3seasons Posted April 12, 2015 Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 Whew it's been a tough but fun season. Between my dad and myself we've hunted this bird for 23 days this season alone. It's was looking like it was going to be one of those birds that you really should just forget and move on to another one but being hardheaded and determined I was either going to make or break my season on him. Being a public land bird he only gobbled 3-5 times and that's all you'd get, if you made a call to him it was game over. We've fought weather and people and not to mention the 45min hard walk to get to him. Well this morning I decided to try again so I was where I wanted to be an hour before first light. Well of coarse he wasn't anywhere close to where I was hoping he would be(he had 4 different roost spots). When he finally gobbled and I realized where he was I picked up and took off. I got kinda close to where I thought he was roosted and he gobbled again. So once I finally tiptoed to the right finger ridge I eased down to the tree I wanted and he gobbled for the 4th time. I relaxed looked around and made the slightest softest purr I could on my Madhatter 4track copper pot and then I set it down and used my wing to do a couple fly downs and scratched the leaves. It's got eerily quiet and finally after about 15 min passed and I see a hen coming towards me and I think I can hear drumming every now and then. She mills around and walks past me walking up the hollow to my left going up into so pines. 10 minutes passes and I can still hear drumming and then a crow caws over my head and he gobbles 75yds away and now I can see him strutting and walking my way. He struts up the hollow to my left and I have one good opening to shoot through. When he struts into it I yelp softly and he broke strut like nobodies business and that's all I needed. I let my little 20ga work. After a very gracious prayer to the Man upstairs for his awesome creation I looked at a bird that has had me humbled and kinda depressed the last few weeks. I couldn't be happier with this year's season. I've called in a few for friends and my dad and now I finally got this old bird. He's got a 10" beard and 1 1/16" spurs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted April 13, 2015 Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 I know that feeling - used to hunt public ground birds years ago and had a long walk in. Got a couple nice gobblers and a few Jakes before I lost interest due to the regulations imposed in IL. Congratulations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted April 13, 2015 Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 Congratulations Scott. Those bad birds can sure make you pull your hair out. More often than not...they win. Glad you finally coaxed him in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted April 13, 2015 Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 Congrats!! Great bird!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhine16 Posted April 14, 2015 Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 A public MS bird is a true trophy, but especially on this deep into the season! Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Congratulations tagging your target bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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