After the encounters my son and I had with this gobbler, the planning and running through different strategies on how to hunt him all paid off last Friday morning 8-)
We were in the blind and settled in by 4:30 and I knew from roosting last night, the gobbler we're after had 3 hens with him. I knew from hunting raining mornings, he probably would not gobble on roost and if he did, it would be well after the normal wake up shout outs. Sure enough, at 5:10 I heard a hen let out a 4 note yelp just behind us and to our left. GOBBBBLE echoed from across the small ridge top field in front of us. Great I thought, the hens behind us and the gobbler across the field...meet in the middle and we'll give you a surprise. Well he only gobbled 4 times and totally shut down!
From time to time I'd throw out the 4 note yelps but never heard a response. Then all a sudden I see a hen walking towards us in the field from over the ridge. As it got closer I noticed it was a bearded hen so I asked my son, do you want to dump a bearded hen? He asked me back, any bearded bird right daddy? Yep...I'll shoot her.
So we got ready and even though she was feeding only at 25yds, I told Jake to wait for her to get 10 more yards and let her have it. Well lucky for her, she turned and fed back down where she came from. I figured putting on the hen decoy might be a mistake after seeing her reaction to it we took her down after the hen walked out of sight. About 30 minutes later she came back but across from us. Again Jake got ready and I told him give her another 15yds. I think because she wasn't in any kind of hurry, I was hoping to see a fan crest the hill, appear from the woods or a gobble but it didn't. Well like last time, she just turned and went back over the ridge out of sight.
I got a hen answer my yelps and it was game on. I got her really fired up and after 5 minutes of pissing her off, she just shut down on me. Frustration hit me hard
About 10 minutes later I tried again but this time I got a double gobble then I heard her yelp. So my plan to call her in was back on and I did just that...I called in 2 hens and him. He was about 40yds strutting right on the crest of the hill with the 2 hens about 20yds away on the tree line. Next thing I know they go in and he runs in after them. I ended up keeping them around and they actually walked back out into the field...about 2yds from our blind. They walked right in front of us and back into the woods 3 or 4 times. After the last time is where I started the cell phone video. I'll let the clips tell the rest of the hunt
You should be able to tell my calling from the hens and in the second clip there's a long period of silence. That's because the hens are standing 3ft in front of our blind. Also, there's a lot of hooting and yelling from me after the shot....sorry but I think I was little excited 8-)
This one is the best hunt I've ever been on! So good I was actually shaking and even broke down crying because I was so proud of my son. I hope every bird I work for my two boys is just like this one. A lot of hard work went into this hunt and to pay off in the end like it did, I'm on an emotional high right now and will be for the rest of the day possiable the weekend.
Those still with a tag, stick with it! Think about every hunt and how to improve on it next time and roost! Roosting isn't roasted but it helps with knowing the difference in calling turkeys and eating them
Good luck
Jakes Hunt Part I
http://youtu.be/hP_8UPw5qi4Jakes Hunt Part II (nothing really happens until the 6:15 mark other than birds gobble once and hens clucking in front of blind)
http://youtu.be/qlr2G5Gha14New Hampshire
5/24/13
7:55am
27yds
20lb
10" beard
15/16" both spurs
