The beginning of the season up north looks like winter in the Woods making it a challenge to chase birds with it wide open. I had some history with a bird and cannot make it happen because the woods Word to wide open to make moves on him.
Finally, the wood started green up and decided to make my move. I’ve already hunted two days are in a row and with late game softball and the kids I started getting run down. Thought I set the alarm but woke up at 5 AM… When I was supposed to be up at three… I didn’t panic just because the place was close by and I had everything ready to go. Got dressed poured some coffee and headed out. For some reason, I wasn’t anxious because I knew I still had a chance. The only thing I was hoping that there was nobody at the parking lot where i wanted to go.
I arrive at the park lot on a Saturday to my surprise there was nobody there. Get my UltimateCamo on and start figuring out where I want to go. The next thing you know I hear a faint gobble pinpoint it. The bird is actually the bird I am after but he’s on the side of the mountain that’s private. Mark him on my onX and did my 2 mile walk around the public piece to where the bird was gobbling.
I get there about an hour later and of course he shut up, but I knew he was there somewhere close. Get out my wing bone call and throw out a couple cuts and he gobbles unfortunately he was all the way down in the valley on the private side at about 800 feet, I’m at 1300 feet. I messed with him for about a half an hour with him constantly responding to me just wouldn’t move.
It’s about eight right now and I have a Jake and I hen that start getting into the conversations. The hen starts responding to me and the Tom starts heading her way. I thought I needed to make a move and get onto her level which was about 1000 feet and the far corner of the public piece was about the same.
I get to a nice little flat and see some scratching there and take a seat. Grab my bag of Lucky charms and start munching. It’s about 15 minutes later and I decide to bring two girls into the equation and a drunk Jake. I got the two girls to start bickering and fighting. The Tom Gobbles Right where I started… Lucky for me it was a easy Sneak to cut the distance in half. This time the Tom is gobbling and the hen that he picked up was with him and they were both looking for my group of birds.
At this time, they are at about 1300 feet and I get to about 1250 on a nice bench rate below them. The Tom is under 100 yards and I can hear him spitting and drumming. I make one call with my mouth call and he Gobbles with the hen responding right behind him. I shut up hoping that he heads my way. At this time, I’m facing uphill and the only way I’m going to be able to shoot him is if the tom pops his head over the side of the bench that he’s on. His spitting and drumming is getting more intense and the hen is also getting closer. At this time, he’s under 30 yards and I cannot see him but I know that he’s at my 11 o’clock with my barrel pointing at 12 up the hill. The next thing you know at the corner of My eyes I see a head extend up at about 1 o’clock. He extends over the hill and realizes nothings there and slowly goes back. I slide my gun, over take my time and put my bead on his head and pull the trigger.
Smacked him in the head at about 15 yards!
The Tom turned out to be a true monarch Weighing over 23 pounds 1.25” worn down spurs. This guy probably ran a roost here for several years. Thanks to a hen, he went for a #turkeytoteride with me.
