Rhino Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 (edited) I had a brief 15 minute encounter with this gobbler this past Saturday before hens took him away. The Grissmill gobbler (named for location) is one of those strange birds that never gobbles on the roost but will on the ground...go figure. With a faint hint of dawn approaching Wednesday morning, I'm sitting close to where I heard a bird gobble 15 times on the roost while hunting the Grissmill gobbler this past Sunday morning. It's 50 degrees, clear and calm. As dusk turns to dawn an owl cuts loose waking up a gobbler that's roosted ~125 yards in front of me near a bend in the ridge. Part of our TMAP participation is reporting total number of gobbles so I decide since this bird is gobbling good I'd do an accurate "to the gobble" account. Then a 2nd bird cranks up in the distance west of me. 128 gobbles after the 1st bird cranked up they fly down. :jaw: Yep a gobbling frenzy went on between those 2 birds. However, the dang bird I'm on flew down to the ridge across the bottom from where I am. Gotta get on the same ridge with him so off I go, backing out to swing around to get on it with him. 10 minutes later I'm easing in on him to set up while he's gobbling giving away his location. Shortly after I set up I hear hens cutting loose near him. Not good! Next time he gobbles he's on the next ridge, which is Grissmill Ridge...except this time not only does he cut loose with his weaker sounding gobble but a 2nd bird with a strong gobble hammers down too. Here we go again...except I have to make a big loop this time covering about a mile to get in there. Back out to my EV and drive the 1st 1/2 mile. I ease in to the head of Grissmill Ridge and as I arrive the hens cut loose firing up the 2 gobblers again, giving away their exact location. Time to slip into position. As I ease to a high point above a small woods field (planted in chufa ~3 weeks ago) I glass for the birds. At 1st nothing then I catch a glimpse through the trees of a strutting bird. Game on...now to get into position to hunt...not much in the way of trees to sit on without getting busted. I spend ~20 minutes very slowly moving some 25 yards to a small down tree at the point of a high spot some 40 yards from the edge of this 1/3 acre field. This spot also puts me ~20' above them. I check my watch...8:30. Now as I was moving in I discovered there were 8 birds in there. A strutting gobbler, a strutting jake, 2 more jakes, and 4 hens that are all on the far end of the field at ~125 yards. With the way he's strutting & drumming for those hens my only chance is to call in the hens. I choose to go with passive calling...light purrs with some light clucks mixed in and delivered from my Madhatters 3 track slate call (one of Redbeard's calls) teamed with one of my old strikers that delivers a perfect reproduction of these MS hen's soft talk. It slowly begins to work as the hens slowly peck around toward me. Every time they would pause, I'd dish out more light purring. All during this time the gobbler is strutting and drumming...great show! The jake goes in & out of strut. As they hit the 60 yard line 4 more hens enter from the far end of the field. Gotta dish out some more clucking & purring. They trot over to the other 4 hens...game plan still working. Minutes later the hens began moving behind trees to my right where I couldn't see them. The Grissmill gobbler is still in full view strutting his stuff. Several minutes later, I catch movement of a hen not 20 yards from me in the timber moving my way...then 2 more hens. Plan working real good now! The 1st hen passes moving toward my left at the 10 yard line with the other 2 hens about 5 yards behind her with more hens in tow. The Grissmill gobbler begins to move in from the field toward my left from the mark he'd made around the 50 yard line. He hits the tree line and crosses into the circle of death (my self imposed 40 yard limit) but steps behind several big trees. He steps into the open briefly at 35 yards then behind a big tree with a big opening on the uphill side. I move my shotgun to that point and a hen to my left putts. :oops: The gobbler briefly steps out and steps back behind the big tree again...got him on the downhill side though. When he steps out a Nitro load from my SBE II hits him at the 35 yard line. The other 11 birds fill the air. I check my watch...9:15...a great 45 minute show watching and working those birds. The Grissmill gobbler carries a 10 1/2" beard and 1" spurs. 2 birds down & 1 to go in MS. BTW...all total I heard 5 different gobblers gobble a total of 186 times including the 128 gobbles dished out off the roost. I heard a couple more while working this bird. I hope to be on one in particular (very strong gobble) this weekend. Also...this has been one of the hardest seasons I've had in MS. Birds either haven't been gobbling or didn't gobble long enough to locate them on the roost when I could hunt. This was only the 3rd time I've been able to get into a position where I knew I could work the bird. Sure can't complain with the 2 great shows I've had so far this year though. Edited April 14, 2011 by Rhino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohiobucks Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 Great story and bird Al, way to work 'em. Our Ohio youth season is this weekend, then Monday, regular season opens up here for 4 weeks. Hearing stories like yours, I'm ready to roll! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted April 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 Our Ohio youth season is this weekend, then Monday, regular season opens up here for 4 weeks. Hearing stories like yours, I'm ready to roll! Good luck & kockum out Tom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsharp01 Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 Great story... I'm always ready to enjoy a play by play story. Congrats on the bird and sounds like your season has taken a change for the better. I got until May 1 till I can chase birds....... so stories like yours are keeping me from going nuts, but are making me ancy. :2guns: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhine16 Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 Awesome Al! Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHISKEYSWAMP Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 great story and hunt... congrats! I'll be after them in Ohio on Monday as well... seems to be a lot of birds around here this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 Well done Rhino! That's a good'n! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 ya put some shoe leather into that one...way to run & gun!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Givan Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 Congrats on a great bird, and great story as well. I have used passive light calling to bring hens in with a gobbler in tow as well. Alot of people say you have to pick a fight with the dominant hen to kill a henned up gobbler, but I think passive works better. It just may take a while for them to get there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 Had me running right there with you, Al. Great story on a great bird! WTG... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3seasons Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 Great job Al. Congrats. Our birds are lockjawed at our camp hope they crank up soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pruts Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 Congratulations. Thanks for writing the story out for us to enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorden Posted April 20, 2011 Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 Great bird Al, congrats!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flintlock1776 Posted April 20, 2011 Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 Congrats! What sight is that on your shotgun? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbeard Posted April 22, 2011 Report Share Posted April 22, 2011 Awesome Rhino, glad to see ya got some more woods time and many thanks for continuin' to tote that caller....good thing you ain't notchin' it for ever bird 'er there'd hardly be any wood left. Many congrats my friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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