Finally got on a gobbler

Spurchaser

Spurchaser

Well-known member
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Once the DIL got her bird it was my turn. Only issue was I’ve been a jake magnet. We have an abnormally high number of jakes this year and it seemed everywhere I went in one corner of the property all I’d call in were jakes that really sounded like adult birds.

After a 3.5mile hike last Saturday morning with about 5 different jakes coming to the calling I moved to a spot I’d sent my son and DIL. When they went they accused me of garholing them because they had a jake come in. I’d played with a bird there one afternoon and swore it was a gobbler.

Turns out I was correct! I came in to the back side of this bottom and worked through it until I got about dead center and hit the call. I swore I heard a gobble, but wasn’t sure and knew it wasn’t in the bottom with me but somewhere in the pines surrounding this area.

I went out the opposite side and hit the call again. I DID hear a gobble and started moving that direction following the edge of the thick. I got about to the last thick cover and hit the call again and knew we’d both made some ground as that gobble was much closer! I plopped next to the “best” looking tree I could find and waited a minute. He gobbled on his own much closer so I knew it was a matter of time before I could see him.

But me being me, I hit him one more time just to feel that thunder again and he didn’t disappoint! He rounded the point of the thick area and would strut then gobble, take a few steps and repeat the process until he was about 20yds away still looking for that hen he heard.

No matter how many birds I’ll ever kill, they all are like the very first. My heart gets beating out of control and my breathing becomes labored. I look at like it’s natures way of telling me, “No heart attack today” you passed the stress test!!

My first call is a FaceTime call to my son Brennan and I mean as the bird is still flopping. We’ve always called each other on every bird we kill and I hope it continues until there’s no life left in me.

He was a stout gobbler at 19.4lbs with an 11” beard and 1 3/8” spurs. He played the game my way and made me one happy man!!

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Sounds like a great hunt, Mark! Congratulations on a fine bird.

I had a gobbler hammering in my back yard a couple weeks ago. That joker had a voice, and was good size. Just had a stubby beard. I couldn't get a good look at his spurs and he wasn't strutting to really tell what he was. I'm thinking a mature gobbler that probably busted it's beard foo with the crazy snow we had all winter. But I've known Jakes to sound like professional gobblers as well.
 
Congrats on the bird! The season opened yesterday here in Michigan but I didn't make it out on account of Easter. I'm itching to get out next weekend.
 
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