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Skychief's gobbler
- Thread starter George
- Start date
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Skychief
69 Cal.
First, THANK YOU SPENCE!!!!!
I hunted on Wednesday and watched a cornfield nearly all day. I had two Toms working hens in the morning and the evening. No amount of calling or playing "hard to get" interested either Gobbler. My decoys at the field edge were shunned as though invisible. It was frustrating to say the least as I watched the birds make their rounds in the 20 acre field for hours, ignoring me completely.
I did learn something though. The birds were roosting across a river adjacent to the cut cornfield. They would fly across in the morning for a quick snack and then return to the other side of the river (about 150 yards wide), where they spent the rest of the day in the wooded hill sides. In the evening, they follow the same routine, then, roost in the big hills across said river.
I noticed from my vantage point overlooking the field and the river bottom, that, the birds crossed the bottom near a fallen tree. They did this in the morning and the evening. I may not be able to post pictures on my favorite forum, but, I'm no dummy in other ways.....I made my mind up to hunt them like deer the next morning with my back nestled against that fallen tree!
That's where I found myself the next morning way before light.
I placed three dummies between me and the cornfield hoping they might draw a gobbler past me in the wide river bottom. They gobbled good across the river at daybreak, and, I couldn't help but call to them though I had planned on bush whacking one without calling at all (you know how we turkey hunters are....just gotta throw a few notes at 'em)!
Soon enough a boss hen flew the river and landed on a sandbar below my line of vision and 50 yards out. This I will remember for a long time....she climbed up and I watched as she stood for several minutes at the edge of the river high wall looking for danger or the "hen" that had been doing all the squawking. Following her route came 5 Jake's and 2 gobblers. One of the gobblers whooped a Jake as all 7 males swarmed the hen. The Jake's were even trying to strut their stuff for her.
The biggest gobbler had a head that just simply glowed white, with, barely a hint of blue to it. That became my focal point as he too strutted for the hen.
I clucked with my mouth trying to convince the hen to travel the chosen route from the day before....right by me and the fallen tree. At roughly 20 yards out she spied my little spread of decoys and that didn't go over well. She immediately started cutting and seemed to demand that her escorts follow her away from them (and me)!!!
I knew the moment of truth had arrived if I wanted to have a go at "my Tom" as the day before proved futile in trying to peel a Gobbler away from the real thing.
With this in mind, I yelped one time hoping he would gobble one last time stretching his neck out. He did and I let Ole Betsy go to work.
I had just killed my first Gobbler "mid-gobble"!
As I stood on his neck, I thanked the good Lord for the opportunity to experience things others don't seem to appreciate.
The vital statistics include two beards of 9 1/2" and 2", 1" spurs and a weight of 21# 10oz.
I can still close my eyes and see that white glowing head appear above the river bank to join the other birds in the river bottom with me!!!
He proved delicious this evening too. Icing on the cake!
Good luck to all. Keep yer powder dry!
Best regards, Skychief.
PS...Thanks again Spence
ff
I hunted on Wednesday and watched a cornfield nearly all day. I had two Toms working hens in the morning and the evening. No amount of calling or playing "hard to get" interested either Gobbler. My decoys at the field edge were shunned as though invisible. It was frustrating to say the least as I watched the birds make their rounds in the 20 acre field for hours, ignoring me completely.
I did learn something though. The birds were roosting across a river adjacent to the cut cornfield. They would fly across in the morning for a quick snack and then return to the other side of the river (about 150 yards wide), where they spent the rest of the day in the wooded hill sides. In the evening, they follow the same routine, then, roost in the big hills across said river.
I noticed from my vantage point overlooking the field and the river bottom, that, the birds crossed the bottom near a fallen tree. They did this in the morning and the evening. I may not be able to post pictures on my favorite forum, but, I'm no dummy in other ways.....I made my mind up to hunt them like deer the next morning with my back nestled against that fallen tree!
That's where I found myself the next morning way before light.
I placed three dummies between me and the cornfield hoping they might draw a gobbler past me in the wide river bottom. They gobbled good across the river at daybreak, and, I couldn't help but call to them though I had planned on bush whacking one without calling at all (you know how we turkey hunters are....just gotta throw a few notes at 'em)!
Soon enough a boss hen flew the river and landed on a sandbar below my line of vision and 50 yards out. This I will remember for a long time....she climbed up and I watched as she stood for several minutes at the edge of the river high wall looking for danger or the "hen" that had been doing all the squawking. Following her route came 5 Jake's and 2 gobblers. One of the gobblers whooped a Jake as all 7 males swarmed the hen. The Jake's were even trying to strut their stuff for her.
