took bird number 2 this moring at 9:02 am. i have been trying to put a few other people on birds so i have not been hunting much for me. i encountered this bird a couple of days ago and he was one of the most stubourn birds ever to live. he would gobble at the calls but never move closer or further. stayed in the same area. well the guy and i moved several times on him and finnally had him at 40 yds but he just wouldnt pop over the rise. so 12 hit and shut us down. before we left i set up a blind in his area. this bird had gotten under my skin and i was commited to taking him.
so i slipped in this morning and set up, thought i had made to much noise but then a hen let out a tree yelp about 50 yds away and a few minutes latter he gobbled about 100 yds up the ridge. he gobbled many more times til fly down. the hen which turned in to 7 hens and 5 jakes flew down to the feild but the tom never did. he flew down on the ridge. he gobbled lustilly and the hens would yelp back to him. i slipped from the blind to the feild edge to await his arrival. he kept gobbling and finnally 2 hens broke and headed toward him. a few minutes latter he shut up.
after about 30 minutes he gobbled again. over the finger ridge in the feild but about 200 yds away. he kept gobbling about once a minute. so i drop into the drainage and slip down to the creek bottom. he gobbles but has already crossed a pond dam and is the next feild. so i get to the edge and see him. no hens just pecking around. it is about 8 am at this point. so i let out a few yelps. he gobbles and stretchs for a look. then turns his body and starts pecking going away. i yelp again. and he looks. blows up to half strut. then folds and looks again. then starts pecking again going away.
so i know i have to get in front of him. 200 yd trot to the left and i am out of sight then another 200 up the hill to the trees. i slip slowly alo until i can see him. about 250 yds out. i get in the woods and start to circle him and get in front of him. right as i got in front of him he gobbled. maybe 75yds. but i know he is not coming into the thick stuff whr i am so i slip down a bit to look. he is heading toward the corner of the feild. i back up and make a fast walk. get thr and start to slip towrd the field. he gobbles and is now not coming to the corner but rather heading out the finger ridge but still in the field. so again i am on the move. try to circle but it is to thick. so i back up and start a parallel sneak at about 30 yds from the edge. he gobbles and sounds to be about 150 yds out. i keep moving and he still sounds a good bit away. then he stops gobbling for a couple minutes. but i keep slipping along figuring he is moving away.
making very little noise. i am startled by a thunder gobble at about 40 yds. i drop making a slight rustle in the leaves and he double gobbles. it hits me. he is gobbling at the leaves. he keeps gobbling on his own and i close a couple yds and slip dwn next to a tiny oak. i scratch in the leaves and he hammers it. so i kept doing it and he is gobbling but wnt break and come the 20 yds i need to see him. yep caught in a very tight spot. only have one place i can shoot to the field at about 30 yds. about every 5 minutes i mix 2 or 3 super soft yelps with the scratching. he is gobbling the whole time even on his own but has not moved.
so i send out on last 2 note yelp and scratch the leaves and shut up. he stopped gobbling a fter a couple minutes. i waited. then a gobble at about 30 yds. i scratch the leaves very slightly. and wait. he gobbles 3 or 4 times then nothing for a minute. gobblllllleeeeee. he is only about 20 yds now but behind some limbs and tree top and i cant see him. stck snaps.. oh there he is. 20 yds but it is to thick to shoot. got to let him walk. he disapears. i am searching with my eyes. thoughts are racing. did he leave. did he sense something amiss. did he bust me through the thick stuff. i dont know. there are no sounds. i glance to the one lane(about 2 foot wide) to the field. holy smokes there he is. all i can see is his head( waddles up) at that instant he gobbles and without missing my cue i swing my gun. he has no idea. he was still gobbling so he didnt catch the movement. as soon as he stopped gobbling and craned his head for a look.
BOOOOOM. he is gone again. did i miss. no not at 35 yds. i was solid. but there is not any flopping. so i peel to the field and dont see him. a couple more steps. oh there he is laying in the 18 inch grass stone dead.
17lb 8oz
9 1/4 inch beard
7/8 inch spurs.
after all he had done and put me through. if i had not taken him. i would have swore he had 1.5 inch spurs. but nope just a crazy 2 yr old..lol.
