THA4
A Few Steps Ahead Of You
Not a real long story with this one, but there was some drama as usual. During a few scouting trips before First Season, I knew there was at least four longbeards using this spot with some regularity. I was typically seeing them between 8:30 and 9:30 every morning strutting on this hillside. Dad and I snuck in there and banged up a pair of em’ on opening morning. Right on schedule.
Second season found me out with a buddy chasing gobs on a new farm he just got permission for. Unfortunately he only had one day to make it happen and we got close a bunch of times, but just couldn’t seal the deal. If we had another day I am certain we could have caught up with one.
I spent a few long days during Third Season chasing birds with my wife hoping to get one lined up for her, but it was tough. We flat got our butts kicked… Every year she has been hunting with me, we have managed to get a bird in the dekes for her to shoot at, but this year didn’t work out that way. Oh well, next year I guess…
A few days before 4th season got here, I was out daily looking for a lonely gobby looking for a face full of lead. I found a few good looking spots, but I kept stopping in to check out Gobby Knob. The night before opening day, we watched 4 longbeards make their way into roost. Having hunted birds here many times, I knew exactly where they were going. The following morning we got in tight without alerting any birds, but they still flew down the opposite way.
The next morning we were back out there in a slightly different location hoping to catch them doing the same thing they did the morning prior. Of course, they flew down right where we sat the previous morning. Just as they hit the ground, I got hit with a wave of nausea that literally turned me inside out. I went white as a sheet and started the cold sweats and shakes. I leaned over and called some dinosaurs…. Then I felt the opposite end coming on strong…. I’ll stop there with the details, but lets just say I was in really poor shape.
I had to call my wife to have her come pick me up as things were spinning way too much for me to drive… Not gonna lie, if I’m gonna get sick, I’d rather it be in my house where the throne is a hop, skip, and a jump away. Getting the flu in BFE Turk country is unfortunate…. :moon:
Fast forward to the following morning, (today), we had not spooked any of the birds from their roost, so I figured I could get in tight again today and hope to coax one in close just after fly down. After I sat down, I waited for nearly 45 minutes before the first bird gobbled, and he was close. If he gobbled once, he gobbled 80 times. But as usual, he flew down just under the lip of the ridge I was sitting on and I never heard or saw him again.
I decided to head for home as had to get the kids and needed to catch up on some work. I snuck to the edge of the field and saw nothing; I proceeded. As I was cussing my luck, a bird sounded off in the distance, but I could tell there were no obstructions between him and I, so I froze and began scanning the surrounding area. Suddenly, by dumb luck, I saw a fan come up and go down along an old brushy fence line. I quickly examined an approach and was off. I ran, or, walked quickly through a lowbottom/bowl kinda thing, which would have me within crawling distance by the time I reached the opposite side.
I wasn’t sure how long he’d stay near enough for a shot, but I knew the fence was as far as I was going to get because it was open field on the other side. I crawled up to it, and peeked over. Nothing. I came to me knees and looked further. Nothing. I pulled the gun to my shoulder, and let out a few seductive yelps and I saw his fan come back up and go down. I let out a few more yelps. Nothing. I threw in a few excited cutts and yelps. Nothing. I really hammered the cutts, and his head popped up…. It didn’t come back up again.
He hit the dirt and didn’t even twitch a feather, until I went to pick him up, and he managed to ruin a good pair of gloves and put a bunch of holes in my hands. Guess I deserved that. :thrwrck: :grin:
Gobby Knob was good to me this year!
Bird weighed 26 lbs., 1 1/8” spurs (both sides) 9 ¾” Beard.
Beautiful morning, I couldn’t be happier! Good luck to those of you still with tags!
Second season found me out with a buddy chasing gobs on a new farm he just got permission for. Unfortunately he only had one day to make it happen and we got close a bunch of times, but just couldn’t seal the deal. If we had another day I am certain we could have caught up with one.
I spent a few long days during Third Season chasing birds with my wife hoping to get one lined up for her, but it was tough. We flat got our butts kicked… Every year she has been hunting with me, we have managed to get a bird in the dekes for her to shoot at, but this year didn’t work out that way. Oh well, next year I guess…
A few days before 4th season got here, I was out daily looking for a lonely gobby looking for a face full of lead. I found a few good looking spots, but I kept stopping in to check out Gobby Knob. The night before opening day, we watched 4 longbeards make their way into roost. Having hunted birds here many times, I knew exactly where they were going. The following morning we got in tight without alerting any birds, but they still flew down the opposite way.
The next morning we were back out there in a slightly different location hoping to catch them doing the same thing they did the morning prior. Of course, they flew down right where we sat the previous morning. Just as they hit the ground, I got hit with a wave of nausea that literally turned me inside out. I went white as a sheet and started the cold sweats and shakes. I leaned over and called some dinosaurs…. Then I felt the opposite end coming on strong…. I’ll stop there with the details, but lets just say I was in really poor shape.
I had to call my wife to have her come pick me up as things were spinning way too much for me to drive… Not gonna lie, if I’m gonna get sick, I’d rather it be in my house where the throne is a hop, skip, and a jump away. Getting the flu in BFE Turk country is unfortunate…. :moon:
Fast forward to the following morning, (today), we had not spooked any of the birds from their roost, so I figured I could get in tight again today and hope to coax one in close just after fly down. After I sat down, I waited for nearly 45 minutes before the first bird gobbled, and he was close. If he gobbled once, he gobbled 80 times. But as usual, he flew down just under the lip of the ridge I was sitting on and I never heard or saw him again.
I decided to head for home as had to get the kids and needed to catch up on some work. I snuck to the edge of the field and saw nothing; I proceeded. As I was cussing my luck, a bird sounded off in the distance, but I could tell there were no obstructions between him and I, so I froze and began scanning the surrounding area. Suddenly, by dumb luck, I saw a fan come up and go down along an old brushy fence line. I quickly examined an approach and was off. I ran, or, walked quickly through a lowbottom/bowl kinda thing, which would have me within crawling distance by the time I reached the opposite side.
I wasn’t sure how long he’d stay near enough for a shot, but I knew the fence was as far as I was going to get because it was open field on the other side. I crawled up to it, and peeked over. Nothing. I came to me knees and looked further. Nothing. I pulled the gun to my shoulder, and let out a few seductive yelps and I saw his fan come back up and go down. I let out a few more yelps. Nothing. I threw in a few excited cutts and yelps. Nothing. I really hammered the cutts, and his head popped up…. It didn’t come back up again.
He hit the dirt and didn’t even twitch a feather, until I went to pick him up, and he managed to ruin a good pair of gloves and put a bunch of holes in my hands. Guess I deserved that. :thrwrck: :grin:
Gobby Knob was good to me this year!
Bird weighed 26 lbs., 1 1/8” spurs (both sides) 9 ¾” Beard.
Beautiful morning, I couldn’t be happier! Good luck to those of you still with tags!
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