NY Yank Tags #1

[Fargohunt]

Hello all,

Well this am went as good, well maybe even better than I could ever ask. Granted, I really did my homework on these birds (4 gobblers) and knew there strut/kill zone well. The hens have been taking them there for the past few weeks, but I noticed a week or so ago that the hens were all but gone and I thought the boys would really be love sick come opening day--they were!

I got in REAL early was sitting at 4:30 as I knew if they were there I would be close. Sat still till 5:30 when I heard was was clearly NOT a hen cluck--then Iremembered that gobblers will cluck this way when alone. So I waited a few more minutes and he clucked again and then another next to him did the same. Now it is 5:45 and I can see the decs well. At 5:50 the 2 of them fly down not 20 yards from the decs and the very second they hit the ground 2 more gobs sitting in the TREE NEXT TO ME[:o][:o] fly down and join up. Immediately they all break into spitting and drummping and the dominat gob takes charge walking right up to my jake and starts circling him.

I'm gonna post my time is about to run out and I will finish in a few minutes

[Matt Raymond]

Well done...

[Fargohunt]

Okay so yeah, your right...those are braces on my teeth, get your laughs out[:@]--hey at 52 years old I figure it's never too late to improve[:D]

So where was I...okay, so the dominant gob circles around my jake and stops just long enough for me to touch one off--being nervous to say the least (I have never been faced with 4 gobs at once all within 2 steps of each other)--but it happens to us all.

So they all start spinning not sure what the heck just happened and within 2-3 seconds I put the 11-87 Hevi 13 hammer down on one of the other gobs at 28 yards. Down, no flopping! this bird was 20.5 lbs, 10.5" beard , but minimal spurs of only 3/4" I think I sat there for several minutes taking it all in and wondering what just happened??? I never made a sound and basically neither did they except for the few clucks- So the moral of the story is it really pays to do your homework, choose your set up well and be very stealthy on approach. I pratically crawled to my set up after laying out the decs, knowing they were probably very close, but never did I think two of them woulkd be virtually overhead![;)]

Wow, what a morning[:D]

[DBraman]

Beautiful birds and great story!!!!!!!!

[Cut N Run]

Well done!  Scouting pays off again. Congratulatoins.
 
Jim

[NYSuperSportsman]

Congrats Fargo!!! Scouting pays off!! My opening day was uneventful I heard some gobbles and played with a bird for a while with no luck. This morning I took a buddy with me that has never killed a spring bird. We had the most exciting hunt we could have asked for, well except for the ending. I worked these birds until about 7 am and finally I got the hens to break and come right in with the big strutting longbeard in tow...... I was sitting right next to my buddy out of the corner of my eye I watched him click the saftey off, put his head down, aim and pow!! The turkey rolled, ran and flew....... So It was still one of my most exciting hunts and definately his most exciting. Just no trophy to show for it. OH well. Tomorrow is another day. Good luck out there.

[Fargohunt]

Thank you guys...Nick, today was another very good hunt. Went to a different farm and took a buddy who can't hunt much. At 5:30 we had 5 gobblers within 250 yards just hammering away. Thinking we were in the cat-bird seat we waited, but they all moved off, but still gobbled so we moved and reset. Had one come to within 100 yards and we could see him, but he wouldn't budge so after 1.5 hrs with him we moved again and reset...another starfted back in and we got him pretty worked up and all of a sudden 3 jakes came in quiet--we let them walk past and on their way. We sat for another hour and decided to move to a back ridge and call from there. We struck one up and he came to about 150 yards and then the jakes came back in a gobbled their fool heads off at everything we threw out. My buddy asked me and I told him sure, take the bigger one who had about a 5-6 beard. All 3 walked within 6 feet of me and gobbled--thought my hat was gonna blow right off. They cleared and reached the decs at 15 yards and my buddy took him. He was very pleased and so was I. We worked birds all day and made some very good decisions and it paid off.

[WillowRidgeCalls]

Congrats, sounds like your season is going very well. [;)]

[dam3391]

Scott, congrats on your opening day bird!  Its a beauty.  My weekend was not as positive.  We too have lone gobblers without hens, but they do not seem to be as love sick.  I played with a bird for 2 hours on saturday and had him come in twice to 2 different setups, but he circled us both times!  He was real weary on the wooded ridges.  Both times he was on me before I could get a decoy out and when he came in and didn't see a hen he putted and walked away.  someone has already educated that bird.  sunday was more of the same with non-responsive toms.  Public land birds are either pressured to hell already or are just plain strutted out.  I'm going to let things calm down a couple of days and then go out middle of the week.  I hate when the opener is on a weekend!!

[Fargohunt]

Dagan,

I was thinking the same thing as the season was approaching with a weekend start they get way too much schooling. Keep after them, sounds like your close. Scott