| Author | Message | ||
| McCaslin |
Finally...for the second Saturday in a row I spent the night before at the hospital and turkey hunted the next day. My best friend was set up in the woods when I got there at 8:00. He had set up early, listened for gobblers, and was waiting on me. We were hunting national forest land in the mountains and there were 4 other trucks parked at the same trailhead. We climbed up into the mountains and heard our first gobble about 9:00. We had to set up about 4 times to get positioned right for the bird, finally making a circle around him to get uphill of him on a ridge. My friend set up about 15 yards behind/above me on the ridge and set to work with the K&H Old Yeller. He likes to call a lot and had the bird gobbling like crazy about 75 yards in front of me. Then, we started to hear 2 other hunters converging on our position; they were crow calling about every minute and getting closer until we actually started to hear one of them walking through the woods. My friend mouth called straight at the other hunter very loudly in a kind of unnatural way and the guy must have gotten the message cause afterwards he went quiet. About 10 minutes later I shot a 17 pound 2 year old with 7/8 spurs, 9 inch beard--a trophy for me on public land. Sorry for the long message. I've started thinking a few things about mountain gobblers on public land, see if you agree. 1)They seem to roost at the base of a ridge or 1/2 way up a ridge. 2)They seem to work uphill as the morning wears on. 3)They come better to the call going uphill. P.S. I also wear blaze orange when I'm walking through the woods on public land. I'm scared to death of walking up on someone. If you ever hear another hunter working a bird in the woods please stay clear of the area--it's not worth getting shot I also think the hunting is picking up in the Blue Ridge area. We heard several shots on public land yesterday whereas heard only 1 on opening day. McCaslin | ||
| rayferd t |
Congrats. on the bird, mountain birds are funny, no two will do the same thing, i have set up above them to have them go down the mountain gobbling all the way out of hearing , most of the time i have noticed that they will roost just under the crest of a ridge, and yes they generally will work up hill, there are exceptions though. i called one off a ridge, across a big creek through a terribble thicket and finally through a barb wire fence before he got close enough to shoot, that one bird did everything the books will tell you they wont do. i called one off a ridge and across the james river one morning. alot just depends on the bird i guess, i thinks it also depends on what you tell him with your call too! good luck and be careful on that public land. Ray | ||
| Freddy McGuire (Vaturkey)
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Congrats McCaslin... Don't you just love those mountain birds! Sounds like you are figuring them out... | ||
| knight_va
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Those toms that walk the big woods are the toughest to take in my opinion.....U sure earned him!! Good Job! Max | ||
| McCaslin |
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| Big Bird |
Way to go McCaslin! Any mature bird on public land is certainly a trophy. I am sympathetic to chasing mountain birds as well. Congratulations again. |