gave him a few more calls and no response... Next thing I see is a head pop up in the field and disappear, the a fan appears and he is strutting in and doing the fast walk. Eleven minutes into it and he's down at 15 yards! This is the one I was after and he was lonely today. This is a bird that I knew all too well and finally taking this longbeard "Hook" was worth the wait! He weighed in at 23lbs 7oz, a 10 ½" beard and spurs were at 1 7/16"
MK M GOBL
I have had some history with this "bad" bird and have been hunting him for the past 3 years, he was the kind of bird who would always answer but never come in, seems he always had hens with him and 5 or 6 of them at a time. Well here we are in year #4 and have seen him out strutting with his harem of hens and have set-up on him a number of times this year already, actually killed a couple of satellite birds in his area during our first couple of seasons. So we are now into our 4th season and after a tough few days and an unsuccessful morning hunting with a buddy I was headed back to the house to mow my lawn that seriously needs it. My buddy says you can always mow lawn in 2 weeks when turkey season is over... Took his advice and went out to the blind, got the DSD's my CODY and "BIG PUFFY" out. Once I sat down this guy gobbles once at my hen talk and then shuts up, I gave him a few more calls and no response... Next thing I see is a head pop up in the field and disappear, the a fan appears and he is strutting in and doing the fast walk. Eleven minutes into it and he's down at 15 yards! This is the one I was after and he was lonely today. This is a bird that I knew all too well and finally taking this longbeard "Hook" was worth the wait! He weighed in at 23lbs 7oz, a 10 ½" beard and spurs were at 1 7/16"
MK M GOBL
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: guesswho on February 21, 2021, 08:37:41 AM
Post by: guesswho on February 21, 2021, 08:37:41 AM
Just the one that gobbled as I filled out my last tag of the season last year. I was hunting a bird that would gobble once about every 30-45 minutes. I finally closed the deal right around noon, or so I thought. I guess I killed a bird that was silent because a bird gobbled from the same area as the one I had been messing with, so I assume I didn't kill the gobbling bird. His days are numbered though. Season opens in mid March. I'll have to wait until April though. I don't apply for quota hunts so I can't go and check on him until after those hunts are over. I have thought about him a few times during the off season. I don't mind shooting the sacrificial lamb if I have a couple tags left, but this scenario has bugged me.
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: budtripp on February 21, 2021, 09:02:08 PM
Post by: budtripp on February 21, 2021, 09:02:08 PM
Every time I have one get away from me that I should have killed it haunts me. At least for awhile
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: catman529 on February 21, 2021, 09:51:58 PM
Post by: catman529 on February 21, 2021, 09:51:58 PM
I can't say I've hunted a particular bird more than 2 days or so. I had one field bird in the late season of 2019 that was the typical field bird. He sometimes had hens and sometimes was alone, but was doing the field bird stuff that drives you crazy. I killed him the day after I found him, so that didn't last too long. Was a 2 year old bird, but seemingly the only longbeard in the area. I know that area gets hunted hard, so the more elusive birds had probably avoided the property for a while by that point.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: justin.arps on February 21, 2021, 10:32:13 PM
Post by: justin.arps on February 21, 2021, 10:32:13 PM
My son And I found A big bodied double beard last year scouting, I decided I wouldn't take A bird unless it was him. This is the first time I've ever targeted A particular bird. After calling in several birds for my wife and son, I slipped out by myself and roosted my target bird. Next morning I slipped in on him fairly tight, he pitched and worked away with his 6 hens. Answering my calls but working away. I knew where his strut zone was after his morning business, so I let him work off and made my move.
I sat for almost three hours waiting for him to fire up soft calling every once in awhile and raking leaves. All at once I hear drumming from my left and my chest got rattled with A gobble that shook my soul. He worked around me and I got my shot. This is the first bird I am having mounted and was A truly awesome hunt. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210222/e36987219f9c27e77317068686d8697b.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I sat for almost three hours waiting for him to fire up soft calling every once in awhile and raking leaves. All at once I hear drumming from my left and my chest got rattled with A gobble that shook my soul. He worked around me and I got my shot. This is the first bird I am having mounted and was A truly awesome hunt. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210222/e36987219f9c27e77317068686d8697b.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: tlh2865 on February 22, 2021, 12:09:38 AM
Post by: tlh2865 on February 22, 2021, 12:09:38 AM
That is an absolute stud, congratulations on a heck of a bird and an awesome hunt!
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: justin.arps on February 22, 2021, 12:14:16 AM
Post by: justin.arps on February 22, 2021, 12:14:16 AM
Quote from: tlh2865 on February 22, 2021, 12:09:38 AMThank you! I had A amazing season my second bird was packing some weight and A rope too. It has A funny story and life lesson for my son in it too. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210222/3571f73135541f59023c9dc7d9993776.jpg)
That is an absolute stud, congratulations on a heck of a bird and an awesome hunt!
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210222/0681f8ab636823608c137134d5df4dd7.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: justin.arps on February 22, 2021, 12:26:52 AM
Post by: justin.arps on February 22, 2021, 12:26:52 AM
2nd bird, I took my son hunting and he was first up to shoot. We went in A river bottom area that's always productive. We had 4 toms hammering on the roost, long story short birds worked away but were still gobbling their heads off. My son decides to move on the bird behind us and I told him he should wait, this bird was 250yds from us on the roost and gained 125 yds on us already. Him knowing best crawls off and gets below the ridge this bird is on and is trying to flank him and get re set up on him. I elected to hang tight and let it play out. No more than 6 minutes from the time he crawled off I had the Tom 21yds full strut. Boom patience kills em. That's his torment bird, he's always picking the beard up and shakes his head. He took A bird 45 minutes later after we re grouped.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: Greg Massey on February 22, 2021, 09:46:26 AM
Post by: Greg Massey on February 22, 2021, 09:46:26 AM
Quote from: Tom007 on February 21, 2021, 07:33:02 AMx2 ... I don't try to put names on them, i just try to kill gobblers. As you get older, name calling goes away. LOL
They all haunt me till my tag is on their leg? :turkey2:
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: Cut N Run on February 22, 2021, 09:12:07 PM
Post by: Cut N Run on February 22, 2021, 09:12:07 PM
I've got one under my skin right now. He's got a favored roost and strut zones on land adjacent to land I have rights to hunt. He lets anything within earshot know that he's the man. Then he flies down farther away from the property line where he gobbles & stays in the first strut zone...for hours. Next, he drifts over to his next strut zone (still farther away), where he also hangs out and gobbles for hours. He either gets tired of strutting or breeding all the hens, loops farther away. He seems to know where the property line is and he respects it. So do I. I'm sure that I've never heard him on my side of the line. I have scouted every inch along the property boundary and have dragged a few downed treetops up beside bigger trees for cover to help break up my outline. He gives me courtesy gobbles to let me know he hears me, but won't be moving any closer than he already is. I have even recruited a couple of my buddies to set up 40 yards behind my side of the line and call, so we sound like several hens. I've tried gobble calls, clucks only, leaf scratching only, had a caller set up behind me moving back & forth side to side. Nothing. I've hunted rain, fog, morning, afternoon, & dusk trying to get him to make the fatal mistake, but he won't bite. All I've ever heard is hens going to him.
I'm not at my wit's end yet. He won't break me, though he sure is trying.
Jim
I'm not at my wit's end yet. He won't break me, though he sure is trying.
Jim
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: WTNUT on February 22, 2021, 10:25:34 PM
Post by: WTNUT on February 22, 2021, 10:25:34 PM
I can't say my haunting friend of a bird had a beard like the ones above or the spurs. He was certainly dang old with great spurs and beard, but he did drive me crazy. I didn't kill him, and hunted him nearly every day of the season two or three years ago. I can't even write about him to be honest. No matter what I did he was a step ahead of me. 38 years chasing birds and I have never seen one like him. Even now, I don't even like thinking about him. It was a :TrainWreck1: every day I chased him.
