I must say I have been truly blessed so far this season in MO. Youth weekend was awesome. Called toms into range on Sat and Sun for my buddy and his 6yo but unfortunately had misses both times. And since shotgun season started, I've been covered up in birds.
Took off the first 7 days.
Opening day, the first farm I was at I had the 3 toms we hunted and missed during youth season called to within 80 yrds, but they hung up on a hardwood ridge and gobbled and strut for an hour. Think they're still spooky since being shot at the week before.
Made a move to another farm nearby. Was walking slowly down a trail through the woods towards a small known strutting field on the back of the property. I was making soft purrs and clucks on my mouth call, when I was cut off by a hard, loud, thundering gobble just ahead, 100 yrds out. He was in the field, but over a small rise so I couldn't see him. His hens were right in front of me in the corner of the field 50 yrds out. I was caught way out of position, and the hens were staring me down, but was able to get low, belly crawl to a tree on the edge, and after some more clucks and purrs they dismissed me and went back to feeding. Made some cuts and got him gobbling until a coyote came running through and they scattered.
Never saw him but I knew where he liked to go and that he could be killed.
Forecast was for rain, so I came back the next day before sunup and set up on the field edge with a hub blind, a avian x breeder hen, and a xtreme jake. My first time using either.
Heard him gobbling at first light, but also heard hens nearby.
He flew down and I had him fired up, but soon went quiet. One of his hens wasn't happy I was there. I aggressively over talked her till she couldn't take it and came out into the field around 8:30. Checked my decoys out while it started to rain. She fed for an hr. Around 9:30 he fired off back in the woods still. Talked sweet to him for a while on my Yingling cast copper pot, and around 10am he started to close the distance. Well his harem of 4 hens made their way into the field first, and a few minutes later he appeared like a ghostly apparition out of nowhere 100 yrds out on the field edge. He looked like one big, bad dude. He was super wary. Just froze in semi-strut and watched over the field and my decoys for what seemed like forever, until he finally broke, shook off the rain and started his cautious approach.
His hens fed all around my set up, 20 yrds out, but he would only come to about 40, and proceeded to strut and stare my jake/ breeder hen decoy down for 15 mins. After his hens made their way to the right and were heading to leave, he turned to follow, and I wasn't letting him take another step.
The 870 went boom and the #5 3" Longbeard dropped him in his tracks.
23 lbs, 5/8 spurs, 10" beard.
Arrived at a MO Ozark lake on Wed. Hunting and fishing here till Sunday. Trying to get my buddy his first. Had the best hunt of the season so far this morning. Just happened to blind pick a spot on public ground where we had heard gobbling 2 yrs earlier while fishing on the lake. Made the long trek from the boat to the ridgetop and arrived at predawn. I don't know what it was about that Ozark mountaintop but you couldn't create a more serene spot. Good mix of cedars and hardwoods. It was just the most beautiful spot I've ever hunted. We had gobblers hammering all around us before first light. 2 came up the ridge towards us, gobbling hard, but hung up out of sight at 80 yrds. Could hear a hen with them. Leaned over to my buddy who's a novice trying to tag his first, and whispered "I'm gonna take a little walk. You keep your gun up and be ready."
Quietly walked down the other side of the ridge, making soft clucks, and that was all it took. The hen came right up and over, passing my buddy at 15 yrds. She ended up in my lap, and the 2 toms appeared in front of my buddy at 30 yrds, strutting and gobbling.
He fired and missed. So close!
Even though he missed he's now hooked and ready to get right back out tomorrow.
Good times with good friends.
Hope everyone's season is going as well as mine is!
