Birds at the Buzzer

[charlie elk]

Not sure when exactly the buzzer sounds today 5/22 the last day of Wisconsin's 2012 spring season. But some time between sunrise and sunset it sounds.
There were no turkeys sounds anywhere, not even any distant ones I could detect, the crows and owls were very subdued; I trolled a few ridges and valleys that usually hold turkeys--nothing but quiet. Fall hunting has taught me the turkeys are still there and with all the thick foliage they are easy to walk right past. So the only option was to setup in a likely spot and call. I did for an hour with the squirms of doubt closing in on the edges of my mind, thoughts started wandering to the upcoming fall season how happy Vic will be to; instead of begging/praying to go with.

Beggin to hunt.jpg (113.68 KiB) Viewed 636 times

It has been a great spring season so I pack my calls into my vest, squirms and doubts got the best of me, time to call it a season. A deer approaches quickly from across the field, the young buck stops 20 paces from me. What the heck I'll take time to take his picture......
Movement out on the horizon distracts my eyes, its a turkey out wandering around, dang calls are in my vest, can't move much, fish the DoRal out, it only clucks well but the turkey turns and starts for my position. It is just a hen, I decide to play with her and cluck each time she looks away. More movement to the right, another hen and a sight to behold a strutter-way out of range though. More clucks each time the turkeys are not looking, they begin to purposefully close the distance and the fourth turkey is a tom who never struts.
Of course the strutter looked bigger and at 20 yards in an open plowed field the deal is done.

2012 buzzer turkey.jpg (95.13 KiB) Viewed 636 times

25 lbs with 12.5" beard, no spur on one leg and 1/2" broken on the second.
Dang was I lucky the deer showed up or I would have done something I never do; quit early.

Any other buzzer birds? Or stories?

[Gopherlongbeards]

Way to go charlie! I also did a few rounds of cold calling at likely looking set ups today; but all I was able to call up was a feral cat and a few deer

[charlie elk]

I respect you were out there gopher, you have the tenacity of a great hunter. Congratulations.

[ticklishtompro]

Congrats Charlie on a nice bird! 25 lbs. at this point of the game is impressive! My story didn't end quite as good tonight. The farmer decided to come out and work the fields where I was waiting for the birds to come back to like they have been every night before they go to the roost! The only bird I saw was one I bumped off the roost on my way out.

[turkey junky]

my season ended yesterday in nebraska with a loud flop!!! monday i had a close encounter & should of blasted a nice gobbler at 50-65 yrds but opted to let him walk as it was just to far!!! any way id like to think he was a stud bird like yours was charlie but ill never know!!! congrats & way to go on the buzzer beater gobbler!!!

[WillowRidgeCalls]

Congrats Charlie, My season ended with an all day hunt. The birds on the public were on fire. I haven't heard that much roost gobbling all season. I set up in a plowed field that had corn stubble in it and a lot of cobs that still had a lot of corn on them. I had one bird that answered every sound I sent him. He flew down in the in the middle of the field at 5:30 and went to the other end of it and strutting and gobbling his head off. 4 other birds came into the field but didn't stay long only passed through on a grass strip that crossed the field from the high grass to the private, 2 hens and 2 strutters. That first bird still strutted and gobbled at them but would budge from his end of the field. Then about 6:30 2 hens came to visit my strutter and hen, they talked and rubbed up against him, dropped down in front of him, hanging around for about an hour before they left, that strutter still didn't move from his end. Finally, finally after 3 hours of working him, he finally started to move towards my end, he came strutting and gobbling the whole way. He got to the grass strip and hung up there a while. I through all caution into the wind and laid into him with the loudest cutts and cackle I could get out of my death wish call. He broke strut and came running. I had the gun up and ready as he came closer, when he was at about 50 yards, a hen that was roosted about 15 yards behind me busts out of the tree and flys down over top of him to the grass strip, he spins and runs to her, and chaser her back to his end of the field, 300 yards away. It's almost 9am and that darn hen never busted or left her tree, and I walked in right under her . That tom bred her and stay down on his end until almost noon, before he headed down to the river on his end. That bird had a rope on him that you could see swinging as he ran toward me at a 100 yards away, without binos. I packed up and went to his end and set back up. The brush was too thick to see anything down to the river, so I set up on the edge of that field. At 3:30 I moved to were he was roosted on the edge of the private and that plowed field near were the grass stip crosses it and set up there. At 5:45 two birds start gobbling their heads off where I was set up at daybreak at the corner of the woods and field. I'd gobble, they'd gobble, again every call I gave them they'd gobble or double gobble at. This went on until closing, they would work in close enough for a shot. I packed up and called it a season at 7:45, it took me an hour to walk back out. All I got was a sore butt and a lot of fun this 6th season, but learned a few new locations for set ups next year. I was in that field from 4:30am until 8 pm, which made for a long day but was worth every minute spent there. I saw deer (5 bucks 2 doe) rabbits, turkey, coon, pheasants, and sandhills.

[charlie elk]

All I got was a sore butt and a lot of fun this 6th season, but learned a few new locations for set ups next year. I was in that field from 4:30am until 8 pm, which made for a long day but was worth every minute spent there.

Man you got an enduring iron butt there. No way could I have sat in one place that long, a hat tip to you.
Were you in a blind or a layout in the field?

[WillowRidgeCalls]

At first I was set up just under a tree. Then when I mover to the other end, there wasn't a tree close to the field so I set up by a bush. Then when I moved back to the middle of the field, I sat by a wooden fence post that had a tree limb hanging over it. The trees were on the private side of the fence. All I use is a roll up wrap around blind, that keeps birds from seeing my movements while running calls at close range, and I sit on an old camo boat cushion. A couple of the guys on the T&TH hunt said, Man You Sit Too Long but I did move 3 times in the 15 hr I was out. Patience is a must in turkey hunting, but I do push that a little too far . I knew the birds were located in that area and where using that field quite a bit.

[Gopherlongbeards]

but I did move 3 times in the 15 hr I was out. Patience is a must in turkey hunting, but I do push that a little too far . I knew the birds were located in that area and where using that field quite a bit.

I have the opposite problem, I usually get antsy after an hour of sitting and no action. Keep thinking I need to move off and find a bird

[dewey]

Congratulations Charlie on the pig of a gobbler!!! My hats off to you Scott and Gopher for keeping at it until the very last minute.

Dewey