Hunted 3 days in TN, killed 3 gobblers. Hunted 3 hours in Indiana that results in Gobblers crushed head. Mark another state off my list as a success.
Opening morning of the 2010 Indiana Turkey season I was up early and on my way to a farm I have permission to hunt that is LOADED with birds. I was excited because I knew I had a good shot at getting on some birds. I pulled up at 5 till 6am and as soon as I got out of the truck I could here they were already gobbling. The next 10 minutes I listened to the birds gobbling from their roost as I walked up a massive ridge side.
After the hike basically straight up, I finally go to an area I wanted to hunt. The plan was to set up on a logging road that I saw a lot of nice gobblers use during deer season. I set up Tommy and She-Mobile in the middle of the logging road and set up against a tree that was about 15-20 yards away. This whole time I had lost count of how many birds I have heard gobbling. There were at least 10-12 different birds on the far ridge that was behind me. The only thing was that they were on that other ridge and had a creek in between us. I also had 3 birds gobbling further down the ridge I was set up on. I knew birds used this road so I just stayed put and enjoyed the gobbling. The birds behind me were just flat out roaring. I have never heard so much gobbling from so many directions.
By 730, I had called in a lone hen but nothing was with her. The gobblers were still gobbling like they were on fire, but nothing responding to my calling. Eventually I got one of the gobblers that were on the ridge I was set up on to gobble at me, but he wasn’t coming in. Reason being was that lone hen I called in earlier was keeping him company now. So this sequence kept going on and on. Around 8:15 I had 2 gobblers hammer in behind me and to my right. I give a soft yelp. G-O-B-B-L-E!!! These birds had to come from the ridge that was behind me that had all those birds gobbling when I was setting up (which by the way, all those birds were still gobbling their heads over on that ridge). As I got my gun up and pointed towards Tommy, I had a smile on my face the size of Texas. I knew exactly what was going to happen. Those birds were making their way to the logging road and as soon as the made it they would see Tommy and his girlfriend She-Mobile. Once that happen it was over. Tommy is like a magnet once a gobbler sees him. Well I was wrong, kind of. Every time I threw a call at these Gobblers they would rock the ground with a gobble. Soon I could hear them walking up the ridge. I was really worried that they were walking right in behind me and would bust me. Then off to my right I hear “PPPHHHIIISSSTTTTT UUUUMMMMMMMM”. That sound took that worry away. I could hear a gobbler spitting and drumming to my right headed straight for the road. Then through some brush I see a big old black ball 20 yards away. He was spitting and drumming like there was no tomorrow. It was just a matter of time now. He stood there for 2 minutes just all swelled up and staring at Tommy. G-O-B-B-L-E!!!! I was not expecting him to gobble so I nearly jumped up into a limb of the tree I was set up against. It was a rush. But that smile I had began to disappear when the birds began to strut the other direction. I threw out a yelp, G-O-B-B-L-E from both birds. Then they would go to strutting again. They spit and drum at least a dozen times throughout this whole encounter. But they just would not come into my set up. They both were easily in my guns range but on my right hand side there was a small bush between the logging road and me. So they walked. I kept calling and they kept screaming. But every time they would, they would be further and further away.
Now it was 9am, and the woods went dead. Not a peep. From 9 to 930 I only heard one gobble. But it was way down the ridge I was set up on. At 930 I thought about packing up the decoys and walking in the direction where all the gobblers were working. Before I got up to get load up the decoys I let out a yelp on my mouth call…..nothing. I cut on my mouth call……nothing. I wait 2 minutes and let out one last yelp on my mouth call….. G-O-B-B-L-E!! One let loose 70 yards down the ridge to the left. I calmly get my gun up on my knee and get it pointed towards Tommy. I let out another yelp.....G-O-B-B-L-E!!!! I said to myself that this guy sounds like is lonely and looking for love. He was coming fast. I yelped again and he gobbled so close to me that I thought he was inside my facemask. After that I decided I was going to shut up. I was set up pretty close to my decoys and did not want to call and run the chance of him picking me off. After about 2 minutes I hear walking and it sounds close! “PPHHHIIIISSSSTTTTTT UUUUUMMMMMMMM” As I was barreled down on my gun and pointing it towards Tommy this dude had got to 5 yards right beside me. He was to my left so I couldn’t see him coming so I didn’t know he was that close so when he spit and drummed that close I jumped again. As badly as I wanted to turn my head to look at him I knew if I did he was going to see me with no problems. So I just continued to stay focused on my sights and listened to this guy spit and drum like it was going out of style. After awhile I began to worry he may do the same thing those other two gobblers did and just work his way down the road. So I slowly, and I mean slowly, turned my head in his direction. Boom…there he was in the middle of the road swelled up like a tick. He was doing what I call the “strutting shuffle”. Right then and there I decided if he turns his back to me while strutting I am going to swing my gun around on him. Reason being was because then his fan would block his view of me. Like clock work he twirls around where his fan is between us. Without hesitation I swing my gun around and get the sights on his neck. He was still in strut so I yelped. He broke and threw his head up. As soon as he did that I sent a load of Hevi #7’s through his head. He dropped like a sack of hammers. That smile I had earlier had returned now. I shucked the shell, put the safety on and started picking up my calls I had used that morning up around me and placed them back into my vest. I then got up and took the proud walk to the first bird I have killed on Opening Morning. As I threw the bird over my shoulder and started walking down the ridge, the birds began to get fired again. So there I was walking down a beautiful ridge with a gobbler over my shoulder and birds gobbling all around. I took it all in with a big smile and thanked God for allowing me to be there.
He was a really nice 2 year old. 23 pounds, 10 1/8 in beard, and .78 inch spurs.