megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
I'm really proud of this bird. The hunt itself was spectacular although it concluded far too soon. I wish I could bottle that anticipatory feeling of working a bird to get me through the off season.
As most if you know, I'm a run and gunner. I've probably moved past silent birds this year that heard my call but didnt respond and I kept moving on. I just dont get any satisfaction out of ambushing, or setting up shop calling for hours hoping to kill a tom sneaking in. If they aren't gobbling and searching for me, I'd rather they live another day to hoping their mood changes in the days ahead and get in the mood to play the game the right way. When I pulled the trigger today, I had logged 20 miles over the past 2 weeks. This bird gave me the first reason to sit down and actually use the $30 vest with cushion seat I bought last year in the off season.
My local lease was covered in birds last year. Not sure what happened, but it's nearly devoid of birds this year. I havent heard a gobble, and havent even seen a hen until Sat am. I've cut 2 gobbler tracks in 17 miles walking, and evidence of a single bird scratching.
I live 30 min away from the Desoto National Forest, so I started studying maps and satellite images of the Forest as a backup plan 3w ago. It's broken up with parcels of private mixed in with the public. I found a small (640ac) block of national forest that joined private on 2 sides. And according to satellite photos, there were food plots scattered in the private pine timber about 1 mile hike away through the public. My thought process was that most deer hunters fling corn all winter long, as well as many spring turkey hunters. There aren't many birds left on Desoto, but that seemed to me the best way to start.
I hiked in there a couple weeks ago, didnt strike a bird, but did find some scratching in a hardwood drain about halfway into the public towards the private. Def more sign than I had found on my lease. I hiked to the high spots on ridges and marked them as listening spots. Having my gameplan for a later date, I turned my focus back to my local lease.
This morning was the first opportunity I've had to get back to the public. I pulled into my parking spot at 8am after getting off work. No vehicles there, but some tire tracks that were made during the weekend. I spent the next 1.5h hiking in and calling from the ridges, without a peep in response. My loop out was going to carry me on the ridge above the long drain I had found scratching earlier. I threw a series of calls down a side drain toward the main drain, and a tom immediately responded 300 to 350y away. Unbelievably satisfying to hear my first gobble of the year! I got over the initial shock of a bird finally answering me and ran 75yds down the side drain to the main drain. I called again, he immediately hammered back, but sounded even further away. I ran another 75 yards down the drain and called again. Even further away still. Oh well, it was great just hearing a bird respond. I was beginning to question my calling before that. I assumed he had hens and they were leading him away, but I have all day, water, snacks, and this comfy butt cushion on the new vest so i figured I'd wait him out. I set up 60yds from where the side drain meets the main drain, about 20yds off the spine of the side drain, giving me a 45yd shot to the opposite side spine. I opened up the whole bag of tricks in about 60 seconds of nonstop calling with everything thrown in from jake yelps to kee kee whines and cutts. No response. I'm pretty comfortable here on the side of the slope, so I'll just give him a few....
20 min later I soft called. Nothing. I let out a series of loud cutts and yelps and the tom immediately thundered back 60 yards away just over the spine opposite from me. What the heck? He is freaking on top of me! Safety off, sight turned on, gun at the ready. I can hear him spitting and drumming just over the opposite spine. I scratch the leaves... nothing. After 5 minutes I can no longer hear him spit, so I call softly. Nothing. Louder 3 yelps and he hammers back 60 yards away but 90 deg to my left directly down the drain. I reposition but still cant see him. Nothing for a couple minutes, then I can hear him spitting and drumming coming up my ridge just over the rise 45 degrees more to my left. CRAP, I'm screwed, woods are way too open in that direction, and when he pops his head over the rise at 20yds, I'm going to get busted before I can confirm he's a longbeard. The drumming stops, I'm looking for a blue head, but nothing. And nothing. And nothing. I weigh the risks of moving before he loses interest and take my hand off the trigger and scratch the leaves again. BOOM, thunder gobble 25yds away on top of the spine, but 90 degrees more to my left, almost behind me. I slowly turn, and catch a glimpse of him strut over the spine headed right for me. Hes 20yds away, I have zero cover in that direction, but hes beelining right to me. Then, a glimmer of hope! Hes going to cross behind a 6in tree if he stays on the current path. A few more steps, and I swing the last 45 degrees, get my sight picture just as he clears the tree and breaks strut and looks at me with the 'oh $hit' expression. Thank goodness I didnt hit him with the full payload. He was 15 yards when I pulled the trigger, so his head isn't too buggered up. Instant fold, very little flop, and I had just killed my first bird of 2020... and on public no less!
Snapped some pics, texted friends, then just savored what had to have been one of the most exhilarating hunts I've ever had. Unreal he worked 270 degrees around me just out of gun range before completely committing.
Good bird to boot. 3yo with exactly 1in spurs, 9.5in beard. Pretty heavy for down here, I'd estimate 18lbs. Beautiful coloration, you could almost claim he came from Florida as dark as his wings are.
Couple old small wounds from pellets in the breast and thigh, but seem to be at least 2-3 weeks old?
Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk
As most if you know, I'm a run and gunner. I've probably moved past silent birds this year that heard my call but didnt respond and I kept moving on. I just dont get any satisfaction out of ambushing, or setting up shop calling for hours hoping to kill a tom sneaking in. If they aren't gobbling and searching for me, I'd rather they live another day to hoping their mood changes in the days ahead and get in the mood to play the game the right way. When I pulled the trigger today, I had logged 20 miles over the past 2 weeks. This bird gave me the first reason to sit down and actually use the $30 vest with cushion seat I bought last year in the off season.
My local lease was covered in birds last year. Not sure what happened, but it's nearly devoid of birds this year. I havent heard a gobble, and havent even seen a hen until Sat am. I've cut 2 gobbler tracks in 17 miles walking, and evidence of a single bird scratching.
I live 30 min away from the Desoto National Forest, so I started studying maps and satellite images of the Forest as a backup plan 3w ago. It's broken up with parcels of private mixed in with the public. I found a small (640ac) block of national forest that joined private on 2 sides. And according to satellite photos, there were food plots scattered in the private pine timber about 1 mile hike away through the public. My thought process was that most deer hunters fling corn all winter long, as well as many spring turkey hunters. There aren't many birds left on Desoto, but that seemed to me the best way to start.
I hiked in there a couple weeks ago, didnt strike a bird, but did find some scratching in a hardwood drain about halfway into the public towards the private. Def more sign than I had found on my lease. I hiked to the high spots on ridges and marked them as listening spots. Having my gameplan for a later date, I turned my focus back to my local lease.
This morning was the first opportunity I've had to get back to the public. I pulled into my parking spot at 8am after getting off work. No vehicles there, but some tire tracks that were made during the weekend. I spent the next 1.5h hiking in and calling from the ridges, without a peep in response. My loop out was going to carry me on the ridge above the long drain I had found scratching earlier. I threw a series of calls down a side drain toward the main drain, and a tom immediately responded 300 to 350y away. Unbelievably satisfying to hear my first gobble of the year! I got over the initial shock of a bird finally answering me and ran 75yds down the side drain to the main drain. I called again, he immediately hammered back, but sounded even further away. I ran another 75 yards down the drain and called again. Even further away still. Oh well, it was great just hearing a bird respond. I was beginning to question my calling before that. I assumed he had hens and they were leading him away, but I have all day, water, snacks, and this comfy butt cushion on the new vest so i figured I'd wait him out. I set up 60yds from where the side drain meets the main drain, about 20yds off the spine of the side drain, giving me a 45yd shot to the opposite side spine. I opened up the whole bag of tricks in about 60 seconds of nonstop calling with everything thrown in from jake yelps to kee kee whines and cutts. No response. I'm pretty comfortable here on the side of the slope, so I'll just give him a few....
20 min later I soft called. Nothing. I let out a series of loud cutts and yelps and the tom immediately thundered back 60 yards away just over the spine opposite from me. What the heck? He is freaking on top of me! Safety off, sight turned on, gun at the ready. I can hear him spitting and drumming just over the opposite spine. I scratch the leaves... nothing. After 5 minutes I can no longer hear him spit, so I call softly. Nothing. Louder 3 yelps and he hammers back 60 yards away but 90 deg to my left directly down the drain. I reposition but still cant see him. Nothing for a couple minutes, then I can hear him spitting and drumming coming up my ridge just over the rise 45 degrees more to my left. CRAP, I'm screwed, woods are way too open in that direction, and when he pops his head over the rise at 20yds, I'm going to get busted before I can confirm he's a longbeard. The drumming stops, I'm looking for a blue head, but nothing. And nothing. And nothing. I weigh the risks of moving before he loses interest and take my hand off the trigger and scratch the leaves again. BOOM, thunder gobble 25yds away on top of the spine, but 90 degrees more to my left, almost behind me. I slowly turn, and catch a glimpse of him strut over the spine headed right for me. Hes 20yds away, I have zero cover in that direction, but hes beelining right to me. Then, a glimmer of hope! Hes going to cross behind a 6in tree if he stays on the current path. A few more steps, and I swing the last 45 degrees, get my sight picture just as he clears the tree and breaks strut and looks at me with the 'oh $hit' expression. Thank goodness I didnt hit him with the full payload. He was 15 yards when I pulled the trigger, so his head isn't too buggered up. Instant fold, very little flop, and I had just killed my first bird of 2020... and on public no less!
Snapped some pics, texted friends, then just savored what had to have been one of the most exhilarating hunts I've ever had. Unreal he worked 270 degrees around me just out of gun range before completely committing.
Good bird to boot. 3yo with exactly 1in spurs, 9.5in beard. Pretty heavy for down here, I'd estimate 18lbs. Beautiful coloration, you could almost claim he came from Florida as dark as his wings are.
Couple old small wounds from pellets in the breast and thigh, but seem to be at least 2-3 weeks old?
Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk
arty:
