Don't need to end in a kill.
Due to work and trapping nuisance beavers for people I've only been 4-5 times since the season opened. We happened to have a 4 day weekend for Easter but it rained non stop Friday and Saturday. Sunday we had church and a family get together but this morning I was free so I hit the woods. I went to a spot I haven't been in since I shot my only bird on opening day three weeks ago. I wasn't there 5 minutes when a bird gobbled on the edge of the creek next to a logging loading deck about 100 yards away. I thought about getting a little closer but I didn't want to bump him so I set up where I could get a clear view of the deck. I let out a couple soft yelps to let him know I was there. He immediately gobbled so I shut up and waited.
Around 6:20 he pitched down in the opening and immediately went into full strut. At the moment I thought I was in the money as it seemed he was by himself. No sooner than I thought that 3 hens flew down and joined him on the ground. The hens picked at the ground for a bit and began to head east away from me. I called a bit aggressively hoping to get one of the hens to head my way but they had other plans and disappeared into the tree line. The gobbler stayed where he was and proceeded to strut and gobble in a 20 yard radius for the next 2 1/2 hours!
This guy gobbled at everything...crows, geese, cars going by on the nearby highway, and at me EVERY TIME I yelped to him. But he would not come any closer. Finally at about 8:45 he headed north through the thinned timber and that's when I decided to call it a day. I could've tried to get in front of him but I didn't need to. I assumed he knew where his Jennys were headed so I let him be.
He put on a show for me this morning. The bird was in a half strut/full strut the entire time and gobbled well over 200 times. As the sun came up behind him during his performance every color in his feathers popped as if 'ol Bob Ross had painted it himself. It was the most enjoyable morning I've had in a while and I didn't pull the trigger. And the best part is...I get to do it again.
Hope y'all enjoyed the long read and got some of you fired up for your openers!
