VA MOUNTAIN GOBBLER DOWN!!

[Rooster11]

Morning everyone!
I am the happiest guy in the world right now! I opened the VA season with a bang!!
The day started with a big ole breakfast, sausage egg and cheese sandwiches, then I headed for the mountain. Friday poured down the rain all day luckily ended late evening. I was figuring on a foggy morning but when I arrived to the honey hole there was just a light mist in the air and very little fog!! I got suited up and started walking got no more than 50yrds away and one hammered off in the far distance well of my property. As I closed in the were I wanted to set. And boom this bird hammered off with a nice gobble. I was able to close the distance to about 150yrds from the were I thought he might be roosted. Using the terrain to my advantage I set up with him being to my 10oclock.- set my new decoy out at 20yrds got tucked in to a ceder tree. I could see only about 10yrds past my decoy before the ridge rolled in to a small riven, and barley being able to see the other side of the next ridge 120yrds approximately. I have never heard a bird gobble this much. He gobbled at least 40+times to close crows, a neighboring dog barking, and just to gobble!! My heart was pounding fellows, I waited quite awhile before I gave out some clucks and yelps to let him know I was there. He never once immediately gobbled back to my calls but was still gobbling like crazy. I called after that lightly every 5min or so. He eventually started to get quite I never did heard him fly down. Then through some trees I saw him strutting on the other ridge working his way to my right. Then he vanished. Hoping by this point he has seen my decoy I called one last time as soft as I could. Then thats when I had no clue what was going on. Did he leave or what??? Then out of nowhere he gobbled right towards me at 40yrds!! He about blew out my eardrums! LOL. I still couldn't see him and what seemed like forever, this huge white head popped up at my 2oclock!! Now he was within 30yrds!! What a sight to see!! Once at about 25yrds he turned and around and acted like he wanted to leave then made a direct turn towards my decoy. I was aiming right about 3yrds of my decoy. Not strutting at all he walked right to my line of sight and stopped barely stuck hes head up and I LET"EM HAVE IT BOOOOOOOOOM!!!! Rolled him at 20yrds WHOOOOOOOO!! Gun on safety, I went after my FIRST VA MOUNTAIN GOBBLER!! I couldn't be happier with what I walked up on!!! Finally after 6yrs of spring turkey hunting I got him!!!
21LBS
MATCHING 1" SPURS
10 3/4" BEARD





TEAM HANGMEN ill get him on the kill thread later today!!

Rooster11

[vaturkey]

Congrats on your first Gobbler !! Hope for many more in the future ! Good Job .



             

[JVA54]

      Congrats!!

[trkycaller]

 

[mossybird]

Happy for my fellow virginia boy! Man we didnt hear NOTHING! We heard one drumming near our setup and he was headed our way and dogs started running through the woods. I was madder than a hornet.

[harvester]

congrats on your first bird, may many more come your way. 

[Gold Spur]

Congrats on an exciting hunt! That's a beautiful bird and A5 also.....

[RaspyD]

Great story Randy and congratulations on your bird!!! 

[hobbes]

Congrats!  That sounds like it was a great hunt.  I love those unexpected close gobbles that make your heart stop. 

Is that an old Browning?

[TRKYHTR]

Great story and nice gobbler. Congrats,

TRKYHTR

[timbrhuntr]

Good bird and story and if I read it right congrats on your first bird 

[Sully53]

  Good job on that GOBBLER!!!!

[PANYHunter]

Congrats on a great first bird!!!!  Thanks for sharing.  

[BigHooks]

Congrats, good bird...

[Trip]

Congrats!!!