Carlos
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2014
- Messages
- 5,351
Today's hunt was so awesome, I had to tell it once more, since I have time to explain it better.
Well this morning was almost perfect. I was drinking the last few sips of coffee at the truck, listening for vocalizations, when a Gobbler sounded off nearby. I grabbed my Mossberg and headed down the hill to make it across the creek and back up the next ridge before daylight broke. He kept gobbling as I made my way closer. Once I was within about 100 yards of him, I made a few soft yelps. He answered back a couple of times, and I started to get somewhat nervous. The setup I'd thrown together in haste didn't seem ideal, and as I went over everything in my head, there was one thing for sure. He was coming in fast!
I scratched in the leaves a few times, and called sparingly. Then I saw his white head at 40 yards moving to my left. He gobbled again and nearly blew the hat off my head this time. (I was about to fall apart right there.) He was within range, but there was some brush between us, and I was hoping he would move back towards the right, into an opening. After what seemed like forever, really only took 5 minutes, he eased back to the right. I watched him strutting from 35 yards, burning me down with his keen eyesight. I squinted my eyes, in the hopes that he wouldn't see me blink. I tried my best to hold the shotgun steady, but it was shaking in my hands! What was going on here? (It was like the Mossberg was electric, and I scolded myself, because I just knew I was going to miss.)
This turkey had me rattled to the core. He went in and out of strut twice and as he finally moved into the opening, I fired, still shaking like a rookie who couldn't hold it together. He went down, and I made it home to show the kiddos before they went to school. He was 20.5 lbs, with a 10.5 inch beard, and 1.25 inch spurs.
This ole bird had given me the slip several times, but it finally came together.
I sat there and tried to regain my composure, but that just wasn't happening. I thought about how blessed I was to witness such an experience, and also of how this old warrior finally slipped up. He wouldn't be there any longer to cast his thunder thru the treetops, or show off his glorious display, strutting for his Hens. It was, I must say a bittersweet moment in time, that I'll never forget.
I've only killed 2 other Gobblers, in my life, thos being my 3rd, and they were all taken at the same public land. Myself, I've imposed a (personal) 1 bird limit, because one trip like that per year is more than enough for me. Wow, what a morning, I still get tore up just telling the story for you all!
If you watch the videos, you can actually see the tremors set in. I'm usually not as shaken like this, it had to have been the coffee, right?
Best of luck to you guys out there! I hope you all are fortunate enough to have a similar encounter this season.
Well this morning was almost perfect. I was drinking the last few sips of coffee at the truck, listening for vocalizations, when a Gobbler sounded off nearby. I grabbed my Mossberg and headed down the hill to make it across the creek and back up the next ridge before daylight broke. He kept gobbling as I made my way closer. Once I was within about 100 yards of him, I made a few soft yelps. He answered back a couple of times, and I started to get somewhat nervous. The setup I'd thrown together in haste didn't seem ideal, and as I went over everything in my head, there was one thing for sure. He was coming in fast!
I scratched in the leaves a few times, and called sparingly. Then I saw his white head at 40 yards moving to my left. He gobbled again and nearly blew the hat off my head this time. (I was about to fall apart right there.) He was within range, but there was some brush between us, and I was hoping he would move back towards the right, into an opening. After what seemed like forever, really only took 5 minutes, he eased back to the right. I watched him strutting from 35 yards, burning me down with his keen eyesight. I squinted my eyes, in the hopes that he wouldn't see me blink. I tried my best to hold the shotgun steady, but it was shaking in my hands! What was going on here? (It was like the Mossberg was electric, and I scolded myself, because I just knew I was going to miss.)
This turkey had me rattled to the core. He went in and out of strut twice and as he finally moved into the opening, I fired, still shaking like a rookie who couldn't hold it together. He went down, and I made it home to show the kiddos before they went to school. He was 20.5 lbs, with a 10.5 inch beard, and 1.25 inch spurs.
This ole bird had given me the slip several times, but it finally came together.
I sat there and tried to regain my composure, but that just wasn't happening. I thought about how blessed I was to witness such an experience, and also of how this old warrior finally slipped up. He wouldn't be there any longer to cast his thunder thru the treetops, or show off his glorious display, strutting for his Hens. It was, I must say a bittersweet moment in time, that I'll never forget.
I've only killed 2 other Gobblers, in my life, thos being my 3rd, and they were all taken at the same public land. Myself, I've imposed a (personal) 1 bird limit, because one trip like that per year is more than enough for me. Wow, what a morning, I still get tore up just telling the story for you all!
If you watch the videos, you can actually see the tremors set in. I'm usually not as shaken like this, it had to have been the coffee, right?
Best of luck to you guys out there! I hope you all are fortunate enough to have a similar encounter this season.
