Dawson Forest WMA gobbler

Saturday April 13 my younger brother (randypoo) and I headed to Dawson forest in hopes of bagging my first bird. With our bicycles we headed out for a 2.9 mile ride loaded down with shotguns, calls, and cameras. After feeling like lance armstrong for what seemed like an eternity pedaling uphill we finally get to a listening post and this obviously overweight cyclists got to catch my breath. After waiting for the sky to brighten up a little... it happened... the first gobbler sounds off. We gather our gear and strike out in his direction. After sliding into position we throw out a few soft calls and nothing. He completely stops talking and we decide to hit the trail again. After about 200 yards we give a few yelps and a bird answers from a few hundred yards out so we cut distance and set up within 150 yards of where we thought the bird was. After a few more yelps he answers again confirming his whereabouts and all of a sudden we are in the game! After about 15 minutes of silence from him and us he shows himself in a field in full strut about 100 yards out but he has a few hens with him and is easing away. At this point we get a little aggressive and try to annoy the hens which doesn’t work, but it does peak the interest of a new gobbler that we were unaware of. The new bird gobbles once, we answer and then silence... he was closing distance and fast. He shows himself in the field and is coming in on a string. He breaks the wood line at 60 yards and is still coming. He hangs up at 40 yards looking for the hen that was just flirting. My brother calls me off due to bad footage and the bird loses interest and walks away after the first gobbler and his hens. As soon as the bird is out of sight we gather up and start to skirt him. We move about 350 yards and set up again and without calling he is fired up... gobbling and he is close. We back up against a huge white oak and set up with a small rise in front of us... two sets of yelps and silence. Less than 2 minutes after we set up he shows himself at 50 yards and coming fast. Randypoo gives me the green light and the gobbler stops at about 45 yards and the shot rings out with a bird flopping! My first gobbler hits the ground hard. One of the coolest hunts I’ve been on in a long time. I owe this one to my brother and to God! I’ve been blessed!BCFDB5A4-A9CA-48A0-AB6F-24D0C06271EE.jpegAD1CA158-427D-437F-B3D5-9310B1B82F08.jpegACAB0426-C585-420C-A11B-093CC7A8AD07.jpeg
 

antharper

“Well Rounded Outdoorsman MOD “
Staff member
Awesome hunt , congrats !!! I see he didn’t let u ride his pink Barbie bike !
 

Buckman18

Senior Member
Great job!

I cut my teeth hunting Dawson Forest and Swallow Creek. Be careful hunting around those Youngblood boys! ;)
 

bfriendly

Bigfoot friendly
Man that is an Awesome story! Super congrats! I know you were PUMPED!! Still after my first...
 

PappyHoel

Senior Member
Congrats way to go. I’m after one out there myself. I know where he lives :). Intel says the hens are on the nest now.
 
Top