Just a little Pruning (a turkey hunting story)

[TnRidgeRunner]

So, as I stated before,I'm teaching a green hunter as best I can on how the ol thunder chicken works. The morning started off pretty well, parked the atv about 1/2 a mile from where I thought we would hear birds. Sure enough, just as the sun started casting rays we heard the first gobble. I'm not one that likes to use a locater call much as I figure if he is in the mood none is needed...listen twice as much as you talk. Well the first bird was most definitely henned up for fly down. We played it soft and I tried to let the new hunter take in the sounds of a gobbler on the roost. I had a bank of dirt and pine boughs that were built up from the logging operation that allowed me to move my calling and still come back to him to tell him what that first gobbler was doing and why. After about an hour of small talk with the first bird I decided to make a move and we slowly eased down the logging road (with the explanation that we would come back to kill this bird around noon). We set up 4 more times, hearing a total of 11 other gobblers through the morning, all were henned up and not real interested in walking over for some fun. I will say that my partner was not really enthused about the situation and had to take a nap for a second...I mean he laid down, I let out about a five note yelp and was answered by not one but two longbeards. Both roared from the bottom of the holler but were separated by about 300 yards. My friend was instantly rejuvinized and set up looking down the ridge across a large saddle that laid between the two birds. I played it coy and only putted and purred as softly as possible. The responses were intermittant and I could never be sure that they were answering me. The gobbler on the left went silent after half an hour and I told my friend to get his gun up (sure that he was coming). Not sure if he did,or didn't, but I never heard another peep from the bird on the left. After an hour of silence I summoned my friend to move, we positioned our selves on a point in front of where I projected the bird on the right to be.... one series of yelping and he responded up toward the head of the hollow, I grabbed Travis, jacked the shell from his gun and said "Keep up". A 300 yard sprint ensued that I can tell you with full certainly, he didn't appreciate. We set up at the head of the hollow expecting the bird to round the tip end and come in as my last bird last year did but he went silent as well. We only spent a short time there (30min) because every putt, purr, yelp, a bird would answer to our right, down the road. Once I was convinced that it was a bird I made us move...80yrds down the road we heard it gobble, then double gobble..then triple gobble. We scurried up about 50yrds and got positioned with Travis about ten yards to my left. (cover is limited) I made a small series of yelps as I sat down that was answered by a double and triple gobble. I then managed to find my gloves and proceed to put them on. As soon as I had them on I purred,gooooobleoblebole turned into GOOOBLELBLELBLOBLEOBLE. Not more than a minute later I can see his head topping the ridge. I messed up,I thought there might be two gobblers. I was halfway through picking up my gun when I saw this bird looking at me through the split of two trees growing from one base...Knew I was picked off. The bird took two more steps (I guess to get around the tree) and I said in a normal voice "Travis, you got him?". I had watched the color drain out of his head and knew the jig was up. Thirty seconds pass and I say again (just before the bird is breaking) " Take him NOW"....BOOOOOOM. It was a weird view...I could see the path of the shot...and see it was hi. He didn't put his head on the stock in the excitement. The bird flew across the holler and we went looking for it,but the most rewarding part was when we got to the other side. Out of breath and red faced, "I think I understand why your so crazy about this, can we keep hunting, or is it over?" We kept hunting

[TnRidgeRunner]

May need to move this to the stories page,sorry for the long post.

[Struttin Spurs]

Great story man! That's what it is all about! Some of my favorite most memorable hunts are ones that involve a miss or a mistake. Glad to hear you got someone hooked.

[DirtNap647]

its all fun

[longbeard11]

Awesome story!!! not having your head down on the stock and being in awh of the beauty of the spring gobbler has made many a hunter miss.  Its hunts like this you live for and learn from, great memory you both will remember.

[Gooserbat]

"I think I understand why your so crazy about this, can we keep hunting, or is it over?"

Yep he's ruint.

[JALA Strut]

Great story...Man, I can't wait until our seaon opens here on May 1st

[flintlock]

Sounded like a great hunt!

[jblackburn]

"I think I understand why your so crazy about this, can we keep hunting, or is it over?"

Yep he's ruint.

Without a doubt, another turkey hunter was born.

[hookedspur]

 

[MouthCaller]

I love reading stories kill or not I wish everybody would at the very least tell the events of their hunts like this... successful or not...

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