Back to back in NY

[toneloc]

Day 1 - May 1st - Opener

Started out on a piece of state land that I killed a bird last year.  During scouting a few weeks ago, birds were pretty close to the truck, so I started half way up the hill for waiting for first gobbles.  Heard a bird sounding off 0.7 miles as the crow flies and I was not hearing any other birds closer.....so decided to make a move.  Went as hard I could toward him being spurred on by constant gobbling.  Made it over the top of the hill, then circled below and around him getting within 200 yds just before fly down.  Let out a little tree yelp and got an instant response.  Let him gobble a couple times and then did some clucks with a little louder yelp.  He responded again so I kept quiet.  Was feeling confident he was lonely with all that gobbling.  This turf is a select cut piece from 2-3 years ago with lots of mature trees left and thick understory.  My only setup was a small log road.  If he came down it, I wouldn't see him till he was 25 yards.   About 5 minutes after my last call I saw him pitch down in my general direction, but could not see him once he landed due to the topography and thick.  He never gobbled once he hit the ground.  What seemed like an eternity, but was probably only 5 minutes and he crested the top of the log road.  I clucked and he picked his up and shot him before he got any closer.  A 2 year old with a thin beard and 3/4" spurs, but really cool white on his wings.  Too bad it was so wet, not great pictures. Never saw one like that before, any info on that coloration?  Was wondering if it could be some domestic turkey blood....

Day 2 - May 2nd

On my way home yesterday I stopped and called a few places and located another bird for this morning.  Got there plenty early this morning.  First bird to sound off was a cock pheasant, no wild pheasants in our neck of the woods, so not something I get to heard often....pretty cool.  Once again nothing gobbling close.  I could hear a bird way up and over the top....once again found myself hustling it up over and sucking wind going up another ~600' in elevation.  As I closed within 200 yds I put 2 hens off the roost.  I closed another 25 yards to get a better vantage and setup.  Bird did not respond to my tree yelp or next series of clucks and yelp, but did gobble once more before flying down.  Heard him heading the opposite direction with one courtesy gobble as he left.  I waited about 20 minutes before I picked up pursuit.  I went his way about 200 yards and did some calling.  Nothing doing so I went another 100 yards or so and got a little more aggressive.  Got a response from him, which set off another bird 180 degrees behind me.  That bird started getting hot so I turned back and went in his direction and setup.  He got really hot, which in turn got the original bird going pretty good as well.  Seemed like it should be the perfect setup right in between the both of them.  Neither one got closer than about 100-150, just out of sight and both simultaneously shut-up.  I waited a good 20 minutes before I decided to head the direction of the 2nd bird.  I periodically called and finally got him to answer again twice after getting aggressive, he was not very far so decided to setup again.  Just then 2 bucks headed up to me within 40 yards.  They fed and eventually caught my scent and nervously trotted off.  I honestly got distracted by them a bit and was thinking maybe that 2 gobbles were just the courtesy treatment again.  It was about time to head to work, and I decided to call one more time aggressive before getting up.   Just got my yelp out and bird hammered at 50 yards just behind some thick brush 90 degrees to my left.  I turned my head, didn't see him so I swung left.  I was waiting and waiting for him to show through the thick, when I got movement of a white head coming out at 35-40 yds in front.  He went behind a tree and could see a 2nd white head behind him.  I swung back that direction trying to spot a long beard.  Finally saw his beard swinging and pulled the trigger.  Honestly not sure if it was the original bird that came in behind me, or the 2nd bird coming back, leaning towards the original bird, but either way, very blessed to have 2 opportunities like that in 2 days on public land in NY....not great pictures again with the wet conditions.

Little breast sponge on either one if you are a believer in that as means for judging how far along season is.

[Sir-diealot]

Congratulations 

[OJR]

Awesome!!! Congratulations!

I'll be in central NY tomorrow!

[Turkeybutt]

Great photos! Thanks for sharing. Good looking bird, congratulations!

[Tom007]

Way to go, congrats!

[JeffC]

Congrats on 2 fine Toms! Just watch getting that Express wet, deer hunting 1 year, got caught in a downpour, forearm swelled up, wouldn't rack a shell.

[Greg Massey]

Congratulations on 2 nice gobblers ...

[squidd]

Nicely done and good write-up!

[boomer]

Congrats!!

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

[3bailey3]

Awesome, Congrats..

[tlewis81]

breast sponge? elaborate please?

[tlewis81]

tone loc where u at in ny im in johnstown

[DROCK]

Congrats

[toneloc]

Thanks guys!  Hoping to get the boy on a bird this weekend.

Jeff C - Good call on the 870 getting wet ...  I had a similar event on a goose hunt last fall.  It locked up solid on me as well. 

Tlewis - On the breast sponge, that's what I always heard the fat called on the bottom of the breast meat.  My Turkey hunting mentor always used that to judge how far along the season was.  Less sponge meant the season was further along, probably some different factors there depending on how a bird came out of winter.   Idea is though that strutting birds don't eat much and start using up their fat reserves -- I'm a PA resident, live just over the line and hunt both states.  I'm over in the southern tier towards Jamestown....Good luck to you.

[Gooserbat]

Nice birds