I am happy to announce that I finally harvested my first VA Gobbler. With a lot of patients and a great caller helping me out it finally happend today.
I met up with WVBOY at 0515 at Quantico MCB. We were lucky to draw pass in the same area. Neither of us have ever hunted this area before so we were not too optomistic. Not knowing where we were going in the dark we found what we though was a good rise in the elevation and sat there until daybreak. Randy though that he heard a bird sound off way in the distance first thing, I never heard it (My hearing is shot). We never heard it again. Once what we though it was a good time to move me started our plan of walk, call and sit to try and stir something up. To make a long story short we walked into two different people in the woods and still no turkeys.
We walked down this steep hillside to move closer to this lake that we saw on the map. Mind you one of the guys that we meet up with had just came from that direction. We slide down this embankment to find out that we were stuck by the terrain it was either go back up the hill (We would have need ropes to help us up), swim the lake or walk up the road that was just walked by another hunter not 5 minutes ago.
We talked it over and up the road we went. I looked at my watch and the Time was 8:41 am Randy let a call out with his mouth call. Both of us were very pleased to hear what answered us. About 250 yds ahead of us a Gobbler sound off. He called again to the same outcome. We walked up the road quickly to find a place to set up. The biggest tree was about 4 inches in diameter I sat next to it and Randy went past me to call. Our backdrop was great the hillside blended us in great.
We settled in for the long haul. By this time the bird has gobbled to everything that he gave him and is Gobbleing on his own now. He is locked into us. I am sitting below Randy so it took me alittle longer to see the bird. I hear him strutting and walking around but can not see him. He lets some soft purrs out now I see the fan feathers and hear him strutting.
He come out of full strut sticks his head over the knoll now I can see him and take the shot. BOOM!!! goes the shotgun and down he goes. My First VA Longbeard. And the Time is 8:55am!!!! That was a quick one!!!!!!!
I have hunted in VA since I moverd here in 1999 and never even shot the gun at a bird, I have had the safety off a few times. This year has been my best year as far as action in the VA spring Gobbler Woods.
I can not thank Randy (WVBOY) enough, He has help me out a ton and taugh me a bunch of new tactics. Thanks Again.
Tom
The Birds Stats:
Weight: 21 Pounds
Beard: 10.5" inched
Spurs: 7/8" Right and Left
First VA Longbeard
Randy(WVBOY) With My Bird
Nice bird.