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Exciting Morning

Big H

Senior Member
4,104
151
Medina
With everything going on with my wife, I knew it would be tough to get out, so I needed to pick good days to get in the woods.

Tuesday night after looking at the weather, I decided that I would get up early and head to our property in Jefferson county. I told the girls I would be waking them up from the woods and they better get out of bed when I called. LOL It was a good decision.

I was in the woods at 5:30 and the birds started firing up on the roost at 5:50. I heard several different birds that were huntable and quite a few off in the distance. The bird I decided to work was on a neighboring property, but I have called birds in from there numerous times and once I got where I wanted to be, I gave him a few calls to let him know where I was and after he answered, I waited to make sure he was on the ground before amping up my calling. There were two birds in the same general area, and one of them walked away throwing back a courtesy gobble every once in a while. I knew where he was going, but stayed to work the bird I had set up on. A crow came in close to me and was going nuts, which just helped fire up the gobbler that was over on the ridge. Then I started pouring it to him. He was double gobbling, triple gobbling, gobbling so many times, he sounded like he was choking trying to get them out. In the next 3+ hours, he gobbled over 300 times! I could hear him spitting after every gobble, but I couldn't see him at that point he was gobbling at everything he heard, geese, crows, other birds gobbling, truck tailgates banging on the road and my calls. He was strutting on an old logging road and I knew he should eventually work his way into the field down below me. He came out into the field, but he had a hen with him. He strutted in the open field, and would gobble at every call I made, but was not coming in, then another hen walked right past me and went to him. They eventually headed over the hill and out of sight. I decided to make a move to try and cut them off, which meant I had to circle around about 3-400 yards. After setting up again, he kept answering me, but only with courtesy gobbles. I decided to go try and find a different bird, since it was already after 10:00.

I walked back to my truck to get rid of some clothes, which was parked on top of the hill and while I was putting my jacket in my tote, I picked up an old push button call that I didn't use anymore and made a few calls to see how it sounded, and got cut off with a gobble about 150 yards away! At this point, it is 10:45, I made another series of calls and the bird had already closed the distance to half! I hurried up and moved to a the edge of the pipeline, thinking he would come out into it, since he was walking along an old logging road. It was not an ideal set-up, but I needed to get hidden quickly, he was coming fast and gobbling his head off. I repositioned my gun barrel when I heard him walking in the leaves and when he stuck his head up at 10 yards, I MISSED! WTF? Only the second bird I have ever missed! He took off and sailed down the pipeline into another block of woods. Needless to say, I was pissed at myself for peeking and not keeping my head on the stock. Dumbass. The entire scenario took less than 5 minutes.

So, I walk back to my truck, call one of my budddies, he tells me he killed a bird at 8:30 that morning and is laughing at me since he can tell how mad I am. I tell him I gotta go, that it is 11:00, and I should be able to call a few more in since the last one only took a couple of minutes, he laughs and tells me good luck.

I walked down towards the general area I heard the bird from my original set up heading earlier, and threw a call down into the woods from the filed edge and got cut of with a gobble! I hurry up and get set up since he is only 100 yards or so into the woods. He answered me a couple more times, but was heading away from me. I know the property really well and figured he would be heading toward the main access road that I had driven up in the morning. I made about a 150 yard move and threw a call down into the woods again. He hammered me back. I quickly got set up and made a few clucks and purrs and he answered again. Then I scratched some leaves and he committed. I saw him at about 40 yards, down on a lower bench and he was coming from my right to my left, I waited for him to get behind a tree and had to reposition my gun around a sapling that was right in front of me and when he stuck his head up again at 35 yards BOOM, dead turkey! Nice 3 year old 19.8 pounds, 8"+ beard with a 1" dulled & 1 1/8" sharp spurs.

Definitely an exciting action packed morning and one I won't soon forget. :pickle:
 

JOHNROHIO

Participation Trophy Winner
2,824
136
Man! What a great experience. Thats what makes it worth it, congrats on the bird.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
Heck yeah buddy! Nice job. I can tell how pumped you were just in the words you have typed. Sounded like a great day!