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: ManfromGreenSwamp on February 23, 2021, 05:43:02 AM
Post by: ManfromGreenSwamp on February 23, 2021, 05:43:02 AM
Quote from: Cut N Run on February 22, 2021, 09:12:07 PMJim,
I've got one under my skin right now. He's got a favored roost and strut zones on land adjacent to land I have rights to hunt. He lets anything within earshot know that he's the man. Then he flies down farther away from the property line where he gobbles & stays in the first strut zone...for hours. Next, he drifts over to his next strut zone (still farther away), where he also hangs out and gobbles for hours. He either gets tired of strutting or breeding all the hens, loops farther away. He seems to know where the property line is and he respects it. So do I. I'm sure that I've never heard him on my side of the line. I have scouted every inch along the property boundary and have dragged a few downed treetops up beside bigger trees for cover to help break up my outline. He gives me courtesy gobbles to let me know he hears me, but won't be moving any closer than he already is. I have even recruited a couple of my buddies to set up 40 yards behind my side of the line and call, so we sound like several hens. I've tried gobble calls, clucks only, leaf scratching only, had a caller set up behind me moving back & forth side to side. Nothing. I've hunted rain, fog, morning, afternoon, & dusk trying to get him to make the fatal mistake, but he won't bite. All I've ever heard is hens going to him.
I'm not at my wit's end yet. He won't break me, though he sure is trying.
Jim
Have you tried evening hunting him, catching him before the fly up on your side? Sounds like that might be the tactic that's needed!!
Hope you get him, and then everyone within earshot will know who the real boss is;)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: ManfromGreenSwamp on February 23, 2021, 05:46:14 AM
Post by: ManfromGreenSwamp on February 23, 2021, 05:46:14 AM
All the birds that haunt me have been dead for many, many moons. BUT they definitely have ghosts...
I just take my anger out on all the rest moving forward. Attempting to never make those mistakes again.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I just take my anger out on all the rest moving forward. Attempting to never make those mistakes again.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: GobbleNut on February 23, 2021, 11:40:37 AM
Post by: GobbleNut on February 23, 2021, 11:40:37 AM
The only gobblers that haunt me are ones that got away that shouldn't have. There have been a few of them over the years, but this is the most recent one in my memory, so I will relate the story about him. (this'll take a while, so those without patience, feel free to move on... ;D)
Three seasons ago, a friend and I decided to hop over to Colorado after our Utah hunt and hunt there for a couple of days before heading back home to New Mexico. The first day, we covered a bunch of public ground and near dark that evening, we located two or three gobblers in a giant, wide canyon. One was up high on a very steep ridge above the wide-open canyon bottom that was about a quarter mile wide and had a pretty good size creek/river running through it. Across the bottom on the opposite side was another high ridge, and although we weren't certain, it sounded like two gobblers went to roost on that side.
The next morning, I decided to climb the ridge where the single gobbler was. He was high up and, did I mention the ridge was STEEP, so well before daylight I started the climb in the dark, wanting to be in his general vicinity by daylight. As the eastern horizon began to glow, I had made it into the area I thought he would be roosted.
Waiting to hear him gobble, I sat and listened as the day started to come alive. Soon, I could hear at least two gobblers across the open valley and on the opposite slope. I expected the gobbler near me to start up at any moment, but as it grew lighter and lighter, and with the gobblers across the valley really whoopin' it up by now, there was nothing but silence on my side.
I contemplated bailing off the ridge, crossing the valley, and heading towards the other birds, but it was apparent that I would have to cross in plain sight of those birds with the sun on the verge of rising. So I sat and listened, hoping against hope that the gobbler I thought was within earshot on my ridge would tell me where he was.
The sun came up, the gobblers across the canyon flew down, still gobbling regularly,...and on my side,...Nada.
By now, I had been calling a bit trying to pull a gobble out of anything on my side, and I finally made the decision that my only course of action was to try to get the attention of one of the gobblers across the valley and see what would happen.
I began with some really loud yelping,...as Merriam's hens are prone to do. After a couple of series, one or two of the gobblers responded. I wasn't totally surprised at that, but was still pretty pessimistic about any one of them coming across that wide, open valley, crossing the river, and climbing the,....did I mention VERY STEEP,...ridge I was on.
