I had a guy in for a 3-day hunt the first 3 days of the first season. He was supposed to be here Monday-Wednesday. He was done before 7:00am on Monday
Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning I tried to get my brother's GF on a bird. Monday afternoon we had 2 gobbling at less than 40 yards, but coudn't see them through the brush. It was a pretty bad set-up, and I'm pretty sure they bused us and sneaked off.
On the next spot (behind my house) we got onto one gobbling in the middle of a big picked cornfield. Just as we were getting into position to call to him there was a gunshot in the corner of the field and the birds all got spooky. We did get a group of 5 LB's and 5 jakes to about 70 yards, but they were nervous after one of their buddies got shot and didn't want to play right. I found out later that the other guy with permission to hunt that place killed a pretty good LB about 100 yards from my back porch, and that was the gunshot we heard.
On the next place we got onto one that was henend up, got him to about 60 yards through some brush, he wouldn't commit, and finally he shut up and left.
Tuesday morning was wet and miserable again, but at least there was no hail or snow like there was Monday! They didn't gobble well on the roost, but we did get onto some birds shortly after fly-down. I called up 3 jakes that put on a show and gobbled their heads off (full-roll gobbles you would have thought were LB's) for about 10 minutes at 20 yards before finally moving off. She wanted to kill an LB, but told me later she almost broke weak and killed a jake. I told her to kill whatever she wants, just make sure she is having fun.
We slept in this morning. I got 2hrs, 4hrs, 2hrs, and 5hrs sleep the last 4 nights and I needed it! It was raining and miserable anyways. We went out about 11:00 and got onto one gobbling at about 12:00.
I crow called from a 2-track, and he gobbled way off over a ridge, across a hollow, in a picked cornfield on the next ridge. We sneaked up to the top of the first ridge and didn't dare go any further in the bare woods, and I called pretty softly, not thinking he would hear my first series.
Cluck! Cluck! Purrrr! Cluck! Purrr! Cluck!
GOBBLE!!!!! From across the hollow.
3 minutes later
Cluck! Cluck!
GOBBLE!!!!! Moving to our left, still across the hollow but coming down the opposite ridge:D
About 2 minutes later there is a faint hum in the distance. The faint hum gradually gets louder, until we can hear a quad driving around the cut cornfield the bird had been strutting in. 2 hens came through the hollow right to us, but were acting spooky because of the quad. Shortly after that I see 2 LB's, about 150 yards straight across the hollow from us, walking left to right., away from the quad. They were buggered, and never gobbled again
My brother could see them as they went out the opposite side of the other ridge, straight away from the quad.
On another place we got onto one other bird that gobbled 1 time in the distance at about 3:30, and taht was it for the day.
It is finally not raining anymore, but is very windy. We're going out to try to put some to bed tonight. I'm headed out back to shoot bows with my brother right now. Just before fly-up we'll head out to try to put some to bed. Hopefully we'll hear a gobble while we're shooting our bows, and maybe go off and kill him tonight!
Tomorrow morning is supposed to be beautiful, and there ought to be some birds floppin' real early!!!
Hey B Look for a few goodies coming your way this week in the mail.
