This Sunday morning I set up on a field edge on a big oak where I usually see birds. I heard 4 gobbles about 300 yards away. They weren't willing to play as they were hened up pretty bad and headed in the opposite direction. It started to rain so I figured what the heck and tried to close the distance. It was pretty hard to do with snow on the ground. I got busted. As I headed to the van I called my wife to go eat breakfast. No answer. I called my buddy and he told me they were on about 20+ birds and 4 strutters. Him and his boy are new and they tried to run at them or something.
While talking to him I drive by the area where he was and there I see 3 toms at the edge behind a creek bottom where it meets the field. Just then, two other hunters came driving by. Not wanting to put them on to this find I waved and drove by. I must have drove by that spot 5 times debating if I wanted to get out there and go after these birds or call it a day and head home. By that time the rain had turned to sleet and then snow.
I figured what the heck as I was already wet, my wife was still sleeping, and the kids were at Grandmas. I devised a plan to cut across the front field and hit the creek bottom. It is about 8 to 10 feet lower then the next field where the birds were at. I felt fairly confident that I could close the distance. As I neared the field edge a flash went off. I thought to myself, oh crap, I'm near a property line and someone probably got me on a game camera. Well, that flash was followed by thunder and then 3 gobbles. This really got my juices flowing and I headed up the creek bank using a big pine tree to hid my body. I wasn't sure what the birds wanted to do. I thought maybe I could drop down and try to get closer past some power lines. While then the thunder really started rolling. It got those 3 toms rolling and they started really gobbling. I peaked around the pine and they were walking towards the trees and then started to head my way. As my set up was quick I wasn't able to trim up any branches. I had a small window with the sweeping branch of the pine to my left and a small tree to my right. I raised my gun and waited. The first tom passed through and I dropped him with the Hevi 13 at about 20 yards. He was 22lbs, 8 1/2 inch beard, and 1 1/4 spurs.
While other people wanted to stay home and I wanted to get to breakfast I decided to tough it out. It started with a slight drizzle, to rain, to sleet, to snow, to lightening, to thunder, and finally hail.
I'd like to say I used some fighting purrs, clucks, or sweet music. It was being in the right place at the right time. I feel blessed to have enjoyed a successful hunt. I read this site quite a few times a week. While I don't have hundreds of posts, I picked up plenty of tips, strategies, setups, and fantastic stories. I figured I would share mine.
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Congrats on sticking it out in the tough weather and bagging a nice bird!!!! Good job!!!
Congrats!! You can't kill them if you aren't out there, bad weather or not! :icon_thumright:
Congrats.. :you_rock: