Team 1 Strut Stoppers
04-29-2017, 12:24 PM
#116
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Lutz, Florida. Turkey woods in the spring.
Posts: 1,143
Congrats on the bearded hen. 9 inch is pretty big for a hen. I have seen a few but all had pretty small, pencil thin beards. Is your season over?
04-30-2017, 05:18 AM
#117
Spike
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Western Maryland
Posts: 87
Never saw him. Maybe that single bird that was gobbling was closer to him and he headed that way. Or maybe he was coming towards me. From the time he hit that owl call and the three birds below me gobbled, to when I actually shot was probably only 15 minutes or so. And I'm sure once he heard the shot, he was out of there. I didn't see any vehicles parked near me at the powerline or as far as I could see up the road so it must have been someone doing a bit of walking and stalking.
05-01-2017, 03:53 AM
#118
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Western Massachusetts
Posts: 7,168
Just entered my bird into contest.
Long story short, I had 2 gobbling on the roost below... a bit lower towards road than where I had expected they'd be. I moved down and set up. They were hammering at everything. I had a few hens roosted very close by and they were making a racket w/ tree yelps and were louder and more vocal than I had ever experienced before.
I heard a bird fly down below me... they gobbled but sounded like they were in the same place. Then I heard something "hop" the brook below me... I made a call and he hammered about 50 yards below me.... He strutted back and fourth below me for a few min gobbling quite a bit...I could see him, but no shot and too far / thick. Then one of the hens pitched down about 20 yards from me across the brook. Then another.. he heard that and heard them walking and broke. Up he came... a few steps... stop... look... gobble... and here he came... right up to me at about 20 yards. After I shot him I took some time to enjoy it... then I went up above where I heard some other gobbles and proceeded to call in 5 jakes to about 10 yards. I will be bringing my daughters (10 & 12) this Sat, so they will be all theirs! I hope to get out there again this week some AM for the other tom I know is there... I had a big tom come into my yard this AM being chased by a crew of jakes as well. I'm not giving up on him either...
Long story short, I had 2 gobbling on the roost below... a bit lower towards road than where I had expected they'd be. I moved down and set up. They were hammering at everything. I had a few hens roosted very close by and they were making a racket w/ tree yelps and were louder and more vocal than I had ever experienced before.
I heard a bird fly down below me... they gobbled but sounded like they were in the same place. Then I heard something "hop" the brook below me... I made a call and he hammered about 50 yards below me.... He strutted back and fourth below me for a few min gobbling quite a bit...I could see him, but no shot and too far / thick. Then one of the hens pitched down about 20 yards from me across the brook. Then another.. he heard that and heard them walking and broke. Up he came... a few steps... stop... look... gobble... and here he came... right up to me at about 20 yards. After I shot him I took some time to enjoy it... then I went up above where I heard some other gobbles and proceeded to call in 5 jakes to about 10 yards. I will be bringing my daughters (10 & 12) this Sat, so they will be all theirs! I hope to get out there again this week some AM for the other tom I know is there... I had a big tom come into my yard this AM being chased by a crew of jakes as well. I'm not giving up on him either...