Ethan Givan Posted April 29, 2011 Report Share Posted April 29, 2011 We finally got some decent weather in here, so I headed to the turkey woods for the first time in almost a week this morning. Its getting on up into the season a bit, so our hens are really starting to head to the nest now. With this in mind I slept in this morning. I figured gobblers would be with a few hens early off the roost, but would lose them up later in the morning. I got over to the property I chose to hunt around 8:30 am, about an hour and a half after shooting light. I eased back through the woods trying to get to a point where I could sneak out to the edge of a big field, and set up. I was walking along a creek, when all of a sudden a hen took off right in front of me. I stood still a moment, then continued foward a few steps, and then I see a nice gobbler running away through the woods. Not my favorite way to start out the hunt. I continue slowly walking in the edge of the woods. I get up onto a hill with a good vantage point and set up under a big white oak, overlooking about 8 acres of hay field with deep wooded hollers on all sides. I start to call hoping to strike up a lonely gobbler. I hear a couple faint gobbles behind me and after about an hour I give up on this set and decide to move. I move to a different part of the farm where there are some old round bales of hay stacked in the middle of a long, narrow hay field. I put out a lone hen decoy and tuck myself back against the hay bales and as Im doing this I hear a bird sound off about 200 yards in front of me off in one of the hollers. I yelp a few times, and wait. He gobbles again. I give him some more yelps and he gobbles again. I go silent for a while and he gobbles a couple more times on his own. I call to him one more time and no response. At this point I notice I have 5 jakes behind me and to my left, so I turn my head to watch them. I ease my head back around and there is the gobbler full strut 80 yards out in front of me. Then 2 hens come over the hill and walk right down to me and the gobbler is on his way. He would come in and out of strut as he slowly worked his way towards me. Once he was within 60 yards I could hear him spitting and drumming and the hens were still coming my direction. Once he crossed the 45 yard line, I cut at him to bring him out of strut, and it was all over at 11:15 am. Gotta love late morning hunts!! 21 lbs, 10 inch beard, and a 1 inch spur. His other spur was broken off to a 1/4" nub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted April 29, 2011 Report Share Posted April 29, 2011 Congrats Ethan...that's a goodun! Great way to end your season with the show you had going on with those birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colorado bob Posted April 29, 2011 Report Share Posted April 29, 2011 Nice bird, Conglads & SMILE--------hunting is fun. CB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted April 30, 2011 Report Share Posted April 30, 2011 Way to go, Ethan! That is a dandy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pruts Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 Nice job. Congratulations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHISKEYSWAMP Posted May 2, 2011 Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 nice looking bird... congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.