I met my sons Joe(18) and Mike(13) at our house/hunting camp in NY's Sullivan county Friday night. We got our plan together for the morning and went to bed early. We were where we wanted to be come flydown time. We had birds gobbling right off the bat at dawn. All of us got set and Joe worked his magic...These birds were thundering and making a bee line for us. They covered about 300 yards and hit a low(12") rock wall. 3 Toms with thin beards, but full fans. Mature birds. They strutted and held off about 50-60 yards away from Mike, and they were not coming closer. That rockwall could have been a half inch high. They wanted the deke to come to them. They lost interest, hooked into the forest and were gone. Bummer. We tried to chase them, but is was all for naught. They were tight lipped after that. Saturday was over, hunt wise after a few more tries and Sundays weather did not look good. We got up at 4, the rain was coming down good and went back to bed. About 9:30 the rain broke a bit and I saw a lone hen out in my field from the kitchen window. Joe played with her a bit, and she wandered off unspooked. My son Joe was restless went to take a ride and scan a few fields we can hunt for turkey and he was back in 5 minutes. He saw a Jake and knew where it was headed. We got Mike out of bed, dressed and climbing the ridge across the road from us. This bird was hot! Joe set out the deke and started calling. It took a bit, but the gobbler came in...but hung up because of some brush in the way. He was strutting back and forth putting on a good show, but behind brush where Mike couldn't get off a shot. That Tom lost interest and calmly walked away. We know this ridge VERY well and used it to our advantage. Joe and Mike took off after the bird using the landscape to its fullest and I went back for the deke. I caught up to them and Joe has this Tom thundering... but it wouldn't commit. Joe and Mike crawled up to this rock wall ledge and peaked over it, I stayed about 50 yards back...There were 5 Toms about 30 yards out in full strut! Mike raised and steadied his .20ga Mossberg. Picked one closest and let the lead fly.
Bird went down like a ton of bricks.
9" beard, 3/4" spurs, 18 to 20 lbs.
We thanked God for the harvest and the smiles and shoulder patting started .
After the lesson learned from the rock wall and the other toms.
That was the barrier keeping those birds from coming to the calls. They hate rock walls
Joe has the dig cam and better pics are on their way.
Congrats Michael and Joe...job well done boys.
This was one of my BEST times ever afield. Traipsing the lower Catskill mountains with my sons hunting. It just does not get ANY better than this. I was in heaven for a while yesterday and today.
My son Joe has to be one of the BEST Turkey callers I have ever heard call. He switches up calls and pitches and gets these birds super hot. He had quite a few turkeys under his belt for a 18 year old. He has called in more for others than for himself. He loves calling for people. Job well done Joe. Again .
Mike and his Tom.
Better pics on the way.
