kbgibby
Threebeards
Had a successful hunt the opening day of fourth season. My morning setup had gobbling all around me but they weren't very responsive to calling. Then they henned up and went silent. About 9 a.m. I moved to check out a couple of feeding strutting areas and ended up busting two toms.
A little discouraged, I went back to camp, grabbed an early lunch and plotted strategy for the afternoon. I started out setting up in a funnel area along a creek between two corn stubble fields. After an hour, and a short nap, I eased over into the creek channel to check out the other field and saw birds on the opposite side.
After sneaking further down the creek channel, I eased up over the bank and the birds were still there. Through the binos, I could see they were hens ... feeding and dusting right on the edge of the field. As I watched 'em, I caught some movement on a grassy bench above them and realized three big toms had moved in from somewhere. A fence separated them from the hens and they walked back and forth about 50 yards along the fence for the next hour while the hens continued feeding and dusting. I did some calling but none of the birds paid any attention.
Finally, the hens moved off to the east to a small clover field and the toms headed that way as well. It was time to get moving.
Keeping some thin tree cover between me and the birds, I followed the creek and then cut a major deer trail that would take me pretty close. As I got closer to where the birds were headed, I looked down and remember saying to myself, "Man, those deer tracks look fresh." All of a sudden, four big does busted out of the timber 25 yards away and cut across the corn field. I figured the birds would be long gone, but moved on up the trail anyway.
I'd only gone about 10 steps and there was a tom standing in the open about 50 yards away, looking right at me. I froze for about two minutes then very slowly lowered myself down to my knees behind some brambles and small trees.
I waited a few minutes, got my gun in position and slowly raised back up. At first, I couldn't see anything, but then spotted his head and about half his neck sticking up above the clover ... he'd apparently laid down in a shallow depression. With my gun trained on that red head, I slowly inched forward ... taking about 15 minutes to cover 15 yards to get clear of some brush. The whole time my heart is pounding and his eye never seems to blink ... staring right at me! I finally get to what I figure is 30 yards and there's not much cover left so I figure it's now or never ... line up the bead and pull the trigger. He flops over without even flapping, but by the time I get to him, he's on his belly and his beak is working so I give him a head stomp to seal the deal. I later stepped it off at 34 yards.
After carrying him almost a mile back across two stubble fields, I'd have sworn he was pushing 30 pounds ... he actually weighed 22 - 1 oz, had a thick, 11" beard and 3/4" spurs. Not my biggest bird, but probably the most exciting hunt. Still can't believe I was able to stalk that close!!!
Sorry that got long. I'll have photos posted tomorrow. (Well, it wasn't tomorrow but here he is)
A little discouraged, I went back to camp, grabbed an early lunch and plotted strategy for the afternoon. I started out setting up in a funnel area along a creek between two corn stubble fields. After an hour, and a short nap, I eased over into the creek channel to check out the other field and saw birds on the opposite side.
After sneaking further down the creek channel, I eased up over the bank and the birds were still there. Through the binos, I could see they were hens ... feeding and dusting right on the edge of the field. As I watched 'em, I caught some movement on a grassy bench above them and realized three big toms had moved in from somewhere. A fence separated them from the hens and they walked back and forth about 50 yards along the fence for the next hour while the hens continued feeding and dusting. I did some calling but none of the birds paid any attention.
Finally, the hens moved off to the east to a small clover field and the toms headed that way as well. It was time to get moving.
Keeping some thin tree cover between me and the birds, I followed the creek and then cut a major deer trail that would take me pretty close. As I got closer to where the birds were headed, I looked down and remember saying to myself, "Man, those deer tracks look fresh." All of a sudden, four big does busted out of the timber 25 yards away and cut across the corn field. I figured the birds would be long gone, but moved on up the trail anyway.
I'd only gone about 10 steps and there was a tom standing in the open about 50 yards away, looking right at me. I froze for about two minutes then very slowly lowered myself down to my knees behind some brambles and small trees.
I waited a few minutes, got my gun in position and slowly raised back up. At first, I couldn't see anything, but then spotted his head and about half his neck sticking up above the clover ... he'd apparently laid down in a shallow depression. With my gun trained on that red head, I slowly inched forward ... taking about 15 minutes to cover 15 yards to get clear of some brush. The whole time my heart is pounding and his eye never seems to blink ... staring right at me! I finally get to what I figure is 30 yards and there's not much cover left so I figure it's now or never ... line up the bead and pull the trigger. He flops over without even flapping, but by the time I get to him, he's on his belly and his beak is working so I give him a head stomp to seal the deal. I later stepped it off at 34 yards.
After carrying him almost a mile back across two stubble fields, I'd have sworn he was pushing 30 pounds ... he actually weighed 22 - 1 oz, had a thick, 11" beard and 3/4" spurs. Not my biggest bird, but probably the most exciting hunt. Still can't believe I was able to stalk that close!!!
Sorry that got long. I'll have photos posted tomorrow. (Well, it wasn't tomorrow but here he is)
