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Gotta love public land

RUGER

RUGER

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We went Saturday morning to a spot of public land that not alot of people really know about.

We put the boat in and got to where I wanted to be to start.
Kinda tricky because, number one, I forgot my "map" of the area that I printed off TN Property viewer, and the property is kinda long but narrow.
Number two, my main objective was to be sure I stayed on state land and didn't get off on private property.

Well we got to where I wanted to be and about 30 minutes later I hear a truck and watch a guy put in and come DIRECTLY to where we had tied our boat up. :bash:
Man said, well that tells me we are in the right spot anyway. :D

He sees our boat and then I hear him rev up again and move to our North but couldn't really tell how far he went due to not being able to see him.

Turns out he moved about 200 yards from where we were and went up in the woods.
Sure enough right before daylight I hear a bird that was pretty close, I was guessing 150 yards maybe?
We make our move up the ridge as far as I dared and set up camp.
I made a couple real light tree yelps and held tight.
He gobbled a few minutes later so I waited a few more minutes and tree yelped and clucked a couple times.
After a few minutes he gobbled again.
Then he gobbled again. This time it sounded like he was on the ground.
I purred and clucked.
Another gobble and he was closer.
I think I purred one more time and the next time he gobbled he was closer still.
About 20 minutes later I told Man it was about time for him to gobble again or he was fixing to pop over the top of the ridge in view so I yelped at him.
About 4 minutes later.... BOOOOOM!!!!
:shock:

Best I can figure dude changed his plan and happened to set up right in the perfect spot and I called that bird right to him.
He never made a sound and about 3 minutes after the shot I heard him fire his boat up and head to the ramp. :D
I guess you could call that a success for us? LOL

We sat there about 20 more minutes and all of a sudden another bird took flight from JUST beyond the ridge (out of our view) and flew up into a tree to our left.
Not sure but I would guess he was looking for the hen he had heard and flew up to get a better view.
He finally flew off again and that was that.

I really wish I had some private land again to hunt. LOL
Heard some more birds but not being totally sure of the lines since I forgot my map I just packed it in and we left.
 
My Brother had the same thing happen Saturday morning.
Except he accessed the public land from the top and another guy came in from the bottom by boat.
Brother had 3 birds coming on a string
Dude got between them never made a sound and BOOM



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If you saw another tom then go back in there soon as you can.


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People shoot em from their boat here on the lakes. Last year I asked the kid working at the dock on Dale hollow if he'd seen many birds come in. He said yea one guy had just come by with a big one...saw him up on the bank and went over and shot him. Lol


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I can not hunt public land because of stories like yours. If I had to I would fish year round. It is just no fun for me. I am going to LBL for the draw hunt in a couple weeks for the first time in several years. Those 2 days will probably remind me why I don't hunt public land. People just have no respect anymore.
 
RUGER, Get the free Huntstand app! You can download property lines to your hunting map. It shows your position and the property lines so you know as you get closer. You can even pick 2 points and it calculates the distance between so you can see exactly how far you are from the line at any time. Plus so many other features. It is an excellent tool.
 
Spurhunter":1esnvu07 said:
RUGER, Get the free Huntstand app! You can download property lines to your hunting map. It shows your position and the property lines so you know as you get closer. You can even pick 2 points and it calculates the distance between so you can see exactly how far you are from the line at any time. Plus so many other features. It is an excellent tool.
Click to expand...

I downloaded it last week but I am apparently not smart enough to use it.
I couldn't figure out how to drop a pin or anything on it.
Gonna have to do some playing with it I guess.

Also, where I was at there is like zero cell service, so that might have been my problem too.
 
catman529":2ql7tbdj said:
If you saw another tom then go back in there soon as you can.


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Click to expand...

We heard 7 or 8 different birds but the rest of them I wasn't sure if they were on state land or not.
I will go back for sure.
Hopefully interest in the area will decrease a little as the fishing gets better.
 
RUGER":25qogkbn said:
I downloaded it last week but I am apparently not smart enough to use it.
I couldn't figure out how to drop a pin or anything on it.
Gonna have to do some playing with it I guess.

Also, where I was at there is like zero cell service, so that might have been my problem too.
Click to expand...

I probably don't know how to use all the features but if you play with it a little you'll figure out how to download the property lines to your hunting area, drop pins, and calculate distance. Also, once your map is set you don't need cell service or internet, but obviously your location service must be turned on. Once you get comfortable with it I am certain you will love it.
 
RUGER":33alk0nv said:
catman529":33alk0nv said:
If you saw another tom then go back in there soon as you can.


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Click to expand...

We heard 7 or 8 different birds but the rest of them I wasn't sure if they were on state land or not.
I will go back for sure.
Hopefully interest in the area will decrease a little as the fishing gets better.
Click to expand...
doesn't matter if they're on private or not, if they're in the mood, they can be called... :D


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Spurhunter":2508d6sn said:
RUGER, Get the free Huntstand app! You can download property lines to your hunting map. It shows your position and the property lines so you know as you get closer. You can even pick 2 points and it calculates the distance between so you can see exactly how far you are from the line at any time. Plus so many other features. It is an excellent tool.
Click to expand...

Awesome app thanks!
 
FLTENNHUNTER1":12fmkq86 said:
Spurhunter":12fmkq86 said:
RUGER, Get the free Huntstand app! You can download property lines to your hunting map. It shows your position and the property lines so you know as you get closer. You can even pick 2 points and it calculates the distance between so you can see exactly how far you are from the line at any time. Plus so many other features. It is an excellent tool.
Click to expand...

Awesome app thanks!
Click to expand...
You're welcome. I heard about it here. I used it all deer season.
 
Similar situation happened to me in Bedford Co last year.

My and a buddy had hunted this particular area of public ground a few times that week with no success at killing this one bird.

We made the walk back in there prior to sun up. We got sat up on him since we knew which way he flew down and the direction he would go. We went silent after he hit the ground waiting for him to come down the ridge.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Two other idiots came in from a different direction and got between us without making a sound and shot at the bird wounding him.

I can understand how it raises your blood pressure.


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Happens to me a couple times a yr. I've had to go so far as parking my truck a mile or so from where I plan to hunt and ride my bike the rest of the way.
2 yrs ago the same guy did it to me 2 weeks in a row.
 
This guy didn't set up between us and the bird on purpose i don't think.
He just got lucky lol.

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