I left school Friday after classes and got home around 6:00 that evening. I drove to 3 different farms that evening and saw a total of 7 long beards. I ended up being able to roost two birds on the same farm the trespasser was on last week, so he didn't get em all! I wanted to hunt this farm hard because I'm sure he isn't the only person around there trying to hunt this piece. The problem with this farm is that it is surrounded by houses and it has plenty of field road frontage so anyone who rides by can see the birds in the fields, when they are out there. We've had many problems on this farm before, so I decided we would hunt this place harder this year.
I arose saturday morning to find the heavens open and some much needed rain pounding the ground. As I pulled up to the hunt club to meet my best friend the lightning and thunder started. When he got out of his truck his face explained his feelings about going out in this weather really well!! He killed his first bird last year so he's got the fever pretty good now! We drank a cup of coffee and talked for a little, and thankfully the rain slacked off enough to convince him we wouldn't get too soaked.
We arrived at the farm about 15 min. before light, not as early as I would've liked but I was trying to please him too. Well I got him set up against a dry pine and I started to put out a couple of decoys. When I stuck the first stake in the ground a bird gobbled across a small clearing about 200 yards from us. We decided to stay put instead of getting closer because I was confident in our setup and knew the birds wanted to come that way. I waited for about 15 more min. before I let out a single call. In those 15 min. I'm guessing we heard about 70-80 gobbles!! I clucked twice and was cut off by two birds. The next time they gobbled you could tell they were on the ground. I gave them a few soft yelps and they fired back about 80 yards in front of us. I started to hear spitting and could seem them strutting on top of a small knoll. When they creased the small knoll and saw the decoys (one jake on top of one hen) they ran straight in. I told my buddy to shoot which ever one went into strut and he let the first bird get to about half strut when he nailed him. The other bird stopped in his tracks about 25-30 yards away. He told me to shoot but I told him that we would hunt him next weekend and just to watch the show. The bird never stopped gobbling!! He fired back at everything I gave him. He need not want to leave those deeks... The next thing I know my buddy says he comes another one! 3 jakes come running up to the decoys and start semi-gobbling their heads off! We watched these 4 birds for about 15 min. before they thunder and lightning got really back and they kinda wondered off.
We went to tag his bird... 18 lbs. 14 oz, 10" beard, 7/8 spurs... and then we were off to another farm! If we would've had the camera charged up he would've taken in but he just decided to come and watch the show instead...
We spotted a gobbler and a hen around the dam of my grandparents pond and looped around about a half mile in order to give him time with his hen and to get a good set up on him. When I got to where I needed to be there were no birds in the field or around the pond! Where did he go!! I blew the crow call and nothing... I pulled out the Thunderdome, yelped twice, and he cut me off! He was on the edge of the woods on the other side of the pond about 300-400 yards away. I belly crawled back to my buddy to get the decoys (that would play no part in this hunt) and got him set up and then got the deeks and myself ready... I used the Thunderdome again and he cut me off again. Then he popped out in the field about 350 yards away but he was slowly closing the distance. I could never get a full sequence out without him cutting me off. When he got to about 150 yards and down to the ponds edge I quit calling all together and he started double gobbling at me! When he got to about 80 yards, he decided to break strut for good and start searching for his lost "hen". When he got right to the edge of the woods about 40 yards away I gave him a few finally soft clucks and he cut me off. He came around a pine at about 30-35 steps... I let him take a few steps to clear some brush, he lifted his neck for a better look, and I let the 1100 gobble back at him. Neadless to say I cut him off that time! We jumped up in celebration since he was the only bird around and we continued celebrating all the way back to the truck...
Went to tag him... 16 lbs. 11 oz., 9 1/4" beard, 1" left spur, 1 1/16" right spur... We an awesome morning!!
I really hope everyone is enjoying their season as much as we are!! Remember to hunt hard and safe... and never let a little rain, thunder, and lightning slow you down!!
p.s. Hope y'all had a good easter too!
