Tagged out in CT!! pics

FullStrutter

By FullStrutter
in Turkey Hunting

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FullStrutter

FullStrutter

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Yesterday marked my 15th morning in the woods since May 1st, and it has been an awesome season. My friend Keith and I made plans a week or so back that we'd hunt the last thursday of the season together. So the Wednesday before we got in touch, made plans, and 4:00AM yesterday found me pulling into his place. We were on our way shortly and arrived at one of his properties in West Granby around 4:30AM. We had a medium hike up to our first listening roost spot. It was a field collectively known as Schindlers Field, and has apparently been the spot where many a gobbler has fallen over the years. When we were putting on our vests out of the trunk in the predawn gloom he mentioned that this was the first private property he ever aquired more than a decade and a a half ago. To say he knows the lay of that land would be a gross understatement.

We listened as we quietly walked in through the swamp and laurels on the way to our spot. We broke into the field having heard nothing so far and got setup on the other side near where his blind was. We set a few hen deeks out after both agreeing it might be a little late in the season for jake decoys, and sat down to listen. We were ready and waiting by 5:00 or so and it was a quiet morning for the most part. We heard a gobbler once, far off to our right and then heard him again a few minutes later. That was around 5:15, and besides one other gobble Keith heard up on the mountain way far off as well, that was it.

Around 5:50 Keith said, "well, want to try and move on that bird we heard?" I said sure, might as well. He seemed to know right about where that tom was roosted. So we grabbed our decoys and set off quietly through a different part of the swamp towards the bird. We estimated he was about a half mile away (~800 yards). So we went 200 yards and Keith let loose with some hard yelps on a diaphragm, nothing. Went another 200 yards, called again, nothing. Went another 200 yards, 600 total now, from inside a thick pine grove Keith hammered on the mouth call and WHAMMMY a throaty gobble response from 200 yards away max!!!

I'm jumping around high fiving and all stoked that we raised a gobble, but we find ourselves in a predicament real quick. Were smack in the middle of thick thick pine swampy area and there's no way were calling that bird in there.

After thinking for a quick minute Keith says I know exactly where that bird is, and I know exactly where we have to go. So I follow him and we make a wide loop part way around the toms location and out of the swamp. Next thing I know were getting into some lusch green hilly terrain and I'm thinking this looks GOOD!!! All the while that bird is getting cranked up, just with the prospect that a hen might be in the area. He's gobbling every minute or two now trying to bring the hen he heard in. It was helpful as we beaded on his position and got ourselves set up nicely. We were in a somewhat tight forested glenn with a nice green growth on the ground and laurels behind us. In front of us was some clearings that looked like they extended out of view and wrapped around towards the bird.

After getting settled in, Keith says to me, "you better get ready, that birds gonna come rolling in here within 5 minutes! If there are two birds you take left and I got right, otherwise he's allll yours" He had put out a single hen decoy that was positioned so he would see it if and when he came around the bend of the terrain in front of us. Shortly after getting a bead on his position from his non stop gobbling, we both started purring and clucking and light yelping real soft on our mouth calls. Super soft and seductive calling that had to sound pretty sexy to that fired up bird. He was cutting us off to no end and double and triple gobbling. At one point after 3 or 4 gobbles in a row I all I heard was a little squeak cuz he was completely out of breath!! We're about 10-15 feet apart so we can whisper quietly and were laughin our asses off listening to this rockin gobbler. What a listening show he put on! He seemed to be moving closer too. However, after hearing him in the same spot for 3 minutes staright, Keith looked over and said "silent treatment time". I said great idea! It was just about that time when you shut up, and let their curiosity get the best of them, especially when they are that hot.

The bird went nuts gobbling every 5 to 10 seconds when he stopped hearing the sex talk. All I would give him now was subtle scratching in the leaves and it was driving him bonkers! He couldn't resist himself, within a minute or two the gobbles started getting closer and I started to hear those exciting spitting and drumming sounds. At this point my heart is beating real hard and I find it difficult to control my breathing. My vision directly out in front of me is obscurred by a big pine tree at my 11 o clock and a two and a half foot tall rock about 15 yards in front of me. I could see over it however, and in the meantime I had lasered a couple of trees beyond the rock. I wanted to get some precision distances so if he came past a certain tree or whatever, I'd know how far he was going to be already.

It wasn't long until I knew it was going to be mere seconds before seeing him. His gobbles were shaking my chest they were so close, as if I needed anything to be shaking any harder! It was intense having that bird well within shotgun range already it sounded, and not being able to see him. All of a sudden a catch a little movement through the outermost branches of the pine to the right, and just to the left of the rock. A red and white fiery head tucked in front of a fullfan. Goodness gracious here he comes!! He struts into view behind the rock and at the same time notices the decoy and sticks his neck way up in the air to check her out!

GOOOOBBBLLLEEEEE he shatters the serenity of the forest again and again and again right in front of our eyes! I know Keith can see him fully now. I can only see about 8-10" of his head and neck though, and I guess him to be about 25 yards tops. I have the shot, but this is too good to stop just yet. I wanted to get a show and see him strut out toward the deek. I still couldn't fully see him or his beard yet either. All it was going to take was 3 or 4 more steps and he'd be clear of the rock. I had it all planned out. I was going to cut real hard at him as soon as he stepped into full view, get him to gobble hard and blast him mid-gobble!! He had other plans though.

After seeing that hen, he wanted her to come to him. She was only 15 yards away from him at this point. So he's looking hard and a couple times I see him look quick left then right and I think he mighta caught something!? But no, he goes into strut again. He must have been looking for another hen, or waiting for the decoy to move. Well this goes on for about 30 grueling seconds, and every one of them I had his bright red head dead in the crosshairs. At the slightest possibility of him leaving I was ready. Suddenly out of nowhere, with his head and neck fully stretched and in the crosshairs he alarm putts! BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!! Within less than 1 second I fired instantly and smoked him.

I stood up laughing and smiling as I shucked the empty. I looked over at Keith who was sitting there chuckling and I said "that was the last sound he wanted to make!!" I walked over and grabbed my gobbler, a mere 25 yards away. As I walked back I raised my arms up in the air, gun in one and flapping bird in the other and said YEA!! It was a heart pumping, hard gobbling, edge of your seat hunt and I was psyched out of my mind. What a way to end my CT season and tag out on the last hunt I had planned! I tagged the bird with my last tag which was a great feeling. He was a classic 2 year old that was just really lonely in the late season! I love the last week of the season!! He weighed an even 18lbs on the digital, really nice thick 9" beard and 3/4" pointy spurs.

Here are the pics:

949rockpose7.jpg

949field2.jpg

949field1.jpg

While sitting at one setup later in the morning trying to get Keith a bird, this guy came by. I heard a big loud scratching sound up in a tree nearby and looked up and saw him. I grabbed my camera slowly and was able to get some awesome shots, this is one of the better ones. This piliated woodpecker was huge! At one point he let out a call and I was wondering when he was gonna run out of breath. Had to have been 30 notes+.

949piliatedwoodpecker.jpg

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