1/2 hr of excitment !

[R.J.]

Finally sqeezed out of work early .... but with traffic , I'm at my spot with only 1 hr to hunt .... a quick glass of the fields reveals nothing ... 6:00 pm start into the bush .... start , stop ... calling for 1/2 hr but nothing .... I crest a ridge towards the field and I get my first response ... call again , I hear 3 distinct seperate gobbles and they are getting closer !

I sqeeze into a deadfall pine .... lay prone and get my gun ready .... next gobble sounds about 60 yards out in heavy pine cover ... I give a couple short yelps , then nearly jump out of my skin as a group of birds runs in and gobble together , maybe 10 yards in front .... 2 jakes walk past the bead of my 870 .... then a tom with about a 5 to 6 inch beard strutts by ... I was going to smoke him when I see another one fluff strutt behind him , I'm thinking " this ones a monster "... it turns out to be another stubby jake

Now I got 1 jake 10 feet to my left looking at me laying prone in the pines ... I don't move but crane my eyes left ... he starts to puft , puft , puft , the other birds are out of position and in some cover ... I was thinking of trying to swing on them , but they don't seem too spooked ...

To make a long story short ... the jake walks away puft , puft ( you know that putting sound they make ) .... taking the other birds with him ...

I look at my watch , it's 6:50 pm.... get up to one knee and call again .... they gobble back as they walk away ( the gobbles sound like laughter now ! )

Mental note ! " the next one isn't always bigger " ! .... but what a fun heart pumping moment in the field !

[pphoenix]

sound like you had some fun in the short time that you here out, better luck next time, i would have shot the first one to show up

[BUCKSHOT]

That'll learn ya'!

[Brampton Mike]

Better luck next time RJ!!!!!!! Good luck to all and remember.....PLAY SAFE!!!! Brampton Mike


PS: big is not always better!!!!!

[R.J.]

pphoenix wrote :

i would have shot the first one to show up

Buckshot wrote :

That'll learn ya'!

Brampton Mike wrote :

PS: big is not always better!!!!!

I here ya ! ... I was second guessing myself all the way home ... but thinking about it as I drifted off to sleep last night .... I was thrilled to be out there , the adrenalin rush and the outdoors " is my juice " at this point in my hunting career ...

Would have loved to got a picture .... at one point a big doe walked out along the bushline in the background and she was watching the turkeys watching me !

[wabi]

I'd like to get one around 30#. The first one I got my sights on was a 17# tom. I figure we're allowed 2 in the spring, 17+17=34, 34 far exceedes my expectations, so I pulled the trigger!
Better than last year, the first one was 14# (but the second was 24# - I have more patience with a full stomach )

[devilsedge]

sounds like an exciting hunt, bet you can wait to get out again.

[LeGrand]

That's why they allow you two tags, the first for whatever jake or tom shows, up, the second to be real picky on the Big Tom.

Take the first opportunity and run with it

[ecoaster]

Sure gets the blood flowing doesn't it? I tried calling one in this morning around 10. I was walking through some thick stuff and calling every 60-70 yards. I thought I heard a gobble, but lots of geese in the field were making it tough. Went another 60 yards and yelped. Bingo! He sounded off about 100 yards in front of me and he was coming.

Played with him for a half hour. I could hear him going along the back side of a fenceline, but he would not cross. No double gobbling, but he did answer ever call. Until he shut up completely.

I did some soft yelps and clucks every 20 minutes for an hour, but he didn't show.

Had a coyote come in after my decoys at first light, but by the time I saw him he winded me and was heading for the hills.