THUMPED ONE
05-21-2005, 03:30 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Contoocook NH USA
Posts: 818
THUMPED ONE
Story as posted on another hunting forum:
As many of you might know I had some bad luck hunting in VT this year. Rolled a gobbler but never got him and hunters trying to shoot each other in one of my hunting areas. Well, the one that you don't know because I was a shame to post it was the one I shot at last weekend at 35 yards and missed clean[
] Why I shot with the bird walking into my set up, I don't know! All I do know is that I missed him clean[&o] A nice gobbler but with a short beard, PAhunterman will verify the story. I tried to hunt that farm a few more times with only the luck of calling in jakes until the weather kinda shut the birds up. My mother is in this week visiting so I couldn't get out this week or weekend until I saw the weather report for today. I knew I needed to get up there and give it a try this morning.
Well as my luck would have it I woke up at 3am! an hour too late for me to get up there and set up. I decided to "what the hell, I can't pass this morning up" As I got there it had already started to break day and on the upper farm where I listened for gobbler I heard a hen start yelping. Still no gobbles so I went down the road a ways so I could hear the upper and lower farm for gobbles. Nothing was going on so I gave an owl hoot and on the upper farm I heard him, GGGOOOOOBBBLLLEEE!
the hunt was on! I quickly went back up the road and grabbed my gun and vest and headed up into the field towards the ridge. Just as I got to the corner on the field and the woods I gave a few soft hen yelps using "Larry's Favorite" and got an instant response! He was about 150 to 200 yards up the ridge in the woods. Decoy went out and I scrambled to find a good tree to set up on. I was in hemlocks in the corner of the field with no place to sit. I called a few more times getting gobbles with every call I made so I knew he was on to me. I heard he was on the ground working his way across the ridge above the field but I needed him to commit to dropping off into the field. It wasn't long for him to fall under the spell of "Larry's Favorite" and he was making that move towards me gobbling with every step he made.
Now you would think that less than 75yards to go he would be strutting in all the way! right? NOT[:@] This #$@^& gobbler took flight and landed one hemlock behind me on the field edge. I almost started crying because I knew there was no way I'd ever get turned around with out him seeing me. It felt like an hour but after not hearing him walking, strutting, spitting or anything I thought the worst! He must have seen me and hit the ground running. I turned to my left slowly and saw no bird! I slowly turned to my right and still saw no bird! I couldn't believe I blew this hunt [:@]
Then all a sudden on the other side of the hemlock I was behind I saw this big black ball appear through the branches [] That SOB was standing less than 8 feet from me! As soon as his fan blocked his head I had to shoulder my gun on my left side seeing shooting right handed was out of the question. One soft yelp with my mouth call lowered his fan and his head came up and a shot rang out! BOOOOM!! I just thumped my second VT gobbler putting and end to my 2005 Spring Turkey Season!
Each time I'd be feeding my son before heading out to hunt VT I'd sit there and tell Jacob about my plan for the day. We've talked many morning this pass week or so about how I was going to thump one for him. Well Jacob, this one's dedicated to you! Daddy did it
He checked in 20lb 1 1/8th spurs with a thick 7 1/2" beard! I'll post photos as soon as my wife wakes up
As many of you might know I had some bad luck hunting in VT this year. Rolled a gobbler but never got him and hunters trying to shoot each other in one of my hunting areas. Well, the one that you don't know because I was a shame to post it was the one I shot at last weekend at 35 yards and missed clean[
] Why I shot with the bird walking into my set up, I don't know! All I do know is that I missed him clean[&o] A nice gobbler but with a short beard, PAhunterman will verify the story. I tried to hunt that farm a few more times with only the luck of calling in jakes until the weather kinda shut the birds up. My mother is in this week visiting so I couldn't get out this week or weekend until I saw the weather report for today. I knew I needed to get up there and give it a try this morning.Well as my luck would have it I woke up at 3am! an hour too late for me to get up there and set up. I decided to "what the hell, I can't pass this morning up" As I got there it had already started to break day and on the upper farm where I listened for gobbler I heard a hen start yelping. Still no gobbles so I went down the road a ways so I could hear the upper and lower farm for gobbles. Nothing was going on so I gave an owl hoot and on the upper farm I heard him, GGGOOOOOBBBLLLEEE!
the hunt was on! I quickly went back up the road and grabbed my gun and vest and headed up into the field towards the ridge. Just as I got to the corner on the field and the woods I gave a few soft hen yelps using "Larry's Favorite" and got an instant response! He was about 150 to 200 yards up the ridge in the woods. Decoy went out and I scrambled to find a good tree to set up on. I was in hemlocks in the corner of the field with no place to sit. I called a few more times getting gobbles with every call I made so I knew he was on to me. I heard he was on the ground working his way across the ridge above the field but I needed him to commit to dropping off into the field. It wasn't long for him to fall under the spell of "Larry's Favorite" and he was making that move towards me gobbling with every step he made. Now you would think that less than 75yards to go he would be strutting in all the way! right? NOT[:@] This #$@^& gobbler took flight and landed one hemlock behind me on the field edge. I almost started crying because I knew there was no way I'd ever get turned around with out him seeing me. It felt like an hour but after not hearing him walking, strutting, spitting or anything I thought the worst! He must have seen me and hit the ground running. I turned to my left slowly and saw no bird! I slowly turned to my right and still saw no bird! I couldn't believe I blew this hunt [:@]
Then all a sudden on the other side of the hemlock I was behind I saw this big black ball appear through the branches [
] That SOB was standing less than 8 feet from me! As soon as his fan blocked his head I had to shoulder my gun on my left side seeing shooting right handed was out of the question. One soft yelp with my mouth call lowered his fan and his head came up and a shot rang out! BOOOOM!! I just thumped my second VT gobbler putting and end to my 2005 Spring Turkey Season! Each time I'd be feeding my son before heading out to hunt VT I'd sit there and tell Jacob about my plan for the day. We've talked many morning this pass week or so about how I was going to thump one for him. Well Jacob, this one's dedicated to you! Daddy did it
He checked in 20lb 1 1/8th spurs with a thick 7 1/2" beard! I'll post photos as soon as my wife wakes up
05-22-2005, 06:47 AM
#6
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Contoocook NH USA
Posts: 818
RE: THUMPED ONE
Thanks everyone It was very intense and I'm very fortune to have come out on top on that hunt. I didn't add in the story that I'm 100% positive that this bird is the gobbler I missed a week earlier only 1/4 mile away on the lower farm. Redemption is sweet and I glad that now that I can sleep in (when my son allows me to) and start getting fishing on my mind
It was very intense and I'm very fortune to have come out on top on that hunt. I didn't add in the story that I'm 100% positive that this bird is the gobbler I missed a week earlier only 1/4 mile away on the lower farm. Redemption is sweet and I glad that now that I can sleep in (when my son allows me to) and start getting fishing on my mind
