Gobbler this Morning

[Hobbes_mobile]

I roosted a couple birds last night but the rain this morning shut them down and I heard one distant gobble. I started hunting them at dawn and hunted them well after the rain had quit up until nearly 10 AM but still no takers. Heather called and said that she'd heard birds gobbling across the road from the campground just after daybreak. She'd heard them last night too while I roosted "my" birds.

I drove around to a small piece of State land above the campground that I thought her birds may be in. I hiked downhill calling occasionally hoping for a response. It didn't really take very long after a couple moves to reposition. I thought the flock was all Jake's when they first showed up but didn't have the best view when they came in. Finally this guy stood off to my left in full view where I could see his beard. I killed this guy at 11:35 thanks to Heather listening from the campground.


Terrible signal here at campground so not sure the photos are uploading.

[soiltester]

Can't wait to see the pic. as I'm sure ya' got a full fan on yer' tom

Don't ya' jist' love it, when everyone's lookin' out fer' yer' best interest's

[decoykrvr]

Great job Shane! NO Pictures. I got on a gobbler yesterday at @ 6:45 and lost him and his hens @ 10:00 am. While napping on a high spot w/ my ears on, I detected a distant gobble at @ 11:00. I chased the bird, trying to get in front of him, up and down some thick hardwood hollows until I lost him @ 2:00 pm. I parked myself on a ridge in the shade above a little spring creek and just clucked and yelped softly about every 15 minutes. I was in my "grey zone" when I heard "vvboom" to my right and saw him slowly walking/strutting at about 50 yards, coming my way. I let him get within 30 yards before giving him a hard cluck. I didn't get to travel this year due to my recent surgery, but had a great season, hunted hard, and killed 2 long beards the last week of the season to limit out. I covered a lot of ground, had a bunch of "close encounters" and experienced a great birding and wild flower spring which all make the 3:30 wake ups worth it!

[Chief Razor]

Congrats. Looking forward to the pics!

[Samm4770]

Great job

[Hobbes_mobile]

Great job Shane! NO Pictures. I got on a gobbler yesterday at @ 6:45 and lost him and his hens @ 10:00 am. While napping on a high spot w/ my ears on, I detected a distant gobble at @ 11:00. I chased the bird, trying to get in front of him, up and down some thick hardwood hollows until I lost him @ 2:00 pm. I parked myself on a ridge in the shade above a little spring creek and just clucked and yelped softly about every 15 minutes. I was in my "grey zone" when I heard "vvboom" to my right and saw him slowly walking/strutting at about 50 yards, coming my way. I let him get within 30 yards before giving him a hard cluck. I didn't get to travel this year due to my recent surgery, but had a great season, hunted hard, and killed 2 long beards the last week of the season to limit out. I covered a lot of ground, had a bunch of "close encounters" and experienced a great birding and wild flower spring which all make the 3:30 wake ups worth it!

That's awesome. Glad you had a great spring sticking close to home. I've been saying I'm doing an Eastern swing the last couple years but haven't done it. I put my buddies on notice that I may not be able to hunt with them next year so maybe I'll actually do it in 24.

[Hobbes_mobile]

I took a really good nap today and it's rained this afternoon but I'll hunt tomorrow between rain showers and likely some while it's raining. I'm sitting in my truck now listening to a mountainside hoping to hear a gobble since the rain has quit.

Today was the first day this season that I've hunted alone. I like hunting with buddies and especially like hunting with my sons, but I needed this.

[Hobbes_mobile]

White hen that I drove by today. I don't know what's up with a flock of hens that are alone. I know it's winding down but seems like they should be at a nest. Maybe they all layed today then gathered back up without a gobbler ???

[joey46]

I should bookmark "Congrats" replies to you. Congrats.

[spider316]

Each and every time Mr. Hobbes, hard earned and extremely well deserved, congrats to you !!!

[soiltester]

What a beautiful tom and congrats again

[Swampstalk]

Again Congrats! Beautiful bird and country!

[Shawnee Cowboy]

Congrats on all your gobblers late in the season. Always enjoy your posts and pics. Cool white hen.