The whip poor will bird

[chadly]

Finally in the woods to hunt with no kids.  My first outing and I was excited.  If I'm lucky once a season I may run into a whip-poorwill bird.  I've attached a 46 second clip of what they sound like.  Because of the rare occasion that I hear one I cherish the moment.  Most years I do not hear one.  I got up extra early getting to my spot well over an hour before sunrise.  I opened the door of the truck to hear the whip-poorwill song.  It was very dark and its song was loud.  It never stopped to take breath but just kept on singing.  I looked up the sky to see a sliver of a moon just a few stars in sky and I thanked the Lord for that bird and the song it sang.  I walked to the spot I would listen and figured that every turkey in area would be up early with all the noise.  But they were rather quiet.  Only hearing a few birds and none of them on the state land I could hunt.  I wanted to be disappointed as I drove over an hour to this spot and knew it was going to be long day at work.  But I remember the whip-poorwill bird that was just singing minutes ago and put smile on my face and set out find a spot to sit and call.  On my walk a bird gobbled not too far from me.  I moved about 100 yards and it gobble more and he was closer than I had realized and moving towards me.  I had not called a single time.  I kicked the leaves with my foot to sound like a turkey scratching as I cleared a spot to sit.  He heard it and gobbled more.  It's that feeling when you know this going to happen.  Stay calm relax.  Was not but a minute or two and he is in sight.  Fanned out and alone.  It amazes me how they can hear a sound and go right to it.  At 50 yards I can hear him drumming and my heart is pounding even more.  He walks another 20 yards right towards me.  Im pretty sure he could hear me drumming or heart pounding as put his head up to get a better listen.  It was a long day at work but a grin on my chin I had all day as could hear the whip-poorwill in the back on my mind. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIxfVSS_65o

[ferocious calls]

Love those unexpected pleasantries that serve to heighten our energy and peace. I also find the whippor close to heart and used to listen with my father 50 yrs ago. It's a rare occasion to hear one now. Congrats on your sweet success.

[Mountainburd]

Great story and congrats on the bird. I too agree there is nothing like the song of a whiporwil. I haven't heard one for about 4-5 years in my home turkeys woods. Still hear them in other spots.

[Marc]

Great write-up, and very complimentary picture of that bird!

Nice job, and your post put a smile on my face.

[MISSISSIPPI Double beard]

One place I hunt is absolutely covered up with whippoorill's. They are quite loud when they are close.

[blake_08]

Where I live and hunt, we don't have Whippoorwills but we have chuck-will's-widow, another nightjar that's kin to the whippoorwill. Their song is a little slower, but like you, i love to hear it. They stir all kinds of memories for me and it's always great to hear them because it signifies mild weather and turkey season for me. Thanks for sharing and if you've never heard a chuck-wills-widow, look them up on YouTube.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[WV Ridge Reaper]

It's what makes spring well spring!! Along with the smell,and the spring peepers...I found a dead whippoorwill about two years ago..Got really cold the night before but I found it laying in a gravel road.

Wish I could find someone to mount it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[turkey_slayer]

I hunt a spot a few counties down from where I live and it's full of them. It also has red shouldered hawks. Love listening to both of them.  Only place I've seen either.  I've got a pic of a whipperwill sitting on a nest somewhere ill post if I can dig it up.  Had 2 little eggs

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

[grayfox]

Congrats on the gobbler & a good story to go with it. I hear them every spring where I hunt.

[Sixes]

Love to hear them and the chuck will widows.

I hear more chuck wills on one property and more whipporwills on another

[bigriverbum]

congrats! great story

whippoorwill calls might be my favorite bird call, after a gobble of course. hear them like crazy around here. don't know if i've ever seen one lol

[Gooserbat]

Sometimes it just happens

Congrats

[mountainhunter1]

Great hunting story and congrats on the bird. Where we live, we are covered up with whippoorwills.  Would not know how to act if they did not light the woods up pretty much every morning before sunrise. One of my buddies seems to enjoy hearing them more than the turkeys gobbling. I cannot say that, but I do really enjoy hearing them.

[Turkeybutt]

Great story and a good bird to go with it.
Sometimes it is just meant to happen.
Congrats!

[GobbleNut]

Great story...Great prose...great picture...great attitude...great respect shown for the bird and our sport!   What else needs to be said?...