After coming in silent on Monday and not presenting a shot I was determined to bag this elusive gobbler. So here's how it went on Friday.
I left Friday morning at 4:00 AM in my quest for this WY gobbler. I decided to go in a new way to my hunt area in hopes the road would be passable. Let's just say I made it but I won't be going that way again. The mud was terrible and I wasn't sure I was going to make it but I did. When you reach 70 years old it's not exciting like it once was! After parking my truck I made my way down to the creek bottom where I heard a gobble. I located a small flock feeding in a sage flat but they wouldn't answer my calls so I decided to go to the area where the "silent" bird from Monday was located.
It was 9:10 AM when I set out a decoy and started calling. I used two different box calls and a diaphragm call about every five minutes. At 9:25 AM I heard a far off gobble and then he gobbled again. This went on for a while. He was located across a steep draw and I wasn't sure he would go down it and up the other side to me. Eventually it sounded like he was coming closer so I got ready and waited. A little time went by with no more gobbling. I was seated under a Ponderosa pine with low hanging branches. I happened to glance to my left and he was standing along the fence and looking at the decoy. Then he started to walk away and I tried to get on him but the low branches were in the way. Drats! Now only his neck and head were visible and I had no shot because of the branches. This was playing out like it did on Monday! He walked behind a cedar tree and I scooted up to get a shot when he came out from behind the cedar tree. Only his head and neck were visible but Betty Beretta and Hevi-13 7's did the job. It was now 10:00 AM and I felt really good to outsmart the bird that out smarted me on Monday.
It was a great hunt and for the first time in years I primarily used a mouth diaphragm call to call this bird in. :cowboy:
WTG That is a beautiful bird, and good story.
Congrats!!
:icon_thumright:
Congrats!
Awesome. Congrats.
:icon_thumright:
Congrats!!
Good Job!
Congrats!
congrats
Congrats
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Pretty bird. Congrats,
Joe
nice bird.
Way to go, he's a beautiful bird!
Pretty bird. Congrats.
Great job!!! How was the drive back out?
Quote from: trackerbucky on May 15, 2014, 08:20:27 AM
Great job!!! How was the drive back out?
I went out the way I normally come in. It wasn't near as bad so I'll come in this way instead of the other way. Live and learn!
Nice!
Great story, you're an inspiration to me that you're still after em at 70!
Good job!!
awesome! congrats!