MattRaymond
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2015
- Messages
- 183
- Reaction score
- 50
When out to a new spot to me on public land. I hunted there on opening day in the rain and worked a bird for awhile from a distance but he would not cross a swampy area at one point and after awhile he went silent. I imagine he had a hen with him and he was all set. That bird got under my skin this week and I devised a plan to go after him today. It was a perfect day. The property is about 1900 acres and most of the terrain is steep. I slipped down onto a knob above the swamp from earlier in the week because I figured he’d be there. And by slip in I mean it was 2 1/2 miles to the knob from my vehicle! Made it there for 0700 after hearing a few hunters in various spots. When I made my way to the top of the knob, nobody was home... I called a bit but there was no answer. I decided to hunker down and hang out on the knob because it took so much effort to get there. I ran a series of calls every 20 minutes or so and listened. Around 8:45 I thought I heard a distant gobble but couldn’t pin point where it came from. I answered back with some yelps and excited cuts but got no answer, but I knew that where ever he was he heard me and knew where I was. I was gonna wait the 20 minutes but I was getting nervous because I didn’t know if the bird was closing and didn’t want to get busted if he came in silent. At 0900 I did a series of yelps on the mouth call but no answer. Not happy with that, I let it rip with my Lynch box....BOOOOM... two thundering gobbles about 50 yards away behind me but below the lip of the knob. A quick adjustment on the tree and some yelps on the mouth call later and 2 big longbeards came over the lip gobbling. One was in full display and the other was looking on from about 5 feet away. The both looked like bronze gods in the sunlight and we’re looking hard in my direction at 20 yards. The lookout bird started getting nervous and the strutter folded up. I made a little peep and he took a closer look and I let the strutter have it! The other longbeard jumped up and flew off to play another day. On the 2 1/2 mile up hill hike out I took several breaks, weighed down by the 22 lb gobbler. As I stopped to catch my breath, I found a massive shed off of a big 8 point buck, looked around for the match, but couldn’t find it. Finally made it back to my car exhausted, but with another great hunt in the turkey woods under my belt.