After several exchanges of me calling and the gobblers answering from afar, it became apparent that one of them was moving up the tree-line along the valley and was sounding a bit closer. Over the next half hour, we had a lively conversation as the gobbles steadily grew clearer, and soon I could tell he was directly across the valley from me, but still probably 400 yards away.
At this point, I was still thinking,..."There is no way in hell that gobbler is coming across that wide open valley, flying across that river, and then coming 300 yards up this STEEP ridge I'm on to get to me." Boy was I wrong! I couldn't see the valley because of my position on the hillside, but before long there was no doubt that he had crossed the bottom, flown the river, and was getting closer with every calling exchange.
He reached the point where I was sure he was in the bottom directly below me, and it was about that time that I made the mental note that,..."Boy, this is about as bad a spot for a turkey set-up that you could possibly have chosen. Ain't no way he's coming to this spot!" Again, boy was I wrong!
Did I mention the hillside was VERY, VERY STEEP? In fact, it was so steep that I had to literally dig my heels into the dirt in front of me to keep from sliding down the slope. It was about this time that I became quite sure the gobbler had made up his mind to come right on up there to where I was at to take a look, so I dug my heels in, got my gun up on my knee as best I could, and waited.
It wasn't all that long until I could see him angling back and forth up the hill, in full strut, coming right at me. I saw him at about 100 yards out and he was on a steady march straight up the hill at me. I said to myself,...Man, this is gonna be a gimmee!" Have I said "boy, was I wrong enough"? He got to about sixty yards out, and the old trigger finger was beginning to itch a might, when suddenly he turned to his left and strutted behind a teeny tiny little rise in the slope, putting him just out of my sight.
By now, his drumming was deafening, so I knew exactly where he was as he walked up the slope behind the teeny tiny little rise just out of sight about thirty yards to my right. I followed the drumming with my gun barrel as he marched up the slope,...all the while getting me more and more into the dreaded "pretzel shooting position" all of us have probably found ourselves in at one point or another.
Soon he had made his way to a point just above me, and then started to walk directly towards me. By now I was straining mightily to swing the gun around far enough to point in his direction,...and then, there he was at twelve yards (I know because I paced it off afterward), in the wide open, in half strut, looking down at me.
It was one of those times when a guy says to himself,..."This is over. I can't possibly miss him at this range regardless of whether I am knotted-up like a six foot snake that just got run over by an 18-wheeler" so I put the beads on his head and pulled the trigger. ...Apparently, it was quite possible for me to miss him!
At the shot, I heard what I thought was a half-gobble, saw a flurry of wings beating,...and then nothing. Convinced He was laying stone-cold dead where he had been standing, I untangled myself, stood up, got my balance as best I could,...and walked confidently up to where he was surely going to be laying.
About halfway through that long, twelve-yard walk, I became an itsy bitsy bit concerned about the fact that i could not see a turkey laying there,...nor was there any turkey floppage going on anywhere in that general vicinity. A visual inspection of the location the gobbler had tried to sacrifice himself from confirmed that nary a feather was to be found to even give me the slightest hope that my shot had been in the general vicinity of the gobbler's person.
I could go on for a while about the verbal flogging I gave myself over the next,..oh, I would say,...last three years, but by now, I think you probably get the picture.... ;D
Three seasons ago, a friend and I decided to hop over to Colorado after our Utah hunt and hunt there for a couple of days before heading back home to New Mexico. The first day, we covered a bunch of public ground and near dark that evening, we located two or three gobblers in a giant, wide canyon. One was up high on a very steep ridge above the wide-open canyon bottom that was about a quarter mile wide and had a pretty good size creek/river running through it. Across the bottom on the opposite side was another high ridge, and although we weren't certain, it sounded like two gobblers went to roost on that side.
The next morning, I decided to climb the ridge where the single gobbler was. He was high up and, did I mention the ridge was STEEP, so well before daylight I started the climb in the dark, wanting to be in his general vicinity by daylight. As the eastern horizon began to glow, I had made it into the area I thought he would be roosted.
