A long day

[Kygobblergetter]

Got it done on the home opener today in Kentucky. I was planning to hunt with my dad this morning but the guy my brother normally hunts with cancelled on him and he only has this weekend to hunt before heading back to North Carolina. I had scouted a couple birds so him and dad went and were able to kill them. I decided to take one of my buddies who has land but isn't really a turkey hunter. We started off set up on a bird off the roost and hearing another group of birds about 450 yards to our west. The bird we were set up on was gobbling like crazy but when he hit the ground he headed straight towards that other group of birds and would gobble at every call I made but didn't care about it at all. He went over to the group of birds and they instantly shut up while he kept gobbling. We dropped back and made a big loop around to where he was and the same thing. He would gobble at every call but wouldn't budge. After a while of this game that group of birds finally fired up about 300 yards away. I figured with multiple birds gobbling I could get them competing for this hen and I really poured it on them. Cutting and yelping like crazy and all birds involved were eating it up. Before too long I could tell the group was heading our way so we got sat down. The group of birds worked back towards the first bird that had run them off  and finally two broke away and gobbled just out of sight. I told my buddy to get ready and in no time I could see them coming over the hill. Instead of coming straight in they started drifting hard to our right and eventually ended up strutting at 25 yards straight to our right. After a few minutes of intense spitting and drumming during our stare off they finally got nervous and I told my buddy we needed to swing and shoot. We swung and the bird on my side immediately took flight. The other bird stuck his head up confused and I told Noah to shoot. He Shoots and the bird takes off unharmed. Crap. Oh well it was a fun hunt and stuff happens. We spent the next several hours trying to locate more birds before finally finding one strutting in a field with two hens. Just as we were starting to make a move on him the farmer drove a ranger through the field and the game was over. At this point we decided to grab lunch and my buddy said he was going to take a nap. I headed over to my parents house to see my dad and brothers birds and make a quick run behind the house on my grandparent's 60 acres. We got back there and I yelped a few times on my wing bone and a bird hammered on the opposite ridge and just across on the neighbors. We looped around and get in the pasture on the ridge he's on and I hit the wing bone and he hammers again about 125 yards away. We mess with him for a little while and he answers pretty much every call but hasn't budged. At this point I tell my brother that I'm gonna move up about 50 yards and for him to stay there and use his slate to try and bring the bird past me. As soon as I get to where I want to be the bird gobbles and he's only about 65-75 yards away. I get set up and the next time my brother calls he's still in the same spot. At this point he gets on him pretty hard and then shuts up. After about 2 minutes I hear walking just over the hill from me and motion for Trevor to call so I can keep track of the bird. Sure enough he gobbles at about 40 yards but just over the lip of the hill where I can see him. Over the next 10 minutes he struts and gobbles just over the hill without me ever catching a glimpse of him. Finally he gets so far to my right that I have to put the gun in my left hand to be able to shoot where he's at. A few more minutes and he's moving back left and now straight in front of me. After what feels like an eternity I can finally see the tip of his fan over the hill. Every time he struts I can see the top of his fan but when he comes out of strut I can't see anything. Finally I decide that the next time he goes in to strut I'm going to sit up in hopes of being able to see his head when he comes out of strut. Sure enough I see that fan go up and I sit up as high as I can. When he folds out of strut I am able to see the top 3-4 inches of his head and I let him have it at 25 yards. An awesome end to an awesomely maddening day of hunting


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[RLAG]

One heck of a day, congrats Brent!

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[Kygobblergetter]

Thanks man! A good day for sure


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[3seasons]

Awesome hunt.  Congratulations. Had to be nerve racking having him that close but under the hill. Good stuff.


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[zelmo1]

Looks like you all got it done bro, congrats

[FullChoke]

Man that was a beautiful story of perseverance and tactical prowess that ended with a good bird. The idea of rising up when you could just see his fan tips knowing that his head would be tucked down was a great move.

Cheers 

FC