Started slow, but ending fast in Bama

[Beretta686]

I killed the first turkey of the Alabama season on opening day and then looking at my journal it took 23 more days of hunting before I killed number 2 on April 11.

I must say I have been blessed with an understanding wife and a job where I can hunt most mornings. This year was weird. The could have, should have, would have gremlins have been all over me. In those 23 days I had gobbler from 10 yards to 30 yards and just could not close the deal. I had poachers shoot one in front of me and how they didn't shoot me I don't know.  I hunted in all types of weather including rain and thunder storms, thank goodness for double bull blinds (the original).



Jakes in the rain

It was all I could do to get up that morning, but I was waking up before the alarm each day. I had made the decision to go to the clear cut and walk to the corner where I should have shot one the third day of the season. I was pot committed to that area no matter what else I heard. So I thought. I was standing there waiting on the woods to wake up when one gobbled just where I had walked. It was 400 yards back up the edge of the clear cut and getting light so I said I would wait for something in the corner to gobble. After he gobbled a few more times I figured okay that's the one that wants to play so I started walking back up the edge of the clear cut. When I got about 80 yards from the wood line a turkey flew out of a pine back into the woods. I told myself that was not the bird gobbling; he was deeper in the woods. I walked back down the road where it made a dog leg and I could see the edge of the clear cut and sat next to a tree. I gave him a few minutes and did a soft tree yelp that was answered by a gobble. I was still in business. I could hear table top gobbling(another named gobbler I had at 10 yards and he still got away) and the runner gobbling (he hits the ground and runs slap through the clear cut to his strut zone) I waited a few minutes and  did a soft purr and cluck, nothing. I just sat there and gave him the silent treatment. A few minutes later I saw and heard him hit the ground 30 yards to my 2oclock across the road. I shifted with the gun up and began to search to the right and left of the clump of trees he landed behind. I saw nothing for 30 seconds and it felt like an hour. Suddenly I could hear him drumming and cut my eyes down the road to my 5 o'clock and there he was strutting and walking, strutting and walking. Not good, I look at my scope and look back at the gobbler and I think man just the way this season has been. Got to love a ghillie suit because he just kept coming, strutting and walking and never noticed me. I thought, okay, this my work. I will hold the gun steady and let him walk in front of the gun. My head was on the gun and I kept following him with my eyes right into the scope. All I could see was feathers in the scope when I pulled the trigger. He was 3 steps away. I hit him at the base of the neck and needless to say he did not even twitch.  He was only 15# 5oz




April 13 found my friend and I back down there, we split up him on one side of the clear cut and me on the other. I had jakes all around me, but no gobblers. Finally Hill Top and The Runner sounded off further back. (I thought I was on them at daylight). I couldn't get the road fast enough and the runner shut up as he went across the clear cut. I should have followed but my friend was on that side of the clear cut. I sent him a text and he had not heard anything yet so I told him that he was back in his strut zone. A little sneaking and a few soft purrs and my friend killed the runner. I would yelp at him across the clear cut to keep him gobbling so  my friend could keep tabs on him as he was crawling. Kind of cool hunt.

The next two days I hunted I had 5 jakes run a gobbler out of a field and then called 3 gobbler 800 yards across a pasture, but they would not come 10 more yards to cross the fence. A lot of folks would have shot and jumped the fence, not me. I should have had some decoys out, but I hate the dang things.

Monday the 16th found me back at the clear cut standing at poacher's corner (the name we gave the spot where the poachers killed the gobbler) If my friend had not killed the runner, his SOP was to run this road and I was here to meet him. Here again I sat there waiting for something to gobble on my side and nothing but silence. There were 2 gobbling across the clear cut at crows. Well it doesn't take long and off across the road to the other side I went. I slipped down the edge and set up. A few calls and he was on the ground. I thought he would come in down the SMZ but he didn't. I couldn't take the silence so I purred. He gobbled to my left almost in the clear cut. I made the shift and waited, nothing. Another purr and he gobbled in the clear cut. All I saw was the white head walking down the edge. When he came out from behind the tree I pulled the trigger and he went down hard.



I received a call Thursday that a friend of mine had passed away while turkey hunting Wednesday evening and they found him Thursday morning. He was a call maker and made some sweet calls. His pot call was my go to call for the past 5 years. I told my friend this was going to be this calls last hunt because I didn't want to lose it or break it.


Saturday morning found my friend and I standing at poachers corner again waiting for the woods to wake up. We heard one across the clear cut gobble and were thinking about going after him when one hammered less than 100 yards from us. I moved to where I could cover the edge of the clear cut and he stayed to cover the road. A soft yelp and he gobbled again. We were danger close. He must have just popped out of the tree because the next time he gobbled he sounded like he was on the road. It was too quiet for too long so I just had to cluck one time. As I was slowly setting the call down, I look up and there he is standing there in front of me. Like a ghost he just appeared. I eased the gun up and let Ms. Wicked speak. Another light bird at 16# 7oz, but had nice beard and spurs.



I went to Church on Sunday and planned to pattern a few shotguns, test some loads, and just spend some time at the trap club. Well I'm not a fan of shooting trap in 30mph winds so I stayed home and started cleaning the garage.
Hopefully I can tag out in Bama this week and then head to GA for the weekend and South Dakota next week.  I have until the 15th in GA.

[bird]

 

[Hognutz]

Nice.. I love happy endings..Congrats!!

[renegade19]

 

[RagingRoyal]

Sounds like you've had an eventful season.  Congrats on the birds.

[M,Yingling]

 

[Skeeter41]

Congrats

[nitro]

Awesome read.

Sorry about the loss of your friend. God speed to him and prayers to you and his family.

[Ol'Mossy]

Congrats!! 

[shootemintheface]

Congrats

[runngun]

Thanks for sharing your hunts. Sorry to hear about your friend. Sounds like he passed doing what he loved.
Good Luck and God Bless
Ray

[BrowningGuy88]

Sorry to hear of you friend's passing!

I know how you feel on starting slow and ending quick! Laid two down this weekend in Bama after not connecting all season. I am done for the season.

[Wrangler95]

Very nice going,congrats!!

[RutnNStrutn]

Glad your season is turning around Jeff!! Good luck in GA & SD!!

[Limbstrutter]

Nice read , Way to get it done ...

                                                 God bless.....