Wednesday April 11, 2012
My good buddy deacon came down Tuesday evening to hunt with me on my land in Clarendon and the public land that borders it. We got to the land around 6:15 or so and saw a good bird in the back of a field. He wanted to try to get one with the bow so we set up in an area that the birds roost in alot. As we walked to the area through the field we saw some birds running, dang. The field has corn stobbs sticking up from being cut last year and it is hard to see birds in it. Got to the spot and set up. After sitting down for 15 minutes or so hurricane winds started. No luck.
Got out to the land on Wednesday morning. We hunted my land first thing then was going to check out the public land late morning. Got to the area I killed my bird opening day to listen for a bird to gobble. Stood there until 7:00 am and heard nothing. Decided to move to a more open spot to listen, nothing. We walk around checking for fields and see nothing.
We talk and I say we can go set up on one field that birds really like. I have a place in the back which they walk to on a ridge in the field and it funnels them into a smaller field. Get back there set up and start making noise. We sit for a hour or so calling every 10 minutes of so. Eventually we decide we are tired of sitting and will go check the public land out, it is around 10:00.
Deacon goes to get up and says dang, three are running through the field. He though he spoked them. Nope. He called about 5 minutes before. They turned and three longbeards ran straight to us. Neither of us had on a mask or a call to try to use. All I will say about this situation was that there was obviously a problem with the shells we shot because not one feather flew, but three longbeards did, DANG!
We go over to the public land and nothing is happening so we decide to go get lunch and get back out there around 3:00 pm.
As we are riding back in we think we spot a bird in the field I killed the bird in Friday, same field we scared bird out of tuesday evening. We sneak back and get to it and nothing. Get back to care and we decide it has been hours since those worthless shells made all the racket. So we go back to the same exact spot. We get set up and deacon hits the call. His gun is on the ground still cause he is getting settled. I look to my left, "There is a longbeard!" He was running to us. Deacon said, "You are going to have to shoot because I cannot get my gun up."
Gobbler is walking fast to us, deacon clucks on his pot and he stops dead in his tracks, MISTAKE! The ole 835 barked, with a good shell, and he looked like you kicked his legs from under him. To the ground. After the shot a bird we did not see fly up into an oak tree and we saw another run that direction.
We sat still and deacon got his gun ready and handed me the call. I could barely work the dag um thing from shaking so bad from what just happened. We never got the other birds to come back in.
It meant a lot to me to hunt with my good friend deacon and to kill a bird that he called in for me. If I would not have gone to Mississippi this year I would have mounted this bird for that very reason. No finer fellow is around and we fellowshiped together in God's beautiful creation chasing a creature that we both love so much! We will certainly do it again brother!
(http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af161/davisd9/4-11-1219lbs1125beardand125spurs.jpg)
(http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af161/davisd9/4-11-120125spurs.jpg)
(http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af161/davisd9/4-11-121125beard.jpg)
Congrats again. That is a stud of a bird.
Congratulations, nice story and a fine bird.
:you_rock:
Very nice gobbler,congrats!!
what a brute. Congrats
:happy0064:
Thanks guys!
Nice bird, congrats :icon_thumright:
Nice congrats
Congrats on a fine longbeard.
congrats fine hunt
Thanks!
congrats on a great bird
Nice. Knock'em down!