String Music
Well-Known Member
An absolute beautiful morning. The fog was heavy so I hunted high. I had heard a bird in this area last week but I was afraid most the birds would be around the fields with the rain yesterday.
I climbed up about 3/4 of the mountain to a good listening spot. The first and only two birds I heard were on the same elevation line about 300 yards away. I cut the distance in half and set up on a nice open bench. I let them gobble for awhile before pulling out a call. After not hearing a hen, I did a couple soft yelps and clicks on my maple slate and both birds cut me off. I put the call away.
The continued to gobble for several more minutes. I watched one fly down away from me. I heard the other one pitch down but wasn't sure what direction he went. I let out a soft yelp and was cut off by one of the gobblers. I saw both gobblers meet on the bench and start heading my way. The gobbler with the deeper gobble was the one doing the strutting.
They got writhing 40 yards and I got ready for the shot. Unfortunately, they both went behind a rise in the bench and I lost sight of them. I kept scanning the bench looking for two periscopes but never saw them. A few minutes later they both gobbled to my right below the bench. I swung around to the right and starting clucking and purring. They ate it up. I had to throw my calls back to the left to try and pull them up where I could get a shot. I had a deadfall to my right and couldn't swing and farther.
Finally, I saw two red heads coming up straight in front of me. They looked around for a few seconds and then both gobbled right on top of me at 25 yards. The strutter finally separated and the 20 gauge ended the epic hunt.
The maple slate with persimmon striker is quickly becoming my favorite. I tested it out some more after killing this bird and had one fired up.
Here's some pics of the spot I killed him.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I climbed up about 3/4 of the mountain to a good listening spot. The first and only two birds I heard were on the same elevation line about 300 yards away. I cut the distance in half and set up on a nice open bench. I let them gobble for awhile before pulling out a call. After not hearing a hen, I did a couple soft yelps and clicks on my maple slate and both birds cut me off. I put the call away.
The continued to gobble for several more minutes. I watched one fly down away from me. I heard the other one pitch down but wasn't sure what direction he went. I let out a soft yelp and was cut off by one of the gobblers. I saw both gobblers meet on the bench and start heading my way. The gobbler with the deeper gobble was the one doing the strutting.
They got writhing 40 yards and I got ready for the shot. Unfortunately, they both went behind a rise in the bench and I lost sight of them. I kept scanning the bench looking for two periscopes but never saw them. A few minutes later they both gobbled to my right below the bench. I swung around to the right and starting clucking and purring. They ate it up. I had to throw my calls back to the left to try and pull them up where I could get a shot. I had a deadfall to my right and couldn't swing and farther.
Finally, I saw two red heads coming up straight in front of me. They looked around for a few seconds and then both gobbled right on top of me at 25 yards. The strutter finally separated and the 20 gauge ended the epic hunt.
The maple slate with persimmon striker is quickly becoming my favorite. I tested it out some more after killing this bird and had one fired up.
Here's some pics of the spot I killed him.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
