DoneRight
PMA Member
Well, after a crappy opener yesterday, I got one down this morning.
I wasn't going to go this morning from being to worn out from yesterday, but with the rain coming in tonight I figured I better get out there.
My first set up was sweet, or so I thought when I got set up( until I realized that I left my small roll out blind in the truck :thrwrck
So I got tucked back in some cedars and I thought I was well enough hid, at least in the dark. 6:00 AM the gobbling started to my left, to my right, and behind me. I was pumped. About 6:45 I heard a gobble about 100 yds away so I got somewhat ready. Then an instant later there was a gobble 20 yds to my right, scared the crap out of me. The tom was with in range but I had a cedar tree directly between us and was never allowed a shot. He strutted directly behind the tree for about 20 min before he realized the decoy wasn't going to come meet him or he got bored one of the two. So I picked up and headed to a hayfield where I had heard some gobbling. I discovered 35 total birds in the field and no way to get to them. So I waited for them to start to leave the field, and I decided to try to get around them and cut them off.
After a long run and a short sprint some crows cawed and a couple of gobblers lit off. I had gone to far and they had moved quicker than I had anticipated. I ended up on a 45 min belly crawl beneath a bunch of cedars with 5 hens to my right pucking at my every move. But the gobblers stayed put directly in front of me just over a small knoll in a clearing in the cedars. I finally put the hammer down at 9 AM at 35 yds on this bird. I waited for the first red head to pop up and took him. He weighed 23 lbs 6 oz, 1 1/4" RS, 1 1/8" LS, and 11.5 " beard = 70.125. Overall one of the 2 toughest stalks I've ever done for a longbeard.
I wasn't going to go this morning from being to worn out from yesterday, but with the rain coming in tonight I figured I better get out there.
My first set up was sweet, or so I thought when I got set up( until I realized that I left my small roll out blind in the truck :thrwrck
So I got tucked back in some cedars and I thought I was well enough hid, at least in the dark. 6:00 AM the gobbling started to my left, to my right, and behind me. I was pumped. About 6:45 I heard a gobble about 100 yds away so I got somewhat ready. Then an instant later there was a gobble 20 yds to my right, scared the crap out of me. The tom was with in range but I had a cedar tree directly between us and was never allowed a shot. He strutted directly behind the tree for about 20 min before he realized the decoy wasn't going to come meet him or he got bored one of the two. So I picked up and headed to a hayfield where I had heard some gobbling. I discovered 35 total birds in the field and no way to get to them. So I waited for them to start to leave the field, and I decided to try to get around them and cut them off.After a long run and a short sprint some crows cawed and a couple of gobblers lit off. I had gone to far and they had moved quicker than I had anticipated. I ended up on a 45 min belly crawl beneath a bunch of cedars with 5 hens to my right pucking at my every move. But the gobblers stayed put directly in front of me just over a small knoll in a clearing in the cedars. I finally put the hammer down at 9 AM at 35 yds on this bird. I waited for the first red head to pop up and took him. He weighed 23 lbs 6 oz, 1 1/4" RS, 1 1/8" LS, and 11.5 " beard = 70.125. Overall one of the 2 toughest stalks I've ever done for a longbeard.
