Gobbler #2 down - pics, story and video coming up shortly. :z-guntootsmiley:
Congradulations, can't wait. Great Job Jonathan. :z-guntootsmiley:
Thunder chicken #2 down for the 2011 turkey season...
I get to the hunt club at 6:15AM and see Mr. Reid Sr. and his grandson and talk about the gobbler I killed on Wednesday, and they are headed to an area close to where I killed it. I thought about going over there as well, but let them have at it. So, I think about where else I can go and decide to try my luck where I heard a gobbler on the roost opening day. I drive through a section of planted pines to trails that get me on the backside of where I heard that gobbler. I went there once earlier in the season with no luck, but the good Lord and lady luck where smiling on me today. I get to an intersection in the trail and stop and listen...either way will take me to good swampy areas and turkey habitat. I finally hear one off in the direction of where I heard a gobbler on opening morning. I walk the muddy trail to where there is some good dry ground and a nice semi-open area. I found this place earlier in the season and it seemed like a good place to setup and wait. This spot was over 100 yards away from their roost spot, and I figured it might take them some time to get to me, but I felt good about the setup. They flew down right sunrise (7AM) and I hear them hammer 1 time – it's at least 2 gobblers. I break out my Supreme "Talking Dirty" aluminum pot call and play a few notes – yelping and hard cuts on it and they hammer right back! OK, game on – they are headed my way. Around this time I start hearing 1-2 more gobblers off to my left and hens as the other 2 gobblers approach from my right. They are all getting closer and I get quiet and put in my Dan Kendall "Secret Weapon" mouth call, and starting yelping and putting softly. No response and I'm wondering where are they now – they should be close. Then I grab the pot call again and BAM they are to my left near those other gobblers. So, I yelp and cut hard again on it and I think I get them to finally change direction toward me. I wait and call a little more on my mouth call and BAM they are right to my left approx. 60 yards and closing – I can see them now and they are walking from my left to right, and should come right out in front of me. There is a strutter and another non-strutting Tom and 1 hen. I get quiet and watch them walk into my "shooting lane"...they walk out and I call 1 last time (as you can see and hear on the video) and they hammer back. I wanted to play with them a little and get them to gobble some more and possibly get them to line up for a double, so I call again and they start acting spooked and that's when I decided to stop playing around and BOOM! Thunder chicken #2 down in the SC low country @ approx. 7:30AM...another lovely (semi-short) off or near the roost hunt...my 2nd this week! It's been an awesome week and I still have time and 3 more tags to fill (plus 3 in GA). It would be nice to kill 1 or 2 more...we shall see.
Stats:
• 17.4 lbs.
• 11.25 inch beard
• Left spur was deformed and 0.75 inches
• Right spur was 1.25 inches
I'll get pics up soon; the video upload to Youtube took a long time since it's in HD! :)
Here is the HD video:
http://youtu.be/e2w1vy5Ya6w (http://youtu.be/e2w1vy5Ya6w)
Here is a photo and I posted several in the kill thread:
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5185/5603277655_c8aebd0f2e_b.jpg)
That's great, congrats, nice long beard on him.
That was neat!!! Thanks for posting it. Congrats on another fine bird.
Thanks y'all! I added a photo (link).
Quote from: mfd1027 on April 09, 2011, 02:31:56 PM
That was neat!!! Thanks for posting it. Congrats on another fine bird.
Dan, that's your call you hear at the end. :you_rock:
Sounds pretty good!! lol Man, your camera takes nice photo's. What are you shooting??
Quote from: mfd1027 on April 09, 2011, 05:40:07 PM
Sounds pretty good!! lol Man, your camera takes nice photo's. What are you shooting??
Yep, it does sound good...I misplaced your Whistler call. I need to try that one on them birds. ;D
It's actually just a "cheap" Sanyo HD camera I got off Amazon for $130. It works well, but battery life sucks...it almost died on me, but I got the final shot off in time. The recoil shuts the camera screen and turns it off. LOL I need to figure out how to keep it open/on, but I guess there isn't much to see after that. So, it works pretty darn...I was happy with the results. :)
Great Job JP.
Another nice bird Jon, WTG!!! :happy0064: