Headed up the mountain in Bluemont this morning to see if the birds were singing. Hunted there a couple times and hadn't heard a single gobble yet. Nothing happening at daybreak, but around 0620 an owl starts going off and I think I hear a distant gobble. As I work closer some ravens start squawking and I hear a few birds hammering back. They were down the mountain about 200 yds and I had a steep hill (more like a cliff) between us. I sit down at the top of the cliff and listen to the group of birds gobble at the ravens. After a few minutes I give a few yelps out on the wingbone and not one group but two fire back. Musta been three or four birds in each group about 150 yds apart. The original group sounded pretty "Jakey", but the second group sounded like a bunch of mature birds.
Since I was at treetop level w/ the birds at the top of the cliff, I couldn't climb down or move around w/o getting spotted, so I waited for them to fly down. The birds seemed to move off after fly down, but were still gobbling good so I could keep tabs on them.
I backed out and moved around to my left where the slope was not so severe and figured they would move up the mountain there if anywhere. By the time I got to a decent set up spot, they were about 200 yds off. I sat there pondering what my plan B (and C) were gonna be, when a hen starts yelping back where I had just been but at the bottom of the cliff. They were cutting her off w/ double gobbles so I called back at her and they double gobbled back at me!
They started to work their way towards her and were not <125 yds from me now. I started calling a tad more aggressive and they fired back and now were actually starting my way.
GAME ON!
After awhile they were 60-70 yds out, but out of sight down the mountain in some thick underbrush. I scratched the leaves and purred and they fired back, now closer to 40 yds. but still out of sight.
They would gobble on their own and were moving up the gradual slope going to my left when I let out my last yelps which he replied to cutting me off. I was all set up to the left and things got real quiet. For the next 15 minutes not a peep and then I hear a twig snap off to my right!
WTF?! I'm thinking, "How the hell did he get way over there w/o me seeing him"? But he did.
I move my eyes to the right and there he is at 20 yds in full strut looking for the hen. I couldn't move...I was pinned! Gun left...bird right! I have my iPhone attached to my barrel so I just need to move my finger an inch to turn on video.
The strutter hopped up on a log looking for the hen and I sat there watching him strut and spit and gobble for the next couple minutes. He gobbled six times in 4 minutes about 15 yds away. There was a subordinate LB w/ him who never strutted or gobbled but walked past the strutter and almost into the path of my gun (around 2:35 in the vid, bottom right corner) before he turned around and went back to the strutter who was 2 or 3 steps to his right unfortunately just off camera.
Finally he had enough and they started to move back off the way they had come in.
This was my chance to swing the gun and get on him, which I did.
Great hunt, probably the best in a long time. Nice bird, 21#, 9.5' beard, and 1" Ivory spurs.
After the shot the subordinate tom just stood there for about 30 seconds until I stood up.
I apologize for the long video of the trees, but he was gobbling at 15 yds and its just a huge rush. Right after I swing the gun to the right, you can see him just after he hopped off the log. He was that close for the last 10 minutes. Thought I was gonna get busted for sure. Best camo is not moving
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyutmoALf9k
