Rhino Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 (edited) More often than not the 1st encounter with an old wary gobbler is a learning experience...and so it was for this old bird. Round 1 After listening in another area I heard this old bird rocking the ground with his gobbles about 7:30 on the morning of April 16th. As it turned out he was near the end of his pattern of yo yoing back & forth on a ATV road atop a ridge that dropped down into one of our largest fields that's split by a narrow ridge breaking the roughly in half. As I waited for the opportunity to move in and set up on one end when he gobbled on the other 2 hens passed headed his way. After he gobbled on the far end I moved in, set up and the woods became silent for some 30 minutes before I heard him gobble off in the field. When I arrived he was nowhere to be seen and his hens were just starting to make the move around the ridge to the back field. Seconds later his gobble told the story...he was back there already. Using the the ridge as a vantage point I was able to glass the old bird through the timber. Wow...what a rope! That beard has to be over 11"! I moved to set up and cover the front door which was the 40 yard strech of road between the split field off the end of the ridge. Game on! Gobbling activity dropped with him now strutting his stuff for the hens. Some 20 minutes passed when a couple of 2 year old gobblers appeared out of nowhere (never gobbled) one going into half strut as they quickly shuffled their way toward the trio of birds. All out of sight now somewhere toward the east end I figured it was only a matter of time...figured wrong. After another 30 minutes of silence I catch the unmistakable bob of the top of a turkeys head off my right shoulder crossing from the back field to the front. A 10 minute wait and ease around the downhill side to glass the front field. No birds...they had vanished to parts unknown. OK tomorrow's another day...cept that was the day my buddy decided we were going to plant those 2 fields in alyce clover. Hope the disturbance doesn't booger him. Round 2 Before dawn I'm sitting on a tree about in the middle of where he had been yo yoing yesterday morning. 4 deer pass inside the 20 yards line about gobbling time...cept no gobbles. Bout an hour past gobbling time I accepted the fact that all that disturbance yesterday had boogered him. Time has a way of fixin that though. Round 3 Good Friday morning, well before the crack of dawn I'm slipping back to the same tree using moonlight to my advantage. Turns out I was there bout 30 minutes before the crack of dawn. Some 10 minutes or so passes as I'm sitting there going through my mental anticipation of the morning's events when I hear sticks snapping behind me off my right shoulder. I ease my head around and suddenly out of the brush steps a boar (~175 pounder) at 4 steps :jaw: . This is NOT what I need for my old heart! Gun's on right shoulder and pig is too! I really don't want to ruin this hunt with a self defense shot, especially at that range. The pig roots around at the base of an oak crunching acorns...yep didn't know there'd still be any gooduns left either. After 15 seconds or so...felt like forever...he moves away to my right. Thank you Lord!!! Now...breath!!! :yes: Another 10 to 15 minutes passes when a large body deer passes at the 8 yard line. Oh boy...this tree's gonna wear a hang on stand come fall. Dawn arrives with the awakening of song birds. Then...a loud thundering gobble is blown out from a tree bout 125 yards to my front right side. Slight seat repositioning in order & start the process of counting gobbles for recording in my TMAP book. Bout the 40th gobble a 2nd bird chims in behind me in the distance. Finally at the 76th giobble he rocks the ground to my right...time to respond. After his 2nd at ground level I cut back at him with my Woodhaven Red Wasp diaphram...no repsonse...seconds go by of silence that seemed like forever when he gobbles again further away to my right...gotta change calls and gotta prepare to shoot south paw too. Out comes the same combination of Madhatter slate & stiker used to coax bird no. 2 in range this year. As I'm preparing to deliver a call he gobbles further away. A couple of clucks followd by a purr is cut off by his gobble...he really liked that! Another unprevoked gobble tells the tale...he's coming!!! Somewhere around the 50 or 60 yard line he hangs up momentarily with 2 gobbles delivered that echo across the ground. Some more light clucks and purrs convinces him she's just right over there. I finally catch the 1st movement of his head bobbing through trees. Just clear that bigun and your mine! He does and a Nitro load hits him at the 32 yard line. From the looks of his beard there's no doubt it's the same gobbler I glassed on the 16th. His rope measured 11 3/4"...he was an old battler too...left spur 1 1/8" and right spur was busted off with just a 1/2" nub left from educating other birds in his domain. This old bird fills out my 3 bird bag limit for MS and a fitting end to this spring season! Whenever I figure out what I can't copy and paste the pic here anymore I will...until then, here's a link. http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5303/5648950293_a3c6274bef_b.jpg Edited April 24, 2011 by Rhino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohiobucks Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 Wow! Great stuff Alan! Congrats on your trifecta this spring ...I'll bet that boar still has you looking over your shoulder, huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Givan Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 Congrats on a nice bird! I had issues posting the pic of my turkey as well. I use photobucket and I used to just copy and paste the image into the text box, but now that doesnt work. Ruttinbuc helped me out though, and told me to copy/paste the image code, and that worked. Maybe you can do something similiar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhine16 Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 Awesome Al! Congrats on another great season! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 Great bird and story once again, Al. Seems like your part of MS is covered in them gobblers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHISKEYSWAMP Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 nicely done... congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted April 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 I'll bet that boar still has you looking over your shoulder, huh? Actually Tom there was bigger one a couple of weeks ago that already had me doing that only he didn't get inside the 10 yard line. This one sure made it worse though. Thanks everyone...it's been a tuff but rewarding season this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 Great story and bird there Al. Congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archerjg Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 Congratulations on a great bird. Archerjg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dartonman Posted April 26, 2011 Report Share Posted April 26, 2011 turkey Its been a great spring AL......kudos buddy on all your success.....you know me though, Id a shot a pig...lol...........al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3seasons Posted April 27, 2011 Report Share Posted April 27, 2011 Awesome job AL congrats on your MS limit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbeard Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 Congrats on gettin' the ol' warrior!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted May 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 Congrats on gettin' the ol' warrior!! And another notch on the Madhatter slate call too Dean! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 congrats Al.....how can i get a madhatter slate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted May 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 congrats Al.....how can i get a madhatter slate? PM redbeard Martin. He makes them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fullfan Posted May 11, 2011 Report Share Posted May 11, 2011 Good work Congrats on a great bird. It sounds like you earned him. But the hard ones are the most rewarding when you stand on their heads. Good job...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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