I got the call that my hunting parters for this weekend were 1/2hr out, so I started the skillet frying fresh crappie. It is amazing how much a man can eat when he is cooking it!!! LOL!!! We ate like kings when they got there and Tom (Catdaddy) had brought an older buddy of his (Keith), who continually cracked me up the entire trip. I'll leave Catdaddy to "spin a yarn", as he does best.
Opening day:
While walking out to my spot in the pre-dawn darkness I had high hopes. I hadn't been on this point in 2 years and had a great feeling there would be a gobbler somewhere on it. As I made my way to a strategic "listening spot" I thanked the good Lord for the time afield!
I usually make my way on around the point, but this morning I stopped short, just in case a bird was closer up front than usual. I couldn't get one to shock-gobble, so I picked a big tree and setup. As I settled-in a gobbler hammered only about 75 yards from me! If I would have continued I would have probablly bumped him from the roost. As he continued to gobble periodically I gave him a few soft tree yelps, just to let him know I was there. I heard another bird, prob 1/4-1/2mile to the south. After about 20 gobbles the closer gobbler pitched-out of the tree and I immediatly gave him a series of yelps with a few cuts, he hammered!! I gave him 5 min then hit him again and put the call down. His louder gobble told me he was headed in, so I laid the hammers back on ol' Betsy and brought her up to my knee. He was prob only 60 yards out at this point. It was just a few minutes and I saw his head coming up from the hollow, then his long beard. He frizzed-up and started puttin' on the show. A smile made its way across my face and I knew his time was about up. As he made his way to about 18 yards I let the smoke fly as the blackpowder BOOOOM echo'd down the holler. As I watched him flop the smoke drifted through the spring woods, I sure was glad to be alive and out there amongst em'.
I hung up the gobbler on the porch and heard a shot in the distance. It wasn't too long until catdaddy and Keith (77 years old) were back. But, I will let catdaddy tell that story....
There wasn't much gobbling as I scouted around later in the day, but I did manage to find a few gobblers working down a small finger toward the eve and belly crawled pretty dang close. I was telling catdaddy and Keith that "IF I am able to slip in there in the morning..." when Keith stopped me mid-sentence and said, "If a bullfrog had wings, he wouldn't bump his !" I just had to laugh out loud full tilt on that one, too dang funny!!!!
DAY 2:
As I eased to the edge of the woodlot where I had seen the gobblers the eve before I pulled out my James Harrison (Owlface) custom owl-hooter and let rip. A thundering gobble hammered from across the valley on the 2nd sequence. I hit it again and GOBBBBBBBLE!!!! I had a fix on him now. Moving down through the woods was a little easier as you could make out the sky and individual trees and just happened to look up and WOW! I spotted two big black blobs in the trees, just 35 yards from me! I froze, then noticed a 3rd to the left, so slowly sat down! The bird across the way gobbled a few more times (he was the bossman) and as daylight came upon me, I could make out 2 jakes and a hen about 35 yards from me in the trees. No gobbling on my side, but I figured the 2 gobblers I had seen yesterday eve couldn't be far and besides that boss gobbler hammering was an "easy glide" away.
As flydown was starting to happen a hen started yelping not 50 yards to my left, then pitched out pretty close. Then, a big longbeard hit the ground about 35 yards out, but quickly decided that "blob with Ol Betsy" wasn't there yesterday, so he melted back into the cover. I saw another turkey fly down, just over the rise, so I scratched in the leaves loudly and swung Ol' Betsy around. A big ol gobbler's head popped up and soon he was headed my way. I laid the hammers back and within seconds he came into full view, his big ol thick beard just a swingin. As I peered through the double-hammers I picked a spot on his neck and touched off the shot, sending another echoing black-powder BOOOM down the valley....
As I made my way out of the woods with the big gobbler in my vest I just had to stop and let my mouth hang open at the view. The mere beauty of the rolling hills were something to behold. I once again thanked God for this special time, for the 2 gobblers and the chance to enjoy His great outdoors!
When I got back and pulled the gobbler out of my vest Keith noticed right away that he had a double-beard and he did have some sharp hooks! I forgot my good camera, so all I had was the cell.
It was great to hunt with ol' Catdaddy and his side-kick Keith. I sure hope I can get around like that when I am 77!
Wess
