RutnNStrutn
04-07-2009, 06:48 PM
I put in for a Special Opportunity hunt to take my Dad on for his birthday, and also got him a very nice custom box call to use on it. Unfortunately, my Dad hurt his arm 2 days before the hunt was to start, and could not even raise a shotgun to his shoulder, so he told me to go in his place.
The first three days of hunting were tough. I saw lots of birds, but they would not cooperate, and I bumbled once to boot. :angry2:
Today was a new day, though it was a cold and VERY windy day. I set up the same place as the day before where I had seen 25 hens, 6 jakes and a young gobbler. Today, I only saw 3 hens in the first 2 hours. The wind was howling through the fields I was hunting, and I realized I should have gone back to the small field where I had hunted the first two days. That field is smaller and is shielded from the wind by tall pines. I packed up, went to the vehicle (a rental Mustang, as my truck is in the shop), and drove around the back of the big fields. As I turned the corner, I drove up on a nice gobbler and 6 hens that were crossing into the field I had just left. :angry2: They spooked out of there, so I continued to the small field.
I parked down the road, and walked in. I peeked around the corner into the field, and saw 3 hens, 2 jakes and a strutter. :) I backed up, went into the woods, dumped my gear, and headed forth with just my shotgun, my diaphragm, my binocs and rangefinder. I snuck down as close as I could, and let out some soft calls in a lull in the wind. The hens were being greedy, and led their men away, so I stopped calling and switched tactics.
Backing into the woods again, I circled around a swamp, cut through the pines, and got to the edge of the field ahead of the birds. The last 25 feet did not have much cover, so I had to do some bobcatting, and bellycrawl out to get in range. My first open shot ranged at 70 yards, too far. Crawling more, I got another shot, this one ranged at 60 yards, still too far. The tom was strutting in and out, back and forth, so I felt if I stuck with him, I'd eventually get a shot. I noticed a large bush directly on the edge of the field, so I crawled towards that. I was about 10 yards from the bush, when I made out the dark body and white head of the gobbler strutting past the bush, headed back towards me. I could see he would be in range, so I slid my gun to my left shoulder and aimed for the opening. When the gobbler stepped out, he was in strut at 25 yards. He saw me, but didn't know what I was. So he raised his head up, while still in strut to take a look. That gave me the shot I was looking for.
BOOM!!! :toothy10:
He dropped and flopped, so I ran out to claim my prize. He wasn't the big boy I had seen on Friday, but he'd do after 4 hard days of hunting.
He weighed 17 lb's, had a 10 inch beard, with 3/4 inch and 7/8 inch spurs. My Florida season is done, now it's off to S. Carolina for some Easy Easterns, which according to Fyrestorm, up at our lease, they ain't so easy!!!
Here's me and my bird, in front of the Mustang. :occasion14
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/P4070075.jpg
The first three days of hunting were tough. I saw lots of birds, but they would not cooperate, and I bumbled once to boot. :angry2:
Today was a new day, though it was a cold and VERY windy day. I set up the same place as the day before where I had seen 25 hens, 6 jakes and a young gobbler. Today, I only saw 3 hens in the first 2 hours. The wind was howling through the fields I was hunting, and I realized I should have gone back to the small field where I had hunted the first two days. That field is smaller and is shielded from the wind by tall pines. I packed up, went to the vehicle (a rental Mustang, as my truck is in the shop), and drove around the back of the big fields. As I turned the corner, I drove up on a nice gobbler and 6 hens that were crossing into the field I had just left. :angry2: They spooked out of there, so I continued to the small field.
I parked down the road, and walked in. I peeked around the corner into the field, and saw 3 hens, 2 jakes and a strutter. :) I backed up, went into the woods, dumped my gear, and headed forth with just my shotgun, my diaphragm, my binocs and rangefinder. I snuck down as close as I could, and let out some soft calls in a lull in the wind. The hens were being greedy, and led their men away, so I stopped calling and switched tactics.
Backing into the woods again, I circled around a swamp, cut through the pines, and got to the edge of the field ahead of the birds. The last 25 feet did not have much cover, so I had to do some bobcatting, and bellycrawl out to get in range. My first open shot ranged at 70 yards, too far. Crawling more, I got another shot, this one ranged at 60 yards, still too far. The tom was strutting in and out, back and forth, so I felt if I stuck with him, I'd eventually get a shot. I noticed a large bush directly on the edge of the field, so I crawled towards that. I was about 10 yards from the bush, when I made out the dark body and white head of the gobbler strutting past the bush, headed back towards me. I could see he would be in range, so I slid my gun to my left shoulder and aimed for the opening. When the gobbler stepped out, he was in strut at 25 yards. He saw me, but didn't know what I was. So he raised his head up, while still in strut to take a look. That gave me the shot I was looking for.
BOOM!!! :toothy10:
He dropped and flopped, so I ran out to claim my prize. He wasn't the big boy I had seen on Friday, but he'd do after 4 hard days of hunting.
He weighed 17 lb's, had a 10 inch beard, with 3/4 inch and 7/8 inch spurs. My Florida season is done, now it's off to S. Carolina for some Easy Easterns, which according to Fyrestorm, up at our lease, they ain't so easy!!!
Here's me and my bird, in front of the Mustang. :occasion14
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/P4070075.jpg