Well this past Saturday I got to fill one of my tags.
The first bird came in silent even after setting up on him while he was on the roost. Once he hit the deck he went silent and didn’t want to play the game. Shortly after he crossed the creek a jake came in and followed the gobbler. Luckily they both headed off West.
I still had hope because while I was setting up I heard to birds across the creek South and East of me.
I now focused my calling to either one that would respond. One gave me two gobbles and I shut up. Within a couple of minutes I see a fan. I’m thinking I’m set as he’s coming in on a string…so I thought.
When he veers to his left I see what I missed, hens!
So now I need to focus on the hens and he’ll follow. Instead of sounding “pleading” I just made small talk on the glass. The hens heard me and started my way.
Now my dilemma is I’m gonna have hens cross the creek on my side before the gobbler. I don’t need him across the creek, but I need him closer than 75yds, lol.
The first hen flys over and looks me up and down and goes back to feeding. The second hen gets to the creek and instead of flying over, she decides to walk the bank and head West.
So the gobbler is at 50yds with one of his ladies across the creek and one on his side but heading away from me and what I hope is his favorite hen!
I cut my eyes right and could still see the hen across a little wet weather hole I’d set up next to. I was about to either blow my chances or make it happen and to be honest it was a 50/50 shot.
Now I’m camoed up head to toe, but I’m in a burn and there’s only so much hiding in a burn. I rolled the dice and gave a soft short 3 note yelp.
Believe it or not I closed my eyes when I did it and opened them to see the hen across the creek turn back my way and the gobbler let out a gobble and broke strut and started in as well. The hen on my side reversed course which sorta sped up the other hen and gobbler.
Now I faced a new dilemma the hen and gobbler are in a line straight down my gun barrel and everyone is closing in fast. Luckily the hen that had crossed the creek let out a couple where you at yelps and the gobbler stopped to strut and the hen veered towards her. After a few yards of separation I clucked and when he raised his head…he died.
I tell my Doc every year that if my heart can take hunts like that then I must be good to go!