The Lord truly blessed me with another awesome hunt this morning. My hunt as most have this season started yesterday evening. I was able again to roost another long beard with my Harrison's Hoot N Stick. I got up this morning at 4:40 am to head down in the woods in front of my parents house which is not a long distance to the spot I was heading to but a hard walk especially on the far ridge I was heading to which is about straight up and down. It was 5:35 am when I finally made it to the far ridge and was able to walk the remaining 200 yrds from the light of the moon. I set up on the main ridge which was also my first time ever being or hunting this area of the woods so I was trying to tell where I was out on the ridge by looking across toward my parents place. I finally got set up at 5:45 am and he sounds of at 5:59 am and was a little farther down then what I thought. After hearing him sound of a few more times I quickly collect all my stuff and head down the ridge another 80 yrds and set back up.....when he sounded off again I was about 90 yrds from him. I set up in a beautiful spot on the ridge where the ridge widen out to about 25 yrds across and slopped down into a saddle the went back up to a high point on the ridge. Seeing the sunrise this morning was unbelievable setting on that high ridge the owls were cutting a shine and there was no wind to be found...you could hear for miles. Around 6:20 am I start giving a few tree calls on my SS Custom Slate call which again has proven to be deadly this year...along with my custom go to mouth call by Rut N Strut Game calls. At 6:30 am he gobbles and is on the top of the ridge above the saddle....it caught me off guard since it was still early but it was getting light quickly. So I hurry and do a fly down cackle and he eats it up...so I do another one followed by a few more fly downs with just my wing and he starts gobbling his head off. After about 10 min he's not moving and I know there has to be hens near by about 5 min later I finally hear them down the hill where he was roosted. I continue to run through series of calls with my slate and mouth calls every 5 min or so. At 6:50 am he goes silent and then gobbles 5 min later and he is about 40 yrds father down the ridge. I sit there not hearing a peep unit 7:08 am and decide against my better judgment to get up and move on down the ridge in the direction he was heading...I start gathering my stuff and was putting my sling back on my shot gun when he gobbles and is exactly in the same spot about 40 yrds down the ridge from where he flew down to. I then hear the hens cranking up...and decide to just sit still for awhile longer. I start back running series of calls and quickly get a response from him and he is back just above the saddle. I call again and the hens answer back...2 min later I see them running in a dead sprint down the ridge into the saddle coming my way. When they hit the saddle they head of to my left which was good since my decoy was sitting on the far left side of the ridge. After they go out of sight I continue to look for Mr long beard but don't see him. A couple of min later the hens come back up from the left back into the saddle...so I send some soft yelps there way with my mouth call. They immediately turn around and head back in my direction to the left and I then see the gobbler in strut coming into the saddle from the right. He immediately follows all four hens to the left in full strut. All four hens come up on the ridge on the far left side in front of my decoy. They start yelping and checking the decoy out so I return a few soft yelps to them myself. They start working there way from the decoy back right coming right across the ridge in front of me at 25 yrs. The gobbler makes his way onto the ridge on the left side right in front of the decoy in full strut. He continued to spit and drum in front of the decoy for about 30 seconds then heads right in the direction the hens were going. The old boy works his way into the middle of the ridge right in front of me at 25 yrs. I cut hard and he comes out of full strut into a half strut and I again send another load of Long Beard XR's down range and drop him at 25 yrds. It was again a hunt you dream about as a turkey hunter. I can't put into words how God has blessed me this year. I have tagged out in 7 days of hunting in which two of those days were with my very close friends from WV....so I actually only carried a gun 5 of those days. I was able to call in long beards everyday I was out and end up calling in 8 long beards so far this season and only two of them having hens with them. Also I have to give props to the Harrison Hoot N Stick and my new SS Custom Calls Slate over Glass. I'm in no way trying to advertise for anybody but have to state the facts that these two tools give me a definite advantage this year and will have a place in my vest for years to come. All of the gobblers I called in except 2 were straight of the limb and the Harrison Hoot N Stick helped me roost those birds with out a doubt and the SS Slate with its sweet yelps helped turn those birds on the limb and brought them my way. And of course I can't say enough about the Rut N Strut game call mouth calls that I have been using for 4 seasons now. There the best mouth calls I've ever used and I have called in more birds with them then I can start to count. Again not advertising just passing along some information on some great calls that has really helped me in the spring woods and can hopefully help others. Lord willing I'll be chasing some long beards back in WV in a week.
Gobbler weighed 18.67 lbs, had a 9 5/8" beard, and 1" Right spur 7/8" left spur...another nice 2 yr old.
Here is a few pics:
The sunrise I got to see this morning from the ridge top!
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e258/WR_Setters/IMAG02262_zps87686138.jpg)
The creek I crossed this morning on the way in and out.
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e258/WR_Setters/IMAG02332_zps0a734f27.jpg)
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e258/WR_Setters/IMAG02322_zps7e680daa.jpg)
Right After the Shot:
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e258/WR_Setters/IMAG02272_zps8656c068.jpg)
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e258/WR_Setters/IMAG02282_zps8e24de6a.jpg)
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e258/WR_Setters/IMG_2679c_zpscb0eba86.jpg)
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e258/WR_Setters/IMG_2681c_zps564d7b7d.jpg)
My future turkey hunting buddies!
(http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e258/WR_Setters/IMG_2709c_zps19ef1809.jpg)
God Bless
Huge congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
congrats nice pics
Sounds like a good year in VA
congrats
WTG!
Awesome. Congrats
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Congrats!!
Congrats on the turkey bird, and the future looks bright!
Yes sir! Good job.
Awesome! Congrats!
Thank you all for the congrats!! Its been an awesome season....the Lord has truly allowed me to experience some unbelievable mornings in the spring woods! I've been truly blessed!!
Great job and story, thanks for sharing. :icon_thumright:
Very Nice. Congrats.....
Nice bird and pics...Congrats!
Way to go!! :icon_thumright:
Absolutely awesome brother!! The Lord sure had his hand of favor on you!!!! Love it!!
So glad I was able to come out and share two amazing days in the woods with you, cant wait to get after em here in WV again in a few weeks.
Way to go! I like your story, nice details!
Congrats!!
Congrats Derek on an outstanding season! And to think you still have WV to go. Had a blast hunting with you and Zach. :z-guntootsmiley:
congrats!!
Congrats!
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Great Job
WTG . Awesome story. You are right about the SS Slate calls. I love my Worm Amborsa Maple Slate Caller.
Quote from: ncturkey on April 26, 2014, 01:31:34 PM
WTG . Awesome story. You are right about the SS Slate calls. I love my Worm Amborsa Maple Slate Caller.
Ncturkey.....they are top notch with the sound those ol king beards love!! Without a doubt it gave me an advantage this year!! I will be adding more in the very near future!! Plus working with AL and his son is always a great experience...you would be hard pressed to find better!
God bless
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Sounds like a fantastic hunt, and a heck of a season! Congrats!! :icon_thumright: