Been hunting hard when I can but am trying to wait on the birds to break from the hens. I believe this would be a great week to hunt but the weather has been less that cooperative. I have been very fortunate cause every time I have hunted I have at least heard gobbling.
I hunted yesterday on a gamble of not knowing whether the weatherman would be right, but took the high percentage that he would be wrong. Glad I went cause it was a good day to hunt. Set up on the big boss of the farm that I dueled with opening day, but instead of setting up on his roost I went to the field he goes directly to. I do not use decoys a lot but in order to try to kill this bird I put out a jake and hen, watched the old boy beat up a bird opening day so he should be very aggressive to the decoys I thought. Well gobbling time came and he was where I thought he would be, he has one of that nasty hoarse like gobbles. No other birds sounded off. I patiently wait as I know he has to gather his harem of hens. About 30 minutes after estimated flydown, he never gobbled on the ground, I see a bird coming through the field. I watch it get closer and start walking to my decoys. It is a hen and she walks straight in. I think to myself that if the old boy follows her path then he will definitely be riding home with me, foolish thought I know.
Well she looks at the decoys, looks the direction my lookout hen is looking, kind of acts like she wants to rough up the hen a bit, and then feeds between them, what is better than a live decoy in the decoys. I catch movement to my left and my heart gets to racing. It is two birds coming but I can only see them from the corner of my eye as I did not want to get busted by moving my head. I slide off the safety just in case. Other two birds arrive and it is two more hens. No big deal, if the hens are here than he cannot be far behind. Two of the hens finally work to the right of me feeding and the other goes back to the left. The one on the left walks back by feeding. Next I notice one of the hens to the right running for the high weeds, she sees something she does not like. Maybe a hawk, a coyote, or maybe a tom that she does not want messing with her.
Another of the hens goes running but towards the middle of the field and lays down, poking her head up now and again, must not be a hawk. After 4-5 minutes she stands up and starts feeding again but like she is leaving. Catch movement coming from left, 5 hens are together walking toward corner of field, they pay the decoys no mind. Then about 40 yards behind them is a big strutter pushing a smaller longbeard behind the hens. They get across from the decoys at around 75-100 yards and the strutter stops and looks at the jake as does the sub-dominant, I think we are about to dance, but then he turns and starts walking quick to catch up to hens. I yelp, they stop and gobble. I cutt, they stop and gobble.
Well I figure they will go breed the hens then maybe I will have a chance. I can no longer see them, but every so often I will yelp and short cutt to remind them I am right there. They gobble and double gobble, even gobbled on their own a few times. Eventually I see the toms working up the other side of the field going away from me. Big bird is strutting and feeding and sub is feeding. I cutt, they gobble and keep on their merry way. I yelp and cutt and nothing is turning them. They will stop and look, but not turn. I text dirt road ninja for advice and he says to gobble at them. I take out my box and gobble. They double gobble, stop, look, gobble and big boy struts. Then start walking away again. I did it again. Same thing. Then I yelp, cutt, yelp, cutt, short cutt, and then gobble. They stop and big boy swings around and starts walking toward me strutting and mean walking. He gets 10 yards, breaks strutt, and starts feeding then spins around and goes back to the direction they were heading. After that I accepted my fate.
Saw well over 20 birds throughout the day including 7 jakes I was messing with, next year looks fun! It was a great day to hunt and I am glad I was out there. I would be lying to say I was not disappointed that the birds ignored the jake with all I hear about them attacking them, but I got see a show, hear a gobble, and get the old heart racing so it was a successful hunt. Think my next hunt will be Saturday. Thought about hunting Friday but the weather looks better next week so I think I will save the day for then.
Good luck to everyone hunting and those about to get started. I think here is SC the next week and a half will be some fun hunting!