The biggest gobbler had a head that just simply glowed white, with, barely a hint of blue to it. That became my focal point as he too strutted for the hen.
I clucked with my mouth trying to convince the hen to travel the chosen route from the day before....right by me and the fallen tree. At roughly 20 yards out she spied my little spread of decoys and that didn't go over well. She immediately started cutting and seemed to demand that her escorts follow her away from them (and me)!!!
I knew the moment of truth had arrived if I wanted to have a go at "my Tom" as the day before proved futile in trying to peel a Gobbler away from the real thing.
With this in mind, I yelped one time hoping he would gobble one last time stretching his neck out. He did and I let Ole Betsy go to work.
I had just killed my first Gobbler "mid-gobble"!
As I stood on his neck, I thanked the good Lord for the opportunity to experience things others don't seem to appreciate.
The vital statistics include two beards of 9 1/2" and 2", 1" spurs and a weight of 21# 10oz.
I can still close my eyes and see that white glowing head appear above the river bank to join the other birds in the river bottom with me!!!
He proved delicious this evening too. Icing on the cake!
Good luck to all. Keep yer powder dry!
Best regards, Skychief.
PS...Thanks again Spence
ff
Skychief
69 Cal.
No Sir. One is the limit in the Hoosier State.
I meant to give a "thumbs up" at the end of the post, not an "off topic" Spence. I can't seem to edit it now.
So, :thumbsup: to you for posting the pictures. You are a gentleman!
I meant to give a "thumbs up" at the end of the post, not an "off topic" Spence. I can't seem to edit it now.
So, :thumbsup: to you for posting the pictures. You are a gentleman!
Stringbean
40 Cal.
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2014
- Messages
- 175
- Reaction score
- 1
Good job and you have given me added excitement for turkey season opening next week. This is my first year with a scatter gun and would love to get one within range.
nchawkeye
58 Cal.
Congrats!!! :hatsoff:
Beautiful bird!!
Beautiful bird!!
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2010
- Messages
- 3,697
- Reaction score
- 408
Great job and congrats to you :thumbsup: :hatsoff:
Skychief
69 Cal.
It is a T/C New Englander, 12 gauge and cylinder bored.
I have a big "itch" for a custom built tradegun, but, Ole Betsy has never let me down. She has 6 "X"'s scratched on the bottom of her stock for each gobbler she has brought to pot. She is a fine gun that I am very partial to. :thumbsup:
I have a big "itch" for a custom built tradegun, but, Ole Betsy has never let me down. She has 6 "X"'s scratched on the bottom of her stock for each gobbler she has brought to pot. She is a fine gun that I am very partial to. :thumbsup:
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2004
- Messages
- 2,703
- Reaction score
- 2
That is a very nice gobbler, Skychief, and a wonderful hunting adventure...thanks for sharing! Although I could not go turkey hunting this year due to being in college full-time (and having a research project to work on during Spring Break), reading your exciting account and beautiful photographs made it seem like I was in the woods for a bit anyways :grin:
bigbore442001
50 Cal.
Beautiful bird. I'll be out Wednesday for the Ocean State opener. Taking the nephew out.
Beautiful bird and quite an exciting hunt. :thumbsup:
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2010
- Messages
- 1,372
- Reaction score
- 42
:thumbsup: way to go that was an exciting hunt.
Skychief
69 Cal.
Good luck Stringbean on your first black powder turkey.
Thanks NC Hawkeye.
Appreciate it Wattlebuster (you ole gobbler guru)!
Thank you Roundball, good luck to you.
Go for it WillametteT! You'll never look back.
Glad you liked it Dixie Flinter. Find some time to hunt!
Thanks Wes/Tex.
Bigbore, good luck to you and your nephew. Thanks for taking him hunting.
Roguedog, I could NOT agree more!!!
Spikebuck, thanks kindly!
To all, the smile can't be smacked off my face yet :slap: . I thought about my hunt for hours today atop the riding lawnmower.
Good luck to you all, Skychief. :hatsoff:
Thanks NC Hawkeye.
Appreciate it Wattlebuster (you ole gobbler guru)!
Thank you Roundball, good luck to you.
Go for it WillametteT! You'll never look back.
Glad you liked it Dixie Flinter. Find some time to hunt!
Thanks Wes/Tex.
Bigbore, good luck to you and your nephew. Thanks for taking him hunting.
Roguedog, I could NOT agree more!!!
Spikebuck, thanks kindly!
To all, the smile can't be smacked off my face yet :slap: . I thought about my hunt for hours today atop the riding lawnmower.
Good luck to you all, Skychief. :hatsoff:
Skychief
69 Cal.
Thanks T.O. congrats on yours too :thumbsup:
