Well, our opener was this past Monday. I had 4 birds scouted and decided to go after the one that roosted in the same tree 5 mornings in a row. Got in early, sat in a blowdown I cleared ahead of time. Day break comes, he starts gobbling. In my 40 plus years of hunting, NO bird I ever hunted gobbled as much as this guy. I hit him with a few soft clucks, he gobbled. At daylight, I did a fly down with my wing, he gobbled. He stayed in the tree an unusually long time, finally flying downhill away from me. He was only about 100 yards away. He never made another peep, stayed for a few hours. I looked at the terrain, I think because he was eye level off the ridge, he spotted me while in the tree. I decided to take a different set-up yesterday. I walked in and stopped short of the bowl he was in on the ridge. I was just around the corner from him, so no way he sees me. I decided that the scratch line out to his roost tree showed me he flys onto the flat top of ridge where I sat Monday. I was not going to call yesterday, wanted to see how he operated. Sure enough, at day break, he gobbled frequently. Every sound in the woods, he gobbled. He finally flew down, and indeed landed on the ridge-top around the corner from me. He gobbled. I caught a glimpse of him a t around 100 or so yards, he was with a hen. Not coming in my direction, I gave a few soft clucks, he gobbled, the walked off and disappeared. Today, "Battle Plan 3", I cleared a tree where I saw them cross the path, found scratches and droppings. Got in there in total darkness today. Set up, he stated gobbling. Same darn tree, unreal. I decided, no calling. If he does what he did yesterday, I got em. Sure enough, he flew down out in front of me, I did not see him, I heard him. He gobbled, around 60 yards away. I hear him walking, I'm ready, but I don't see him. A few minutes later, he gobbles way to my right. I made a decision to hammer the hens with cackles. He gobbled at me. I waited, a few minutes later I hear a hen clucking, walking toward me. I cluck back. A second hen comes purring, I purr back. They walk in front me at 25 yards. Two more hens come in yelping, I softly Yelp back. Then, there he comes. He seems nervous, walking at a good clip. He was a bit further out, about 35 yards. He hit a clearing, bang. Dropped him. It was one of the most rewarding Tom's I have ever taken, I never chased the same one for 3 days. I just got obsessed with this hard gobbling bird, I wanted to put my hands on him. I got lucky, my plan came together. Thanks for listening....good luck!
Way to go Tom, persistence pays off, be as stubborn as him. Good read. Hope you have some more luck, I am trying again tomorrow. Congrats again!
Way to go Tom!!! Congratulations! Way to stick with him and close the deal
Alright Tom! Well done!!
Congrats Tom! Great bird! Way to stay after them
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote from: JeffC on April 26, 2023, 03:48:06 PM
Way to go Tom, persistence pays off, be as stubborn as him. Good read. Hope you have some more luck, I am trying again tomorrow. Congrats again!
Appreciate it my friend. Good luck to you!
Quote from: twyatt on April 26, 2023, 03:59:32 PM
Way to go Tom!!! Congratulations! Way to stick with him and close the deal
Quote from: harleytom on April 26, 2023, 04:51:55 PM
Congrats Tom! Great bird! Way to stay after them
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote from: POk3s on April 26, 2023, 04:16:43 PM
Alright Tom! Well done!!
Appreciate the kind words, be safe good luck.....
Congratulation Tom! Beautiful bird and excellent story!
Nice Tom!!!!!! Congrats on a fine bird and an excellent couple of hunts.
Quote from: zsully on April 26, 2023, 09:01:08 PM
Nice Tom!!!!!! Congrats on a fine bird and an excellent couple of hunts.
Quote from: Delmar ODonnell on April 26, 2023, 08:54:54 PM
Congratulation Tom! Beautiful bird and excellent story!
Thanks so much my friends......be safe......
Good job. Sometimes women can be the death of a man.
Heck yeah, TOM!!! That's awesome. Congrats!!!!
Quote from: a_jabbo on April 27, 2023, 08:28:08 PM
Heck yeah, TOM!!! That's awesome. Congrats!!!!
Quote from: Happy on April 27, 2023, 08:10:06 PM
Good job. Sometimes women can be the death of a man.
Thank you very much.......
CONGRATS, Tom !!!!
I always said that if a bird gave me 2 days' worth of education, he's in deep crap on day 3.........
You played THAT game like a BOSS !!! :icon_thumright:
Quote from: Yoder409 on April 28, 2023, 07:44:38 AM
CONGRATS, Tom !!!!
I always said that if a bird gave me 2 days' worth of education, he's in deep crap on day 3.........
You played THAT game like a BOSS !!! :icon_thumright:
I appreciate it my friend. He got in my head, so I felt I owed him some number 6 Heavyweight in his..lol :fud:
Congrats my friend...it's crazy how yours has just started and ours is coming to an end!
Quote from: Mossyguy on April 28, 2023, 02:08:41 PM
Congrats my friend...it's crazy how yours has just started and ours is coming to an end!
Amen my brother, thanks for the kind words........