Well, I got to get out Saturday morning on my favorite farm and listen for a little bit. I had been up there scouting on foot several times in the mid morning and had a bunch of pictures of birds so I knew they were there, but I wanted to get out and see if I could hear them singing that sweet heavenly music a little bit! It never gets old hearing em wake up in the morning!!!
My original plan was to be at the farm early enough that when I heard one gobble I could trek across the open field in the dark and set up in the woods on him to try and get some footage. Well, I was a tad late when I got to the farm so I didnt want to go across through there after it was already daylight and risk spooking anything. I got out and opened the gate and thought "man it might be too cold and windy today, idk if they will do anything" about that time I heard a hen start cackling and flying around on the opposite side of the road from me. Thumbs up, thats a good sign. So I pulled my truck through the gate and parked it behind an old building there to hide it as much as I could. I got out and stood there maybe 10 seconds and one let out a big GOBBBLLEEE up on the hill right where I knew one would be. Couple seconds later I was greeted with the beautiful sound of 3 more longbeards gobbling in unison.
I was definitely happy I woke up early!
So after they gobbled several more times and a few more lit up the woods I decided to just get my gobbler lounger and camera and sit down next to an old barn in a feild and glass the hillside they were on and try and get some footage of them. I owl hooted a few times and they gobbled back every time, then just kept gobbling on their own. I glassed them in the tree, watched them fly down and feed on the hillside for probably 45 minutes to an hour. I love scouting from a distance like this and just watching them do their normal thing.
After fly down most of the other gobbling shut up, but not these boys. They continued to gobble all morning. Finally they got done feeding and started to walk around a flat through the woods. I thought "Man I wish I could get them in this feild to get some good footage of them". I never like to call too much before season, but 3 weeks away and I just couldnt resist. So I put in a mouth call and faced my head back towards the road directly away from them and let out one soft series of yelps and they cut me off. Game on! Immediately I could see the lead gobblers head get blood red and he started walking double time and looking hard. He had pinpointed that sound and knew right where it was. He began to walk around the hill through the woods as fast as he could like he was racing the other two gobblers to get to me.
I watched them come all the way through the woods and across a huge feild 300 yards to me!! Filmed them the entire way gobbling on their own and never made another call to them. They were Love sick for sure!!!!! They came all the way to 65 yards and stood and looked and gobbled their heads off!! If I would have been actually hunting these birds I would have had them in my lap and dead and back home very early!! They never strutted but they gobbled hard and I got some amazing footage of them that I cant wait to share. After a little bit they just walked off on around the field and on up in the woods. Like I said, 3 weeks away from season, they will never ever remember that. I cant wait to get after these ol boys in a few weeks, ought to be fun!! Sorry for the long read, just had to share. How about some good pics now?
Big papa strut with some jakes
Deer checking out a jake. thought this was funny lol
A little double gobble action
STRUTTERS!!
Check out the bearded hen front left and the gobbler gobbling on the right. cool pic
Pretty Birds!!
Stretching and showing off that rope beard!
