Back to Back Opener Kills
Monday was the WV opener and I found myself back on familiar ground in Berkeley county. Got about 150 yards from a bird on the roost, slipped Freddy's Spanish Flydown in my yap and gave a rauckus flydown cackle and he tore it up. Man i love that call. Had a booming mtn gooble so when he appeared at 60 yards in full strut and i saw the jake fan i was highly shocked. He strutted and spit and gobbled for 45 minutes just across a steep dry creek bed. I'd purr and cluck and he'd gobble so it was just a matter of time before my silence did him in. I didn't want the peekaboo scenario that played out but he somehow got to 30 yards and was out of sight. Two gobbles in the bottom let me know he was close but moved to my left a bit. Slight adjustment and up popped that head at 12 yards. Luckily i was on him and ended the show. Heckuva good hunt with lots of gobbling and strutting for a jake. He sure thought he was king of the Mtn. 13 lbs, 3.5 inch beard and half inch spurs. I got the whole hunt on tactacam video. It's a real nice 45 minute long video.
Today the 18th was the MD opener. Also on familiar farm ground I got in extra early and set out the jake and hen along the field edge. Little after 6 a bird gobbles not 40 yards behind me. Gobbling pretty good and i didn't hear any hens but I just sat tight. Hadn't called yet when a hen flies out of the trees and lands to my right about 50 yards away and starts to walk away. Then two more hens fly out and start dusting. About that time out of the corner of my eye i catch a bigger bird walking toward my decoys hard to my left. I strain my eyes and see it's a jake in half strut about to do battle with my jake decoy. I raised the gun and lowered the boom. 14 lb 11oz, 4 inch beard, half inch spurs. Done at 6:15, never made a call. Two openers, two birds, back to back days. Nothing but longbeards for me from here on the rest of this season. Trigger finger itch scratched
Unfortunately the tactacam froze up and did not record todays hunt for some reason. Second day outta the box and it didn't work. Got it working later but what frustration that was.
Congrats on the birds
