MuzzHunter
On a 20ft High
Finally put one down over the weekend. I've been out chasing turkeys for the first 3 seasons with my bow without much success. So last week I decided I was going to get a fourth season gun tag and head down to southern iowa public ground for a day of chasing long beards.
Friday night I spent way too much time study the map of the property to try and form a game plan for the morning, time went by so fast before I knew it, it was 11:00 at night and I was having to get up at 2:00 in the morning to make the 2hr drive down to my destination. I had felt like I had just fallen asleep when the sound of my gobbling alarm went off, although I was running off of very little sleep I was pumped to be hunting some different ground. I arrived at the state ground at about 4:15 and got all my stuff together and decided I would take the blind that morning. Boy was that a bad idea, by the time I made the 40 min walk I could of wrung sweat out of my long sleeve shirt. I was setup ready to go at about 5:10, just waiting for the birds to start hammering from the roost.
As it began to get light out I had yet to hear a single gobble, all I could think was great this day was possibly going to be a waste. Then finally one sounded off, but that was the only one gobbling from the roost. Shooting time quickly approached and after sitting there for no more than 15 min after shooting light I hear what I thought was a hen at first, but turned out to be another hunter, that was no more than 70 yds from me. Im guessing he came in after me, due to the fact I was the first vehicle in the parking area. Meanwhile the one bird that was gobbling was just gobbling up a storm, the whole time my fellow hunter that was nearby, just kept ripping on him trying to get him to make the couple hundred yard trek to him, but the bird wouldn't budge. He would gobble back at his calls but would not make a move. The whole time I'm thinking to myself, "dude just move towards where he's at and then try working him," the bird was definitely a bird that could be killed. Due to the other hunter being between me and the bird I just decided to stand my ground and wait the hunter out.
Around 7:00 the bird finally quit gobbling, 20 minutes had passed by and I hadn't heard a peep from the hunter, I was positive the guy had gotten up and moved on. I decided to pack my things up and head towards where that bird was at earlier. I began heading that way and found a logging road that ran across the top of the ridge and I was certain that was the area where he had been just an hour ago. I began working my way down the road and after a while I decided to stop and see if I could strike something up. I started cuttin' on my mouth call and only a few notes into it, the bird sounded off and he was only about 70yds away. I had to get setup quick I had no time to get the blind up. I just set my avian x feeder up in the logging road and I sat up against a tree just to the side of the deke. The bird began to sound off on any little noise that was made in the timber, so it gave me a good indication as to his whereabouts. His gobbling began to get a little farther away, so I decided to get his interest again and started cuttin' on the call and he just lit up on me. After that calling sequence I told my self to stay quiet now and let him come find the hen.
A couple minutes later he gobbled at a crow and he was closing the distance again. I knew it was just a matter of time before he popped out from behind the brushpile between me and him. As I was sitting there I had my head buried down on gun just waiting for that head to appear and just as I was thinking here came a red head from behind the brush, safety went off and about that time the bird realized that something wasn't right, I'm sure he was trying to figure out what that big black blob was against the tree. The only problem for him was he was already within 25 yds of me and the bead was on his head. He began to turn to head back and I let the 870 bark, I bring the gun down to my lap and see a bird flopping around. I was pumped to have put one on the ground after the bow season ive had. I guess it just goes to show patience and persistence does pay off.
He weighed in at 18lb 10oz, had an 11" beard, and 15/16" spurs
Here's a pic looking back at where I was setup, the tree on left was the one I was sitting against.
Friday night I spent way too much time study the map of the property to try and form a game plan for the morning, time went by so fast before I knew it, it was 11:00 at night and I was having to get up at 2:00 in the morning to make the 2hr drive down to my destination. I had felt like I had just fallen asleep when the sound of my gobbling alarm went off, although I was running off of very little sleep I was pumped to be hunting some different ground. I arrived at the state ground at about 4:15 and got all my stuff together and decided I would take the blind that morning. Boy was that a bad idea, by the time I made the 40 min walk I could of wrung sweat out of my long sleeve shirt. I was setup ready to go at about 5:10, just waiting for the birds to start hammering from the roost.
As it began to get light out I had yet to hear a single gobble, all I could think was great this day was possibly going to be a waste. Then finally one sounded off, but that was the only one gobbling from the roost. Shooting time quickly approached and after sitting there for no more than 15 min after shooting light I hear what I thought was a hen at first, but turned out to be another hunter, that was no more than 70 yds from me. Im guessing he came in after me, due to the fact I was the first vehicle in the parking area. Meanwhile the one bird that was gobbling was just gobbling up a storm, the whole time my fellow hunter that was nearby, just kept ripping on him trying to get him to make the couple hundred yard trek to him, but the bird wouldn't budge. He would gobble back at his calls but would not make a move. The whole time I'm thinking to myself, "dude just move towards where he's at and then try working him," the bird was definitely a bird that could be killed. Due to the other hunter being between me and the bird I just decided to stand my ground and wait the hunter out.
Around 7:00 the bird finally quit gobbling, 20 minutes had passed by and I hadn't heard a peep from the hunter, I was positive the guy had gotten up and moved on. I decided to pack my things up and head towards where that bird was at earlier. I began heading that way and found a logging road that ran across the top of the ridge and I was certain that was the area where he had been just an hour ago. I began working my way down the road and after a while I decided to stop and see if I could strike something up. I started cuttin' on my mouth call and only a few notes into it, the bird sounded off and he was only about 70yds away. I had to get setup quick I had no time to get the blind up. I just set my avian x feeder up in the logging road and I sat up against a tree just to the side of the deke. The bird began to sound off on any little noise that was made in the timber, so it gave me a good indication as to his whereabouts. His gobbling began to get a little farther away, so I decided to get his interest again and started cuttin' on the call and he just lit up on me. After that calling sequence I told my self to stay quiet now and let him come find the hen.
A couple minutes later he gobbled at a crow and he was closing the distance again. I knew it was just a matter of time before he popped out from behind the brushpile between me and him. As I was sitting there I had my head buried down on gun just waiting for that head to appear and just as I was thinking here came a red head from behind the brush, safety went off and about that time the bird realized that something wasn't right, I'm sure he was trying to figure out what that big black blob was against the tree. The only problem for him was he was already within 25 yds of me and the bead was on his head. He began to turn to head back and I let the 870 bark, I bring the gun down to my lap and see a bird flopping around. I was pumped to have put one on the ground after the bow season ive had. I guess it just goes to show patience and persistence does pay off.
He weighed in at 18lb 10oz, had an 11" beard, and 15/16" spurs
Here's a pic looking back at where I was setup, the tree on left was the one I was sitting against.
