The NON-Gobbling… Gobbler… (4/29/14)

[Drop Tine]

Snuck out for a quick hunt before the rain started on Tuesday morning…

 

After not hearing any gobbles from the roosts, I decided to sit in an old blow down in an area that was loaded with fresh scratchings…

At around 6:45 I give a couple soft yelps and seconds later to my right about 75 yards out I see movement and what looks like a puffed up strutting tom… I get my binnos up and sure enough I see a good bearded tom strutting…

 

I gave him a few minutes and he starts walking around to the left heading down hill… give a few more yelps and he stops and bust into full strut again, but no gobble…  

 

He turns and walked around in what seemed like a complete circle around me. Stopping every 20 yard clucking and making soft yelping/chirping sounds and puffing out every time I called back to him But never giving one gobble…

Finally he worked his way around heading into a clearing about 25 yards out...

 

I give a couple soft putts and he somewhat puffs out turns facing downhill, as soon as he stopped and raised his head I hammered him…

 

Good bird and great hunt but no gobbles and even though he is a mature 2 or 3 year old Tom that weighed in at 20 lbs. with a nice thick 9” beard and nice 1” spurs… he has 3 long tail feathers like a jake… Just an all-around strange NON- Gobbling Tom…

 

Week B Permit… Filled !

 

 

 

 

[BowTechExperience]

Nice beard on him

[Matty]

That is strange that he has the longer middle tail feathers like a jake, but definitely big hooks and a nice beard. Like you said, strange! If he was public land (probably was) the non-gobbling is not as surprising to me. lol A lot of those birds don't gobble after they figure out what's happening.

 

I think it was last year that it started to occur to me  that you slam birds left and right all season don't you? lol I might have to start dropping hints about getting an invite. lol I mean I'm ok at turkey hunting.... most seasons I can put people on a few birds, but you and MarkmartinFan are bird murderers. Turkeys probably wake up in a cold sweat, gripping the roost limb in terror after having nightmares about you guys. lol

 

Congrats on the non-gobbling gobbler!!!

Edited April 30, 2014 by Matty

[redsquirrel]

Nice bird! Great bird and love the spurs! Congrats 

[BowhunterNJ]

Awesome, you're a turkey hunting animal!  Another great bird and hunt!

[2Barrel]

Nice one Paul

[BHC]

way to go Paul, great bird !!!

[Drop Tine]

That is strange that he has the longer middle tail feathers like a jake, but definitely big hooks and a nice beard. Like you said, strange! If he was public land (probably was) the non-gobbling is not as surprising to me. lol A lot of those birds don't gobble after they figure out what's happening.

 

I think it was last year that it started to occur to me  that you slam birds left and right all season don't you? lol I might have to start dropping hints about getting an invite. lol I mean I'm ok at turkey hunting.... most seasons I can put people on a few birds, but you and MarkmartinFan are bird murderers. Turkeys probably wake up in a cold sweat, gripping the roost limb in terror after having nightmares about you guys. lol

 

Congrats on the non-gobbling gobbler!!!

 

Yeah Matty, public land bird, locals told me the place was hammered the end of opening week and especially Saturday......

Most of my birds are public land... but I don't let that worry me as I like the challenge of hard to kill birds...

 

I figure he may be a late hatch 3 year old or an early hatch 2 year old... or possible just a genetic weirdo but either way he's as big as he's ever gon’a be...

 

As for Willard and I... We do alright… they don't call us Double Trouble for nothing

 

 

 & Brother, I would gladly hunt wit-ya any day

Edited May 1, 2014 by Drop Tine