Author |
Message |
Turlock
2 Year Old
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2005 11:27 pm Posts: 50 Location: Richmond
|
Last Youth Day for my Twins
My twin sons are 15, so Saturday was their swan song for youth day. I scouted pretty hard leading up to Saturday, and was able to locate several pretty vocal birds at my two primary hunting spots. Since these spots are about 30 minutes apart, my brother jumped at the chance to take one of my boys - his two children are still a little young. We met at my house at 4:45am, and headed off in separate cars.
Teddy and my brother struck first. They set up in a big stand of hardwoods, and heard at least 5-6 gobblers, but only 3 were near enough to work. They started working one bird, but quickly did a 180 when another bird behind them started gobbling hard to my brother's calls. Initially, the bird hung-up at about 100yds, but they were able to take advantage of some cover and close the distance to maybe 75yds. Once they got in his zone, they were able to reel him in. Teddy stopped him at 25yds - it was 7:20am. Tale of the tape - 20 3/4 lbs, 9 1/2" beard, 1 1/4" spurs. Of course, they immediately took a picture and texted it to me and Cole.
Meanwhile, Cole and I were also among multiple birds in some mixed hardwoods and thicker pines, but we were close to 3 in particular - 2 on a ridge to our left, 1 on a ridge to our right, and us at the head of the ravine between the two ridges. After gobbling hard on the roost, they got a lot quieter when they hit the ground. They would only half-heartedly respond to my calls, as there were a few hens with them as well. Eventually, the two birds from the left ridge ended up with the bird on the other ridge. We knew this because we heard a helluva gobbler fight break out, complete with fighting purrs, gobbles and thrashing wings. This lasted 30-40 seconds, then it was over. Only 1 bird remained on that ridge, so we assume he kicked butt on the other two and sent them packing. Of course, I couldn't entice him off that ridge, so we had a Mexican stand-off. (This was about the time we got the text from my brother.) Figuring he would stay on that ridge for a while, we decided to go chase after another bird in the distance who had been gobbling pretty regularly since flydown. When that didn't pan out, we returned to find our king of the ridge right where we left him. This time, instead of us plopping down and trying to call him off the ridge, we got aggressive and used a thick stand of pines to get up on the ridge with him. We crawled through the pines to where we were about 15yds from the hardwoods, and made our stand. I hit him with a couple of yelps which he responded to, but he didn't budge. Then I got an idea - I hit him twice more with yelps, followed immediately by my gobble-shaker. That did the trick - in less than 30 seconds he appeared at the edge of the pines at 40yds, looking for another fight. He covered most of his last 20yds in full strut. It was 8:45am. King of the ridge measured 19 3/4 lbs, thick 10 3/4" beard, and 1 1/16" spurs. Cole's comment to me: "My heart was beating so loudly, I'm surprised he didn't hear it." Classic! We took a picture and immediately texted it back to my brother and Teddy.
What an awesome and memorable morning. Needless to say, my season has already been made before it has even started.
Attachments:
File comment: Cole's Gobbler
WCCYD2012.JPG [ 174.46 KiB | Viewed 1461 times ]
File comment: Teddy's Gobbler
ERCYD2012.jpg [ 278.06 KiB | Viewed 1461 times ]
|
Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:12 am |
|
|
thnderchkns_nitemare
Poult
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2012 1:20 pm Posts: 12 Location: Emporia, VA
|
Re: Last Youth Day for my Twins
Awesome morning. Congrats to all involved!
|
Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:22 am |
|
|
Vic
King of Spring
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2005 7:40 am Posts: 2706 Location: Baltimore, MD
|
Re: Last Youth Day for my Twins
What a Day! Congrats.
_________________ Vic
Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you!
-Pericles (430 B.C.)
|
Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:16 am |
|
|
Freddy
Boss Gobbler
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 12:50 pm Posts: 3138 Location: Goodview, VA
|
Re: Last Youth Day for my Twins
Congrats guys on a great hunt!!! They definitely ended their youth hunting career on a high note! Kudos to all!
_________________ "You have to pay for every bird you kill and the coin you use to pay for them is time." - Tom Kelly
|
Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:31 am |
|
|
Bird Dog
King of Spring
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2004 4:50 pm Posts: 2650 Location: central Va
|
Re: Last Youth Day for my Twins
Congrats Boys. Well done everybody. Harmony in the house, very important
|
Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:34 am |
|
|
Greyghost
King of Spring
Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:12 am Posts: 2451 Location: Midland, VA
|
Re: Last Youth Day for my Twins
Great story and pic's. What an impressing morning. Great job to the 2 hunters and all. Congratulations.
Earl
_________________ God, Family, Country, Corps and then the Wild Turkey.
|
Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:44 am |
|
|
Gobblenow
Co-Owner/Dog Feeder
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:20 am Posts: 3806
|
Re: Last Youth Day for my Twins
Cant get any better than that.
_________________ "even after almost a half-century of hunting of the noblest game bird I am going to confess that I am still in the kindergarten; and I doubt if any human being ever acquires a complete education in this high art."
- Archibald Rutledge
|
Thu Apr 12, 2012 12:19 pm |
|
|
Doug
King of Spring
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:25 pm Posts: 2092
|
Re: Last Youth Day for my Twins
Sounded like a great day!! Congrats to you all!
Doug
|
Thu Apr 12, 2012 4:06 pm |
|
|
beardbuster84
King of Spring
Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2010 8:48 pm Posts: 790 Location: Westmoreland co. Va
|
Re: Last Youth Day for my Twins
Looks like yall had a awesome morning!
_________________ "If the good Lord is willing and the creeks don't rise." Hank Williams
|
Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:53 pm |
|
|
Abby
Poult
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:31 pm Posts: 8 Location: Goodview, VA
|
Re: Last Youth Day for my Twins
great birds you guys you had a great last youth day hunt .I also killed my first longbeard at 7 years old
_________________ Gobble, gobble... like my Da-Da!
|
Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:59 pm |
|
|
CallMn
Jake
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 10:45 pm Posts: 40 Location: Fredericksburg, Virginia
|
Re: Last Youth Day for my Twins
Congrats! Nice birds!
|
Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:07 pm |
|
|
|