BBD A Most Awesome Day In The Woods !!!

[Ms Grit]

I started yesterday morning back in a spot I call the swamp, but set up on one of the cut corn fields.  The first gobble I heard was way off in the distance, but I soon heard another and it was right above me.  Having not hunted the past 2 weeks I was going in blind and my luck put me too close to the right spot.  The hens flew into the field, not having seen me, but the tom was well aware of my presence.  When he flew down, he stayed with his girls until the dominant hen decided she was interested in my calls.  I mimicked every sound she made.  He decided to head off the field but she decided to come check me out.

 

I thought she was coming looking for a fight, but when she got to within 15 FEET of me, she stretched out her neck and out came this garbled jake sounding gobble, not once, but several times. And I had to do a double take as she proceeded to puff herself up, fan out her tail and strut back and forth in front of me. I strained my eyes to make sure there was no beard and no spurs. Definitely a confused hen! I found the entire incident with her amusing and really had to keep from laughing, but all 3 hens were right in front of me and I must have blended in really well as not one putt came out of them as they eventually wandered away and off the field.

 

I eventually made my way to another spot several miles away where a tom was in the middle of a field with his group of girls and I was able to drive up along the side of 2 more fields, get out of my vehicle and work my way down to the wooded area along the 2^nd of the 3 fields.  I set up on the edge of the woods and the field but kicked up deer as I did so and they went running in the direction I knew the birds were.  I sat there for over an hour, called several times, but got no responses.  I think that they zigged while I was busy zagging.

 

Came out of the woods for several hours mid-day but was back in by 2pm.  Fast forward to 4:30pm and after having kicked up more deer and been snorted by several as well.

 

At around 4:30 I hear the morning tom gobble, way down off the cut corn field, just once, so, I answer just once, no response, so I move down closer to where he had gobbled, set up and tried calling a few times until around 6:30, but no responses.

 

Decided that I knew he would probably head back to the same area to roost, so I went back to that location and played around with several different trees and 2 decoys until I had everything “Just right.”  You know what they say about the best laid plains, right?

 

By 7pm, here come 2 of the girls back into the cut corn field, but I swear they should have been named snails instead of turkeys as they slowly meandered back and forth ever so slowly and of course the sun is shining directly on me.  I called to them, but when they stuck their head up and looked directly at me, I decided I should lay off the calling.  At 30 yards away and me feeling very disappointed to not be seeing the tom yet, to my right I hear 2 very loud “Putt Putt’s.” But I hadn’t even breathed deeply. And of course the girls hunched over and snuck back from where they came.

 

Shortly after that I thought that I should probably be set up more on the green field (couldn’t see both fields from any location) as that would be an easier location for a “fly up” and there wasn’t any tom in the cut corn field anyway, so I chanced it and got up to make my move.  As I did I could see a bird where the girls had headed into the hedgerow and was certain that it was one of the hens. (Never be certain about anything)

 

So, I guess the hen(?) was making her was up and hugging the hedgerow, but on the cut corn field side where I could only hear her(?) scratching activity but not see her, but I was pretty sure she was going to come through the opening between the 2 fields, the opening I had been set up on but wasn’t since I had moved.  I hear scratching very close, but am SURE it’s one of the hens.  Instinct told me to take the safety off the gun and slowly turn in that direction. 

 

I don’t know who was more surprised, but the hen(?) came walking through the hedgerow opening and was like “OMG, there’s a person against that tree” and I was like “OMG, look at that beard”

 

As he turned to walked out, I swung my gun and quickly lined up the beads, he ducked behind the tree I had been set up against, I followed the tree trunk with the gun, he emerged 35 yards to the left of the tree behind a little brush, but I could still see his neck, so BANG !!!

 

My first though, “OUCH, I snapped back a fingernail and it hurts, followed by, where did the bird go?!?!?!?! Oh, he’s on the ground DUH !!!”

I couldn’t find check in station last night, so I called the bird into the Northern Region Office, but my stats from weighing the bird are 21 lbs, 10 inch beard and 1 1/8 in spurs.  He is in my outside fridge right now, gutted, but stomach contents are in a bag.  I will be leaving work around 9am to check him in, so we will see what numbers the check station comes up with.

 

A very long day for me yesterday, but so very exciting, with so much activity, and not just from the birds.  I kicked up lots of deer, was winded a few times, had a trans gender hen right in front of me, a squirrel digging through the leaves a few feet away, watched 2 woodpeckers do their thing, got some great exercise, spent the day outdoors and the beautiful boss tom I harvested was the bonus to an awesome day in the woods.

 

 

 

Edited May 14, 2014 by Ms Grit

[Haskell_Hunter]

Seems like there are a lot more butch hens in the woods nowadays. Congrats on the bird!

[BowhunterNJ]

Awesome!  Congratulations Robin!  Way to go! :up:

[Bowhunter444]

Nice Bird Robin!

[BHC]

way to go girlfriend !!!

[Rusty]

Great bird Robin, congratulations!   

[Hatchet]

Congrats on a great bird !

[jerseyhunter]

That's Great. Don't forget the check station info vs your own, for the heck of it.

[Matty]

Congrats Robin! Sounds like it was a hell of a hunt!!! Great bird!  

[BowTechExperience]

Congrats on the bird and thanks for the details. Definitely a good day..

[Bucksnbows]

Great bird and story, Robin!   

[hunterbob1]

Your an impressive hunter very nice robin!!

[Ms Grit]

Thanks for all the kind words everyone. We all have one moment that simply stands out about a great day and a great hunt and I will never forget the moment that the hen walked through the hedgerow and I realized she was a he . . .

[redneck]

Very nice Robin   Hey I thought you was bear hunting?

[Ms Grit]

Very nice Robin   Hey I thought you was bear hunting?

Leaving on the 25th