Rhino Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 Late Thursday afternoon I heard and saw bits and pieces of a bird fly up to roost off the elbow of the steep, high ridge where I killed my 2nd gobbler last year. The ridge is L shaped and extremely tall and steep on the west and north side past the elbow relative to the bottom below it. The east side before the elbow is not quite as steep and has 2 short spur ridges going out some 30 below the crest of the main ridge. One of those kind of places gobblers love to use as a lookout point while they are gobbling to attract hens. There seems to be at least one gobbler using this ridge for that purpose every year. On to the hunt. Before daylight Friday morning I moved in to set up on top of the ridge planning to be about 25 to 30 yards short of the elbow. As it began to get daylight I realized I was only about 15 yards from it. At 6:30 the first crow sounded off and a gobbler answered with a thunderous LOUD gobble that blew me away. Needless to say, I was a lot closer to this bird than I really wanted to be. After he gobbled the distinct sound of pfffft…doooooommm starts. Yep, he’s drumming on the limb. Must be absolutely still now. At 6:40 he flew down to the ridge from a tree about 50 yards away and landed to my left off the N side of the ridge out of sight. I ready my turkey gun as I hear him commence drumming and give him a soft 3 note tree yelp with my Woodhaven diaphragm. A few moments pass before I can see his periscope moving my way. As he stepped up on the crest of the ridge my view of his body is sort of blocked by short, leafy bushes and a couple of trees. Finally he steps into the clear moving to my right showing me his hanging beard. I was already on him with the end of my gun barrel following each step of his move. I’m thinking now, he’s so close I might miss him with a moving shot so I impatiently wait for him to stop. He stops in front of me slightly to my right side looking down toward the eastern bottom. That’s where I flipped him over at only 9 steps from my tree. OK I can breathe now. My 2nd gobbler of the year has a 9 ¼” beard with 1 1/16” and 1” spurs. Sometimes funny things happen to you in the woods...that is, after the fact anyway. This was one of those times. I lean my gun against my tree and start walking over to my turkey that’s flopping around on the ground. I'm about half way there when he flops to the edge of the ridge we’re on and over the north edge he goes. It’s about 60 yards from the top of the ridge to the bottom on that side. Can you picture me running down the side of a ridge that has about a 60 degree angle on it after a turkey flopping and rolling downhill? He comes to settle in a narrow depression about 2/3 the way down next to a tree still a floppin. I move to outflank him on the downhill side when my left leg breaks through the ground sending my left leg down upper thigh deep in a hidden hollow area underground. In a split second 2 things went through my mind. 1st..I’ve been spurred by flopping gobblers before both in the leg and hand and this flopping bird is at upper thigh level. 2nd..My left leg is now inside something that was probably a great place for hibernating snakes. With my right foot on solid ground aided by a strong boost of adrenaline, I shot out of there like a rocket. Only problem now is balance on the side of that steep ridge. I managed to regain my balance before I soiled the seat of my pants. It was nip and tuck whether I was going to crash or not though. The bird flopped out of there without falling in the hole I just made and I managed to do my Mexican hat dance impression on his head before he went much further downhill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christsavedme Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Congrats bud.....another great bird! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler LOL I can just see your adventure with the ridge. Glad nothing serious happened. Congrats on another great bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HoppeMan Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler LOL, sounds like something that would happen to me...Especially the snakes part Congrats on the bird!!! Take care, Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Great story. Dont know about there, but here snakes are out of hibernation. Congratulations on another great bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beagleboy Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoyt03 Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Congrats on another great bird, when you going to Texas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohiobucks Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Way to go Al, another great bird and story to go with it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nut Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Congrats on the cool hunt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slaw Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Congrats Rhino, aint it fuuny how the events after you whacked him just adds to the story for great memories. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkeygirl Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Congrats! Soundsl ike you had a fun time,lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted April 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler [ QUOTE ] Congrats on another great bird, when you going to Texas? [/ QUOTE ] Fly out of here on April 12th for Texas. Hunt a couple a days and head home. Next weekend I'm taking a youth hunter with me so I don't have to tote a gun. Between now and then though I'll work in a day or 2 to hunt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hardcore Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Nice bird! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunter336 Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Covehnter Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Congrats on another fine longbeard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAstringking Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler nice bird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted April 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Thanks everyone. [ QUOTE ] Dont know about there, but here snakes are out of hibernation. [/ QUOTE ] Seen a couple crawliing around too William but that was not on my mind at that particular moment. Maximum velocity to get out was! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeNRA Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Congrats! Nice bird! Waaaaaaaaaa! I got three weeks to go! LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5SHOT Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Another great hunt and bird!! congratulations!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA_Spike_King Posted April 1, 2007 Report Share Posted April 1, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Nice going Rhino. Congrats again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3seasons Posted April 2, 2007 Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Congrats on another nice bird. Good story to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsman2230 Posted April 2, 2007 Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Cool story. Congrats on the bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbeard Posted April 2, 2007 Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Good 'un Rhino! Looks like that gobbler may have come out of it not as ruffled as you may have. Many congrats on another fine bird. That slate call looks a mite familiar.?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAMABUCKS Posted April 2, 2007 Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler congrats Rhino on #2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomer Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 Re: The Steep Ridge Gobbler Congrats on a great bird! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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