I always take off work the first week of turkey season, and man did it turn out to be a good one this year. My daughter scored on youth weekend, and wanted to get back out there, so I took her on opening day this past Saturday. Looong day of zero gobbles, and saw one hen. I took her back out with me Sunday, this time with me on the gun and her watching. We had to leave at 9am to get home and get to my family's Easter lunch, and as luck would have it, we end up with a bird hammering behind us at about 8:45. He is just down a hill behind us, but had to be inside 60 yards and just continues to hammer away every time I call. After about 20 minutes of this, I tell my daughter sorry, but we have to go. As we sit up to pack up, I hear the dreaded putts right behind us. I'm guess he had finally decided to come and we just didn't know it since he was behind us.
Monday's story was posted - shot a great bird that hammered on the roost all the way to the gun.
A_Jabbo came into town, and his stories are posted. Scored Tuesday morning, struggled Wednesday, and scored again Thursday. Great 3 days hunting together and some awesome memories.
Friday I went with another buddy to his lease and it was rough. We heard 2 distant gobbles on the roost, but that was it. Went for a walk to try to strike a bird, and got one fired up around 10, but he would not budge. We tried and tried, and made a move to get around him, and he just wouldn't move.
Saturday I took my daughter back out again with me to a place where A_Jabbo and I had heard a bird actually gobble while we were taking his picture with his bird he shot Thursday. I figured I knew where that bird was, and came in from the opposite direction thinking surely we'd be in the game. We heard absolutely nothing all morning.
Today, my 9th and final day of vacation, I went back again into the same area A_Jabbo shot his bird, and immediately heard gobbling WAAAY down the end of a powerline I knew very well. I started making my way down this powerline and this bird is just going nuts gobbling, but I can tell he's going to be in a tricky area. I have to get across a creek and up a steep hill before the powerline flattens out, and as I get up the hill, about 6 deer are standing there looking at me, and all take off blowing. In addition to that, now I feel like I've gotten too close to this bird, but I set up anyway, and he continues to gobble, and I see him eventually fly down, and head the opposite direction in a hurry.
I make my way back down the powerline and stop at the end back towards my truck, deciding I'm just going to quit for the day since my daughter has a soccer game this afternoon and I'm drenched in sweat. I take a little break, and then decide to walk back over about 100 yards to the little food plot where A_Jabbo shot his bird, and am just clucking on my box call. I get to the plot, and a bird gobbles way in the distance. YES!. I scramble and get set up, and nothing. He doesn't gobble again. After about an hour, I decide ok NOW I'm going home, but before I leave I start making some serious fighting purrs, smacking a tree with a wing I keep with me, and trying to mimic a fight. Much to my surprise, a bird gobbles. It sounds like he's a LOONG ways away, but after that first gobble, he keeps gobbling and gobbling and gobbling. Man, he sounds pretty darn fired up, and I answer him excitedly every time he gobbles. I can finally tell he's starting to get closer, and had to really go up through the woods, parallel the highway, and then come back down towards me to get around this huge draw in front of me. I am shocked he actually came as far as he did, and the way he did. Slowly but surely he's getting closer, and then silence. 5 or so minutes go by and I lightly call, and he hammers and now he's probably 100 yards right in front of me. Oh boy! I get ready and here he comes, I can see him now and he's in the wide open oaks but comes in parallel to the plot like he never sees the decoys. My decoys are at my 11 o'clock and he eventually comes down and steps into the plot at about 25 yards to my 2 o'clock and starts going in and out of strut, spitting, and eventually walking out into the middle of the plot. Now he's probably 15 steps from me to my 1 o'clock and just stands there, staring at the decoys then staring in my direction. This goes on forever and I feel like he's staring into my soul. He's so close I'm worried he can hear my heartbeat. He's gobbling the whole time, and my nerves are shot. I'm aimed at the decoys and he's literally about 12 yards off the end of my feet and gobbling. FINALLY he starts to march towards the decoys and as he gets to the jake, he goes into full strut with his back to me. Eventually he turns and gives me a perfect 18 yard shot. I've had some phenomenal hunts, but him gobbling at 12 yards and staring into my soul was intense.
Anyways, I'm exhausted but could not have asked for a better season so far. I said before the season that all I cared about this season was getting my daughter a bird, but truthfully getting A_Jabbo on some good hunts meant a lot as well. Me getting 2 this week was unexpected icing on the cake.
Today's bird
fists smileys
