Flood Gates are Opening!!

[Muzzy61]

Just killed AR Turkey, I'll hopefully have a higher score here in a bit!

Good job, congrats!

[JeffC]

Way to go austinc, you guys are killing it and I ate tag soup today. Looking forward to story and pictures!

[JeffC]

Went back in after same bird from Monday, he moved, 5:21 first gobble, way out in front of fields, maybe in across street. 2nd bird gobbles down the swamp from me, same woods I am in. Decide to get closer to him, move 20 yds Hen flies off right above me,  , never heard a peep from them, yes 3 more in trees around me, all fly towards bird I am headed to. Try calling to see if anyone else is close, nothing but bird out front is responding, hes on private but headed closer, so I move in his direction, hear another hunter, I walked in at 4:30, 1st one here, walked past a blind, now someone is in it,  , OK, still have swamp bird. Chased him the rest of the morning, Henned up, would give me a gobble every once in a while, but they basically travel the same way as Monday, Going back in the morning. So ate first week tag, learned , see if it pays off, headed to different zone on Monday.

[VA Gobble Addict]

Here's the story on my bird: I arrived in South Dakota last Saturday to 14 inches of fresh snow from a blizzard. Some of the drifts were 2-3 feet from the 40 mph winds they had. The entire sections of the hills in wyoming and northern SD were inaccessible. I had to eat my WY tag. I headed south to some unfamiliar territory and started hunting. The first two days were brutal with cold and wind still. No gobbles and no sign from the places I was hiking to. I finally heard one lone roost gobble on Tuesday so it gave me a little hope, but I still wasn't seeing any birds on public. Fast forward to my fifth and final day. It had been warmer for three days in a row and I just had a feeling they would light it up that morning. I set up on three at first light that we're setting the woods on fire. Unfortunately, the hens wouldn't let them get closer than 80 yards or so. After messing with them for a while, they head away from me and I decided to try to find a workable bird. This bird gave me one gobble, but luckily I was close enough to pin point him on top of a ridge. I could hear his hens as I got closer so I didn't call because they would surely lead him away. I used the terrain and eased my way up behind him on the ridge. He was strutting and looking away from me when I first saw him so I kept creeping closer until he turned and saw me. I already had my gun up when he turned so I was ready. I much prefer to call them in but they were henned up really bad this year and it was my final morning there.

[HillclimberWV]

No shame in that VA. You have to be a good woodsman to sneak up on them regardless.

My weekend was awesome even though i didnt pull the trigger. Yesterday i went back to the same property i killed the opening day gobbler on. I called in gobbler with about a 6 inch beard and let him walk. After he moved off i backed out and went to a different property. Got a gobbler to fire up around 11 and played the game till i ran out of time (wv stops at 1). He was on a property i didn't have açcess to but was slowly coming my way gobbling every few minutes.  He just didn't come fast enough.
This morning got into some field birds it was 2 gobblers and 3 jakes. I got set up and started calling. On the way to me they swung around a little knoll in the field. Then directly over it. When they periscoped their heads up they were withing range but i couldn't tell which was the jake and which was the gobbler.  They never came any closer and eventually rain picked up and they left the field and onto property i didnt have access to. I left the field and went out a ridge struck up another gobbler and called him to within 70 yards. My setup was bad and he wouldn't cross the open timber. The rain started coming down hard again and he eventually drifted off where i couldnt go so i called it a day. I spent the majority of 2 days within 200 yards of a gobbler so to me thats a good weekend regardless of filling a tag.

[JeffC]

Great job VA GA on pictures and story. I was in full ambush mode yesterday, 3 days chasing a Tom that hates me and loves teasing me, I am moving on to another area. Hillclimber I agree, all 3 of those days I was within 100 yds of him multiple times, aggravating yes, but fun playing the game..

[lacire]

Went back in after same bird from Monday, he moved, 5:21 first gobble, way out in front of fields, maybe in across street. 2nd bird gobbles down the swamp from me, same woods I am in. Decide to get closer to him, move 20 yds Hen flies off right above me,  , never heard a peep from them, yes 3 more in trees around me, all fly towards bird I am headed to. Try calling to see if anyone else is close, nothing but bird out front is responding, hes on private but headed closer, so I move in his direction, hear another hunter, I walked in at 4:30, 1st one here, walked past a blind, now someone is in it,  , OK, still have swamp bird. Chased him the rest of the morning, Henned up, would give me a gobble every once in a while, but they basically travel the same way as Monday, Going back in the morning. So ate first week tag, learned , see if it pays off, headed to different zone on Monday.

Good luck today.

[lacire]

Hillclimber and VA Gobble Addict you both sound like you had some exciting hunting.

[HillclimberWV]

lacire it was definitely a fun weekend.

[VA Gobble Addict]

Was a great week for sure. Never get tired of the hills