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Tburt
Longbeard
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2004 10:09 am Posts: 293
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Thundering Herd Bird
I found myself in West Virginia last Saturday and hunted hard until noon, battling a wise gobbler from 6am till 10am only to be completely schooled by him. I would return.
Yesterday I took the day off work to go up to JMU and take a final exam for a class I am taking, the exam was at 1:30pm, so I decided to wake at 3am and drive over to wild wonderful and try an abbreviated morning hunt. I was on that same joker at 5:40am, in the same roost, but I think somehow I bumped him. There is not as much vegetation in the mtns over there. He was gobbling like mad, but then just stopped. Not sure what happened. I was pretty bummed though.
Only thing to do was to hoof it around and find another bird maybe. Well, around 6:45-7am, I got on another bird luckily. I really thought I was done since you don't always get 2nd chances on national forest, but I found myself to be fortunate. I worked this bird for what seemed forever in some of the thickest cover I have ever hunted gobblers in, I had no choice, he was in this stuff and would not come out! He quit gobbling at one point, but I could hear him drumming and spitting off in the timber somewhere.....I was about to loose my mind trying to pin point him!! I finally gave in after being completely silent for 20 minutes and cutt hard at him, he gobbled, only this time far off and in the next hollow over behind me, I swung around as best I could and got real aggressive with multiple calls and while balancing on my side I was able to catch him coming in with ANOTHER silent tom, it was so thick he worked his way through a blowdown and I let him have it at EIGHT yards!!!! Wow that was up close and personal! I blew out like 2-3 digits out of his neck vertebre! Talk about no flop!
19lbs, 10"beard, 7/8" spurs. Great hunt. The check station was full of Marshall stuff, those people love their boys in Green and White. Like 17,000 people at the spring football game. That's not bad at all.
Not long till college football!! Just a couple months!
Good luck in May everyone!
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Wed May 03, 2006 8:35 am |
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Bird Dog
King of Spring
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2004 4:50 pm Posts: 2650 Location: central Va
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Congrats! a satisfying hunt for sure
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Wed May 03, 2006 9:02 am |
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WVBOY
King of Spring
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 1:33 pm Posts: 3038 Location: Powhatan, VA
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Way to go.. I graduated from Marshall .. where were you in the National Forest??
_________________ RB
Take me Home Country Roads.
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Wed May 03, 2006 9:16 am |
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Gobblenow
Co-Owner/Dog Feeder
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:20 am Posts: 3806
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good deal Tburt..
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Wed May 03, 2006 11:05 am |
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Freddy
Boss Gobbler
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 12:50 pm Posts: 3138 Location: Goodview, VA
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Congrats again... gotta love it!
_________________ "You have to pay for every bird you kill and the coin you use to pay for them is time." - Tom Kelly
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Wed May 03, 2006 11:31 am |
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Guest
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sounds like you may have shot some weight off of him....lol
congrats on a great hunt, well earned for sure..
band teacher
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Wed May 03, 2006 11:47 am |
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Dale
King of Spring
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 9:27 am Posts: 1907 Location: Roanoke, VA
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Way to go TBurt. Really admire your dedication.
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Wed May 03, 2006 1:56 pm |
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Doug
King of Spring
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:25 pm Posts: 2092
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TBurt it probably felt good to get back after them. Great job
Doug
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Wed May 03, 2006 6:32 pm |
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Big Bird
King of Spring
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:08 pm Posts: 604 Location: Christiansburg, VA
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Good job Tburt!
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Wed May 03, 2006 7:47 pm |
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Call1in
2 Year Old
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 10:38 pm Posts: 71 Location: West Virginia
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From one Herd Fan, Congrats on a great bird. Great story also......Gotta love those hunts that come together...
_________________ DRS
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Wed May 03, 2006 10:58 pm |
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Tburt
Longbeard
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2004 10:09 am Posts: 293
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Thanks yall,
I was suppose to take a young'n this morning, but he called last night to say he was looking at cars or something in Fredericksburg and had to reschedule for tomorrow.........cars......gobblers........cars..........gobblers..........I know when I was almost sixteen I was that wierd kid that didn't officially get my license or used 1986 chevy S-10 blazer with the first year of fuel injection, rubber flooring, class 3-hitch, only 2-3 spots of rust and only 87,000 miles on it!!.......until the weekend before Memorial Day....5 months after my 16th Birthday!
Darn.....I loved that vehicle.
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Thu May 04, 2006 8:53 am |
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barry
King of Spring
Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2006 4:44 pm Posts: 2720 Location: Bedford, VA
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thundering herd bird
Good job Tburt,
Can't say as I've ever shot one at less than 10 yards.
Must have been a RUSH.
barry
_________________ "Do not let what you can not do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden
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Thu May 04, 2006 12:06 pm |
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Diablo
King of Spring
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:46 am Posts: 832 Location: SC by way of WV
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congrats on the gobbler!
Let's gooooooooooo Mountaineers!!
_________________ "A man who insists on adherence to the facts when it comes to his hunting exploits, size of fish...abilities of his bird dog...is an untrustworthy fellow. A fine sporting liar is a gentleman & someone whose acquaintance should be cherished" R. Ruark.
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Thu May 04, 2006 9:24 pm |
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Call1in
2 Year Old
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 10:38 pm Posts: 71 Location: West Virginia
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_________________ DRS
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Thu May 04, 2006 10:19 pm |
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Diablo
King of Spring
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:46 am Posts: 832 Location: SC by way of WV
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UGH! you had to bring that up...beat UCLA at Pawley Pavillion then come back and lose to MU.....aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhh
Afraid you might be right about next season.
Mounties losing some big time talent. May be awhile before they're seen in the sweet 16 again...back to back no less.
_________________ "A man who insists on adherence to the facts when it comes to his hunting exploits, size of fish...abilities of his bird dog...is an untrustworthy fellow. A fine sporting liar is a gentleman & someone whose acquaintance should be cherished" R. Ruark.
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Sat May 06, 2006 9:31 am |
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