megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
I whooped. Got back in from hunting a piece of private rightbon the pearl river.
Papelbon heard 1 bird gobble twice on the roost, then pitched away from him across a deep slough 2 days ago.
We figured we'd start there, so hiked in 1 mile along the interior road in the dark. Waited 30min till good gobble time, but it was dead quiet. Picked a likely spot where 4 roads come together and called for 30 min till 8, and I was confident birds were out of the trees. We then spent an unproductive 1.5 mile hike along the river with only 1 old track to even prove there was once a bird there. No scratching, nothing. We gave up and decided to hike back to the truck and hunt the front third of the property.
About 2/3 of the way back, a hen popped out on the road 300 yards in front. We tucked in the brush on the side of the road and waited... next another hen, then a third with a gobbler in tow. He strutted as he crossed the road and into the timber on the other side. We snuck close to where they cut into the woods, the we move in about 30 yards and set up. I did some light hen calling and feeding sounds, but no answer.... I didnt think we'd have any chance of pulling the Tom off the hens, so I asked my friend if he wanted to bail and head to the front third of the property and try to locate a lonely bird. He wisely said this was probably the only bird on the 700 acres and we shouldn't leave him.
I decided that if we were going to try to work this bird, we needed to loop around them and try to get ahead of them. So we backed out, made a giant loop and set up in the timber where it looked like they were headed. More soft calling falling on dead ears. I raised the tone and excitement level, and he gobbled about 125 yds away. Raised it even further and a hen cackled back, then another started yelping. I cut her off and started calling more aggressively than I think I ever had... literally nonstop racket with a pot and mouth call. The hens got so upset they wouldn't shut up either and started moving fast right to us. By this time the gobbler was also going nuts with nonstop gobbling and both us and his real hens. A few seconds later and the first two hens were at 50 yds and closing fast. I shut up, let them come to 20 yards, then I saw the 3rd hen and the gobbler following fast in a walking strut. When he got to 40 yards, I told my friend to kill him.... 'I still don't see him he said'. The 3rd hen he was following started to veer off perpendicular to us which would gradually lead them away. 'Get ready' I said, then cackled and he gobbled. KILL HIM i almost screamed! NO SHOT! YOU TAKE HIM!. NO, I said back, I'm not shooting. By now the 2 closest hens were getting suspect, and started easing off. The 3rd hen kept on the same direction, and my friend didnt get a clear look till he was 55 yds away.
We let them ease off, and I told my friend that I'm going to try to call them back. I fired off with even more aggressive cutts, pops and yelps, and the hens fired back. Sure enough, the first two hens came right back in, but the 3rd one with the gobbler continued on their same path away from us.
We waited until the group moved away, then pulled back and made a giant loop around them again to get in front. I told my friend that I pretty much put all my eggs in one basket on the last set up, and I don't think they will answer again. Unfortunately, I was right.... never could strike the gobbler or the hens again in that 1.5 mile loop. We gave up and worked our way back to the truck only finding one more set of week old tracks.
He's 67, and after 5.5 miles traveled, was ready to call it. Due to the lack of sign, I agreed and we decided to leave. Still was a great hunt, and didnt get devoured by mosquitoes until after 10am or so.
I have no idea what is going on down here this year with the birds.... usually the never gobble after fly down, but I've now been on gobbling birds 5 out of 5 hunts so far! Hope it keeps up, sure is making for a fun season!
Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk
Papelbon heard 1 bird gobble twice on the roost, then pitched away from him across a deep slough 2 days ago.
We figured we'd start there, so hiked in 1 mile along the interior road in the dark. Waited 30min till good gobble time, but it was dead quiet. Picked a likely spot where 4 roads come together and called for 30 min till 8, and I was confident birds were out of the trees. We then spent an unproductive 1.5 mile hike along the river with only 1 old track to even prove there was once a bird there. No scratching, nothing. We gave up and decided to hike back to the truck and hunt the front third of the property.
About 2/3 of the way back, a hen popped out on the road 300 yards in front. We tucked in the brush on the side of the road and waited... next another hen, then a third with a gobbler in tow. He strutted as he crossed the road and into the timber on the other side. We snuck close to where they cut into the woods, the we move in about 30 yards and set up. I did some light hen calling and feeding sounds, but no answer.... I didnt think we'd have any chance of pulling the Tom off the hens, so I asked my friend if he wanted to bail and head to the front third of the property and try to locate a lonely bird. He wisely said this was probably the only bird on the 700 acres and we shouldn't leave him.
I decided that if we were going to try to work this bird, we needed to loop around them and try to get ahead of them. So we backed out, made a giant loop and set up in the timber where it looked like they were headed. More soft calling falling on dead ears. I raised the tone and excitement level, and he gobbled about 125 yds away. Raised it even further and a hen cackled back, then another started yelping. I cut her off and started calling more aggressively than I think I ever had... literally nonstop racket with a pot and mouth call. The hens got so upset they wouldn't shut up either and started moving fast right to us. By this time the gobbler was also going nuts with nonstop gobbling and both us and his real hens. A few seconds later and the first two hens were at 50 yds and closing fast. I shut up, let them come to 20 yards, then I saw the 3rd hen and the gobbler following fast in a walking strut. When he got to 40 yards, I told my friend to kill him.... 'I still don't see him he said'. The 3rd hen he was following started to veer off perpendicular to us which would gradually lead them away. 'Get ready' I said, then cackled and he gobbled. KILL HIM i almost screamed! NO SHOT! YOU TAKE HIM!. NO, I said back, I'm not shooting. By now the 2 closest hens were getting suspect, and started easing off. The 3rd hen kept on the same direction, and my friend didnt get a clear look till he was 55 yds away.
We let them ease off, and I told my friend that I'm going to try to call them back. I fired off with even more aggressive cutts, pops and yelps, and the hens fired back. Sure enough, the first two hens came right back in, but the 3rd one with the gobbler continued on their same path away from us.
We waited until the group moved away, then pulled back and made a giant loop around them again to get in front. I told my friend that I pretty much put all my eggs in one basket on the last set up, and I don't think they will answer again. Unfortunately, I was right.... never could strike the gobbler or the hens again in that 1.5 mile loop. We gave up and worked our way back to the truck only finding one more set of week old tracks.
He's 67, and after 5.5 miles traveled, was ready to call it. Due to the lack of sign, I agreed and we decided to leave. Still was a great hunt, and didnt get devoured by mosquitoes until after 10am or so.
I have no idea what is going on down here this year with the birds.... usually the never gobble after fly down, but I've now been on gobbling birds 5 out of 5 hunts so far! Hope it keeps up, sure is making for a fun season!
Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk
