Runnin' and gunnin'

[derek]

Sometimes I am reminded why I prefer to "run n gun".  This morning was an interesting hunt, I slipped into a known roost area early.  After I get where I wanted to be, I looked around the tree tops and noticed a turkey shaped blob silhouetted against the sky.. about 10 yards in front of me.  I determined it was too small to be a gobbler and kept my eyes on her until light came.  The wind and heavy cloud cover had the birds silent.  I did hear a bird gobble a hundred yards away, but he gobbled 3 times from the limb and that was it.  As it started to get light, I catch movement on the ground.. a raccoon.. he's fumbling around and decides to hop up onto the deadfall I'm leaning against and come right at me.. thinking my face is about to be attacked, when he got about a foot away I shuffled my foot slightly.  He jumped and backed up a bit, just staring at me.  I move my foot slightly again and he moves away and starts climbing the tree the hen is roosted in still.  She doesn't like this and starts putting, I'm picturing her taking off across the marsh but after a while she pitches down right below the tree.  She had a thin ~7" beard on her and just mills around for a little bit and moves off.  Finally I try to call to the gobbler and no answer.  Waited it out for a bit but eventually gave up in search of a gobbling bird. 

I walked and walked and walked, glassed fields, never got a response or found a bird in a field.  Moved spots about 10am and went all the way to the back of the property without a peep.  Kinda working my way back to the truck when I thought I heard a hen yelp back to me.  She's way off on private, but its the best thing I've had all morning so I set up, check the clock its 11:00.  Some geese start honking and I hear a gobble in the same direction.  I cut and get a response and they gobble a few more times to other sounds but never gobbled to me again.  I move up 60 yards closer.  I know I have a property boundary in front of me so I couldn't go much father.  I yelp from the new location and nothing.  Give it a little bit and yelp again and they hammer back 60 yards out.  It's thick where they are and I have a small tree in front of me I need to figure out which side they're going to be on when they show up.  I yelp one more time and they gobble closer. They're moving to the left so as I'm about to move my gun I see them, two longbeards and coming in.. fast!  Luckily they took a turn and started working back to the right coming right to my gun barrel.  19 yards through a little brush and down he goes!  Bout took his beak off!  Time of death 11:09!  That was quick!

19lbs 12oz
10 1/4" beard
7/8" spurs

[weave]

Awesome, congrats!

[DMP]

Atta boy...   Knew it wouldn't take long for you to get rolling....

[whitelightning]

Hmm that spot looks awful familiar...looks a lot like another god of thunder's secret spot...lol

[derek]

Hmm that spot looks awful familiar...looks a lot like another god of thunder's secret spot...lol

Shhh, don't tell him. 

Hey, where's the pics/stories from your last two days?!?!

[BowBendr]

Heck yeah, you on it now.........

[land cruiser]

Great story and very nice bird!  Thanks for sharing!

[Fullfan]

Get em Son... Way to go boy... Would love to follow you around in the woods.....

[ShotGunSniper]

Congrats!! That's almost how mine went but I could not get none to make a sound. They all stayed silent but I set and watched them about 100 yds out in a field. I ended up shootin my Tom in some tight brush up behind me at 10 yards, after they all got spooked back into the woods near where I had stopped. I was probley there for about 30 minutes before I shot mine. Good lookin bird.