Gundog
PMA Member
Sorry that I am just now getting around to posting the story and pictures but here is my first season bird. Nothing huge but always interesting none the less. I hunted the first morning in the rain but had nothing respond. Second morning I was in the middle of at least 10-12 tom's gobbling their heads off in the roost. Of course I set up on the one with all the hens and as soon as they hit the ground the hens took him in the opposite direction so no luck this day either. Third day found me in Kansas coaching a double header for my baseball team so I didn't get to hunt. This left Thursday as my last chance.
I left the house an extra 45 minutes early to get set up in a better spot where all the tom's were gobbling on Tuesday. After being set up for about 20 minutes with my back to a big dead fall a pair of coyotes had to come within 30 yards of me but it was too dark for me to see them but they were howling and barking all the way through the timber. Talk about eery. I don't know if they screwed things up but absolutely nothing gobbled while on the roost. I stayed with the set up only until about 6:30 because something should have been talking way before then. I picked up and headed in the direction where the hens took Mr. Tom on Tuesday.
When I was within about 100 yards of where they went on Tuesday I met up with a jake on the edge of the timber. Luckily he didn't fly, just walked back into the timber. About that time our 7:00 AM whistle in town went off and this tom gobbled at it just over the hill. I crawled up and put my decoys on top of the hill and then crawled back and sat in the fence line and started calling to him. By the way he was putting on a show I knew he had hens with him but how many. After about ten minutes of calling two of the hens came up to check out the decoys. They didn't stay long as they got nervous and headed for me in the fence line and the timber. After they made it past me two more hens with mr tom and a couple of jakes were nervous as well and working back to the timber about 70 yards to my right. Mr. Tom was still putting on a show not realizing his ladies were leaving. After the last hen made the timber I began belly crawling down the fenceline to cut off the tom as he was slowly working to where they were. After about a thirty yard crawl it was now or never as he was almost to the fence. I took the shot and dropped him right where he stood. As I walked it off to him it was 48 steps. A little farther than I would like to shoot but I knew I could kill him. I am sure he wasn't the biggest guy in those woods but it was fun none the less. Stats on him were 22 lbs. 9" beard and 1" spurs.
Sorry for the long story. Here are som pics. This is my son at home with the bird.
It says I may not post attachments at the bottom in my posting rules. Anyone know what I need to do? I will email the pictures to and Admin to see if they can get them up, Sorry.
Gundog
I left the house an extra 45 minutes early to get set up in a better spot where all the tom's were gobbling on Tuesday. After being set up for about 20 minutes with my back to a big dead fall a pair of coyotes had to come within 30 yards of me but it was too dark for me to see them but they were howling and barking all the way through the timber. Talk about eery. I don't know if they screwed things up but absolutely nothing gobbled while on the roost. I stayed with the set up only until about 6:30 because something should have been talking way before then. I picked up and headed in the direction where the hens took Mr. Tom on Tuesday.
When I was within about 100 yards of where they went on Tuesday I met up with a jake on the edge of the timber. Luckily he didn't fly, just walked back into the timber. About that time our 7:00 AM whistle in town went off and this tom gobbled at it just over the hill. I crawled up and put my decoys on top of the hill and then crawled back and sat in the fence line and started calling to him. By the way he was putting on a show I knew he had hens with him but how many. After about ten minutes of calling two of the hens came up to check out the decoys. They didn't stay long as they got nervous and headed for me in the fence line and the timber. After they made it past me two more hens with mr tom and a couple of jakes were nervous as well and working back to the timber about 70 yards to my right. Mr. Tom was still putting on a show not realizing his ladies were leaving. After the last hen made the timber I began belly crawling down the fenceline to cut off the tom as he was slowly working to where they were. After about a thirty yard crawl it was now or never as he was almost to the fence. I took the shot and dropped him right where he stood. As I walked it off to him it was 48 steps. A little farther than I would like to shoot but I knew I could kill him. I am sure he wasn't the biggest guy in those woods but it was fun none the less. Stats on him were 22 lbs. 9" beard and 1" spurs.
Sorry for the long story. Here are som pics. This is my son at home with the bird.
It says I may not post attachments at the bottom in my posting rules. Anyone know what I need to do? I will email the pictures to and Admin to see if they can get them up, Sorry.
Gundog
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