April 30th:
Went out this afternoon on some local state forest land and took the GPS.
Coordinates are set...but Roosted...aint Roasted...Yet
Checked out the area near where I sighted in my Muzzleloader and heard some gobbling while I was shooting. Found some birds on the roost just about dusk. Couple very soft yelps and a purr on the slate and I got BOOMED...2 maybe 3 birds sounded off leaving No doubt where they'll be in the morning. Problem is which way they'll fly down. Their on a small saddle on a ridge with 2 separate areas on each side they could fly down to.
It will be a 50-50 chance because they could fly down to one side that would be accrossed a creek. It will depend on which way the girls go
I'll be on the side where they wont have to cross the creek to get to me and about 125 yards away at the edge of an open area that funnels down on one end.
I should be able to see them in the tree and watch which way they go from where I'll be setting up.
If they fly down accrossed the creek....I'll be getting wet before the sun has risen all the way
Their getting Hunted in the morning 8)
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May 1st:
Well...I got wet shortly after seeing the birds fly down.
They went acrossed the creek before they hit the ground. Played catchup with them until somewhere around 10am when I was reaching down into my vest to get a call and see if I could get one to sound off.
Walk and call...hear a gobble..sit down and wait. Did that most of the morning and had just stopped walking to call again when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye to my left @ 20 or so yards.
Stood completely still until my legs ached. When the wind started up a bit I swayed a little bit and they went back to feeding. I got the gun off my shoulder and got on one knee behind what was left of a fallen tree's trunk that was still standing. I was slightly above the birds and could see a couple of them through the limbs of the fallen tree.
Watched them while I reached into my vest and found the box call i have with slate on one side. Pulled out the striker and purred as softly as I could.
The bird I saw with a beard let me know he was the boss and rattled the ground when he gobbled.
I set the call down and got ready...waited...waited...nothing?
Slowly stood back up and leaned out to take a peek and he had me dead in his sights...but I had him too :wink:
BOOM
Flopped off into a small creek and drowned or so I thought until I went to take a look at him :shock:
I took the top of his head off...literally only the bottom of his beak was left.
He's got a nice 9-1/2" beard, 1" spurs, and I'm geussing about 17-18lb wieght.
I took a pic of him in the field but have not looked at it yet....it's definitely going to be extremely graphic I know that much
Walking back to the truck, which I figured would only take a few minutes, I realized I chased them birds over 3 miles
Darn bird felt like he was 50lbs by the time I got back and opened the back of the Blazer
Went out this afternoon on some local state forest land and took the GPS.
Coordinates are set...but Roosted...aint Roasted...Yet
Checked out the area near where I sighted in my Muzzleloader and heard some gobbling while I was shooting. Found some birds on the roost just about dusk. Couple very soft yelps and a purr on the slate and I got BOOMED...2 maybe 3 birds sounded off leaving No doubt where they'll be in the morning. Problem is which way they'll fly down. Their on a small saddle on a ridge with 2 separate areas on each side they could fly down to.
It will be a 50-50 chance because they could fly down to one side that would be accrossed a creek. It will depend on which way the girls go
I'll be on the side where they wont have to cross the creek to get to me and about 125 yards away at the edge of an open area that funnels down on one end.
I should be able to see them in the tree and watch which way they go from where I'll be setting up.
If they fly down accrossed the creek....I'll be getting wet before the sun has risen all the way
Their getting Hunted in the morning 8)
____________________________________________________________
May 1st:
Well...I got wet shortly after seeing the birds fly down.
They went acrossed the creek before they hit the ground. Played catchup with them until somewhere around 10am when I was reaching down into my vest to get a call and see if I could get one to sound off.
Walk and call...hear a gobble..sit down and wait. Did that most of the morning and had just stopped walking to call again when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye to my left @ 20 or so yards.
Stood completely still until my legs ached. When the wind started up a bit I swayed a little bit and they went back to feeding. I got the gun off my shoulder and got on one knee behind what was left of a fallen tree's trunk that was still standing. I was slightly above the birds and could see a couple of them through the limbs of the fallen tree.
Watched them while I reached into my vest and found the box call i have with slate on one side. Pulled out the striker and purred as softly as I could.
The bird I saw with a beard let me know he was the boss and rattled the ground when he gobbled.
I set the call down and got ready...waited...waited...nothing?
Slowly stood back up and leaned out to take a peek and he had me dead in his sights...but I had him too :wink:
BOOM
Flopped off into a small creek and drowned or so I thought until I went to take a look at him :shock:
I took the top of his head off...literally only the bottom of his beak was left.
He's got a nice 9-1/2" beard, 1" spurs, and I'm geussing about 17-18lb wieght.
I took a pic of him in the field but have not looked at it yet....it's definitely going to be extremely graphic I know that much
Walking back to the truck, which I figured would only take a few minutes, I realized I chased them birds over 3 miles
Darn bird felt like he was 50lbs by the time I got back and opened the back of the Blazer
