USA: DIY Spring Gobbler In Northern Virginia USA

[DoubleLunger]

Hello my fellow worldwide hunters and huntresses!

I Had a fun hunt today on one of the private permissions I hunt while going after turkeys with a buddy of mine. Therefore I thought I’d share.

Knowing where the turkey goes to roost, we snuck in before day break and set up on two separate natural funnels(strips of hardwoods with thick brush that most of the wild game in the area are known to travel through while remaining in cover). I was 100 yards away and my friend was closer to 50 yards from the Tom that was between us while he was still on the roost.

A small heard of whitetail deer came in and were on to me and decided to stomp and blow alerting every animal in the area that there was danger near by. I suppose they were right. But I thought my hunt was blown. After about five minutes of this chaos the deer decided to move on after I hurled a stick at one of them.

Come day break the wild turkey began to gobble non stop while increasing his tone and sequence of his gobbles while trying to call to and gather his hens

I let off a couple of light clucks with a pot call and then I kept quiet. The gobbler sounded excited and gobbled non stop for a good thirty minutes. It was exciting to hear. The bird then put a cease to his noise as he met up with his hen and then ran off to who knows where.

Already having a feel for the area, I slowly and carefully made my way down the tree line I was in while stopping and glassing every so often. I stopped and set up in the brush at the corner of where two tree lines met up and was overlooking an agricultural field. After about 30 minutes my buddy informed me via text message that he was going to sit where he set up originally for about another 30 minutes due to him having to go to work.

With my guard down(camo face mask not on, shotgun not shouldered, and cellphone in hand) out came the large Tom looking for the light yelps, clucks, and purrs I had let off just a couple of minutes ago. I held still. He was in high alert(due to this being the end of a long pressured season) while looking for the hen that he thought he would breed with. His head would change from a bright red to blueish and grayish color(I’ve heard this happens as they change moods).

At 60 yards he began to feed on the local farmer’s crops while continuing to look up for a girlfriend as well as for any danger. I knew he was going to work right in towards me and I’d almost have him in my lap if I played it cool. He had to cross a small depression to get closer and when he did the camo mask went right up to cover my bearded hillbilly mug and the Remington 870 was soon shouldered and I was ready for rock and roll. He popped his head up once at twenty yards and went back down for another mouthful of dandelion and alfalfa. He looked up one more time. I placed the front site post bead where the neck meets the head knowing that this gun’s shot pattern is slightly high. And bang! The bird dropped behind the two foot high grasses and crops.

As I’ve always done after shooting at anything I rack another 3” turkey load into the chamber in case it’s needed. Not seeing any movement I put the gun on safe and hop up to my feet with excitement. After rushing over to him with the shotgun ready, there he lay. He let out a couple flaps from his wings(probably just a few remaining nerves).

I pick up my phone to inform my friend that decided to stay back where the bird was roosted and I already had a “congrats” text message from him that he sent right after he heard the shot.

Celebratory handshakes and fist bumps as well as laughter took place when I met my new hunting friend just off the dirt road that runs across the farm and back to our vehicles.

The rest is history!

After a difficult season of trying to take one of these large tricky birds with a longbow I am still very pleased with hunting these animals with the shotgun.

Thanks for reading! And happy hunting

~Double Lunger

 

[firehuntfish]

Great bird and pics! Congrats!