Well it was finally my turn to start carrying the gun this week. After calling and filming others the first part of the season I finally got a chance to carry the gun myself. Saturday & Sunday rain, Monday and Tuesday more rain, I can kill em in the rain but camera equipment doesn't like it to much so just decided to rest up for the marathon to come with good weather approaching.
So Wednesday I set in early on my brother in laws property. Decided to start across the road where I had heard 2 tearing the woods down the week before. Get up in there early, and wouldn't u know it fog sets in. Absolutely zero gobbling on the limb, and one bird gobbled on other side of road 3 times, that was it. Did call hen into 10 yards and beat my decoy up. So that was fun.
Thursday I went to same farm, but started on other side of road where I heard the turkey gobble 3 times before. I'm in early and wait, nothing starts on own so pull out an owl hooter and hit it and one hammers 80 yards out the ridge, finally!!! Get setup, he gobbles 8-10 times and flys down with his hens and is done. Did fire up 3 more before I left for work but they also had a hen too and that game ended fast as well.
So Friday I feel I finally have a good game plan. Going to go in in the dark and sit on that big open point for the bird I feel is the boss there with all the hens and hope to be close to him and the first hen on the ground.
Get in early but sky was super clear and breaking fast. So I decide to hoot before going out the ridge to just check to not bump any birds. Thank God I did. Hit the hooter and one cuts me off on last note 60 yards out the ridge on left side. Awesome!!!!!! So I drop over the ridge on the right side to keep ridge between us and do a big loop out the point in front of him and go over the top and back on his side of ridge and setup. Get my camera man set up and I walk a decoy out then sit down 5 yards from camera guy down hill.
Getting my wing out and calls ready and a gobbler gobbled 60 yards out point behind us then our bird gobbles again right in front of us. Hens start talking 40 yards down the hill. We are in amoungst em!!!!! Game time.
It's still super early and pretty dark still but I decide to do some soft tree talk with the hens down the hill to be the first hen on the ground. 2 very short tree yelp series and I set my call down. As I look up he's standing there 30 yards from me just looking!!!! My gun is in my lap!! Oh my gosh! I tell my buddy "gobbler", he thinks I'm talking about the bird gobbling behind us, has no idea there is one in the front of me! As the bird gets a little nervous, I pull my gun up and lay him out, bout scared my camera man to death lol!
The hen down the hill fires up and bird behind us is gobbling hard. I got up and got my bird while still helping and keep him gobbling hard. We work him awhile but saw hens pitch to him, he hit ground and basically shut up. What an absolutely incredible morning!!!!
My bird had to of just jumped out of the tree and landed there in front of me! Insane! I squeezed the trigger at 6:15! WOW! We soaked it all in for awhile and then God painted us the most gorgeous canvas ever on that beautiful ridge to capture all of this great birds beauty!!!!! Thank u Jesus!!! Enjoy guys!
