themanpcl
Well-Known Member
Hunting private 4/3/21. Landowner tells me where he heard them Fri night. Got to the woods 1 hr before daylight. While getting ready, heard a gobble..opposite of where landowner heard night before. I ease that way, up through the woods. Still hearing gobble, then 2. Get to what I thought was 50 yds from gobblers. Still dark, flashlight pointing down to keep from breaking sticks. Find tree. Set gear down, take a leak, settle in. Facing the gobblers as it gets more light. Seems I have planted myself in the middle of 5 hens who never made a peep on my way in. All within 30 yds. Thought I was busted. As they prep for flydown I figured they would land a mile away. Dropped no more than 30 yds from me up the ridge. Then the gobblers sound off again. Luck changed. Feeling good. Light calling to get their attention. Response from hens and gobblers. Saw 1 hen at 40 yds. Gobblers never got within sight. Hear flock easing away from me. Called for about 15 mins. Finally got response from hen moving closer and then a gobble...but behind me. Not where I was facing. I turn head to locate tom. Hes coming down the ridge at about 35 yds. I see the beard and hes a shooter. He walks within about 30 yds and as I ease the gun around and ready for the shot...hes on the neighbors side of fence and does not cross. Strike 1. So I remain patient. Kept calling for about 30 mins. Nothing coming to me and flock sounds distant so I moved away from the flock back in the woods. Found a spot with a lot of scratching so I stopped and set up. Calling a little. After another 30 mins I get a good response. I thought I had the hens coming as I cut them off every time they called. I see a good size bird heading my way. As I already knew where the fence was, I wasn't excited that I would get him to cross but he kept coming. As he got within 40 yds I noticed... Jake (not from state farm..lol) So I stopped calling, he didnt. For about 5 mins, he kept looking for me and making noise. Feeling dejected, he went back to the flock and I waited for about 15 mins and backed out of the area. I went back to the other side of the property where the landowner heard birds Fri night. Nothing in the woods, in the field and no noise. Recalling Catman and The Hunting Public videos, I slowly moved back to the area the flock was headed but I angled to the area I thought them to be headed. I moved up the ridge listening for birds. I stopped and gave the Talking Stick call a few hits. Gobbler sounded off and he was closer than before. I worked my way closer and found a spot. Got set up and he was coming in fast. Got the gun pointed the right direction and tried to get my phone cam on (action cam batteries both dead so using phone). Saw the gobbler so no video, had to set up. He came in on a string. Strutted and was looking for me. Got behind a tree so I could get perfectly set up. He popped neck out on left of tree, then right of tree, then left again. Sun was at such an angle that looking down my gun at the sights and the bird, seemed like just shadows. He popped out on the right again, I chirped, he stretched, trigger pulled, boom rocked the woods...bird dropped and flopped. He dead (lol, Catman). 20#, 8 1/2" beard, 1" spurs, 47" long. First gobbler in a few years and first opening morning gobbler in many years. This is why I keep chasing them every year. So much fun.
