# What a season!!! (long story and pics)



## birdman (Nov 21, 2007)

You've got to be careful what you wish for. After killing my bird on the first day I hunted last year I was happy but a little disappointed that it was over so quickly. This year I was hoping to spend a little more time in the woods, and boy did I. I hunted a total of 10 days of the general season logging somewhere between 120-150 miles of walking. I lost about 10 lbs and who knows how many hours of sleep. I called 8 birds into shooting range, had one standing directly behind me at probably less than 10 yards gobbling and strutting for about 20 minutes before wandering into thick brush and never presenting a shot, missed 2 birds, and finally got my bird on the last morning of the season after a 2 hr and 40 minute chess match. I made a bunch of mistakes this year I usually don't make such as poor setups, moving too soon, rushing shots that really didn't need to be rushed, misjudging direction and distance to gobbling birds, etc.

After missing the second bird of the season at only 28-30 yards on May 27th I thought maybe this just wasn't my year. I had walked 7.5 miles and climbed 3000 ft to find that bird on a windy day and was thinking how nice it was going to be to walk out with that bird right before I pulled the trigger and watched him fly away. After the miss I thought that was it, I was done for the year. I was exhausted, frustrated, and just plain sore. Of course, a couple of days of rest over the holiday weekend gave me renewed energy and enthusiasm. After looking at the maps I figured out a shorter way to get back into the area I had missed that bird. It only required a 3 mile hike and 2000 ft of climbing.

I drove down Monday night and slept in the vehicle. I woke at 2:45 and left the vehicle at 3:15. I had planned for a 2 hour climb that actually took 2 hrs and 15 minutes. I had planned to leave the vehicle by 3 but it took me 15 minutes longer to get ready than expected. I arrived at the top at 5:30 rather than 5 o'clock. It was already getting light in the eastern sky and I was still about a half mile short of where I was hoping to be. As I reached the timber I blew a coyote call and the bird responded. I thought he was to my right so I walked out a spur ridge to the end of the pines and owl hooted. He gobbled again but he was actually back to my left and further ahead than I thought. Back I go. I moved down through the timber a bit in his direction and owl hoot again. He gobbles again out across an open aspen meadow in some pines on the next high ridge over about a third of a mile away. Unfortunately, it's now about 5:50 and plenty light enough for him to see me if I try walking across that aspen meadow so I set up in the edge of the timber. I yelp quietly and nothing. I yelp a bit louder and he gobbles back. Game on. He then proceeds to gobble over and over again from the limb for probably about 45 minutes. It's well past fly down time now and I know he's expecting that hen he heard to show up below him. I waited about 35 minutes before yelping again which he immediately cut off with a gobble. I usually only yelp to them once on the limb to prevent them from staying in the tree as long as he had but I felt he needed a reminder of my location. Once I knew he was on the ground, I yelped again and he was coming. He was gobbling every minute or two on the slow march in my direction. I see him at about 150 yards coming down a rolling hillside in the meadow. By now, I've cooled off significantly and start with the terminal shivers. I've got the gun up but the fingers on my right hand are completely numb and becoming painful. I'm left handed so I have to pull my right hand out from under the gun and rest it on my knee while I try to get some sensation back. He steps out at 60-70 yards gobbling and strutting but immediately walks to my right behind some brush. He stands there gobbling repetitively for 10 minutes. I'm finally able to feel my hand again and ready the gun. I turn my head ever so slightly to the left and cluck quietly. He immediately gobbles and walks across the opening in front of me about 50-60 yards out to my left and again disappears behind some brush. Why won't he come directly to me? I have a nice opening with no apparent obstructions other than some puddles. Can't he see my decoy? I can't quite figure it out. He stays up to my left at the edge of the aspen meadow gobbling and strutting for 30 minutes. While its fun to catch sight of him every once and awhile and listen to the drumming, I'm getting wicked cold and shivering uncontrollably. I cup my hand and yelp quietly to the right and he immediately struts back across the opening at 50 yards until he's behind the brush again to the right. What's the deal? He's got to know right where I am by this point. Now he drifting to the right and getting further away so I let him go thinking I'm going to run up to the edge of the meadow where he was strutting for 30 minutes and I'm sure he'll come right back. Problem was, he was drifting a bit but never far enough away for me to feel comfortable with a big move like that. I did get up at one point and move back from him but he gobbled and sounded closer again so I quickly grabbed a tree with good shade. This turned out to only be about a 10 yard move but the tree I was sitting against was now in direct sunlight and he would have surely seen me there. He continues to gobble for awhile to the right and it's now about 8 o'clock. I've finally warmed up some but he seems to be cooling off in regards to the frequency of his gobbling so I start hitting him with more aggressive clucks and yelps, this gets him fired right back up. Then I hear it, a hen yelping in the direction of his roost trees. You've got to be kidding me!! He gobbles again and now he's inside 50 yards. Maybe I can get him before that hen makes it to him. There he is at 40 yards moving towards me and blowing up into strut every few steps. He moves through the brush at 30 yards and steps behind two large aspens long enough for me to make sure the gun is up to my cheek. I'm going to shoot as soon as he steps out. This takes way longer than expected but he finally does. He gobbles immediately and then sticks his head up to take a good look for that hen. Season over. I would guess he gobbled in the neighborhood of 200 times over the course of the 2 hrs and 40 minutes which was just awesome this late in the season. Goes to show that they want spring to continue just as desperately as we do. He was pretty beat up with several broken tail feathers. I'm guessing he weighed 18-20 lbs. Beard was a shade under 10 inches. Right spur 7/8" and left 3/4". Certainly not the best bird I've ever gotten but certainly one I worked very hard to get.



















As it turns out, the reason he didn't come directly to me was unseen water about 2 inches deep across the opening in front of me. Maybe the puddles should have been the clue. Goes to show that unseen obstacles are often the reason birds just won't quite come into range.

I always learn something out of each season. This year I learned, or was reminded of, many. I'll never regret early success again, that's for sure. It would have been a great season even if I hadn't gotten that bird, but it sure is fun to carry one off the mountain. Especially the last day of the season.


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## svmoose (Feb 28, 2008)

Great write up! Congrats on the bird.


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## Road Runner (Mar 20, 2010)

Great hunt. Birds like that keep the fire burning until next season.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

Way to hang in there, and what a story. Perseverance does wonders. I didn't get my bird until the last Saturday. Wish I could say I called him in, but the birds in my area had serious lock jaw and seemed call shy to boot. Ended up just having to bushwack him after the fly down.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

Good job, birdman! Excellent story. I've had my best calling days toward the end of the hunt the past couple of years. Like Mr. Scott, I also had to take the hunt to the bird this year instead of bringing one in.


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## tigerpincer (Dec 5, 2009)

Great story. Other than the cold cant ask for a better hunt than that. All the close misses and frustration on earlier excursions make the final success so much the sweeter.


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

Very good story! I guess that is why you are called Birdman! Good job and congrats on a fine bird.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Congrats on your success. Stories like this is what turkey hunting is all about. It matters not that a turkey is just a little creature smaller than the hind quarter of a deer, you have spent the month chasing a worthy adversary. Ah, to be young again and able to do that two hour hike...do'em while you can, they're the fuel of life.


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## stillhunterman (Feb 15, 2009)

Great story and congrats on a great hunt! Dang, that could have been a big game hunt the way things went down! I'm gonna have to give this turkey hunting thing a shot next year, wow! ;-)


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

stillhunterman said:


> Great story and congrats on a great hunt!  Dang, that could have been a big game hunt the way things went down! I'm gonna have to give this turkey hunting thing a shot next year, wow! ;-)


 -_O- -_O- -_O- Hunting dimwitted elk and deer don't quite compare. You got it backwards, big game hunting is just something to do when you can't hunt turkey.


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## stillhunterman (Feb 15, 2009)

BPturkeys said:


> stillhunterman said:
> 
> 
> > Great story and congrats on a great hunt!  Dang, that could have been a big game hunt the way things went down! I'm gonna have to give this turkey hunting thing a shot next year, wow! ;-)
> ...


 :mrgreen: I am starting to see clearly now the rain is gone...lol BP you just might have something there! 8)


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## vdogs (Sep 22, 2007)

Great story and a well earned trophy!


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