B week bird down (5/6)

[Bobcat19]

Pretty crazy hunt to say the least. Long story if you care to read, if not photo attached below.

 

Hunted this bird on Z9 public land the last day of A week and Mon. - Thurs. of B week all before work sits. This spot had multiple gobblers, but they would never gobble at the same time making it very hard to judge how many there actually were. There was a boss bird who would gobble the most and everyday would fly down with his hen and she would take him away. He would get fired up to calling, but would never leave the hen and she never would respond to my call. They never went the same direction twice...patterning them was out the window. Throughout the week of hunting them I had seen him multiple times in the distance, but there was nothing I could do to get close. I tried to get in front of where they were going, but it never worked out.

One of those mornings a subordinate Tom got fired up around 730ish who was not roosted in the same area as the other birds. Long story short I was in a terrible setup due to a property line and only saw this bird for 2 seconds as he got out of there when he didn't see the hen calling to him.

Another morning I decided to get up and try to strike a different bird up as the boss bird left the roost area and headed onto the private ground. 15 or so minutes later I was headed back to the original setup and a Tom was standing 30 yards from the tree I was just at. Watched this bird and 2 hens feed off and never acknowledge my calling.

Thursday morning there were what I thought was two gobblers roosted in the same area they had been. I set up above them on the ridge top. They were in the tree forever, sun was up and all and still in the tree. The one bird was hammering, at one point he was gobbling 2-3 times every 15 seconds. Then the gobbling stopped and I assumed they had flown down. Called to them nothing, but I decided to stick it out knowing I am in a good spot and they know I am here from the calling I did earlier. 20 minutes later a bird gobbled on his own at the bottom of the ridge. So I got up and crept up to the crest and acted like this hen now moved up 50 yards. I called and he cut me off, but still way down the ridge. I slowly crept up to get to a tree and all of the sudden 2 hens and a gobbler pitch off the ridge top headed into the bottom. I was like wtf just happened??? There's no way that was same the bird that just gobbled to me, but now that bird in the bottom just saw 3 spooked turkeys fly to him. So I gave it 20 minutes and circled to the bottom of the ridge knowing there are at least 2 gobblers down there now.

Saw a bear on the way there. Got to the area I thought the original bird was and waited. A bird fired off on his own shortly after. Made a move to get as close as possible before calling. Steps away from sitting down, 2 hens pop up and see me standing there. They knew something was up, but didn't really spook. Now my head is really spinning and I assume those were the same 2 hens that I watched fly off the ridge earlier. I sit down knowing the bird that just gobbled is probably right here. Boom, he gobbles on his own and must be less than 75 yards away. I call to him he gobbles, I think to myself 'hmm he sounds like he's in a tree'. I then dismissed that idea and chalked it up as he was probably mid way up the ridge slightly above me making it sound like that. He then gobbled on his own, then 5 minutes pass and I watch him fly out of a tree and hit the ground 60 yards away (730 in the morning). Now I'm really like WTF????

He immediately pops into strut and moves off to my left out of sight and doesn't answer me. Now I know he's not spooked so he has to be with hens. I decided to back off and move to an area I saw him earlier in the week with a hen since he was moving that direction. I get there and eventually see him and 2 hens about 100 yards out. Watched them for a half hour and then one hen started to feed toward me. She kept coming, but he didn't follow. All I need is that other hen to do the same thing and he will follow her into shooting distance. Another half hour past and eventually that's what happened. Put him down at 35 yards.

1 1/8in spurs, 9 inch beard. Didn't weigh him, but he was on the lighter side probably 18-19 pounds.

 

[hunterbob1]

Awesome congratulations!

[Cripple Shot]

Nice read congratulations!

[mazzgolf]

Great read! That sounded like a really fun hunt!! 

[deerstalker420]

Congrats 

[bushden]

1 hour ago, Bobcat19 said:

Pretty crazy hunt to say the least. Long story if you care to read, if not photo attached below.

