Greenfield Ridge Gobbler
04-27-2006, 09:26 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cortland NY USA
Posts: 129
Greenfield Ridge Gobbler
Greenfield Ridge Gobbler
Got back late last night from my turkey hunting trip to West Virginia, and it was worth every bit of the drive! I set up a hunt with Marc Henry of Cameron, West Virginia, and it was every bit as good as he said it was. Rugged country, but just like you hear about it, high ridges with challenging gobblers. I met up on this hunt with Dennis and his son Anthony who live north of Niagara Falls New York. Marc's hospitality was above and beyond what you could ever ask for, and he has a little slice of heaven there at his farm.
We owl hooted the night before opening day and located several gobblers. There was one that gobbled almost past last light, and he was the one I was going after. Birds were spotted in an open pasture that day, and Dennis was going after them with his son. Anthony is 11 years old, and he would get an earful/eyeful on this trip.
I barely slept as I was really pumped up for opening day. All that energy would be soon used up the following morning as I slid down to the bottom of the ridge were we stayed, and climbed up the next ridge to get onto the gobbler. I hadn't heard any gobbling close by as I worked up the ridge. Near the top I could hear a bird back on the ridge were we stayed in camp. 300 and some feet of elevation adjustment which had me crawling on my hands and knees to reach the top. I made it to a small shelf just before the top just in time to have a bird gobble no less than 20 yards from me just over the top. I dove for a tree, and lucked out as the bird never came to the edge to look down. One look, and I would have been busted. There was a jeep trail next to the edge and the gobbler was using it to troll for the ladies.
About then Dennis and his son had two hens come out with a gobbler in full strut. One look at the decoys, the gobbler strutted all the way up to hitch a ride back to camp with Dennis & Anthony. At the shot gun blast my gobbler responded with a nice long gobble! The bird would only respond to short cutts with a little spicey calling. There was another gobbler on top that was gobbling at the calls, but a few hundred yards down along the ridge. I was pinned down for what seemed way too long when finally the gobbler moved off, and I made a beeline along the shelf to work around and come over the top undetected. I spied a down log along the jeep trail and set up behind it with a good tree for a back rest. as I looked up, I spotted two hens just 30 yards away. They stood there totally motionless. I panicked thinking that they were decoys, and that I just moved in on another hunter. I got busy thinking what to do next to get out of there, and one of the "decoys" moved. I couldn't believed that those hens let me get away with that. Because of the log, they could only see the top third of me (the ugly third) moving into position. Never the less, It was my day of "could do no wrong" and I'll take it anytime.
A few soft calls, and the hens went back to feeding, angling my way. The gobbler pulled in behind, and was gobbling at everything now. I had to move the gun every so slightly to clear hitting the log with the shot, and the hens spotted it, no alarm putts, but they started clucking and leaving simultaneously. the gobbler gobbled at the situation, and went straight to the hens, He crossed just under 30 yards way from me, and took a dose of my #5's copper pellets. Time was 7:11am and plenty of time to get breakfast (especially after a good workout). It took a lot longer to go back down the ridge, and go back up the same ridge I slid down earlier in the dark.
The gobbler I took weighed in at 20lbs 7oz, 9-1/4" beard, 1-1/8" & 1" spurs. Dennis & Anthony's bird: 20lbs 1oz (field dressed), 9-1/2" beard, 1-3/16" & 1-1/8" spurs.
The next day turned out to be much nicer than the weather man predicted, but gobbling was little or none after flydown. I covered some big ridges with Marc who was doing some mushroom hunting and manage to find some very nice morels. Marc being a marine corps gulf war veteran, had me redlining a few times working up the steep climbs. That afternoon we made a trip to Cabelas, and made the trip back in the rain which we were suppose to have had most of the day (nice when that was not as predicted). My last morning was interesting as the temperature dropped to 28 degrees and little visibility due to heavy fog. Turned out the birds didn't mind, and gobbled loud & often back in where I was. I got two different birds fired up, but on opposite ridges. I thought one of them might make the flight over, but not to be. That was a close as I got to working a bird that day. I went above a ridge that I walked the day before with Marc, and it was the most birdie place you could imagine. High mountain ridge top, with a logging road in the middle of it. No bird there that day, but I'll return to make good on it next year.
It was a great trip, with great hospitality, good company, and good food. Even got to sample some home made wines, and some genuine home brew moon shine. I plan on making this trip again!
Left to right: Myself, Anthony, Dennis
Got back late last night from my turkey hunting trip to West Virginia, and it was worth every bit of the drive! I set up a hunt with Marc Henry of Cameron, West Virginia, and it was every bit as good as he said it was. Rugged country, but just like you hear about it, high ridges with challenging gobblers. I met up on this hunt with Dennis and his son Anthony who live north of Niagara Falls New York. Marc's hospitality was above and beyond what you could ever ask for, and he has a little slice of heaven there at his farm.
We owl hooted the night before opening day and located several gobblers. There was one that gobbled almost past last light, and he was the one I was going after. Birds were spotted in an open pasture that day, and Dennis was going after them with his son. Anthony is 11 years old, and he would get an earful/eyeful on this trip.
I barely slept as I was really pumped up for opening day. All that energy would be soon used up the following morning as I slid down to the bottom of the ridge were we stayed, and climbed up the next ridge to get onto the gobbler. I hadn't heard any gobbling close by as I worked up the ridge. Near the top I could hear a bird back on the ridge were we stayed in camp. 300 and some feet of elevation adjustment which had me crawling on my hands and knees to reach the top. I made it to a small shelf just before the top just in time to have a bird gobble no less than 20 yards from me just over the top. I dove for a tree, and lucked out as the bird never came to the edge to look down. One look, and I would have been busted. There was a jeep trail next to the edge and the gobbler was using it to troll for the ladies.
About then Dennis and his son had two hens come out with a gobbler in full strut. One look at the decoys, the gobbler strutted all the way up to hitch a ride back to camp with Dennis & Anthony. At the shot gun blast my gobbler responded with a nice long gobble! The bird would only respond to short cutts with a little spicey calling. There was another gobbler on top that was gobbling at the calls, but a few hundred yards down along the ridge. I was pinned down for what seemed way too long when finally the gobbler moved off, and I made a beeline along the shelf to work around and come over the top undetected. I spied a down log along the jeep trail and set up behind it with a good tree for a back rest. as I looked up, I spotted two hens just 30 yards away. They stood there totally motionless. I panicked thinking that they were decoys, and that I just moved in on another hunter. I got busy thinking what to do next to get out of there, and one of the "decoys" moved. I couldn't believed that those hens let me get away with that. Because of the log, they could only see the top third of me (the ugly third) moving into position. Never the less, It was my day of "could do no wrong" and I'll take it anytime.
A few soft calls, and the hens went back to feeding, angling my way. The gobbler pulled in behind, and was gobbling at everything now. I had to move the gun every so slightly to clear hitting the log with the shot, and the hens spotted it, no alarm putts, but they started clucking and leaving simultaneously. the gobbler gobbled at the situation, and went straight to the hens, He crossed just under 30 yards way from me, and took a dose of my #5's copper pellets. Time was 7:11am and plenty of time to get breakfast (especially after a good workout). It took a lot longer to go back down the ridge, and go back up the same ridge I slid down earlier in the dark.
The gobbler I took weighed in at 20lbs 7oz, 9-1/4" beard, 1-1/8" & 1" spurs. Dennis & Anthony's bird: 20lbs 1oz (field dressed), 9-1/2" beard, 1-3/16" & 1-1/8" spurs.
The next day turned out to be much nicer than the weather man predicted, but gobbling was little or none after flydown. I covered some big ridges with Marc who was doing some mushroom hunting and manage to find some very nice morels. Marc being a marine corps gulf war veteran, had me redlining a few times working up the steep climbs. That afternoon we made a trip to Cabelas, and made the trip back in the rain which we were suppose to have had most of the day (nice when that was not as predicted). My last morning was interesting as the temperature dropped to 28 degrees and little visibility due to heavy fog. Turned out the birds didn't mind, and gobbled loud & often back in where I was. I got two different birds fired up, but on opposite ridges. I thought one of them might make the flight over, but not to be. That was a close as I got to working a bird that day. I went above a ridge that I walked the day before with Marc, and it was the most birdie place you could imagine. High mountain ridge top, with a logging road in the middle of it. No bird there that day, but I'll return to make good on it next year.
It was a great trip, with great hospitality, good company, and good food. Even got to sample some home made wines, and some genuine home brew moon shine. I plan on making this trip again!
Left to right: Myself, Anthony, Dennis
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
deer-hunter18
Archery Gear
12
04-04-2005 11:47 AM
