sep0667
Land of the Whitetail
I had one goal this spring. To get my dad on a tom. We went out for the first time this spring this past Saturday the 25th. It was also the first hunt ever on the new farm.
I had been getting birds on camera almost every day, including pictures of strutters. There was never more than one tom in a picture at a time so I was a little worried that it was the same gobbler on cam over and over. Saturday we got to the farm right as it was shooting light. As we were walking across the field to set up some decoys and get ready I could hear some gobbles off to the east on the neighboring area. It didnt take long and I was relieved to hear several different birds gobbling. None were real close, but that was okay, they show up every day.
Throughout the morning i could hear hens clucking and i called back and forth with them. At one point three hens came over the hill, but turned back once they saw our decoys. I could hear gobbling pretty regularly up to mid morning, but nothing close. Around 1100 a lone gobble was heard fairly close, over the hill and in the timber. I got up and went over to dad and said lets try and go after him, I was tired of sitting. The bird would respond to calls and we would get set up, but each time he would gobble he would be further away from us. We set up on this bird 3-4 different times. I think the last set up he might have seen/heard us because he was really close but then went totally silent and we never saw him.
It was now 1200 so we dedicied to go back to the original set up with the decoys still out and sit for a couple more hours. Not 30 minutes after getting sat back down there we heard a close gobble over the hill. I called back to the gobble. A couple minutes later a loud gobble close, but off at our 7 o'clock. I think it was the same bird but he had came over the hill out of sight. I answered lightly and he sounded off again. He was really close, the kind of gobble where you could feel it in the air and in your chest. I gave one more real quiet yelp and here he came. He walked through the timber in strut and bright red head. He was straight to our left. I was sitting about 15 yards to the right of my dad. It looked like he was going to come out about 10 yards in front of my dad. But once he saw the decoys he went strait at them and come out into the open about 25 yards out. Dad drilled him right as he got to the jake decoy.
It was an awesome hunt and we were both pumped. So glad to share that moment with him.
I wont be able to make it out again until the last two weekends of 4th season. If I dont get a bird Im okay with it, my goal of getting my dad on a tom this spring is accomplished.
11 1/2 inch beard, 1 inch spurs, and 22.5 lbs.
I had been getting birds on camera almost every day, including pictures of strutters. There was never more than one tom in a picture at a time so I was a little worried that it was the same gobbler on cam over and over. Saturday we got to the farm right as it was shooting light. As we were walking across the field to set up some decoys and get ready I could hear some gobbles off to the east on the neighboring area. It didnt take long and I was relieved to hear several different birds gobbling. None were real close, but that was okay, they show up every day.
Throughout the morning i could hear hens clucking and i called back and forth with them. At one point three hens came over the hill, but turned back once they saw our decoys. I could hear gobbling pretty regularly up to mid morning, but nothing close. Around 1100 a lone gobble was heard fairly close, over the hill and in the timber. I got up and went over to dad and said lets try and go after him, I was tired of sitting. The bird would respond to calls and we would get set up, but each time he would gobble he would be further away from us. We set up on this bird 3-4 different times. I think the last set up he might have seen/heard us because he was really close but then went totally silent and we never saw him.
It was now 1200 so we dedicied to go back to the original set up with the decoys still out and sit for a couple more hours. Not 30 minutes after getting sat back down there we heard a close gobble over the hill. I called back to the gobble. A couple minutes later a loud gobble close, but off at our 7 o'clock. I think it was the same bird but he had came over the hill out of sight. I answered lightly and he sounded off again. He was really close, the kind of gobble where you could feel it in the air and in your chest. I gave one more real quiet yelp and here he came. He walked through the timber in strut and bright red head. He was straight to our left. I was sitting about 15 yards to the right of my dad. It looked like he was going to come out about 10 yards in front of my dad. But once he saw the decoys he went strait at them and come out into the open about 25 yards out. Dad drilled him right as he got to the jake decoy.
It was an awesome hunt and we were both pumped. So glad to share that moment with him.
I wont be able to make it out again until the last two weekends of 4th season. If I dont get a bird Im okay with it, my goal of getting my dad on a tom this spring is accomplished.
11 1/2 inch beard, 1 inch spurs, and 22.5 lbs.
