Finally connected with this bird at 10:30 this morning after working him unsuccessfully off the roost. Made a big loop on him and his harem and ended up loosing contact with them. Called up some hens at another spot and sat for about an hour and a half but no longbeards showed so I went back towards the area I last heard the bird from 1st thing this morning.
I was sneaking along the edge of a grown up clearcut and some thinned mature pines glassing when I had a strutter pop out 50 yds in front of me. He saw me but didn't know what I was cause I was walking close to the cover and he just kinda dropped stut and ran around the corner. Well then through the brush about 100yds ahead I caught glimpse of another fan and saw some hens moving kinda fast away from me toward the swamp. There wasn't a tree bigger than 3 ft. within 20 yds of me and I knew if tried to get to one they'd see me and the jig would be up and they'd really be boogered then.
So, I just plopped down right where I was along the edge of the fire lane separating the clear cut and scooted my but up against a pine tree the size of my arm and a clump of tall grass. I broke out the Crystal Mistress and let out 3 clucks and two gobblers hammered back. I put together a short series of yelps and this time four gobblers hammered back and a jake even tried to get in on the gobbling. Then a hen started in yelping and we got into a little shouting match and all four of those longbeards went nuts for about 15 minutes. It was great she'd call and I'd call right back at her a little sweater and she got ticked off and those gobblers ate it up.
Finally I saw a pair of fans and some light bulbs working my way slowly through the mature pines. I got a glimpse of a good beard on the lead strutter and when he got clear I gave him a cluck and sent a load of 3" #6 Win Extended range toward his big fat noggin. He flopped the bird next to him jumped up in the air and the jake gobbled. The rest of the birds (must of been 20 all together) just stood around in shock not knowing what happened or what to do. Eventually they all fled and when I stood up a jake I didn't see was standing behind a tree and looked at me and gobbled (sort of) and just walked off like he wasn't skeered. I'll show his butt next year!
Then when I went over to pick up my bird I tripped on a limb and ripped the sole clean off my dang boot. That was fun hobbling with a gimp boot back to the truck but, you couldn't wipe the smile off my face for nothing. Love opening day birds!!!! 19.5# 10" beard 1 1/8" spur on one leg and a spur that's not really even measurable on the other.
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very nice...well done.. :icon_thumright:
Awesome ! Congrats! :icon_thumright:
Quote from: a-j calls on March 19, 2011, 10:19:54 PM
very nice...well done.. :icon_thumright:
:agreed: :icon_thumright:
:icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
Congrats on the successful hunt :you_rock:
Congrats on your bird! Love the pics. Laying on a palmetto root, doesn't get more Florida than that!! :icon_thumright:
Nice bird, congrats! :icon_thumright: :z-guntootsmiley:
Congrats!!
Congrats on a nice bird. :you_rock: :z-guntootsmiley:
Congrats. :icon_thumright:
Sounds like a very cool hunt - congrats!
Great story for a great bird. Congrats.
Well done-- especially being able to improvise on the run
what region of Florida are you hunting?
:groupwave:
Very nice,congrats!!!
Congrats!! :icon_thumright:
:icon_thumright:
Quote from: Larry Mac on March 20, 2011, 09:27:38 AM
Well done-- especially being able to improvise on the run
what region of Florida are you hunting?
Larry I killed this one just a little north of Ocala.
Thanks for the congrats to all of ya'll means a lot coming from a fine bunch of gobbler slayers.
Great Job!!!!!
Congrats!!! :z-guntootsmiley: :z-guntootsmiley:
Awesome story and bird. Congrats and good luck on the second.
:happy0064:
Awesome story and longbeard too.
Congrats :icon_thumright: