megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Got up here Thursday eve. Went out early Fri to tie a few to the tree for this am. First place I pulled into 15 min before legal shooting time, had 2 start to hammer 5 minutes after I parked the truck. They were roosted on my property line, perfect place as they always pitch into my field at flydown. I left them hammering to locate others. Spent another 100 miles on the truck and another couple miles on foot scouting, pulling trail cams, and talking to locals to figure out what else was around. Total blank. I did find 6 longbeards directly across the road from the house, but none on my side of this farm.
I figured the two very vocal birds would roost about the same spot as Fri am, so I wasn't worried. I got Ethan up at 445, we skipped breakfast, and headed out. We were set up by 530, but the moon was BRIGHT. I hoped we didn't spook any on the way in. About 6, both started hammering again, but unfortunately they were roosted 200 yards off the property in a large wooded block. I didn't have much hope, as they usually head the other way when roosted in that location. A few minutes later, a couple more sounded off 1000 yards to the north, just off my property. After the birds we were on flew down, they gave a couple courtesy gobbles on the ground following their hens to a field off the property to the south. Once the birds to the north flew down, we decided to move on them. After 45 minutes or so, we got set up on them, and talked back and forth with them 100 yards off the property, but I wasn't good enough to convince their hens to come to me. They headed the other way after about 30 minutes, and we bailed and proceeded to start covering ground as much and as fast as possible
We ended up going about 4 miles without another gobble or bird sighted, then took a break for breakfast. Headed back out after 30 minutes, covered another 2 miles, not another bird or gobble. Ethan's feet were hurting due to poor fitting shoes and wet feet. I dropped him off and did another 2 miles and only managed to call up 2 hens. The highlight of the morning was I did have a chance to bushwack a jake
We headed for lunch at 2pm, then I told Ethan we needed to go back to where we heard the 2 on the roost that morning. He was wiped out and I couldn't get him off the couch, so I headed out alone. I checked a farm that we hadn't seen or heard anything earlier that day or the day before, and found a strutter with 5 hens in a location that I knew I could get to within 75 yards without spooking them. I backed out, circled around in the truck, and headed out to hike in on them. About 100 yards after leaving the truck, and still about 500 yards to go to get to the strutter, I spotted the top quarter of a fan over a rise about 75 yards away. Binoculars confirmed there were 2 full fans, plus at least 2 hens just over the rise. I ducked down, put on the facemask and gloves, and used the hill to get to about 50 yards. I laid down on the open ground and gave a 6 note yelp immediately followed by a purr then cluck. Several jakes yelped back close to the fans, and within 30s, they were coming over the hill to me. The gobblers just couldn't stand having the jakes get to me first, and I saw the tops of their fans collapse and they both came marching. Once they cleared the rise, I cutt aggressively, and shot the one that broke strut and stuck his neck up at 25 yards. He twitched once, no flopping. His buddy double gobbled and went back into strut, and I wished Ethan had been with me to double up. After a few minutes, the 3 jakes and the remaining LB eased off the hill and I claimed my prize.
Not sure if he was 2 or 3, was 20.5lbs, 7/8in spurs, 9.5in beard. One of the hardest days mentally in the field, and it all changed in a 5 minute hunt. I was glad to take him with Ethan's 20g 870 youth compact, after toting my sp10 all day long. Unless something changes and new birds move it, looks like this year is going to be the toughest one yet.
I figured the two very vocal birds would roost about the same spot as Fri am, so I wasn't worried. I got Ethan up at 445, we skipped breakfast, and headed out. We were set up by 530, but the moon was BRIGHT. I hoped we didn't spook any on the way in. About 6, both started hammering again, but unfortunately they were roosted 200 yards off the property in a large wooded block. I didn't have much hope, as they usually head the other way when roosted in that location. A few minutes later, a couple more sounded off 1000 yards to the north, just off my property. After the birds we were on flew down, they gave a couple courtesy gobbles on the ground following their hens to a field off the property to the south. Once the birds to the north flew down, we decided to move on them. After 45 minutes or so, we got set up on them, and talked back and forth with them 100 yards off the property, but I wasn't good enough to convince their hens to come to me. They headed the other way after about 30 minutes, and we bailed and proceeded to start covering ground as much and as fast as possible
We ended up going about 4 miles without another gobble or bird sighted, then took a break for breakfast. Headed back out after 30 minutes, covered another 2 miles, not another bird or gobble. Ethan's feet were hurting due to poor fitting shoes and wet feet. I dropped him off and did another 2 miles and only managed to call up 2 hens. The highlight of the morning was I did have a chance to bushwack a jake
We headed for lunch at 2pm, then I told Ethan we needed to go back to where we heard the 2 on the roost that morning. He was wiped out and I couldn't get him off the couch, so I headed out alone. I checked a farm that we hadn't seen or heard anything earlier that day or the day before, and found a strutter with 5 hens in a location that I knew I could get to within 75 yards without spooking them. I backed out, circled around in the truck, and headed out to hike in on them. About 100 yards after leaving the truck, and still about 500 yards to go to get to the strutter, I spotted the top quarter of a fan over a rise about 75 yards away. Binoculars confirmed there were 2 full fans, plus at least 2 hens just over the rise. I ducked down, put on the facemask and gloves, and used the hill to get to about 50 yards. I laid down on the open ground and gave a 6 note yelp immediately followed by a purr then cluck. Several jakes yelped back close to the fans, and within 30s, they were coming over the hill to me. The gobblers just couldn't stand having the jakes get to me first, and I saw the tops of their fans collapse and they both came marching. Once they cleared the rise, I cutt aggressively, and shot the one that broke strut and stuck his neck up at 25 yards. He twitched once, no flopping. His buddy double gobbled and went back into strut, and I wished Ethan had been with me to double up. After a few minutes, the 3 jakes and the remaining LB eased off the hill and I claimed my prize.
Not sure if he was 2 or 3, was 20.5lbs, 7/8in spurs, 9.5in beard. One of the hardest days mentally in the field, and it all changed in a 5 minute hunt. I was glad to take him with Ethan's 20g 870 youth compact, after toting my sp10 all day long. Unless something changes and new birds move it, looks like this year is going to be the toughest one yet.
