I took a friend from work out this morning. Went to a spot I have been checking every year for 8 to 10 years. It is perfect habitat and I am always perplexed because the birds have never been there. So we get out there around 0515 and right off the bat I hear gobbling on the roost. SWEEET, they finally made it!
We get up on top and I can hear 4 different gobblers in four different locations. We work around and hear a couple of hens yelping just over the ridge, get set up and start calling to them. They go quiet and then a coyote comes trotting over from their direction. I thought my friend was going to smoke the yote since he ran right in front of him at about 20 yards, but no shot. I look left and see two jakes trotting our way. I yelp to them and they throw on the brakes, zero in on my position and start sprinting towards me right up to about 14 yards. My friend did not hear them and while they were practically standing on top of him he moved his head and putt putt they were out of there. So we move on down to the next gobbler, I call for 20 minutes and finally a big boy answers and is heading our way. Eventually he comes strutting by at about 70 yards with two hens and they feed right on through. Off to another set we head. Suddenly a bird gobbles about 200 yards off and we move in and get set up. I can hear hens yelping, but they are about 100 yards apart. I think the bird that gobbled was hanging off to the side from this flock. There was probably a big bird with the hens and this bird was hanging back. Anyways I think he saw us because he never made another peep. But while I am calling, suddenly from about 15 yards behind me spit, vrooommm, spit vrooom, spit vrooomm. Dang he's right on top of me. I purred with my mouth call and gobble gobble from 15 yards.
Very cool. He walks behind me and around to my side at 10 yards. I finally get my head around and when he goes behind a stump I get my gun up. I could have smoked him for about 3 minutes, but I wait for my friend to shoot. I never got to see him strutting, but from 10 yards and in the sun he looked like a nice mature bird with a 7 or 8 inch beard. So he starts walking and goes between me and the guy I am hunting with. We're about 35 yards apart. I have been calling off and on from this spot so I was certain this guy knew where I set up, right when the bird gets directly between us I think to myself I sure hope this guy doesn't shoot right now....BOOOM!!! Bird crumbles and I get showered with pieces of bark. I had shot holes in the bark all around my head and shoulders. I'm telling you straight up, it is a plain miricle I did not get a face full of shot. I turned my face away and yelled DON'T SHOOT AGAIN!! I was a afraid he'd jump up and shoot again since the bird was flopping around. Talk about relieved and pissed all at once. He is probably a 22 month old bird, not quite mature but not really a jake. He's about 18 pound with a 7.5 inch beard and 1/2 inch spurs. Not as mature as I first thought but a nice respectable bird for his first turkey.
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