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bamaranger · May 1, 2024, 04:38 PM

-hunt #23, 1May
The plan this morning is to hunt the most southern/southeastern ridge in the lease. There's not much left of it. Fifteen or more years ago it was logged and the vast majority of it was replanted (as always) in pines. There is a slim, knifelike ridge that extends west from the pine edge that is still open hardwoods, I doubt the remaining little ridge is 200 yds long. Any further south, west or very far east is private property. While hunting over in Big Hollow, I keep hearing birds over this way. Additionally, preseason, while listening from the county road below, I heard some gobbles at the point of this ridge down low on private property. Last week I hunted the new, pretty bench 1/2 mi or so north of this spot. This morning I am as far southeast as I can get, searching for these eastern birds.

Geez-o-man it gets light early. I'm clear the house and rolling before 5:00AM and yet still there's light to east. I race dawn west to the club, a 30 minute drive, pushing the old Toyota and the integrity of the trailer/ATV behind as much as I dare. I park at closer spot, along the county road to lessen the ATV ride, and take off with the Polaris out the club named Ogeltree Rd. It's light enough now I do not need the headlight on the ATV. I really want to be out on that ridge before any roosted turkeys fly down but I dunno about it now. I stop short of where I might have ridden to if not so light, and chug down the remaining 200 yds or so on foot. Where the ATV path ends and the hardwoods begin, I pause to catch my breath and listen. I glance at my watch, it's 6:00AM.

As if on que, a gobble rings out from the little ridge to my front, a bit low and to the right, maybe 200 yds out. I'd like to get closer. I begin to pussyfoot along the ridgetop, headed his way. I don't get 25 yds when I hear turkey clucks from the treetops...close. It's not the "Putt" alarm call, it's a harsh cluck likely an old hen. She likely thinks my soft 2 footed gait in the twilight is another turkey. Now what? If she flys down and goes to that gobbling tom, it's over. And that would be the natural way of things. I can flush her from the tree, but if she flushes in the direction of the tom, he may well see or hear her go by and follow, again, .....all done. But.....if she flushes away from him that would be really good. I decide to bump her, and come at her from such an angle that she might be inclined to flush away. And she does!!!!

The tom has to hear all this, her clucks, the explosion of wings from the treetops. He continues to gobble, undisturbed by the racket, same place rather casually, but his attention has to be drawn this way. I better not try to get any closer, and pick a big tree to sit and call from just where I am. Farther than I'd like, but he's alerted to this direction and I will not risk a closer approach. I let him gobble on his own for several more minutes, the run a string of yelps at him with the slate. Nothing. ....... He HAD to hear that. After a few minutes, he gobbles again, he's not moved and I'd bet anything he's still on the roost. Slick. He's heard that hen flush, knows she's on the ground, and is staying safe, aloft on this roost, 'til she appears below him. Or, there was another hen closer, who knows? He gobbles freely for the next hour or so, 'til about 7:00AM, then all goes silent. I do my best to convince him to come over, calling about every 3rd gobble or so, and doing a good bit of leaf scratching to add realism to my charade, but he does not show. His last gobbles are moving left and slightly away. It didn't sounded like he topped out, then went low off the end of the ridge towards the bottom and the private fields. I stay planted till 8:00AM, hoping for all the world I see him slipping in silently, but he does not show.

I'm pondering what to do next when a gobble snaps out to my left and low again about 200 yds down. Has to be the same turkey, he's looped left off the end of the ridge and is below me. I drop off the left side of the ridge and to the head of a slight fold a mere 30 yds away that seems to lead right down to him. Good visibility and great tree, and he's inside 200 yds. I set up and call to him with the slate. Nothing. Once again, he gobbles casually every few minutes, but never really responding. I answer every 2-3 gobbles, and at one point he closes to 100 yds or so, still out of sight, but then his next volley seems slightly more distant. Hmmm??

During this process, I can hear two additional gobblers WAY to the south, on the other side of the county road, out in those big pastures. The sound is thin and thread like, likely jakes. My antagonist will occasionally snap a gobble out at those two upon hearing them. OK, I will challenge him with a jake gobble. I fish the tube out of my vest and give it a half-shake....nothing. Hmmm?? Maybe he's not sure what he heard. I half shake it again and get a gobble in response. I follow with some soft clucks with the mouth call....boy meets girl sort of thing....and all goes silent. I'm hopeful.

When he gobbles next he is not stomping up the hill for a fight, he's drifted off towards the point again, away from me. .......a pacifist.

He's still down low. I pick up and move out across the top, paralleling him from above. As I approach the point on the end of the ridge, I note a slight saddle ahead. He may well have crossed the ridge top here earlier this morning, and if he did, he may feel comfortable coming up here again.

