Me and a good friend made our yearly trip to Georgia this past weekend to hunt some private land and Ft. Stewart. We wanted to concentrate more on finding birds and new areas on Ft. Stewart. The first morning we tried the private land and had a bird gobbling pretty good but he was on a neighbors property and was covered up in hens. After messing with him for a while we decided to head to Ft. Stewart and try our luck. We went back to an area we had found last year that held some birds and ended up finding a bunch of strut marks and recent gobbler tracks. After looking around and not getting answers we left for lunch and returned to the woods around 4pm. We decided to head into an area the birds roosted the season before in hopes of catching one coming back into the area before flyup. Well we got settled into our spot at 5pm and the first series of yelps were answered by a bird about 300 yards out. We decided to stay put and see what he would do. Well it turns out this bird was lonely and REALLY wanted some company, he gobbled at every call we made and by 5:15 he was flopping. For being only our second time hunting Ft. Stewart and a lot of walking and locating sign we were extremely happy to have put a bird on the ground there.
The second morning we set up in a area that had 3-4 birds gobbling around it, but they weren't very fired up. As we were setting up it was just breaking light, my friend was getting set up next to a big pine when about 5 feet from him a hen busted off the ground. after nothing happened for the next hour we went and inspected where she was laying and found her nest of 10 eggs. I guess they were breeding pretty early this year down there. we ended up working another bird shortly after down in a nasty swamp but he circled us and wouldn't come the final few yards. Eventhough we only left Georgia with one bird, we learned a lot more and can't wait til next year to head back down.
What made the hunt even better is the call that was used was a Crystal Mistress I had personalized by David Halloran with my friends new son's initials and birthday engraved into it for him. So we called it Greyson"s bird.
17lbs, 8 1/4 beard, inch spurs
(http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z429/booth21/IMG_1343.jpg)]
[url=http://[URL=http://s1189.photobucket.com/user/booth21/media/IMG_0854.jpg.html](http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z429/booth21/IMG_0854.jpg)][url=http:// (http://[url=http://s1189.photobucket.com/user/booth21/media/IMG_1343.jpg.html)
[url(http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z429/booth21/IMG_0852.jpg)] (http://s1189.photobucket.com/user/booth21/media/IMG_0852.jpg.html)
Nice bird. I hope each and everyone of those eggs makes it. I've seen a nest full and checked a week later only to find eggs shells. My ability to swerve when a coon, skunk, or opossum steps in front of my car seems to be impaired ever since.
great job, guys
Nice bird, congrats!
Congrats! I didn't get to make a trip down to Ga. this year and am missing it. Had a great hunt last year. My BIL was stationed at Ft. Stewart.
Congrats on a fine bird!! Nice pics!
:turkey2:
Congrats!
Nice job!
Well done
Nice bird, Congrats
Congrats! :icon_thumright:
:icon_thumright:
Quote from: Vaturkeyhntr on April 07, 2015, 09:29:37 PM
Me and a good friend made our yearly trip to Georgia this past weekend to hunt some private land and Ft. Stewart. We wanted to concentrate more on finding birds and new areas on Ft. Stewart. The first morning we tried the private land and had a bird gobbling pretty good but he was on a neighbors property and was covered up in hens. After messing with him for a while we decided to head to Ft. Stewart and try our luck. We went back to an area we had found last year that held some birds and ended up finding a bunch of strut marks and recent gobbler tracks. After looking around and not getting answers we left for lunch and returned to the woods around 4pm. We decided to head into an area the birds roosted the season before in hopes of catching one coming back into the area before flyup. Well we got settled into our spot at 5pm and the first series of yelps were answered by a bird about 300 yards out. We decided to stay put and see what he would do. Well it turns out this bird was lonely and REALLY wanted some company, he gobbled at every call we made and by 5:15 he was flopping. For being only our second time hunting Ft. Stewart and a lot of walking and locating sign we were extremely happy to have put a bird on the ground there.
The second morning we set up in a area that had 3-4 birds gobbling around it, but they weren't very fired up. As we were setting up it was just breaking light, my friend was getting set up next to a big pine when about 5 feet from him a hen busted off the ground. after nothing happened for the next hour we went and inspected where she was laying and found her nest of 10 eggs. I guess they were breeding pretty early this year down there. we ended up working another bird shortly after down in a nasty swamp but he circled us and wouldn't come the final few yards. Eventhough we only left Georgia with one bird, we learned a lot more and can't wait til next year to head back down.
What made the hunt even better is the call that was used was a Crystal Mistress I had personalized by David Halloran with my friends new son's initials and birthday engraved into it for him. So we called it Greyson"s bird.
17lbs, 8 1/4 beard, inch spurs
(http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z429/booth21/IMG_1343.jpg)]
[url=http://[URL=http://s1189.photobucket.com/user/booth21/media/IMG_0854.jpg.html](http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z429/booth21/IMG_0854.jpg)][url=http:// (http://[url=http://s1189.photobucket.com/user/booth21/media/IMG_1343.jpg.html)
[url(http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z429/booth21/IMG_0852.jpg)] (http://s1189.photobucket.com/user/booth21/media/IMG_0852.jpg.html)
Awesome job guys
Nice job! Give me a shout when y'all come back to GA, you've had better luck than I have the last three weeks! :help:
congrats
Congrats, nice bird! :icon_thumright:
Congrats!
Congrats, nice one!
Congrats on an awesome bird
Nice. Congrats....
congrats on the bird