Great morning and success

[harleytom]

Did some scouting on one of my uncle's properties yesterday afternoon and found some sign on a hill dissected by a narrow power line overlooking a swampy creek bottom. I found a tree I liked and decided I would take my chances there this morning. Around 6:30 I heard the first gobble on a parallel ridge running into the bottom. With the woods being as open as they still are, I decided to take my chances where I was rather than moving and maybe busting the bird. He gobbler sparingly after fly down, every 15-20 minutes or so, just enough for me to know he was still there and to track his progress into the bottom and eventually below my hill. He didn't answer any of my calls (and I threw everything I had at him) until around 8:30 when he answered my cut/yelp sequence. We went back and forth over the next 30 minutes with him getting no closer until I finally decided to shut it off around 9. Around 9:30 the first hen popped up on the hill and 3 more came behind her until the old boy came strutting up behind them. I had ranged the area they came up in and it was 40-50 yards, so I sat impatiently waiting them to move up the hill where I could get a closer shot. Over the next 30 minutes, as his hens fed, this gobbler put on a show never breaking strut and gobbling every 3-4 minutes. Then to my dismay the hens began working over the hill and appeared to be headed down a deep draw to my immediate left. Fearing they would quickly get out of sight I made a decision to take the next clear shot I could get. He stepped between 2 trees that had often blocked my view of him and when he went to 1/2 strut and raised his head I pulled the trigger. He fell like a sack of potatoes in his tracks at a distance later ranged at 44 yards and his hens milled around for another 10-15 minutes before continuing down the draw that they were headed toward. He's not an upgrade but I'll never forget the show he put on for me and how scouting once again gave me a chance at taking another gobbler.


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[FullChoke]

  YEEHAW, DUDE! Congratulations.

Cheers 

FC

[BBR12]

Congratulations. It was gonna be a slow day at work so I squeezed in a quick hunt this morning and showed up late. I didn't hear anything but did see one crossing the road with two hens when I left so hopefully they will gobble tomorrow on my day off.

[3bailey3]

congrats you are on fire, nice bird!

[paintbrush]

Nice! You southern boys are making me antzy to get out after them, but I have a very long month to go, that is if this darn coronavirus stuff doesn't screw everything up by the time I get to go.

[3seasons]

Nice. Congrats

They are lockjawed where I'm hunting. I do believe the other 8 trucks on the 1 mile rd I'm hunting prob don't help things much.  It's a mad house down here

I have seen my ghost bird so I'll spend a little time trying to run into him.

[FullChoke]

I have heard no gobblers and 1 hen so far. Some years they are screaming by now, other years they act like they owe me money.

Still love this sport.

FC

[harleytom]

This one gobbler about 40 times between fly down and bang/flop. He's pretty much the only one I've heard this year though it's been cloudy/raining  and muggy most mornings so far.


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[zelmo1]

Congrats again bro. I am wearing a groove in my basement pacing back and forth waiting for my opener, lol.

[Missed mallards]

Awesome!

I've yet to hear one gobble and as soon as I try to call the hens go off sprinting the other direction with the ole boy in tow. Sign everywhere and I've had my share of encounters just no dice. Hopefully tomorrow morning they'll do write. Who knows.


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[cramerhunts]

Right on, congratulations!

[yelpaholic]

Congrats man . Nothing like it