Waiting to hear him gobble, I sat and listened as the day started to come alive. Soon, I could hear at least two gobblers across the open valley and on the opposite slope. I expected the gobbler near me to start up at any moment, but as it grew lighter and lighter, and with the gobblers across the valley really whoopin' it up by now, there was nothing but silence on my side.
I contemplated bailing off the ridge, crossing the valley, and heading towards the other birds, but it was apparent that I would have to cross in plain sight of those birds with the sun on the verge of rising. So I sat and listened, hoping against hope that the gobbler I thought was within earshot on my ridge would tell me where he was.
The sun came up, the gobblers across the canyon flew down, still gobbling regularly,...and on my side,...Nada.
By now, I had been calling a bit trying to pull a gobble out of anything on my side, and I finally made the decision that my only course of action was to try to get the attention of one of the gobblers across the valley and see what would happen.
I began with some really loud yelping,...as Merriam's hens are prone to do. After a couple of series, one or two of the gobblers responded. I wasn't totally surprised at that, but was still pretty pessimistic about any one of them coming across that wide, open valley, crossing the river, and climbing the,....did I mention VERY STEEP,...ridge I was on.
After several exchanges of me calling and the gobblers answering from afar, it became apparent that one of them was moving up the tree-line along the valley and was sounding a bit closer. Over the next half hour, we had a lively conversation as the gobbles steadily grew clearer, and soon I could tell he was directly across the valley from me, but still probably 400 yards away.
At this point, I was still thinking,..."There is no way in hell that gobbler is coming across that wide open valley, flying across that river, and then coming 300 yards up this STEEP ridge I'm on to get to me." Boy was I wrong! I couldn't see the valley because of my position on the hillside, but before long there was no doubt that he had crossed the bottom, flown the river, and was getting closer with every calling exchange.
He reached the point where I was sure he was in the bottom directly below me, and it was about that time that I made the mental note that,..."Boy, this is about as bad a spot for a turkey set-up that you could possibly have chosen. Ain't no way he's coming to this spot!" Again, boy was I wrong!
Did I mention the hillside was VERY, VERY STEEP? In fact, it was so steep that I had to literally dig my heels into the dirt in front of me to keep from sliding down the slope. It was about this time that I became quite sure the gobbler had made up his mind to come right on up there to where I was at to take a look, so I dug my heels in, got my gun up on my knee as best I could, and waited.
It wasn't all that long until I could see him angling back and forth up the hill, in full strut, coming right at me. I saw him at about 100 yards out and he was on a steady march straight up the hill at me. I said to myself,...Man, this is gonna be a gimmee!" Have I said "boy, was I wrong enough"? He got to about sixty yards out, and the old trigger finger was beginning to itch a might, when suddenly he turned to his left and strutted behind a teeny tiny little rise in the slope, putting him just out of my sight.
By now, his drumming was deafening, so I knew exactly where he was as he walked up the slope behind the teeny tiny little rise just out of sight about thirty yards to my right. I followed the drumming with my gun barrel as he marched up the slope,...all the while getting me more and more into the dreaded "pretzel shooting position" all of us have probably found ourselves in at one point or another.
Soon he had made his way to a point just above me, and then started to walk directly towards me. By now I was straining mightily to swing the gun around far enough to point in his direction,...and then, there he was at twelve yards (I know because I paced it off afterward), in the wide open, in half strut, looking down at me.
It was one of those times when a guy says to himself,..."This is over. I can't possibly miss him at this range regardless of whether I am knotted-up like a six foot snake that just got run over by an 18-wheeler" so I put the beads on his head and pulled the trigger. ...Apparently, it was quite possible for me to miss him!
At the shot, I heard what I thought was a half-gobble, saw a flurry of wings beating,...and then nothing. Convinced He was laying stone-cold dead where he had been standing, I untangled myself, stood up, got my balance as best I could,...and walked confidently up to where he was surely going to be laying.
