deerhunter93
Well-Known Member
I was off work for the opener of 4th season and Dad was able to move his schedule around to be able to hunt the first half of the day. We headed to some new dirt and heard a handful sound off. We got set up across a valley from the closest one which was on the neighbors. He gobbled his head off and worked the top of the ridge paralleling ours. He finally broke and I thought it was going to happen but he just headed straight east and never came in to investigate, even with two real hens within 50 yards of us. We made a move mid-morning to a gobbler that fired off a few but we bumped some deer while making that move and he didn't gobble again.
After a little while a bird gobbled back near our first set. We crossed a big valley and made a move to get back to the atv trail we thought he was using. He continued to gobble a lot but wasn't moving. He went silent for a few minutes and he had closed the distance in half on his next gobble. Game on. The atv trail was cut into the bank though so I was worried if he walked it that I wouldn't be able to see him or get a shot but Dad was behind me 10/15 yards and eventually would be able to get a shot. The next gobble was straight north of us. He had cut off the atv trail and I figured he was heading away from us. I called a bit and scratched the leaves. A short time later I could hear him spit and drum and he stepped into a small opening at 27 yards and I let him have it at 11:35am. I normally run up to the bird but he hardly flinched so I turned to look back at Dad and gave a fist pump. I'm positive it was the same tom we set up on at first light. This gobbler wore us out. Thanks Dad!
After a little while a bird gobbled back near our first set. We crossed a big valley and made a move to get back to the atv trail we thought he was using. He continued to gobble a lot but wasn't moving. He went silent for a few minutes and he had closed the distance in half on his next gobble. Game on. The atv trail was cut into the bank though so I was worried if he walked it that I wouldn't be able to see him or get a shot but Dad was behind me 10/15 yards and eventually would be able to get a shot. The next gobble was straight north of us. He had cut off the atv trail and I figured he was heading away from us. I called a bit and scratched the leaves. A short time later I could hear him spit and drum and he stepped into a small opening at 27 yards and I let him have it at 11:35am. I normally run up to the bird but he hardly flinched so I turned to look back at Dad and gave a fist pump. I'm positive it was the same tom we set up on at first light. This gobbler wore us out. Thanks Dad!