I slide into the base of a beech tree with a couple of saplings adjacent on either side. Perfect. I'm on the shade side of the tree, the sun's behind me, and the branches from the saplings extend out over me and hang down a bit, it's a natural blind and ideal calling spot. The little swag extends along the ridge top in front of me, and the point of the ridge is about 50-60 yds distant. I let him gobble again on his own, still 150 yds or more out, then answer with the slate, just 3 yelps. Nothing......but when he gobbles again, he's closer, half the distance and just out of sight, ascending the ridge from the left at about 11'0'clock. I give a few clucks back and ditch the slate, get the gun up and the safe off. When he gobbles again he's just off the crest and then he slinks in to sight. I'll never grow tired of it.

He's cautious as he reaches the crest, just my side of the point, only 50 yds or so out. After a long look around he gobbles and pops into strut and begins to parade my direction. My heart pounds and I can sense my breath in small gasps. I make a mental note to run the trigger properly, 'cause I am going to get a shot. He stops again, now in range, but not quite clear, and gazes about once more....seeing all. My mind is racing...if he doesn't see a hen here on this swag, he may drift off and it is all for naught. My fears ease as he gobbles, pops into strut again and sachets closer.

He clears the brush and is in a half strut, walking right up the gun barrel. He was in range at his last stop, now he seems on top of me. I'm carrying the Remington 870 again with the Leupold 1.5-5x on board. Through the scope on 3x, he looks enormous. I am locked on him, the crosshairs solidly on his wattles. You shouldn't shoot at one walking, you shouldn't shoot at one if the head and neck aren't extended.....but I am solid, and on him and he's right THERE.

I'm so locked and solid that I do not loose him in recoil and see the feathers fly. He's crumpled and I am certain before I even get to my feet he's down for good. No need for a wild run over to him, I walk across and pace my shot as I go......40 paces even, likely 36-37 yds. He's mature, good spurs and a full beard. I check my watch.....it's 9:00AM. I've been on this gobbler 3 hrs!

Later I crunch the numbers. He goes 21 lbs, very heavy for late in the season. The longest fiber in the beard goes 10-1/4", but I may have shot a few fibers off, he took some pellets there. Pointed and sharp spurs run 1-1/16th each, a solid 3 year old, maybe older. This season is getting better.

