Call'n in the FEDS

Tburt · Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:15 am

After a near score yesterday morning before work on the mountain, learning once again that 'you can't cheat the mountain, mountain has it's own ways';

This morning was complete bitter sweet success on National Forest.

I like to try and get on a gobbler each year on federal land, and I had a crazy morning. At day break there were no gobbles, but as dawn quickly took over the ridge I was on, hens started to drop out of the trees everywhere! They were purring/cackling/and softly yelping along, and they summoned up some distant gobbles.
I had to join them in series fashion with some hard turkey talk. I probably had 10 hens fall from the trees just off to the side of me as I was on the ridge tip top. I enjoyed the show, but I was afraid it meant little chance for a close encounter with a longbeard. I slid down the base of the tree I last made it too before all of this unfolded and got set up and started some calling sequences, and before long-a whole entourage of turkeys were making their way up the ridge to my set up!!

I saw hens, then a jake, then a white headed strutter that was gobbling here and there at the soft purrs of his real life girl friends. He strutted, drummed, spit his way up to me, and I was loving every minute of it, yet trying to get that dag gone left knee to stop quivering!! :lol:

That bird took his last step at 26 yards, he was 19lbs. 1oz with 9.5" beard and 7/8" spurs. I stayed motionless at the shot, and a longbeard I had not seen in the group came running over from my right and didn't take flight until he was literally 5 feet from me! Heck of an ending to my Virginia Spring Gobbler season. I love the mountain gobblers! I look forward to helping my father get near some birds and reserving my Saturdays for youth hunters.

Good luck to everyone and be safe in the woods!

Call'n in the FEDS

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