Post by nybuckstalker on May 5, 2014 15:06:47 GMT -5
Stats: 19.9 lbs, 11” beard, 1 ¼’ spurs.
I hunted alone this morning on public land. I heard this one gobbling on the roost early, about 5:30. He was still a long ways away but the only one gobbling. I began to close the distance but he flew down when I was still a couple hundred yards away. He was gobbling a lot but was obviously working away from me along the swamp. I got within 150yds yards of him before I made a call. He answered but continued to slide away. His gobble started to get so faint I had no choice but go after him.
I entered a mature natural pine stand and started to get in close to him. It was thick and I estimate I was within 100 yards when I saw a hen. She didn't see me and walked out of play. I didn't dare go any closer so I took a seat. As soon as I did, another hen started to cut. I think she heard me walk in and though I was another bird. We played a symphony of dueling cuts and yelps for at least 10 minutes. I was surprised because she never came to look for me. The gobbler meanwhile gobbled his ever-loving head off! I could tell he wasn't with the hen I was calling with either. After a while, I decided to shut up. Every couple minutes the hen would cut and yelp but the gobble would only occasionally answer her. When I chimed in, he would immediately answer, but he still wasn't coming.
After about 20 minutes of silence he gobbled on his own but sounded like he was a little closer. The hen started cutting again and I joined in. I then started purring and scratching in the leaves. Then went to just scratching in the leaves. I then could hear him spitting and drumming and soon saw him. He came strutting in but I was afraid I wasn't going to get a shot. He got behind some big trees and I made a soft call. That's when two hens appeared behind him. One of the hens quickly walked in to 20 yards but turned right around and walked out. The gobbler finally came out of strut and walked through a tiny window. KABOOOOOOM!
I picked the wrong parking area; it took me an hour and a half to walk back to the truck. I could’ve parked at another spot and I would’ve been with 500 yards of him. Instead, a Google Earth map track showed I walked almost 2.5 miles, each direction. He was worth it though!