Delaware 4/23/2022-4/27/2022
Was excited when I got a text from Reid that he had gotten drawn for a public land Delaware hunt for the week of 4\23, 25-29\2022. When I got home I ran in and saw an envelope on the table with my name on it and a Delaware letter head. Then to see it was for the same WMA and time frame, I was real happy.
After a grueling week in NC of never even hearing a bird gobble we were ready to make a move and see some different ground and had high hopes that the birds would be acting right.
We got to our WMA Friday afternoon in time to drive around the place and get a feel for what we would be hunting for the next week. Thick isn't the word for the woods on this place. I know I said that the Louisiana woods were thick but they were nothing compared to this place and instead of sage grass or little trash trees all that was replaced by saw briars, it was unreal. But that's what we are dealing with so we have to figure it out. Ended up driving around checking out the fields on the wma and found a few different birds on some of the public and a few private fields close to the wma so we decided which birds to target first for the first morning of our hunt.
We get set up early the next morning and had a fox bark at us, turkey gobbles on the wood line close to where we hoped he would be. He gets cranked up and we make a move to get closer. Now we're about 60yds from the corner of the field and he is down the field about 80yds. Then we hear the second bird gobble and he's right on the corner. Our hopes was that they would hit the field meet up and then march to the private field right behind us. Well that all almost happened except the bird to the left comes out gobbling every other breath and the bird in the corner drops to the ground and starts following a hen through the woods off to our right. They pretty much flank us just out of range and ease out to the private field. Couldn't believe they didn't walk the field edge to get to the other field but I was just glad to hear and see some birds. We tried to lure them back into the public with us for a while with no luck so we struck out in different directions looking for another willing bird, with no luck. We did find some birds to hunt on Monday.
The bird I decided to chase was in the middle of the public in a field and Reid found a bird that was in a private field kinda tucked away and would roost on the public. Monday morning rolls around and I'm sitting close to where I thought the birds went to roost. The woods were so thick I had to sit on a tree right on the edge of the field as day broke a bird starts gobbling 80yds down the field edge and 60 or so yards in the woods. I thought to myself I need to crawl farther down the field, but I sat still because a hen started yelping right by me. I catch two birds flying down just off my shoulder that's facing the woods. Then I see a hen coming right at me. She walks by at 3yds and goes on out in the field then I catch a red and white head walking straight at me, my heard skips a few beats then I realize it's a jake and he walks by at 5yds then cuts up the field and comes out around 15yds. Then 4 hens walk out down the field at about 60yds and then there he is the old longbeard strutting behind the 4 hens at 68yds. The jake stares at them and they turn the other way, I was so close. They get off in the edge of the field and I make a move to get a better position on the way they are now moving when I start hearing a crow call I look back up the field and a guy has pulled just past my truck and started crowing and calling like crazy. All the birds in the field tucked their wings and sprinted out of the field. I just leaned my head back against the tree in total disbelief.
I met up with Reid around 1:30 and tell him about my morning and then proceeds to tell me about his. He was close to his bird on the roost and some guy with a crow call closes in and keeps calling as the bird is gobbling and walks right under him and keeps on walking crowing. Crazy stuff He had 2 people come in on him and I had the one guy and another truck stop by my truck and mess my morning up. I realize its public and everything I get it but a total of 13 people are drawn for this wma and its pretty large and you shouldn't be dealing with people parking and coming in on you.
Tuesday morning I'm sitting 80yds from his roost tree way before daylight. I get a text just after daybreak and it's a pic of a monster bird over Reid's shoulder. He got him as another crow caller was closing the distance on him. He'll have a good story to post. So my bird hits the ground and all I'm doing is scratching the leaves after making a soft soft tree call which he cut me off on. He's closed the distance to 60yds but it's to thick to see him but he is gobbling good at every scratch I make. Then I catch movement to my right and it's a hen, she comes up to about 25yds and stops a looks around for the scratching. Then she ever so lightly gives out a little cluck and half yelp as to ask, where are you? The next time the bird gobbles he's 150yds going the other way. All 4 of his hens come by me but he's gone and I couldn't believe it. But wait it gets better. I hear the unmistakable sound of that crow call closing in on me. I ease out to the edge of the field to check and he has now come in to about 100yds from me and set up a blind a few decoys. I eased deeper in the woods and went to the last place I herd the gobbler. I sat down and started scratching and after about an hour he gobbles at maybe 70yds then 50yds then caw caw caw caw, yelp yelp yelp yelp caw caw caw from the blind that is about 300yds off now. I ease up trying to get to where he was in the thicket on the first gobble figuring he was on his way back now when I see him and a jake high tailing it through the woods going away from the calling. GAME OVER!!! I walked a few miles looking around but never found anything after that.
A bad storm rolled in that afternoon and I was able to catch them in the field just before roost time and I knew where they should be the next morning. I talk my plans over with Reid and he gave me the extra push and confidence to get in tight, really tight. I get to my spot at 3:50 and I'm sitting at my tree I had picked out that was 28yds from the roost tree the prior morning at 4:40am. It was windy but nice that morning. As it starts to lighten up and the woods start to come alive I hear a bird gobble about 150yds away and I know I've got to move and move quick. I used the wind to cover my movement with the ever so lighting of the woods. I close the distance to 50yds and I wanted to get one more tree closer but the spot I was in was a small bowl and the wind wouldn't move the trees there. I was sitting on my feet waiting for the wind to help me out when a bird gobbles on the tree I'm leaning against. So I just calmly sink down and set up. Then I start hearing hens around me. I see the gobbler pitch out that was in front of me and he hits the ground and gobbles and he's about 80yds away. Then 4 hens pitch out and land 20-30yds from me all to my left and they just start scratching. The jake that was above me pitches out just behind me. As the hens start to feed to my left I catch movement and this big beautiful bird comes strutting into my eyesight at 27yds. I settled my red dot and don't even remember pulling the trigger but my Delaware bird was laying motionless in the hardwoods.
There was A-LOT of prayers answered on that hunt. It had been a pretty rough go up until then.
I'm not superstitious because I think its bad luck but I did change out of a new shirt back to one of my regular shirts and I shaved.
Celebratory meal was crab balls, crab dip over fries and crab cake with bacon and cheese at a local restaurant. Mighty fine.
