TN Larry
Well-Known Member
It seems like it has been forever since I've had a good weather morning to hunt so I decided to take a vacation day today. It's also one year today since I had back surgery.
So, I got on this bird about 7 this morning gobbling like crazy. He was in the exact same spot that I chased a bird last year on the day that my back went all the way out. That was probably a mistake chasing that bird up the steep hill but seemed like a good idea at the time. :tu: Anyways, I was below him about 200 yards and had to come up a drain to get to him. Both sides of the drain were super steep with several 4 or 5 foot waterfalls, but it flattened and bowled out at the head of the drain. I was hoping to get to the bowl to set up on him. He was free gobbling about every 3 or 4 minutes. I stopped just shy of a little rise that fell into the bowl to see how close I was to him, and he gobbled maybe 75 yards on the other side of the rise. I had to set up there even though not my preference. The rise between us was great but the terrain to me wasn't. I got set down and called to him with a mouth call, and to my surprise no gobble. I waited a few minutes and called again with still no gobble. I decided to let him make the next move. He gobbled about 5 minutes later still in the bowl to my left. I stayed silent, and he gobbled again after about another five minutes still in the bowl but now in front of me. I waited a few minutes and called again. He gobbled again about 5 minutes later still in the bowl but to my right. I waited a few minutes and yelped a couple soft sequences on the crystal mistress and put it down. It was another few minutes, and he gobbled still in the bowl but to my left. He was strutting back and forth on the flat, not wanting to come around the steep hillside, and wanting me to come to him. I was pretty sure then that the set up wasn't going to work and hoping that if he didn't come that he would go on up the hollow so I could reposition and call him back. He wasn't budging though, and I was stuck. After a few minutes of silence, I reached for the crystal mistress to purr softly and scratch the leaves. About the time I purred, he gobbled directly in front of me and sounded a little closer. I put the call down, scratched the leaves, and got my gun back up. I was scanning left to right for movement and finally saw movement to my right above me. I wasn't 100% sure it was movement and maybe a squirrel. I then saw it again, and yep he couldn't stand it. He had to come take a peek. He was in full strut and turned so I took the opportunity to swing my gun to him. He came out of strut as he was cresting the rise. He was within range then but coming and in some thick stuff. I was going to let him get to about 30 yards in the clear to shoot him. He went back into the strut and came a few yards closer. He stopped at about 40 yards, maybe a little closer, went to half strut and took a step or two up the hill away from me. He ran his head up just enough for me to find it clearly in the red dot so I went ahead and shot. There was another bird behind him that I think was a jake. He turned a back flip but then proceeded to flop over the steep hill and get in the branch which doesn't make for good pics. He was a lady's man as he didn't have the first feather on his breast bone, and the tips of his wings were worn down. Those poor hens are probably glad he's gone. :lol:
It's the most exciting hunt that I've been on this year and sweet revenge on the one year anniversary of my back surgery. I'll take it and ready for in the morning to try to put my son on his final bird of the year.
870 20 Gauge Compact
Hand Rolled TSS #9
21.9 lbs
7/8" spurs
9.25" beard
So, I got on this bird about 7 this morning gobbling like crazy. He was in the exact same spot that I chased a bird last year on the day that my back went all the way out. That was probably a mistake chasing that bird up the steep hill but seemed like a good idea at the time. :tu: Anyways, I was below him about 200 yards and had to come up a drain to get to him. Both sides of the drain were super steep with several 4 or 5 foot waterfalls, but it flattened and bowled out at the head of the drain. I was hoping to get to the bowl to set up on him. He was free gobbling about every 3 or 4 minutes. I stopped just shy of a little rise that fell into the bowl to see how close I was to him, and he gobbled maybe 75 yards on the other side of the rise. I had to set up there even though not my preference. The rise between us was great but the terrain to me wasn't. I got set down and called to him with a mouth call, and to my surprise no gobble. I waited a few minutes and called again with still no gobble. I decided to let him make the next move. He gobbled about 5 minutes later still in the bowl to my left. I stayed silent, and he gobbled again after about another five minutes still in the bowl but now in front of me. I waited a few minutes and called again. He gobbled again about 5 minutes later still in the bowl but to my right. I waited a few minutes and yelped a couple soft sequences on the crystal mistress and put it down. It was another few minutes, and he gobbled still in the bowl but to my left. He was strutting back and forth on the flat, not wanting to come around the steep hillside, and wanting me to come to him. I was pretty sure then that the set up wasn't going to work and hoping that if he didn't come that he would go on up the hollow so I could reposition and call him back. He wasn't budging though, and I was stuck. After a few minutes of silence, I reached for the crystal mistress to purr softly and scratch the leaves. About the time I purred, he gobbled directly in front of me and sounded a little closer. I put the call down, scratched the leaves, and got my gun back up. I was scanning left to right for movement and finally saw movement to my right above me. I wasn't 100% sure it was movement and maybe a squirrel. I then saw it again, and yep he couldn't stand it. He had to come take a peek. He was in full strut and turned so I took the opportunity to swing my gun to him. He came out of strut as he was cresting the rise. He was within range then but coming and in some thick stuff. I was going to let him get to about 30 yards in the clear to shoot him. He went back into the strut and came a few yards closer. He stopped at about 40 yards, maybe a little closer, went to half strut and took a step or two up the hill away from me. He ran his head up just enough for me to find it clearly in the red dot so I went ahead and shot. There was another bird behind him that I think was a jake. He turned a back flip but then proceeded to flop over the steep hill and get in the branch which doesn't make for good pics. He was a lady's man as he didn't have the first feather on his breast bone, and the tips of his wings were worn down. Those poor hens are probably glad he's gone. :lol:
It's the most exciting hunt that I've been on this year and sweet revenge on the one year anniversary of my back surgery. I'll take it and ready for in the morning to try to put my son on his final bird of the year.
870 20 Gauge Compact
Hand Rolled TSS #9
21.9 lbs
7/8" spurs
9.25" beard
