Grizzly Johnson
Well-Known Member
This past weekend and THANKS to a fellow member who took us on some private property... he knows who he is!!!
We set up on some gobbling birds about daylight.... in the outer bend of a small "U" shaped field... that has a little drainage ditch, that drains away from the open end of the U, and is also surrounded by a little finger of trees. At flydown a pair of gobblers strutted/gobbled right up our side of the U towards us. They were with 6-8 hens just out of range. We were both ready for a shot at a double.... two hens came into the decoys, but the gobblers stayed with the other hens just out of range.... After a bit, they went back away from us and over the rise towards the middle of the U.
We were forced to make a move as Mrs. G. was too tore up to sit still. We decided to circle around towards the open end of the U by easing down off the ridge into the woods. We got as close as I wanted to observe them to see what they were doing and where they were headed. By that time they were on the opposite leg of the U and just strutting and dancing with the hens. Every so often the boss bird would gobble and go right back into strut. As we sat there calling and watching the reactions, a gobbler came up behind us and we were busted. He went back off into the holler the the way he came... I yelped on my pot call to try and drown out his alarm putts.
We watched some subordinate toms get run off by the boss gobblers buddy.... I kept giving occasional yelps and excited cutts to try and persuade the boss to come check us out. Mrs. G. was having a hard time being patient and wanted to take a break. I told her as long as there were birds in the field and gobbling, there weren't going to be any breaks!
Finally the hens started to spread out and move off leaving the toms.... I kept calling trying to peak some interest. Our "guide" stood up for a better look around.... all of a sudden he said "Here they come, right to us.... right down her gun barrel!" Due to the little rise in front of us and me sitting down, I her and I couldn't see them yet. I had been calling so I wasn't holding my gun... and I wasn't sure exactly where they were or if I had time to get ready for a shot.
I looked over at him and said "How far out?", his reply was "20 yards!" I look back to the field and up popped 2 red/gray heads coming right to us. The boss broke into strut and his buddy just looked around... I told her to shoot the strutter but a limb was blocking her clear view. So I told her to shoot the one on the left, she said "NO, I want the strutter on the right!" Well they were getting nervous and finally at 25 yards he got clear and she let the hammer down on the ole 870sm with Win. Sup HV #5's.
The BOSS gobbler hit the ground at 9:30 and his sidekick hit the woods by the drainage ditch... I tried for a double but it just didn't happen.
We all had a great hunt and it was a mental fight from daylight to 9:30... I always second guess my moves, but patience seems to pay off more times than not.
22 lbs, 10.25" beard, & 1-3/16 spurs.
We set up on some gobbling birds about daylight.... in the outer bend of a small "U" shaped field... that has a little drainage ditch, that drains away from the open end of the U, and is also surrounded by a little finger of trees. At flydown a pair of gobblers strutted/gobbled right up our side of the U towards us. They were with 6-8 hens just out of range. We were both ready for a shot at a double.... two hens came into the decoys, but the gobblers stayed with the other hens just out of range.... After a bit, they went back away from us and over the rise towards the middle of the U.
We were forced to make a move as Mrs. G. was too tore up to sit still. We decided to circle around towards the open end of the U by easing down off the ridge into the woods. We got as close as I wanted to observe them to see what they were doing and where they were headed. By that time they were on the opposite leg of the U and just strutting and dancing with the hens. Every so often the boss bird would gobble and go right back into strut. As we sat there calling and watching the reactions, a gobbler came up behind us and we were busted. He went back off into the holler the the way he came... I yelped on my pot call to try and drown out his alarm putts.
We watched some subordinate toms get run off by the boss gobblers buddy.... I kept giving occasional yelps and excited cutts to try and persuade the boss to come check us out. Mrs. G. was having a hard time being patient and wanted to take a break. I told her as long as there were birds in the field and gobbling, there weren't going to be any breaks!
Finally the hens started to spread out and move off leaving the toms.... I kept calling trying to peak some interest. Our "guide" stood up for a better look around.... all of a sudden he said "Here they come, right to us.... right down her gun barrel!" Due to the little rise in front of us and me sitting down, I her and I couldn't see them yet. I had been calling so I wasn't holding my gun... and I wasn't sure exactly where they were or if I had time to get ready for a shot.
I looked over at him and said "How far out?", his reply was "20 yards!" I look back to the field and up popped 2 red/gray heads coming right to us. The boss broke into strut and his buddy just looked around... I told her to shoot the strutter but a limb was blocking her clear view. So I told her to shoot the one on the left, she said "NO, I want the strutter on the right!" Well they were getting nervous and finally at 25 yards he got clear and she let the hammer down on the ole 870sm with Win. Sup HV #5's.
The BOSS gobbler hit the ground at 9:30 and his sidekick hit the woods by the drainage ditch... I tried for a double but it just didn't happen.
We all had a great hunt and it was a mental fight from daylight to 9:30... I always second guess my moves, but patience seems to pay off more times than not.
22 lbs, 10.25" beard, & 1-3/16 spurs.
