Rhino Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 (edited) Finally coaxed one into range. Before I start this tale...although this hunt worked out, it's a low percentage way to kill a gobbler. You'll see! Before dawn Friday morning I'm sitting where I found 2 loud mouth birds opening weekend. As it begins to crack dawn I hear a distant gobble. 1st thought was "no way that's a gobble...it's too early". He cranks up again. I choose to patiently wait for one closer. 2 more birds crank up in the same general direction around normal gobbling time. Nothing gobbles close so off I go to try to work the stongest sounding bird that's about 1/4 of a mile away. Now close to where I last heard them, I pause to listen for where he is now. He gobbles strong in ~1 1/4 acre L shapped food plot to the NW that borders a major creek which is also our property line. Great...my side of the creek! :yes: I choose a tree and dish out the first call. No answer...then he gobbles further away. I move closer. As I approach the field I glass it from cover...no birds in sight. Then the bird gobbles around the bend. OK...set up in corner & try to work him back. I set up and he gobbles further away. Dish out hen talk...no answer. Dish out a gobble...no answer. Well, he's either coming or leaving. Ready my weapon on my knee. Finally he gobbles again across the creek. :jaw: You gotta be kidding me!!! I've tried to call one back across that creek a half dozen times before & failed but with nothing else gobbling...what the heck...try again. The bird hasn't answered any aggressive hen talk & didn't like the gobble so I decide to stick with passive clucks & purrs. Now he answers and moves closer but still across the creek that's ~40 yards from me. The gobbler moves to a bluff on the other side gobbling several times at me. Now I can hear him drumming too. The quest goes on for about 45 minutes with him yo yoing back & forth on the other side of the creek. Then I hear him gobble further away closing in on where he initially crossed the creek. Oh boy...might have a chance after all. Keep dishing out more clucks and purrs. About 10 minutes of silence from him when he gobbles again on my side of the creek. We're in business now! :cool2: A few minutes pass when I catch movement of birds coming round the bend. Being set up ~10 yards off the edge of the plot in cover I'm safe to glass them at ~100 yards. 3 hens...nope...there's a 4th hen behind them. They are all slowly moving my way while pecking away at bugs in the field. Heck...this might actually work! More movement of dark bodied birds. I ease my binocs up & glass them. You gotta be kidding me...2 jakes!!! :no: That can't be what was dishing out that loud, coarse sounding gobble and drumming so loud! They follow up the 4 hens still slowly closing in on me now at ~75 yards. Suddenly 2 mature gobblers come walking around the bend. Now that's what I'm talking about!!! :flex: The 2 gobblers close in and one goes into full strut and starts drumming LOUD! Great show!!! The hens are now at ~60 yards still slowly closing in toward those hens they'd heard in the bush...me. The jakes now flank the hens to their right while the mature birds close in on the hens with the strutter constantly drumming. What a show!!! 2 hens decide to lock up at ~35 yards...2 still closing. All male turkeys stop just short of furthest 2 hens. No clear shot on the strutter without risking killing both gobblers & possibly the 2 hens closest to them. 1 hen continues to feed my way. The other decides to enter the wood line ~25 yards away to look for the hens she'd heard. This could be trouble! She suddenly dishes out one single putt. Not good! Jakes go to alert...2 furthest hens & 1 gobbler go to alert. Sturtter keeps stutting his stuff & drumming. Closest hen still feeding at ~20 yards. Still no clear shot. The sturtter makes a mistake. He comes out of strut and slowly moves toward the jakes. OK buddy just clear that big tree & you're mine. He clears it, stops, & goes to full alert ~5 steps left of the jakes trying to figure out has them so concerned. Attaboy buddy...a Nitro load slams him to the turf at what turned out to be 41 steps from me. 1st bird of my 2012 MS spring turkey season is down. 1 1/8" & 1 1/16" spurs and a 9" beard. Oh...BTW...I used 2 slates (Madhatters & Strut 10 custom slates) & 2 strikers to try to sound like a group of hens working these birds. Edited March 26, 2012 by Rhino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohiobucks Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Wow, exciting hunt Al! Congrats on a well-earned bird! If all toms came in on a string, alone, and gobbling with every other step, it wouldn't be half as exciting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetailfreak55 Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Congrats that's awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawn8157 Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Sounds like a great morning, Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterfowler Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Congrats on the nice beautiful bird! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Congratulations Al. Great story and hunt, glad those hens did not blow it for ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Great story Al..way to keep with it, and connect on a good bird! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Givan Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 Great story and great bird...Congrats!! Getting a bird to cross a creek sure is tough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHISKEYSWAMP Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 great hunt and story... congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntn4bucks Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 Congrats Al. I knew it wouldn't be long before you dropped the first one of the season. Nice job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted March 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 Thanks everyone. It was a great hunt to watch unfold, especially when the birds came on my side of the creek. I certainly had a grand stand view to watch the show. That doesn't happen too often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3seasons Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 Congrats on a real nice bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 .....It was a great hunt to watch unfold, especially when the birds came on my side of the creek... i bet i've been trying for years to get birds to cross this stone wall property line with no luck. even with breaks in it. sounds and looks like you've done good Al! Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cole14bowhunting Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 1st 2012 Spring Turkey Tale Nice Turk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Always heard and also read that calling a bird across a creek or small river is nearly impossible, I tried last year on the one chance I got to get out and had the bird get close but he never would come onto my side and I finally gave up. Funny thing is while deer hunting I watch them time after time jump flap their wings a few times and seem to effortlessly come across the same water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomer Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Congrats!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Givan Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 Always heard and also read that calling a bird across a creek or small river is nearly impossible, I tried last year on the one chance I got to get out and had the bird get close but he never would come onto my side and I finally gave up. Funny thing is while deer hunting I watch them time after time jump flap their wings a few times and seem to effortlessly come across the same water. Yep I have heard the same thing before too. I got a jake to fly over a creek to me a few years ago, and then in 2009 I got two mature gobblers to cross a very small creek on an afternoon hunt. I was actually setting on the creek bank with my back to the creek, and the birds came from behind me. I could hear them and finally eased around my tree to see them. It took them several minutes of pacing around before they came across the creek and I shot the lead bird. Doesnt happen often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted March 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 Always heard and also read that calling a bird across a creek or small river is nearly impossible, I tried last year on the one chance I got to get out and had the bird get close but he never would come onto my side and I finally gave up. Funny thing is while deer hunting I watch them time after time jump flap their wings a few times and seem to effortlessly come across the same water. Yep nearly impossible...ya know I've been told my middle name's Lucky!!! :clown: I've tried it a number of times when it seemed like there was no other option. I've only had it work a time or 2 before along with a swing & a miss a couple of years ago. That's why I started out saying this hunt was a low percentage way to kill a bird. I've seen them cross creeks time after time during deer season too. I've also had them cross creeks going away from me during turkey season way more often than calling them across one. You just never know what a pea brained critter like that will do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbeard Posted March 30, 2012 Report Share Posted March 30, 2012 Man, that sounded like a busy morning. Many congrats my friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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