The last 4-5 years have saw a total meltdown in the amount of gobbleing here in the spring, I blame most of it on coyotes cause thats the only thing different here.
I hunt about 1000 acres of private land that is securly gated, myself and 2 other guys were all that had keys this year and last. turkeys are abundant but just not vocal anymore. Last year I never got the chance to get set up on a gobbleing bird I did tag out due to knowing where the turkeys hang out on this piece of land. I don't really like ambushing them in they're strut zones but it seems to be the only method that works here.
Well this past season the last morning of season I went out just because it was the last morning.
And I heard a gobble about 5:45, and another, then another. Instictively I headed that way, knowing he would shut up once he hit the ground. At 6:10 I was standing on a bench of a ridge thinking that he quit as usual when he gobbled way to close.
I sat down in front of a large nearby tree and gave a few soft yelps, that set him off, he was 100 yds away just out of sight on a small knob strutting and gobbleing, At 6:30 movement catches my eye and look over to my right, you guessed it 3 does giving me the deer in the headlight look
Not good I think to myself, to make matters worse I hear something above me and there's a bugeyed quivering fox squirrel that has his eyes glued on me, "well this game is over" I think almost outloud.
Finaly, miraculously the deer and the squirrel move on, I make a low cackle. immediately its followed by a gobble, which is followed by an earth shaking low pitched gobble like I haven't heard in years, I know its a "bull gobbler" have killed a few of those but not for a while.
I can see black moving though a bushy leaved treetop accross the flat from me, but which one is it, I snuggle the valmet tighter into my shoulder, tighten up on the grip, its now 6:50, 40 minutes holding the 10 pound valmet up is taking its toll.
Back and forth I see the black shape moving behing the tree, I make a couple clucks, they both sound off, the younger gobbler is gobbleing constantly now, something I haven't heard in over 10 years. The leaves are to wet and I'm in to open of cover to scatch the leaves, that will almost always make them commit to come to the call so I'm setting tight watching, they're 50 yds out and not budging, I'm watching intently for a shot opprotunity, which doesn't come.
They move on down off the top of the ridge and start moving out down the point by me. When the get to a point where I can see just over the backbone of the ridge I can see both gobblers from the waddles up.
In desperation I make a flydown cackle, the big gobbler stops and looks up, at 57 yds I give him a 2 oz load of fed 6's and he crumples into a pile. Its 7:30
the gobbler was 4 yo or more, not heavy but heavy for the 19th of may
here are the stats 19.5 pounds, 10 1/2" beard, spurs were 1 3/8's"
this makes my 9th bird with spurs over 1 1/4" the last one was in 1996
RR
haven't had much to post lately
