Echo
Gone But Not Forgotten
Went back this a.m. to listen for a bird that I had found on Good Friday morning and sure enough he fired up right on time. He was roosted in a somewhat unfamiliar spot however and I had to pick my way carefully through the creek bottom in the dim pre-dawn light.
As always it's a big decision on how far one desires to push their luck setting up on a roosted bird. The last thing that I wanted to do was make him hush so I played it pretty safe, settling in against a big water oak about 100 yards or so from where I figured he was situated. He was now double and triple gobbling as fast he could get them out which led me to believe that today he just might not be henned up like he was on our last encounter but as fly down time approached and then passed, the woods got quiet. Too quiet, I could get no more response from him and after waiting with my gun up for 20 minutes or so I headed his way to see if I could catch up to wherever he went but I didn't get 50 yards before busting up a whole army of swine! Black hogs, some little some very big were running, grunting and blowing everywhere so I figured the jig was up on this lucky bird...for another day at least.
Frustrated, I decided to load up and check out another spot that I had heard and seen birds in before but had never killed one there. First thing that I saw as I turned onto the white sandy road was gobbler tracks....lots of them. Well, I immediately stopped, pulled over, got out and started hunting. It was maybe 3-4 hours later before I heard my first gobble and I wasted no time in establishing contact which was met with instant approval. This had potential.
Fifteen minutes and one move on my part later he gobbled hard and let me know that he had cut the distance in half....he was coming! At the ready now I finally saw his crimson head through my Burris Fast Fire at about 45 yards but he ducked back down before I decided whether to take the shot. I'm waiting and looking hard now and already regretting letting that first chance slip away - after all my pattern is solid at that range.
Finally I can stand it no more and I reached for the slate and scratched out a semblance of a call. Seconds later I think I may have heard drumming to my immediate right - since I shoot lefty that's a good thing and I slowly swing and turn that way. Sure enough, there he is! Coming low like they always seem to, he had some sapling sweetgums swaying as he brushed by them. When he stopped inside of 25 yards and stuck his head up the heavyweight 7's rolled him up hard and I was up and running to my 12:30 pm gobbler!
Good bird, 1'' sharp spurs, 10'' beard, about 17 lbs and fat.
As always it's a big decision on how far one desires to push their luck setting up on a roosted bird. The last thing that I wanted to do was make him hush so I played it pretty safe, settling in against a big water oak about 100 yards or so from where I figured he was situated. He was now double and triple gobbling as fast he could get them out which led me to believe that today he just might not be henned up like he was on our last encounter but as fly down time approached and then passed, the woods got quiet. Too quiet, I could get no more response from him and after waiting with my gun up for 20 minutes or so I headed his way to see if I could catch up to wherever he went but I didn't get 50 yards before busting up a whole army of swine! Black hogs, some little some very big were running, grunting and blowing everywhere so I figured the jig was up on this lucky bird...for another day at least.
Frustrated, I decided to load up and check out another spot that I had heard and seen birds in before but had never killed one there. First thing that I saw as I turned onto the white sandy road was gobbler tracks....lots of them. Well, I immediately stopped, pulled over, got out and started hunting. It was maybe 3-4 hours later before I heard my first gobble and I wasted no time in establishing contact which was met with instant approval. This had potential.
Fifteen minutes and one move on my part later he gobbled hard and let me know that he had cut the distance in half....he was coming! At the ready now I finally saw his crimson head through my Burris Fast Fire at about 45 yards but he ducked back down before I decided whether to take the shot. I'm waiting and looking hard now and already regretting letting that first chance slip away - after all my pattern is solid at that range.
Finally I can stand it no more and I reached for the slate and scratched out a semblance of a call. Seconds later I think I may have heard drumming to my immediate right - since I shoot lefty that's a good thing and I slowly swing and turn that way. Sure enough, there he is! Coming low like they always seem to, he had some sapling sweetgums swaying as he brushed by them. When he stopped inside of 25 yards and stuck his head up the heavyweight 7's rolled him up hard and I was up and running to my 12:30 pm gobbler!
Good bird, 1'' sharp spurs, 10'' beard, about 17 lbs and fat.
