Post by Noblebowhunter on Apr 23, 2008 9:50:57 GMT -5
Holy cow!!.. what a morning. I am still freaked out beyond belief.... im warnin you now this may get long.... but i gotta tell the story.
First off.... i was drawn for Pigeon River FWA first 3 days of the season.... BUT!.... i had been seein tons of bird activity around the area so i decided to stick with my gut and do some heavy scouting last evening at a few of my Noble co. areas i get to hunt instead of tryin to roost a bird in Mongo. Well low and behold... 3 real nice strutters were in a hay field i have access to. We stuck around until dark .. watched them head to roost. Boy was i already excited. So.....
THE HUNT
.... I pulled into the farmers lot today about 5 am..... LONG LONG walk ahead of myself and i had to cut accross the open field right where the turkeys had been in order to set up along the field edge. After a little bit of rain... things calmed down and i got set up where i thought was as close as i could get. When the sky was lightening up the birds started to light it up as well....
Heck.... there a good 30 yards in the woods off the field... maybe i can get closer... i grab my decoys and start crawlin up the field edge... i stake them out at about 10 yards off the tree line where im sittin.... didnt want to take chances of bein seen. I mean these birds are just flat hammerin in the woods. I hear them fly down.... then start layin it on em.. They were gobbblin like crazy ... One of them makes a "b-line" right for me but instead of approachin me from the field... he walks around the field edge to me... still in the woods. This bird is gobblin like mad and only 20 yards BUT I CANT SEE IT!!! The woods was so thick.... This went on for about 20 minutes..... I decided to stop the callin and make him come lookin if he was really interested...
By this time there was another bird goin nuts from the original roost spot.... workin his way closer as well but sounded like he was gonna cut the corner and come straight out into the field.... I somewhat belly crawl(best as a 280 lb. man can)... I only move about 5 feet and can hear sicks breakin... i sit up .... and the original bird i was talkin too.... is about ...mmmmmmmmm 15 feet!!!! Now hes in the hay.... i got 6 jakes about to make short work of my inflatable jake if somethin doesnt happen soon... I slowly somehow make it to my knees... shoulder my gun... and SMOKE my FIRST gobbler ever!!!! yup... no more than 20-25 feet. You talk about one happy camper fellas. Especially after bein told how dumb i was for not goin to Pigeon River this mornin. WEll......... Here he is!!!!!! 24lb. 27mm spurs... 10" beard.
First off.... i was drawn for Pigeon River FWA first 3 days of the season.... BUT!.... i had been seein tons of bird activity around the area so i decided to stick with my gut and do some heavy scouting last evening at a few of my Noble co. areas i get to hunt instead of tryin to roost a bird in Mongo. Well low and behold... 3 real nice strutters were in a hay field i have access to. We stuck around until dark .. watched them head to roost. Boy was i already excited. So.....
THE HUNT
.... I pulled into the farmers lot today about 5 am..... LONG LONG walk ahead of myself and i had to cut accross the open field right where the turkeys had been in order to set up along the field edge. After a little bit of rain... things calmed down and i got set up where i thought was as close as i could get. When the sky was lightening up the birds started to light it up as well....
Heck.... there a good 30 yards in the woods off the field... maybe i can get closer... i grab my decoys and start crawlin up the field edge... i stake them out at about 10 yards off the tree line where im sittin.... didnt want to take chances of bein seen. I mean these birds are just flat hammerin in the woods. I hear them fly down.... then start layin it on em.. They were gobbblin like crazy ... One of them makes a "b-line" right for me but instead of approachin me from the field... he walks around the field edge to me... still in the woods. This bird is gobblin like mad and only 20 yards BUT I CANT SEE IT!!! The woods was so thick.... This went on for about 20 minutes..... I decided to stop the callin and make him come lookin if he was really interested...
By this time there was another bird goin nuts from the original roost spot.... workin his way closer as well but sounded like he was gonna cut the corner and come straight out into the field.... I somewhat belly crawl(best as a 280 lb. man can)... I only move about 5 feet and can hear sicks breakin... i sit up .... and the original bird i was talkin too.... is about ...mmmmmmmmm 15 feet!!!! Now hes in the hay.... i got 6 jakes about to make short work of my inflatable jake if somethin doesnt happen soon... I slowly somehow make it to my knees... shoulder my gun... and SMOKE my FIRST gobbler ever!!!! yup... no more than 20-25 feet. You talk about one happy camper fellas. Especially after bein told how dumb i was for not goin to Pigeon River this mornin. WEll......... Here he is!!!!!! 24lb. 27mm spurs... 10" beard.
