rutnstrut
PMA Member
Well after many days of scouting and patterning a specific bird I had pretty high hopes for opening morning this year. I had watched a specific bird six different times in the last five weeks and on every scouting trip except last fridays I watched the bird flydown from the same tree to the same pasture and strut off in the same direction. So I found myself set up by 4:30 in what I thought was the place to be opening morning. Just as clockwork they started gobbling about 5:40 only problem was that the closest one was over 500yards away and there were a lotof obsticles between us. I sat there in disbelief hoping that any minute my bird would sound off right in front of me but by 6:30 there was still only silence in the pasture where I was set up. So I packed up my stuff and headed off after the closest bird still talking. We were set back up under 100yds from the gobbler by 7:30 but as soon as I made a call he double gobbled and kept gobblin the whole time it sounded like he was walking away, and away some more. After a couple hours and no more gobbles I decided to head to the spot in the ridge I had last heard him and try to call him back. On the way up ridge I noticed the tips of a fan on top of the ridge just over the crest of the hill and he was CLOSE. I dropped my gear and decided to stalk up closer for a better shot I made it to within 30yds and drew my bow behind a big oak and then leaned out only to see that there were 3 gobblers in full strut showing off for 2 hens But still could only see the very top half of there bodies so I moved up one more big oak to within 20yds drew my bow again and leaned out and stuck this guy while he was showing off for the ladies. Ive done this MANY times when I used to gun hunt but this was my first successful stalk with a bow. And to top it all off I found a real nice untouched shed on the way out of the woods, it scored 69 6/8" as a four point but had a G4 that had been broken off. Now all I have to do to finish this season off is to settle the score with the bird Ive spent so much time scouting.
25.5lbs
1" + 7/8" spurs
10.5" beard
25.5lbs
1" + 7/8" spurs
10.5" beard
