Thunder Head
Gone but not forgotten
I spent the first couple of hours, both morning and evening in the woods last week. Saw all kinds of stuff including 17 different hogs on multiple occasions. Saw a red fox and a coyote carrying what appeared to be somebodys half grown chicken.
The turkey hunting has been a spectator sport so far. The turkeys have been in one huge flock and rarely leave the private land next door. Theres plenty of scratching in the woods just havent been able to catch them on my side. My luck began to change on thursday evening. I glassed up 3 hens and one of the 3 mature gobblers had separated from the main flock. Even though they went back to the same roost. In my experience this is good for hunting when the big flocks break up. Fast forward to Saturday morning. I hiked up into the area and was actually a little bit late. I was walking when i heard a gobble. I wasnt a 100% sure but i thought it came from up the ridge from where they have been roosting. I walked to the top of a little rise and stopped to listen. Two toms gobbled from the roost they have been using for the last few weeks. In a minute another bird gobbled a good ways down the ridge. All right hes on my side. I snuck along and almost got between the two sets of gobblers before the terrain and light made me sit tight.
A donkey started braying down on the highway. That set off a gobble fest that reminded me of the old days. I had not been this deep in so far. I could here gobbles from 2 other locations that i had not heard yet. Best i could tell there was atleast 6 birds with full gobbles and several jakes too. The gobbling went on steady for several minutes until i heard a couple of hens fly down. Gobbles started coming from the ground shortly after. Two of the hens behind me were really talking it up. So instead of answering any of the gobblers. I started trying to imitate the sounds the hens were making. I had not doubt the gobbler in front of me new exactly were i was now. It took a few more minutes but he pitched down, and started gobbling. He wouldnt budge though. I kept ignoring him and answering the hens behind me. I started hearing something behind me and was afraid another hunter was making a move on the bird. I soon realizes it was the group of hogs i had seen yesterday. The big boar in the lead cut my wind. He took off up the hill blowing and pitching a little hissy fit. I figured my hunt was over. The gobbler went silent for a few minutes. When he started back he had crossed the hollow and was now on the other side from me. It soon became apparent he was in a strut zone just going back and forth. I waited for him to go back and forth a few times. When he gobbled at the farthest point i got up and moved to the edge of the hollow. I never could see him even with my binos. But i had already decide the silent treatment was in order. So i gave him just a couple of clucks and put my call up. Hed not get anymore from me unless he left his strut zone.
It took 20 or 30 minutes and the turkeys behind me were actually getting closer too me. He gobbled and seemed just a tad bit closer. All of the sudden there he was walking down the hill right at me. When he disappeared in the bottom i realized i had made a mistake. I could not shoot down into the hollow. If he came straight to me or to the right i couldnt see him until hed be in my lap. I readjusted just a little bit and listened hard. I could hear him getting closer and closer. I said to my self that sucker is going to walk right to me with this big white oak in between us. He will be 5 yards when he pops out. All of sudden his head popped up to my right about 10 yards. He new something wasnt right. My heart sank. I couldnt believe it when he didnt run. He turned and started walking back up the hollow angling away from me. In a few steps all i could see was his head. He put his head down and i swung my barrel as far as i could. When he poped his head back up he still needed a few steps. He walked right into it. I made sure i had him lined up real tight a pulled the trigger.
Pandemonium breaks out. I jump up and he is flopping down the slope. I start running after him. He gets up and starts running. Just as im about to shoot again he runs full force into a tree. I get to him lay my gun down and he jumps up and starts running again. It was surreal. Im running right beside him and i realize i blinded him and his eyes are a bloodied up. Im like what do i do know. There was nothing to do but tackle him. So i jumped on him and he gave me several souvenirs to remember him by before i stretched his neck for him.
A heafty gobbler on your back makes a long walk harder but oh so sweet!
19 lbs.
9.75" beard
1 1/8" spurs
The turkey hunting has been a spectator sport so far. The turkeys have been in one huge flock and rarely leave the private land next door. Theres plenty of scratching in the woods just havent been able to catch them on my side. My luck began to change on thursday evening. I glassed up 3 hens and one of the 3 mature gobblers had separated from the main flock. Even though they went back to the same roost. In my experience this is good for hunting when the big flocks break up. Fast forward to Saturday morning. I hiked up into the area and was actually a little bit late. I was walking when i heard a gobble. I wasnt a 100% sure but i thought it came from up the ridge from where they have been roosting. I walked to the top of a little rise and stopped to listen. Two toms gobbled from the roost they have been using for the last few weeks. In a minute another bird gobbled a good ways down the ridge. All right hes on my side. I snuck along and almost got between the two sets of gobblers before the terrain and light made me sit tight.
A donkey started braying down on the highway. That set off a gobble fest that reminded me of the old days. I had not been this deep in so far. I could here gobbles from 2 other locations that i had not heard yet. Best i could tell there was atleast 6 birds with full gobbles and several jakes too. The gobbling went on steady for several minutes until i heard a couple of hens fly down. Gobbles started coming from the ground shortly after. Two of the hens behind me were really talking it up. So instead of answering any of the gobblers. I started trying to imitate the sounds the hens were making. I had not doubt the gobbler in front of me new exactly were i was now. It took a few more minutes but he pitched down, and started gobbling. He wouldnt budge though. I kept ignoring him and answering the hens behind me. I started hearing something behind me and was afraid another hunter was making a move on the bird. I soon realizes it was the group of hogs i had seen yesterday. The big boar in the lead cut my wind. He took off up the hill blowing and pitching a little hissy fit. I figured my hunt was over. The gobbler went silent for a few minutes. When he started back he had crossed the hollow and was now on the other side from me. It soon became apparent he was in a strut zone just going back and forth. I waited for him to go back and forth a few times. When he gobbled at the farthest point i got up and moved to the edge of the hollow. I never could see him even with my binos. But i had already decide the silent treatment was in order. So i gave him just a couple of clucks and put my call up. Hed not get anymore from me unless he left his strut zone.
It took 20 or 30 minutes and the turkeys behind me were actually getting closer too me. He gobbled and seemed just a tad bit closer. All of the sudden there he was walking down the hill right at me. When he disappeared in the bottom i realized i had made a mistake. I could not shoot down into the hollow. If he came straight to me or to the right i couldnt see him until hed be in my lap. I readjusted just a little bit and listened hard. I could hear him getting closer and closer. I said to my self that sucker is going to walk right to me with this big white oak in between us. He will be 5 yards when he pops out. All of sudden his head popped up to my right about 10 yards. He new something wasnt right. My heart sank. I couldnt believe it when he didnt run. He turned and started walking back up the hollow angling away from me. In a few steps all i could see was his head. He put his head down and i swung my barrel as far as i could. When he poped his head back up he still needed a few steps. He walked right into it. I made sure i had him lined up real tight a pulled the trigger.
Pandemonium breaks out. I jump up and he is flopping down the slope. I start running after him. He gets up and starts running. Just as im about to shoot again he runs full force into a tree. I get to him lay my gun down and he jumps up and starts running again. It was surreal. Im running right beside him and i realize i blinded him and his eyes are a bloodied up. Im like what do i do know. There was nothing to do but tackle him. So i jumped on him and he gave me several souvenirs to remember him by before i stretched his neck for him.
A heafty gobbler on your back makes a long walk harder but oh so sweet!
19 lbs.
9.75" beard
1 1/8" spurs
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I've never heard of the tackle approach but you made it work!!!.... You a bad man bro. Congrats.... you sure earned that rascal