May 1, 2024, 04:38 PM	#39
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,365	go south old man....gobbler #3 -hunt #23, 1May The plan this morning is to hunt the most southern/southeastern ridge in the lease. There's not much left of it. Fifteen or more years ago it was logged and the vast majority of it was replanted (as always) in pines. There is a slim, knifelike ridge that extends west from the pine edge that is still open hardwoods, I doubt the remaining little ridge is 200 yds long. Any further south, west or very far east is private property. While hunting over in Big Hollow, I keep hearing birds over this way. Additionally, preseason, while listening from the county road below, I heard some gobbles at the point of this ridge down low on private property. Last week I hunted the new, pretty bench 1/2 mi or so north of this spot. This morning I am as far southeast as I can get, searching for these eastern birds. Geez-o-man it gets light early. I'm clear the house and rolling before 5:00AM and yet still there's light to east. I race dawn west to the club, a 30 minute drive, pushing the old Toyota and the integrity of the trailer/ATV behind as much as I dare. I park at closer spot, along the county road to lessen the ATV ride, and take off with the Polaris out the club named Ogeltree Rd. It's light enough now I do not need the headlight on the ATV. I really want to be out on that ridge before any roosted turkeys fly down but I dunno about it now. I stop short of where I might have ridden to if not so light, and chug down the remaining 200 yds or so on foot. Where the ATV path ends and the hardwoods begin, I pause to catch my breath and listen. I glance at my watch, it's 6:00AM. As if on que, a gobble rings out from the little ridge to my front, a bit low and to the right, maybe 200 yds out. I'd like to get closer. I begin to pussyfoot along the ridgetop, headed his way. I don't get 25 yds when I hear turkey clucks from the treetops...close. It's not the "Putt" alarm call, it's a harsh cluck likely an old hen. She likely thinks my soft 2 footed gait in the twilight is another turkey. Now what? If she flys down and goes to that gobbling tom, it's over. And that would be the natural way of things. I can flush her from the tree, but if she flushes in the direction of the tom, he may well see or hear her go by and follow, again, .....all done. But.....if she flushes away from him that would be really good. I decide to bump her, and come at her from such an angle that she might be inclined to flush away. And she does!!!! The tom has to hear all this, her clucks, the explosion of wings from the treetops. He continues to gobble, undisturbed by the racket, same place rather casually, but his attention has to be drawn this way. I better not try to get any closer, and pick a big tree to sit and call from just where I am. Farther than I'd like, but he's alerted to this direction and I will not risk a closer approach. I let him gobble on his own for several more minutes, the run a string of yelps at him with the slate. Nothing. ....... He HAD to hear that. After a few minutes, he gobbles again, he's not moved and I'd bet anything he's still on the roost. Slick. He's heard that hen flush, knows she's on the ground, and is staying safe, aloft on this roost, 'til she appears below him. Or, there was another hen closer, who knows? He gobbles freely for the next hour or so, 'til about 7:00AM, then all goes silent. I do my best to convince him to come over, calling about every 3rd gobble or so, and doing a good bit of leaf scratching to add realism to my charade, but he does not show. His last gobbles are moving left and slightly away. It didn't sounded like he topped out, then went low off the end of the ridge towards the bottom and the private fields. I stay planted till 8:00AM, hoping for all the world I see him slipping in silently, but he does not show. I'm pondering what to do next when a gobble snaps out to my left and low again about 200 yds down. Has to be the same turkey, he's looped left off the end of the ridge and is below me. I drop off the left side of the ridge and to the head of a slight fold a mere 30 yds away that seems to lead right down to him. Good visibility and great tree, and he's inside 200 yds. I set up and call to him with the slate. Nothing. Once again, he gobbles casually every few minutes, but never really responding. I answer every 2-3 gobbles, and at one point he closes to 100 yds or so, still out of sight, but then his next volley seems slightly more distant. Hmmm?? During this process, I can hear two additional gobblers WAY to the south, on the other side of the county road, out in those big pastures. The sound is thin and thread like, likely jakes. My antagonist will occasionally snap a gobble out at those two upon hearing them. OK, I will challenge him with a jake gobble. I fish the tube out of my vest and give it a half-shake....nothing. Hmmm?? Maybe he's not sure what he heard. I half shake it again and get a gobble in response. I follow with some soft clucks with the mouth call....boy meets girl sort of thing....and all goes silent. I'm hopeful. When he gobbles next he is not stomping up the hill for a fight, he's drifted off towards the point again, away from me. .......a pacifist. He's still down low. I pick up and move out across the top, paralleling him from above. As I approach the point on the end of the ridge, I note a slight saddle ahead. He may well have crossed the ridge top here earlier this morning, and if he did, he may feel comfortable coming up here again. I slide into the base of a beech tree with a couple of saplings adjacent on either side. Perfect. I'm on the shade side of the tree, the sun's behind me, and the branches from the saplings extend out over me and hang down a bit, it's a natural blind and ideal calling spot. The little swag extends along the ridge top in front of me, and the point of the ridge is about 50-60 yds distant. I let him gobble again on his own, still 150 yds or more out, then answer with the slate, just 3 yelps. Nothing......but when he gobbles again, he's closer, half the distance and just out of sight, ascending the ridge from the left at about 11'0'clock. I give a few clucks back and ditch the slate, get the gun up and the safe off. When he gobbles again he's just off the crest and then he slinks in to sight. I'll never grow tired of it. He's cautious as he reaches the crest, just my side of the point, only 50 yds or so out. After a long look around he gobbles and pops into strut and begins to parade my direction. My heart pounds and I can sense my breath in small gasps. I make a mental note to run the trigger properly, 'cause I am going to get a shot. He stops again, now in range, but not quite clear, and gazes about once more....seeing all. My mind is racing...if he doesn't see a hen here on this swag, he may drift off and it is all for naught. My fears ease as he gobbles, pops into strut again and sachets closer. He clears the brush and is in a half strut, walking right up the gun barrel. He was in range at his last stop, now he seems on top of me. I'm carrying the Remington 870 again with the Leupold 1.5-5x on board. Through the scope on 3x, he looks enormous. I am locked on him, the crosshairs solidly on his wattles. You shouldn't shoot at one walking, you shouldn't shoot at one if the head and neck aren't extended.....but I am solid, and on him and he's right THERE. I'm so locked and solid that I do not loose him in recoil and see the feathers fly. He's crumpled and I am certain before I even get to my feet he's down for good. No need for a wild run over to him, I walk across and pace my shot as I go......40 paces even, likely 36-37 yds. He's mature, good spurs and a full beard. I check my watch.....it's 9:00AM. I've been on this gobbler 3 hrs! Later I crunch the numbers. He goes 21 lbs, very heavy for late in the season. The longest fiber in the beard goes 10-1/4", but I may have shot a few fibers off, he took some pellets there. Pointed and sharp spurs run 1-1/16th each, a solid 3 year old, maybe older. This season is getting better.