Locked in Mortal Combat

[harleytom]

It has been a slow and quiet season for me here in Alabama, slowest in about 5 years. Last Tuesday I went to one of my favorite spots where I managed to take a couple of birds last season. Right about daylight one started gobbling several hundred yards away. I waited till I thought it sounded like he was one the ground and started working him. He came up the bottom on the hill I was sitting on but when he got within 150 yards or so I saw a movement to my right, a hen, and of course she headed right for him and that was the end of that. I couldn't hunt again till this morning so I wasn't sure if he was still around or even alive, but decided to give it a try there again. Sure enough, well after first light he gobbled once way down the bottom. He came up the bottom toward me but stayed on the hill on the other side, out of sight, and worked his way from my far left to my far right, gobbling every 2-3 minutes or so. I tried soft calling and light yelping but I can't honestly say he seemed interested in anything I was doing. After about an hour of this he worked back down the bottom and quit gobbling. I guess he has me hooked now and I will probably try to stay on this bird until I get him or I run out of season here in Alabama as he is the most vocal one I've heard all season. Got a couple more days this week to play with him, just hoping to catch him on a day when he's really lonesome. Stay tuned.

[FullChoke]

It sounds like he is starting to show you a pattern that he seems to prefer, roosting in the bottom and move up towards the hill. I have chased individual birds for an entire season and never laid eyes on them, but I knew his habits rather intimately. Just couldn't close the deal.

Let every trip reveal more information about how he likes to spend his day. Good luck.

FC

[cramerhunts]

Sounds like each encounter is giving you a little more knowledge about his movements and patterns. Good luck! Looking forward to following along how this one progresses.

[harleytom]

Well, saw him today for first time. Gobbled about 3 times on roost (same spot as he always is in) right at daylight, nothing when he hit the ground. I ran a few call sequences with no reply and thought the old boy must have some friends with him today. About an hour later I heard a gobble, close. I started looking to my left and saw him walk into the back end of a field about 120 yards away. I called lightly a few times and he stopped and looked my way, then he slowly walked across field and into the bottom behind me. I heard him gobbled 4 or 5 more times in the bottom but he never came any closer. Thinking back where he came today was the same place the hen that messed me up originally came across in the opposite direction. As I had to be at work this afternoon, I decided that I would try to cut him off the next time he used that end of the field and put a blind up about 50  yards from where I first saw him come in the field. God Lord willing, I'll be there in the morning to wait him out as I'm off tomorrow. We'll see if my hypothesis is correct. Stay tuned.

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[xarcher]

 GO. GET. HIM.

[cramerhunts]

You got this! Good luck.

[FullChoke]

Pulling the trigger on this sapsucker will be so sweet for you. Can't wait to see him with the yellow shell.

FC

[harleytom]

Still after him!

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[harleytom]

Where is his dad?

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[xarcher]

Looks more like a her instead of a him???

[harleytom]

Lol! Well, we do have several bearded hens in this area, but this one was a jake. His head was red when he first came out and when he passed me at about 7 yards on the field road, I got a good look at his legs, nubbin spurs were there.

[harleytom]

Well, fellas, looks like the bird won (again) this year. Tried him for 4 or 5 days over last 2 weeks but most of our gobbling in my part of Alabama stopped around the 15th this year and I never heard or saw this bird again. Hopefully he will still be there next season, as I'm through hunting till my trip to Nebraska with the grandson in mid-May. Keep after them, we just need a couple more birds to guarantee a great final position this year. Good luck to all who are still hunting, I'll give a report from my NE trip when I return.

[xarcher]

Good luck in Nebraska.  It's not over yet.