Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

Diablo 2017 hunts

Diablo54

Senior Member
7,082
126
Outside
This season has been good to me. I was lucky enough to fill a tag the second morning of season. I went to a farm I have permission on about 10 minutes from the house. Right at day break I heard 0 gobbles. But eventually as the sun came up I could hear a group of birds in the field gobbling. I snuck up the wood line and peeked into the field. 3 toms and 6 hens where out there carrying on. I made a few soft calls and they gobbled but obviously where not wanting to leave the hens. I watched them for several minutes. Eventually something happened and they all took off running into the woods as if they where spooked? I sat there listening and watching for a few minutes expecting to see a coyote but nothing ever showed. I elected to call and I was cut off by all 3 birds gobbling at me. Next thing I knew the birds where walking my way. I crawled out and set the decoy and couldn't find a tree. I had to sit in a briar patch on the edge of the field and wait. I called soft again and they where halfway to me already. The next call I made they gobbled just over the break in the field. And next thing I knew they where all giving me the one eye peek over the hill. Finally the last bird who was the strutter took a few steps towards me exposing his head and neck and I shot. He flopped over!


The next week I spent hunting with Kayla and my little brother. Was able to get Kayla on a nice bird. And little brother missed one and had another come in but was not given a shot. I hunted almost every morning and had 2 birds within 30 yards but both times I was not able to tell if they where toms or Jake's. For some reason this year almost every jake on the property's I hunt has a good gobble!


Monday morning I got up early and hit the property I killed my first bird on. There was only one bird gobbling. I moved on him and got within 100 yards off the roost. One tree yelp and he cut me off. I heard him fly down and next thing I knew he gobbled at 60 yards just over the hill. I purred and let out some soft yelps and could hear him strut just over the rise. He walked back and forth on the ridge and never came in for a shot. Soon after a hen snatched him up and took him down the Holler away from me. I packed up and headed home. Sitting on the porch there was a bird going nuts across the road. And a group of birds right behind he house shock gobbling when he gobbled. I grabbed my stuff and snuck up the hill to circle them as I had a pretty good idea where they where going. As soon as I got to where I wanted to be I busted 3 deer that ran right to them and shut them up. I waited several minutes and never heard or saw anything. All this time the bird across the road still going nuts on the ridge. I hopped in my truck and drove over to the neighbors to get a better listen of where he was. He was silent. I still walked up the mountain and sat at a tree and waited for him to gobble. After a few minutes I couldn't hold back and let out a series of yelps. A Hen answered me. She was behind me. I turned around and got setup on the other side of the tree. I started cutting at her and she did the same back. Next thing I knew I could see her coming through the tall hay field. She hung up at about 50 yards and I couldn't see any other birds with her. After a minute she calmed down and started feeding in front of me. Next thing I knew I could see the white head coming through the hay field behind her, and I knew I needed her to get closer and he wouldn't be far behind. I threw some fighting purrs at her and she was pissed. Next thing I knew she was at 20 yards looking to kick some but. The tom stood at 50 yards and would not come in. I figured eventually he would meander up to me if I stayed still. But of course I heard a turkey put to my left. I rolled my eyes in that direction and sure enough I had a hen at 5 yards staring at me. The gig was up and the tom had broke out of strut and was getting ready to bail. I flipped the safety off and put the bead on his neck. I squeezed the trigger and the bird flew across the holler. I wish I wouldn't have shot but I was pretty sure I could smack him. Adrenaline got the best of me I guess.

I went back home and sat inside for a minute and decided I needed to get back out and give it my all. I went up to the big field behind the house and sat down. I sat for an hour and saw nothing and heard absolutely nothing. Then I caught something through the trees on the other side of the field. It looked like a strutter. But I also thought maybe my mind was playing tricks on me. Sure enough I saw a hen about 50 yards from the black blob in the field and I knew my mind was not messing with me. I grabbed my stuff and ran through the brush across to hollers and back up a hill and snuck to the edge of the field. There was nothing in the field and I was dumb founded. I sat back down and figured I would wait and see. 30 minutes later my legs where falling asleep so I rolled up on one knee to head home and I could see the hen that had been in a dip in the field the whole time. After 30 seconds I could see the tom working behind her. I let out some yelps and cuts trying to piss her off. She kept her head down feeding while the tom looked my way in strut. After 5 minutes they had worked another 50 yards away from me and the hen wanted nothing to do with it.
I pulled the fan out of my vest and held it out off to my left side and let out a few yelps. The tom snapped his head up and went into strut and started walking my way. I kept the fan up and he disappeared in the dip. I waited for 10 seconds wondering if he was actually going to come in and leave his hen just to check me out. Next thing I know I can see his white head bopping through the hay field coming at me at full sprint! At less than 10 yards while still sprinting at me he gobbled in my face. I threw the fan down and went to work on him. He folded up.

I have never done that before and always said I wouldn't. But I was frustrated with turkeys. I wouldn't crawl out in a field after one. I couldn't believe how aggressive he was. All I did was hold it out. It was by far the coolest experience I have ever had turkey hunting, and I have called in a lot of birds that have put on some serious shows before the shot for myself and for others. It almost felt like cheating. But after all the mornings of chasing the stupid things and getting schooled it feels good to fill ones head with shot. He tasted the same too!





 

aholdren

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,178
151
South East Ohio
You got to think outside the box sometimes, it paid off. Knowing your property and that no one else is hunting it along with most people quit by the 3rd week in my opinion it was a gamble worth taking. Good write up and congrats on a great season.
 

steveOh

Junior Member
750
114
Dayton Area
Congrats on your successful season. It must be nice to be able to hunt so close to home, I'm jelous. Great writeup:smiley_clap: