Reason to take a knee

Stories of your favorite gobbler hunts.
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YellaJacket

Reason to take a knee

Post by YellaJacket »

I thought I would share this memorable hunt from the spring of 2007 with you.


I went out yesterday with gobblers on my mind and found the mushrooms. This morning was reverse psychology. I loaded up and went out with all my turkey hunting gear but a sack for the mushrooms as well and found a gobbler. I had been in the woods for about 2 hours and never made a call. My eyes spent more time on the ground searching for the mushrooms all the while my ears were listening for the tell tale gobble. I have been hunting hard for the last three weeks today being my 13th day in the woods. I went out to a fairly “easy to get to” spot and went into a good spot for mushrooms I was probably 6-7 miles from where I found mushrooms the day before. I was content with looking for the mushrooms which was not looking too good and at 7:42 GOBBLE!!! The bird was at the head of the hollow I was walking through about 200 yds above me in a slight incline. I was quick to not start charging up the flat and stood my ground thinking about the situation. I said to myself o.k. Mr. Gobbler "just how ready are you"? I stood there and about a minute later GOBBLEOBBLE!! and the same thing went on every minute for about 6-7 minutes and the bird was in the same spot. I took a drink of water and looked to my right. Nice ridge, low easy to go up. I looked to my left, same. As the bird gobbled I thought that the chances of him coming down the ridge on the right are high. It was fairly flat and led into a thicket with some pines and it was raining. That's when I thought about how hard I have been pursuing the gobblers this year. Circling and getting above him or beside him and taking major chances of being seen which happened earlier in the week on a Gobbler that never once gobbled as I walked in on him in full strut at under 40 yards (stepped off after the game was over). I made my decision. This bird will come to me and die right here if he is ready and I am not moving. Sometimes you got to draw a line you know. I have yet to call to introduce myself and went about 10 yards to my right and set up Henrietta. She was decoy that I toted occasionally in the hardwoods. I went back 10 yards further to my setup spot. I sit down and got all the pre game stuff taken care of. GOBBLEOBBLE!! UH-HUH, “I hear you fella”. I eased out an old slate call and popped in a mouth call, facemask up, gun on knee, hat pulled down and thinking small. I gave a purrr- purrr- cluck… GOBBLEOBBLE, GOBBLEOBBLE!!!!! 10 seconds later GOBBLEOBBLE, GOBBLEOBBLE!!! The second set of which you could tell he had turned as was facing my direction. "Oh it's on now Mr. Gobbler! The bird gobbled a couple more times as he walked down the hollow and I was expecting to see him soon but was met with silence. 5 minutes later GOBBLEOBBLE!!! Directly across from me on that ridge!! I yelped a few times, not too loud then waited. “Huh”, I thought then I tried the old purr- purr- cluck.. GOBBLEOBBLE-GOBBLEOBBLE!!!!! “So that's your favorite sweet talk is it?. Purr-purr Cluck GOBBLEOBBLE!!! Silence then...for about 2-3 minutes and GOBBLEOBBLE!!! Tick- tick- tick. You hunters know that noise when a gobbler is close don't you? That gobble will have that rattling tick to it. Oh there is my heartbeat!! THUMP-THUMP in my throat and 65 yards to my 10 oclock. Full strut and showing his patriotic colors, that beautiful gobbler had came directly off the ridge and circled to come in above me. He was in full strut and slowly stepping forward and Henrietta is standing her ground. As the Gobbler angled in he went behind some deadfall logs that were between us. I watched his Crown move across the full length of the logs. I had almost a lifetime to watch this gobbler and his movement. Please don't spook, please don't spook I said as he inched his way toward the decoy for a period of a few minutes (forever). He had watched this motionless decoy for sometime now and figured any minute he would know. As he stepped into the clearing 15 feet from Henrietta I really thought about what was about to happen. The Game will end here and the woods will be silent a second after I pull the trigger. All the smack talk that goes on among friends about bringin' em’ in on a string and such or how good we can call or how many birds we located, think about this. The next time you have that ole' Gobbler in range and he's spittin', drummin' and struttin' and your finger is on the trigger..take a mere handful of seconds and actually thank the Lord and that Tom turkey. Appreciate you were able to be a part of what is happening. For about 1 more minute this bird stared at the decoy...his head tucked back in his feathers..he turned to the left and showed her his tail and phtoom!! spit then turned back towards me. 26 yards from me in full strut I gave a quick putt-putt! then our game was over. “Thank you lord” and “thank you Mr. Gobbler”. You were beautiful and brave and will always be remembered. There are a few reasons for a man to take a knee....this is one of those reasons..

Written by: Jim Ward May 2007

Good luck to everyone and my respect to those who share my spring passion
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Hognutz
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Re: Reason to take a knee

Post by Hognutz »

Wow! Very nice read. If you haven't done it, there is no explaining what a gobbling turkey can do to a man's soul. It is beyond words. Well said, Jim..That was worth the price off admission..Mike :thumbup:
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Re: Reason to take a knee

Post by Gobbler »

Great read. Thanks for sharing.
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Jaybird
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Re: Reason to take a knee

Post by Jaybird »

Very enjoyable read. Thanks for sharing.
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Grover
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Re: Reason to take a knee

Post by Grover »

Very good read, I agree, time to take a knee and give thanks.
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Hoobilly
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Re: Reason to take a knee

Post by Hoobilly »

Amen
I like how you decided to stay put and see if he wanted that hen.
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ncturkey
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Re: Reason to take a knee

Post by ncturkey »

Thanks for sharing, Mike
Mike
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redarrow
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Re: Reason to take a knee

Post by redarrow »

Great read for sure. :thumbup:
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Turkey Talker
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Re: Reason to take a knee

Post by Turkey Talker »

that damn gobbler got robbed. just imagine being that bird....man
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unclerick
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Re: Reason to take a knee

Post by unclerick »

Great read Jim, thanks for shareing
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Re: Reason to take a knee

Post by outlaw »

that was some good reading most dont take time to reflect like that :thumbup:
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