Rhino Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 Been a tough year for hearing gobbling birds so far but this short, exciting hunt sure came together. After spending 7 1/2 hours in the woods trying to find or get a bird to gobble the prior day and hear nothing, I decided to hit the woods old school style this morning. What's that? Well start out at the highest ground in the area listening for roosted birds to gobble and be prepared to cover as much ground as possible before flydown. Well new school style on ground coverage with my Polaris EV. The 1st distant gobbler cranks up...then a 2nd...bummer...southeastern neighbor's property. Then a 3rd...bummer northern neighbor's property. Give me a break! After about a dozen gobbles, not on us, I hit the trial on my EV. Go ~1/2 mile to another high point above our lower western end...nothing. OK...go another 1/4 mile...nothing. Another 1/4 mile...bingo! A bird is burning it up in the distance. I ease in closer with my EV to good point to hide it between cut banks in the ATV road. Turns out it's 2 birds together burning it up but they're on the ground now ~250 yards away. A 3rd bird cranks up ~200 yards N of me. A gobbling contest begins between him and the 2 to the W. All 3 birds are burning it up! Quickest and easiest to get to are the western birds so I hot foot it that way using topography to cover my movement. As I'm trying to make it to a good spot to work them the birds have beaten me there & they're closing in. Quick decision...set up on a cut on the west side of the cut bank on the ATV road. Only problem now is, I can't see them unless they get inside the 25 yard line. They're on the other side of the hill. No choice...closing in and gobbling hard. Wouldn't you know it...they hang up just over the high spot in front of me ~30 yards away and I can't see them. They are gobbling so close I can hear the woa woa woa LOUD with each gobble. In between gobbles LOUD drumming. My hair is standing on end. Imagine that! They ease left, then back right, then back left, right again all the time gobbling & drumming. This goes on for what seemed like an eternity but really ~5 minutes. Only call I can risk using is my Woodhaven red wasp at the ready position. Others run the risk of being caught trying to get them out. I deliver 1 single cluck & scratch the leaves by me side. I'm immediately cut off by both bird's response. They are right THERE!!! Trigger finger immediately back at the ready position. Moments later I see a blue head...then another...then both red waddles. Lead bird's giving me the eye. He eases to the right exposing his beard. Legal bird! A Nitro load slams him down at the 21 yard line at 7:00 a.m. My 2nd gobbler for the season is a thick bearded 2 year old with a 8 5/8" beard & 5/8" spurs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 WoW!..I was right behind you!!...that was exciting..good job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetailfreak55 Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 Nice bird Congrats! Its nice when it happens like that lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 That's a great story Al congratulations! Sounds like you for the address for number three also! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3seasons Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 Thats awesome Al, congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohiobucks Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 Nice work Al, great story! Congrats!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 Great story telling Al. Congrats on the 2nd bird of the season. Know what it is like to hear birds gobbling off your property. Seems the birds we had on us just before season opened are either gone or have shut up. Closest gobbles I heard Saturday had to have been at least 1/2 mile off our property. New owners on the property behind us have been running all over, dunno if they have pushed the birds off or what, but not even gonna waste my time trying this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted April 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 That's a bummer with the new neighbors William. You should at least sit on the back porch with your morning cup of coffee or whatever and listen at early morning gobbling time. A fired up bird on the roost may just change your mind. I know it was on the cool side here Sat. morning so probably colder in your neck of the woods. It has been a real strange year for gobbling activity down here. For whatever it's worth this season, gobbling has been poor or nonexistent down here when the morning temp was below the upper 40's. It was 42 degrees Sat. morning with a clear sky & I heard 2 birds gobble on the roost, each just once on our SE neighbor's property that were at least 400 to 500 yards away. I heard 4 birds fly up the prior evening (saw 2 of them), no gobbling. I saw 1 of them fly down to the neighbor's property Sat. morning. I was sitting there well before daylight Sat. morning so I won't risk spooking any going in. After throwing in the towel at 10:45 at the 4th place I'd sat, I thought they might crank up later when it warmed up. Went back out at 2:30 and sat & listened in several spots till 5:15 without hearing a thing. Tried locator calls too...nothing. Next morning it was 52 degrees but mostly cloudy and those 3 birds cranked up within 1/4 of a mile of one of the spots I was at the prior afternoon. Go figure. Those 3 birds gobbled more times than the total number of gobbles dished out from all the birds I've heard since opening day, 3/15. I think this hunt was my 12th attempt including 3 afternoon attempts. It's only the 3rd time I've had a chance to work a gobbling bird on our side of the property line. I did try to coax another gobbling bird across a big creek one afternoon. Got him to the edge of the creek but he stayed on the neighbor's side & finally went away gobbling. Yep...tough season so far but you just never know when your luck will change. Hope you don't throw in the towel just yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHISKEYSWAMP Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 great hunt and nice bird... congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSU_Seminole Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 Great story!!!!!! They aren't gobbling as much around here as they have in the past. Kinda weird. Do you think its because of the cold weather? We've had what I'd consider a very chilly spring so far. March was very very cold with several nights in the high 20s and low 30s. Even last week it was very chilly. Thats a very nice bird & shot gun set up. Is that a SBE II? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 That's a bummer with the new neighbors William. You should at least sit on the back porch with your morning cup of coffee or whatever and listen at early morning gobbling time. A fired up bird on the roost may just change your mind. I know it was on the cool side here Sat. morning so probably colder in your neck of the woods. It has been a real strange year for gobbling activity down here. For whatever it's worth this season, gobbling has been poor or nonexistent down here when the morning temp was below the upper 40's. Met the new neighbor on our opener the Saturday before this past one Al. Posted more about that in the thread I had in the lounge. It was in the 40's here too Al and YES I will sit out in the mornings before sunup still and listen while drinking a couple cups of coffee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbeard Posted April 9, 2013 Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 Awesome bud, congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 congrats Al! it's a good 2 yr old. some nice runnin and gunnin from what it sounds like. seems i always get birds hammering on the neighbors just the lay of the land really. just the month of May here in NY and we can only hunt until noon so at most i've got 8 outings to make things happen, as i usually can't take the time off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pruts Posted April 10, 2013 Report Share Posted April 10, 2013 Congratulations and thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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