About halfway through that long, twelve-yard walk, I became an itsy bitsy bit concerned about the fact that i could not see a turkey laying there,...nor was there any turkey floppage going on anywhere in that general vicinity. A visual inspection of the location the gobbler had tried to sacrifice himself from confirmed that nary a feather was to be found to even give me the slightest hope that my shot had been in the general vicinity of the gobbler's person.
I could go on for a while about the verbal flogging I gave myself over the next,..oh, I would say,...last three years, but by now, I think you probably get the picture.... ;D
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: Dtrkyman on February 23, 2021, 12:53:55 PM
Post by: Dtrkyman on February 23, 2021, 12:53:55 PM
Every single one I didn't get, haha. They only haunt me for a small amount of time though. On to the next!
I had a brief shot at one in Indy last year, gave me a glimpse through some thick briars and just as I figured out it was him he was gone. Did not kill a bird on that trip, only hunt I blanked on in 2 years!
I had a brief shot at one in Indy last year, gave me a glimpse through some thick briars and just as I figured out it was him he was gone. Did not kill a bird on that trip, only hunt I blanked on in 2 years!
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: Gobble! on February 23, 2021, 01:06:04 PM
Post by: Gobble! on February 23, 2021, 01:06:04 PM
All the misses come to mind. This one was extra salty.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4872/44565795860_4ab929c6b8_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4872/44565795860_4ab929c6b8_z.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: guesswho on February 23, 2021, 01:49:50 PM
Post by: guesswho on February 23, 2021, 01:49:50 PM
Quote from: Gobble! on February 23, 2021, 01:06:04 PMNice pattern though! Just a tad low? :TooFunny: Not laughing at you, hopefully laughing with you.
All the misses come to mind. This one was extra salty.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4872/44565795860_4ab929c6b8_z.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: Gobble! on February 23, 2021, 09:22:22 PM
Post by: Gobble! on February 23, 2021, 09:22:22 PM
Quote from: guesswho on February 23, 2021, 01:49:50 PM
Nice pattern though! Just a tad low? :TooFunny: Not laughing at you, hopefully laughing with you.
At 3' the patterns pretty tiiiight. Can't do anything but laugh.
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: notsure on February 25, 2021, 02:10:45 PM
Post by: notsure on February 25, 2021, 02:10:45 PM
In 2005, it was difficult to obtain a shotgun-season Spring Turkey tag in MN. You needed at least three points to have a realistic chance at drawing one in the state lottery, unless you were a land owner. But, anyone who applied unsuccessfully for a tag could purchase an OTC archery license good for the last two weeks of May (Season's G & H back then). Well, I'd never killed a turkey at that time, but not for the lack of opportunities. In fact, on the fateful day in question, I missed a gobbler that flew in right off the roost. Thinking that something might be wrong with my bow, I shot a second arrow (I only brought three) at a leaf at what I judged to be 20 yards away. Turned out nothing was wrong with my bow, but my range estimation was way off. I had set my 20 yard pin on a bird 30 yards away. Well, at least I had one arrow left and it was only around 7 AM at the time. Ten AM rolls around and I'm just about ready to pack it in when all of a sudden a gobbler sounds off no more than 10 yards to my right. Out from the wooded rail bed below which I had setup my blind comes a strutter in all his magical glory! He literally acted "just like they do in the videos" and started displaying for the hen decoy I placed around ten paces in front of the blind. So, after composing myself the best I could, I drew back, placed the 20 yard pin a bit below his thigh and released the arrow....but not before the chair I was sitting on decided to break, sending me to the dirt and the arrow sailing off through the roof of the blind and into wild blue yonder. And the darned bird didn't even flinch. He just continued courting his plastic mistress, while I sat there watching the whole show sans a single arrow! I think I cried a little bit.
Title: Re: Anyone Have One Bird That Haunts You
Post by: Paulmyr on February 25, 2021, 02:27:54 PM
Post by: Paulmyr on February 25, 2021, 02:27:54 PM
1st one I ever shot at. Rolled him over and he got up and flew away. I can still see that crimson head like it was yesterday.