Well, after bumping the only turkey I have heard gobble in four days of hunting in NC on Wednesday. I decided to try a different piece of public land in our area. I heard a couple of jakes gobbling early. And what might be a longbeard beyond them. I got set up, but other hunters were about 200 yards to my left in the edge of a cut over. The jakes seemed interested in them and I never made the longbeard gobble. I wasn't 100% sure I actually heard him on the roost.
As the jakes gobbled and did little boy things while the other hunters called and called and called. I patiently yelped every 15 minutes or so. After about 45 minutes I noticed a hen to my right in front of me about 25 yards. It isn't open in the swamp bottom, but I couldn't believe she got that close without me seeing her. She walked straight to me and got within 5 feet and putted twice. Then actually started feeding next to me.
I looked up to see a longbeard staring me or her down at about 50 yards. I was penned. I also could here the jakes closing the gap on my other hunters that were yelping away. I began to worry they would shoot and spook my birds. Sure enough after a 10 minute staring match They shot!!! Four shots to be exact! The hens reaction was actually funny. She ducked her headed and walked in a circle about three times.
She began easing away behind me. The gobbler also got nervous and began walking to my left at about 45 yards, when he went behind a tree I attempted to get my gun on him. I didn't realize the hen had returned and was literally standing right next to me. She made a dead sprint putting in the direction of the gobbler. The gobbler would take off running as well. I hate to say it but I let a shot fly. I shouldn't have. But it happened so fast and she certainly spooked me a bit.
Luckily he was probably 80 yards by the time I actually shot.
I was pretty disgusted. Get'n on birds here isn't the easiest thing. Then to have that happen and on top of it take a shot I should have never taken. Anyway!
I thought I might have heard another bird behind me this morning, but I wasn't sure. I decided to ease back in that direction about 1000 yards and set up. I was in a beautiful swamp bottom. I sat down at around 8:30 a.m. and yelped. A bird straight in front of me hammered at my call. I called again but he didn't gobble. I decided to play it safe with him since I have trouble finding birds. I also felt like I was far enough into the swamp that the average bench hunter wouldn't venture in to hunt him.
He gobbled sporadically right in front of me at about 125 yards for about 45 minutes. I would call once every 10 minutes and he would gobble but only once to my call.
At the one hour mark he gobbled directly to my right still about 125 yards out. I moved a bit on the tree believing he might be committing. I was wrong. He would stand in that spot and gobble for 45 minutes.
I finally decided he wasn't coming to my spot and I believed I had enough cover and the wind was blowing enough for me to back out and try to get around on him.
I dropped back about 75 yards then proceeded to head another 300 yards down the swamp bottom then I eased back into the bottom about 150 yads.
I called. He gobbled dead in front of me at 100 yards. He stood there and gobbled a few times and after 15 minutes I cutt at him then a soft yelp, he double gobbled.
Ten minutes passed and I caught some movement through the swamp in front of me about 40 yards away. I killed him at 25 yards. 17.9 lbs, 10 inch beard and 1 inch (hook curved) spurs. Probably the most curved 1 inch spurs I have ever taken.
From the first gobble it took me about 2 hours 45 minutes to bag him.
1st NC bird down (Story)
