| Author | Message | ||
| GN |
Yesterday ended my hunts for "my" most elusive nemesis. For three years I have pursued a certain bird in a certain location, totally without success on my part. I suspect I have made twent y trips exclusively to try for this bird. I have chased him all day, hunted him earl and late in the season, in the afternoons , midday, early am..you name it, I have tried it. Yesterday started as typical..he ws gobblinghard in a very deep (can you say silo) hollow on a very steep and high mountain. hens got with him early but he would answer my calls as I stayed close and "in touch" and tried to make him come up to me when I was above him,over to me whem I was beside him, and then down to me when he finally worked above me and started over the top of the big mountain about 11 am. When I was sure he was over the top, I climbed out the rest of the way (800morevertical feet..1500 total)to the top myself, located him again with a crow call at noon, got with in 100 yards, right on the crest of the top of the mountain , called him in to 60yds in wide open big woods , but he veered off sideways cause he could not see a hen where he knew one should be from my calling and leaf scratching... so he edged over the south side and started away clucking(out of sight)..(it was here friends where the desperation move of a possessed man occurred)...when I knew he was going away and out ofsight a cut hard and then eased over to the north edge of the ridge -ten yards- and then started raking leaves with my feet and calling and moved at a turkey pace parallel to him and staying out of sight on the north side(this is a bet the farm move).. I moved 60 yds thus raking and calling up to where he had been strutting 10 minutes earlier...then I made my stand and crawled to the edge of the ridge top and got thegun up...I turnmed my head made another call over my back to the north and he nearly blew my hat off with a gobble from the south and then here he was..in full strut..nemesis goes down. 22 lb, 11 in paint brush, 1 1/4 spurs. It was 88 degrees and a long steep walk off the top for an old man with bad knees but I spect I would have carried him all the way home if I had to. I was pretty fired up. Freddy will post the picture as I have failed "post your oimage here", again. Let me urge you not to do this "moving on a gobblin bird" stunt unless you have a certain view of all the woods around you... please realize that a hunting accident can occur very easily in that sitation as someone could mistake you for a turkey. I did it, I have told you about it, it was perhaps an error, but I felt comfortable that no other fool was going to be up there at that time of day in that heat. And it was wide open woods that I could see all through (and so could he). Anyway,that is my story. | ||
| turkeypicker |
Congrats GN. Sometimes you just have to lay it all on the line to get that tough bird. My dad bagged a boss bird like that a couple days ago. Had to use some less than conventional strategies too. Man I've got to run! I worked a bird until 11:30 AM yesterday. He had 1 hen. If he gobbles like that again I may have to throw the kitchen sink at him too. I'm not sure my sore butt can stand another marathon hunt like that. The good part is he's on my property. Gonna run out to put him to bed...I hope. | ||
| Freddy McGuire (Vaturkey)
|
Great job GN... Great hunt, great bird... Congrats on a long hard fought battle won! ;o)  | ||
| Turkey576 |
Nice Bird good job.. Jon | ||
| HODY |
Good job GN. Nice bird. Hey sometimes you gotta get crazy and try something different. | ||
| Ken
|
Well done! That's a classic.. | ||
| shopson |
I'd take 'em like that any day! Nice un | ||
| wgb1 |
GOOD JOB. GREAT STORY. | ||
| knight_va
|
Thats hanging tough GN!!!...Congrads!!!! Max | ||
| VA Hen
|
Congratulations GN!!! Way to go!!! Amy | ||
| Strutstopper |
Congrats, that's a beauty GN! |