Just wondering if anyone else has ever been fooled by a shrill high pitch gobble, thinking it was a younger bird only to find out it was the Boss himself, saw this question posted on another forum and it got me reminiscing
I was one time fooled by a gobbler with a high pitch gobble. I was back from a field so never saw him while he was in the field. We had a little conversation, I told him I was the hottest little hen he ever met, and what I would do if he would just come over and visit for a while,lol. Evey time I would say something, he cut me off with a shrill gobble, to me it sounded like there was a jake.
Before fly down I had done some soft tree calls, and had heard a mature bird boom out with a deep gobble so I was feeling really good about my setup. I could hear the birds when they flew down, and waited for a little while and then yelped, got cutoff by a good gobble. I waited and then did a cackle so he would think I was now on the ground. Then, I heard a strange and high pitched gobble. I remember thinking, there must be a jake with him and I could hear a bird coming my way fast.
Thinking it was a jake, I got ready to shoot, but really didn't want to take a jake, so I wasn't fully committed. This gave the bird an immediate edge!
As soon as he entered the woods to where I could see him, I realized this wasn't any jake, and he gobbled,earsplitting and booming gobble that pretty much undid me. It was the same bird that I had hunted in this same spot the year before, and was the reason I had picked this spot to hunt. There a little pile of rocks from where a farmer had cleared his field, the previous year the bird had come in above it on the ridge, he used it so well for cover I never got a shot.Remembering that ,I had set up above it. This time, he came in below it. He stopped and studied my position.
My gun is up and getting heavier by the moment, I am having difficulty breathing and am shaking so bad I am afraid he can see the movement. He was well within range, but all I can see is his head and neck. I held on him as long as I could and was hoping he would take a few more step and clear that dang rock pile. He held, looking hard and began acting suspicious. I pulled the trigger.
What happened then was like a scene out of a matrix movie. I swear he saw the flame coming his direction from the muzzle of my gun, he pulled a twisting corkscrew maneuver the likes of which must have been rehearsed, totally avoiding every projectile heading his way, and flew off. I probably could have fired again, but just sat there stunned and watched him fly away.
I learned a couple lessons that day, one was to always be fully ready no matter what you think is happening, the other was to always carry my shooting sticks and use them!
My brother called that same bird in four times last spring, he should be a good 4 1/2 year old bird now, and he always managed to give my brother the slip. I think these birds are sometimes just psychic. He is very distinct looking from the rest of the toms in the area, his head is white as snow, my son says I took some skin off and that is his sun bleached skull, I don't really think so.
Anyways, hope I didn't bore you with my story, but I do know one gobbler with a shrill gobble and he is a nice one. I often wondered if maybe when they get excited their necks might swell a little more, like a buck deer or something, but your question got me thinking about that morning again!
Post script, on a hunt later that morning, I killed a very nice gobbler, so it turned out to be a great day!
Dave
