jkratz5
Well-Known Member
Well after a pretty frustrating last couple of days of hunting I finally filled my 4th season tag, although not how I expected. I had been hunting a new spot the last 4 days, lots of birds and they had a good routine of hitting a huge pasture to strut sometime between 8:00 and 10:00, but the local weather has prevented me from getting in there early the last few days. So today I get in there nice and early, setup on the field edge and hear absolutely not a gobble in the timber I am sitting on, but I hear birds everywhere on adjacent properties across the highway. I decide to sit tight and hope the birds are just silent when all of the sudden BOOM, someone shoots directly behind not 200 yards in the timber, scared the $%^& out of me. After looking back in the timber and seeing another hunter come walking out with a bird I figure the place is a little stirred up so I jump in the car and head to another spot I have just down the road. When I pull into the lane I see a gobbler struttin in a pasture 70 yards from the road with three hens. I continue to just drive by hoping not to spoke him, and stop and pull over when I am out of there sight. I grab the gun and head for the timber, get setup and call a little, but nothing. Finally, after a few minutes a gobble. The bird is still in the same field a few hundred yards away, so I decide to make a move on him. As I approach the field I hear another loud gobble and can tell the bird hasn't moved from his original position. I decide to make my up an upslope in the field toward a large shrub and setup. As I crawl to the shrub I can see the tips of a tail fan not 70 yards over the hill. I sat tight and waited for the gobbler to approach. After watching him strut for a few minutes I gave a soft purr on my slate and still nothing, he was hung up with his hens. Finally, I gave a loud yelp on a mouth call and got his attention as well as his ladies. They all began to move in my direction and the ol spittin and drummin tom stopped 35 yards out and put on a little show. Well the show didn't last long because I couldn't take it anymore and I let the 10 gauge roll him. Nice bird at 23#, 11" beard, 1 1/4 and 1 3/8" spurs.
This was a great turkey year for me, 4 birds in two states, my own little Slam I guess.
Kratz
This was a great turkey year for me, 4 birds in two states, my own little Slam I guess.
Kratz
