Yesterday I waited till Jon got finished deer hunting to try the birds . I heard some gobblers on the roost right above the cabin . When we finally got after them we could not find them . Eventually running into a flock , but we weren't sure if they were the gobblers or a brood. We interrupted two different deer hunters that had hung their stands on the property line . The second deer hunter pointed us toward the flock had gone . BAD MISTAKE FELLER! I hit the hen yelp and the game was on . For about 30 - 40 minutes we cussed each other and the flock was slowly getting closer . Finally I heard a kee kee and I followed suit with a kee kee run gobble . That got a jake started and I thought he was going to run right in . But he stopped right behind a bank that is covered in thick brush. He eventually saw me move my head and putted . The whole outfit went silent and departed.
I returned to the point ridge were the gobblers had been roosted around 3o'clock. I sat still and quiet for nearly an hour before I called . I made one gobble and sat still . Almost an hour later I gobbled again . 30 minutes later I gobbled and yelped a few times . Then I hear what sounded like a man walking .It was coming straight to me . There was a small rise 15 yards in front of me . I could tell it was nearing the rise . Then a tom sticks his head up and is looking right at me . He slowly walks up on the crown of the rise and gives a long look around for the unseen gobbler . Man he was a fine 1 1/2 years bird. Sporting a 7-8 inch very thick beard. Very tall and looked heavy . He circled my set up just outside of the 410's capabilities. He marched right up through the saddle and stopped short of going out of sight . Hstood there for a long time and I'm sure he saw me move at least three times as I would turn my head and peek with one eye around the big oak . Another mature bird came from across the property line , and on the same level where the first bird still stood . When they were about ten yards apart they faced off and went at each other sparring . At this same time I can hear a lot of leaves being rustled and crunched off to my right. I slowly turn my head and see more birds making theirt way toward the point. These I believe were just on their way to roost since they never came in looking like the first gobbler . They all marched right up the face of the point and began flying up into the trees. There was at least one bird still on the ground when I started slipping out . And at this time it was too dark to be able to shoot a bow with fiber optic sights . I didn't realize they would stay on the ground that late .
So this morning I was making my way into a brushy area below the point . I wanted to be over near the property line because we know they go straight to the neighbors property , which is dense cedars . But there is no suitable cover on Jon's side near the line . As I slowly crept along a tractor path in the near darkness and about thirty yards from where I want to set up , I hear small particles of debris coming from above . Instantly I think squirrel. And instantly I am corrected . I received the ultimate turky hunting experience this morning . With a soft thud , right in the crown of my drab colored cap ,,,,,gobbler poop! I stopped walking and thought,,''no way'',,,,I removed my cap and right there was a big ol' gob of gobbler. As I started to walk on the gobbler flew out toward the east , the point ridge and the rest of the birds being about 100 yards southwest .
Well the birds were talking to me but they pitched down , regrouped , sparred around a little , went down the saddle and into the cedars . The flushed bird began calling and passed to my left , climbed the steep ridge point , walked to the saddle and went down through it and followed the rest .
Already have a plan for this afternoon ,,,,,,we'll see how it plays out .
Had I not been so determined to stick to my plan of using the 410 I would have been telling of success right now. Oh yeah ,,,,That was success . That first gobbler was lookin' for me .
