As I have said before, this yr has been like no other in the last 10 that I have hunted this property. Little to no gobbling and very, very little sign. Like I’ll see one track each time I go instead of tracks on tracks like yrs past. Not really knowing where to begin I decided on a spot and was ready by 6:50. Every bird in the woods was sounding off including the chickens and peacocks on the neighboring property. No turkey sounds. Made some calls here and there and nothing.
I look at my watch and it is 7:50. I was trying to figure out what has caused the birds to disappear when I though I heard a gobble off in the distance…”No, you are hearing things” I told myself. Some crows started making a fuss just about above me and I couldn’t hear anything but them. They hushed for a split second and I thought I heard a gobble again. Then again way off but still not for sure. I stand trying to focus on if I heard one and what direction it was in and I faintly heard it and I knew it was in fact a gobble. Game on!!
Problem was the bird was on another property and just about in another zip code…. I pull out my phone and look at an aerial map and decide that the bird is at the edge of some pines and the lake drain, about 600-700 yds away at least. Not good… I make my way to a location where I can get as close to him and still be on my property but was only able to move 75 yds which put me 40 from the line that is nothing more than a fresh plowed break.
I can hear his gobbles better but still not fully but he is gobbling every couple minutes. I gave a few yelps and he gobbles but still way off. I’m thinking “no way will I get him to come that far”. It is now 9am and over a 100 gobbles later he has moved to me some but still way off. I give a few yelps and he cuts me off and that was the last gobble from him for 15 minutes. I can only see about 50 yds so I’m not sure if he is coming to me silent or just hushed and staying put.
While I’m looking as hard as I can he cuts loose, GOBBLE and is only about 200 yds from me (guessing) and at my 2’0 clock. Last time I heard him he was at 11’0 clock. He gobbles and gobbles but isn’t moving. It’s now 9:35 and he is gobbling his fool head off but won’t budge. I say what the heck, I’m going for the gusto. I pull out my box and the Butt Naked hen mouth call and raise a huge fuss like two hens fighting and he is going crazy double and triple gobbling. A few minutes of silence and he gobbles and is half the distance that he was. “I may get lucky!!!” I’m thinking and he hangs up and continues to gobble. I still can’t see him but he is at least 100 out.
At this point I have used on and off 2 mouth calls and a box, sparingly. I look in my pocket and see the killer call, the Red Neck Hen mouth call. This call is very raspy and has brought several birds to their death. I put it in and do a 4 note yelp and he explodes with gobbles and they are getting closer and closer. I can almost hear the CHOOGA CHOOGA at the end of his gobble so I get ready, gun on point and safety off. I’m looking and looking and he is gobbling but has stopped moving. I give a two note yelp and he is on the move again. Remember I can only see 50 yds tops and all of a sudden there is his white head. “Come on man keep coming!!!” I’m telling myself when he goes into full strut and spins 2 circles, breaks strut, tilts towards me and GOBBLE!!!! Right in my face. What a feeling!!
He is on the break and heading my way. I scan ahead to find my shooting hole and unknowingly, he is strutting to his death. He is about 3 feet on my side so game on. He makes 4-5 more steps, I cluck, he raises his head and at the exact time I squeeze the trigger he goes to hop up on the rise of the break and disappears. 24 steps there he lay, not moving a muscle.
“Did that really just happen!?!?!” I actually got that bird to come from just barely in hearing range to 24 steps from my gun barrel. It took exactly 2 hrs and he must have gobble over 200 times total. Thank you Lord!
My next thought was "did I just kill the only gobbler on the property???" LOL Out of 3 hunts I have only seen 1 gobbler track
Most of the shot hit here as he jumped up, I had it where his waddles meet the feathers.
10" beard and 1" sprus
Oh yeah, I got the drain cleared and then spent the rest of the weekend sick and still feel like 10 lb of turd in a 5 lb sack.....