 

Hunted this bird on Z9 public land the last day of A week and Mon. - Thurs. of B week all before work sits. This spot had multiple gobblers, but they would never gobble at the same time making it very hard to judge how many there actually were. There was a boss bird who would gobble the most and everyday would fly down with his hen and she would take him away. He would get fired up to calling, but would never leave the hen and she never would respond to my call. They never went the same direction twice...patterning them was out the window. Throughout the week of hunting them I had seen him multiple times in the distance, but there was nothing I could do to get close. I tried to get in front of where they were going, but it never worked out.

One of those mornings a subordinate Tom got fired up around 730ish who was not roosted in the same area as the other birds. Long story short I was in a terrible setup due to a property line and only saw this bird for 2 seconds as he got out of there when he didn't see the hen calling to him.

Another morning I decided to get up and try to strike a different bird up as the boss bird left the roost area and headed onto the private ground. 15 or so minutes later I was headed back to the original setup and a Tom was standing 30 yards from the tree I was just at. Watched this bird and 2 hens feed off and never acknowledge my calling.

Thursday morning there were what I thought was two gobblers roosted in the same area they had been. I set up above them on the ridge top. They were in the tree forever, sun was up and all and still in the tree. The one bird was hammering, at one point he was gobbling 2-3 times every 15 seconds. Then the gobbling stopped and I assumed they had flown down. Called to them nothing, but I decided to stick it out knowing I am in a good spot and they know I am here from the calling I did earlier. 20 minutes later a bird gobbled on his own at the bottom of the ridge. So I got up and crept up to the crest and acted like this hen now moved up 50 yards. I called and he cut me off, but still way down the ridge. I slowly crept up to get to a tree and all of the sudden 2 hens and a gobbler pitch off the ridge top headed into the bottom. I was like wtf just happened??? There's no way that was same the bird that just gobbled to me, but now that bird in the bottom just saw 3 spooked turkeys fly to him. So I gave it 20 minutes and circled to the bottom of the ridge knowing there are at least 2 gobblers down there now.

Saw a bear on the way there. Got to the area I thought the original bird was and waited. A bird fired off on his own shortly after. Made a move to get as close as possible before calling. Steps away from sitting down, 2 hens pop up and see me standing there. They knew something was up, but didn't really spook. Now my head is really spinning and I assume those were the same 2 hens that I watched fly off the ridge earlier. I sit down knowing the bird that just gobbled is probably right here. Boom, he gobbles on his own and must be less than 75 yards away. I call to him he gobbles, I think to myself 'hmm he sounds like he's in a tree'. I then dismissed that idea and chalked it up as he was probably mid way up the ridge slightly above me making it sound like that. He then gobbled on his own, then 5 minutes pass and I watch him fly out of a tree and hit the ground 60 yards away (730 in the morning). Now I'm really like WTF????

He immediately pops into strut and moves off to my left out of sight and doesn't answer me. Now I know he's not spooked so he has to be with hens. I decided to back off and move to an area I saw him earlier in the week with a hen since he was moving that direction. I get there and eventually see him and 2 hens about 100 yards out. Watched them for a half hour and then one hen started to feed toward me. She kept coming, but he didn't follow. All I need is that other hen to do the same thing and he will follow her into shooting distance. Another half hour past and eventually that's what happened. Put him down at 35 yards.

1 1/8in spurs, 9 inch beard. Didn't weigh him, but he was on the lighter side probably 18-19 pounds.

 

GOOD JOB, CONGRATULATIONS !!

[Cousin Brown]

congrats

[BowhunterNJ]

Awesome, way to go @Bobcat19!

[Buckeyes11]

Congrats. Way to stick with it!

[SPEARFISH]

Good hunt 

congrats

[tpr1921]

Congratulations!

[Buck154]

Congrats.  Nice bird

[Rusty]

Great bird Bobcat, congratulations!!  

[Fred Flintstone]

Congrats!!!

[hammer4reel]

congrats , nice picture also