Offroadtek
Senior Member
I got my first bird last Sun in my backyard at 1pm. Today I got my second at 5:51.
I hunted this morning on the club and didn't hear a thing. This afternoon was so hot my buddy bailed on me so I went to Berry College alone. I went mostly out of boredom, everyone knows birds don't gobble after 10am.
Got there at 5:10 and walked in to a spot I know. Picked a tree to sit at in the shade and got out the call, I did a few clucks and one set of yelps. After a few minutes I proceeded to doze off. Stupid crows kept me from really getting to sleep tho. They were in a tree behind me pretty close and wouldn't shut up. After a few more minutes of their cawing I got a real wake up. A bird hammered less than a 100 yards away. There was a big fallen tree between us so I'm not sure how far he was, but he was loud and clear. I picked up the call and made a few yelps and he gobbled back. I followed my "Rule of thumb" and waited till he gobbled three times before I would make some soft half-hearted yelps. I was aiming to say "Eh, I'm here if you wanna come, but I ain't moving". I must have got it close because here he come. He came in quicker than I thought he would so I didn't even have my gun in my hands. He walked behind a tree and I got one hand on it, then the staring started. After a three or four minute eternity he relaxed and started to walk away from me. As soon as he started stepping again I steadily brought the gun up to my shoulder, lined it up and shot. He went down head first and didn't flap a wing till I had picked him up.
I remembered reading in a GON this year that the author said he'd never had a bird spook from slow deliberate movements, and I have to agree. Neither of the birds I got were spooked by me picking my gun up and shouldering it with them in plain sight. The first went into strut when it saw the movement and then raised it's head when it saw I wasn't a bird. This one was walking and just raised it's head when I picked up the gun and turned to him, he was at my 2 o'clock the gun at my 10 o'clock. Just wanted to share the story and some advice I've found helpful.
I hunted this morning on the club and didn't hear a thing. This afternoon was so hot my buddy bailed on me so I went to Berry College alone. I went mostly out of boredom, everyone knows birds don't gobble after 10am.
Got there at 5:10 and walked in to a spot I know. Picked a tree to sit at in the shade and got out the call, I did a few clucks and one set of yelps. After a few minutes I proceeded to doze off. Stupid crows kept me from really getting to sleep tho. They were in a tree behind me pretty close and wouldn't shut up. After a few more minutes of their cawing I got a real wake up. A bird hammered less than a 100 yards away. There was a big fallen tree between us so I'm not sure how far he was, but he was loud and clear. I picked up the call and made a few yelps and he gobbled back. I followed my "Rule of thumb" and waited till he gobbled three times before I would make some soft half-hearted yelps. I was aiming to say "Eh, I'm here if you wanna come, but I ain't moving". I must have got it close because here he come. He came in quicker than I thought he would so I didn't even have my gun in my hands. He walked behind a tree and I got one hand on it, then the staring started. After a three or four minute eternity he relaxed and started to walk away from me. As soon as he started stepping again I steadily brought the gun up to my shoulder, lined it up and shot. He went down head first and didn't flap a wing till I had picked him up. I remembered reading in a GON this year that the author said he'd never had a bird spook from slow deliberate movements, and I have to agree. Neither of the birds I got were spooked by me picking my gun up and shouldering it with them in plain sight. The first went into strut when it saw the movement and then raised it's head when it saw I wasn't a bird. This one was walking and just raised it's head when I picked up the gun and turned to him, he was at my 2 o'clock the gun at my 10 o'clock. Just wanted to share the story and some advice I've found helpful.
