KyHorse
04-14-2005, 11:25 AM
Spent the past 2 days hunting LBL and it was pretty tough. Most of the birds carry Master Degree's and even your 2 year old birds are not typical. Day one I worked numerous birds, but they all proved tough and stayed with hens throughout the day. The weather wasn't the greatest with storms coming and going and some wind. The one bird I had coming was foiled when truck came down a gravel road and parked. Someone got out blowing on a owl call that at best sounded like a dying goose. Bird went quiet. I stayed put for nearly 90 minutes and the bird never slipped in on me. I feel the person entered the woods and likely bumped the tom. I moved locations after some trucks pulled into my area. I found a promising area for Day 2 that is likely to become my #1 spot there going forward. At flyup I heard some birds in the distance and felt good about the morning hunt.
Day 2 brought perfect weather and lots more gobbling. At first light I found myself 125 yards from a booming gobble. About 100 yards down the same ridge another bird sounded off. I immediately sat down and let the woods come alive. Over the next 30 minutes I bet those 2 birds gobble 150-200 times. I started some tree yelps and immediately was met by live hens. There were turkey all over the ridge. The first tom hit the ground and gobbled. Within the next 5 minutes 17 hens flew down. Best I was hoping for was the birds would work my way or I could bring them. The second tom flew to another tree and I could plainly see him. After about 5 more minutes he just jumped to the ground. These 2 birds gobbled hard for the next 2 hours but stayed on the ridge. Behind me off in the distance a 3rd bird had started gobbling. With every yelp and cut he would cut me off. So I turned around and started talking to him. Within 20 minutes I could see the bird enter a clearing about 250 yards out. I watched him strut/gobble to within 70 yards. At that time I fired up my camera and was going to take some pics. I lost sight of him due to the terrain and all of a sudden I see him on a dead run at 20 yards. I snapped a couple not so focused pics and pulled the trigger on him at 8 yards. I'd guess a 2 year old bird, 19lbs. 9 3/4" beard and 7/8" spurs. This bird came from at least 3-400 yards away. His initial gobbles were very faint. I'm sure part of his coming was because the other 2 gobblers tearing it up and all the hens, but it was plain that with my every call he'd cut me off double and triple gobbling. It was a good hunt and I'm thankful at having success on public land that is pretty tough to hunt in my opinion.
Here are a few pics of the bird as it was coming to gun and a harvest photo. Hope you enjoy.
http://www.westernkentuckyoutdoors.com/lbl_1.jpg
http://www.westernkentuckyoutdoors.com/lbl_2.jpg
http://www.westernkentuckyoutdoors.com/lbl05kybird.jpg
For those hunting this weekend, this is what I found. Most all of the gobblers I was on were on high ridges, roosted 3/4 of the way up. They gobbled good on roost the 1st day, but not great after fly down. Or should I say jump down. The watched several birds just jump off the limb onto the ridge tops. Anyway, at LBL I always want to get above the birds or on the same level. This has been my experience 100% of the time on successful hunts down there. Most of the birds stayed in the hardwoods and followed hens all day long. With the traffic down there, finding birds in a field is going to be like winning the lottery unless you have a well off the path opening as I found.
Day 2 brought perfect weather and lots more gobbling. At first light I found myself 125 yards from a booming gobble. About 100 yards down the same ridge another bird sounded off. I immediately sat down and let the woods come alive. Over the next 30 minutes I bet those 2 birds gobble 150-200 times. I started some tree yelps and immediately was met by live hens. There were turkey all over the ridge. The first tom hit the ground and gobbled. Within the next 5 minutes 17 hens flew down. Best I was hoping for was the birds would work my way or I could bring them. The second tom flew to another tree and I could plainly see him. After about 5 more minutes he just jumped to the ground. These 2 birds gobbled hard for the next 2 hours but stayed on the ridge. Behind me off in the distance a 3rd bird had started gobbling. With every yelp and cut he would cut me off. So I turned around and started talking to him. Within 20 minutes I could see the bird enter a clearing about 250 yards out. I watched him strut/gobble to within 70 yards. At that time I fired up my camera and was going to take some pics. I lost sight of him due to the terrain and all of a sudden I see him on a dead run at 20 yards. I snapped a couple not so focused pics and pulled the trigger on him at 8 yards. I'd guess a 2 year old bird, 19lbs. 9 3/4" beard and 7/8" spurs. This bird came from at least 3-400 yards away. His initial gobbles were very faint. I'm sure part of his coming was because the other 2 gobblers tearing it up and all the hens, but it was plain that with my every call he'd cut me off double and triple gobbling. It was a good hunt and I'm thankful at having success on public land that is pretty tough to hunt in my opinion.
Here are a few pics of the bird as it was coming to gun and a harvest photo. Hope you enjoy.
http://www.westernkentuckyoutdoors.com/lbl_1.jpg
http://www.westernkentuckyoutdoors.com/lbl_2.jpg
http://www.westernkentuckyoutdoors.com/lbl05kybird.jpg
For those hunting this weekend, this is what I found. Most all of the gobblers I was on were on high ridges, roosted 3/4 of the way up. They gobbled good on roost the 1st day, but not great after fly down. Or should I say jump down. The watched several birds just jump off the limb onto the ridge tops. Anyway, at LBL I always want to get above the birds or on the same level. This has been my experience 100% of the time on successful hunts down there. Most of the birds stayed in the hardwoods and followed hens all day long. With the traffic down there, finding birds in a field is going to be like winning the lottery unless you have a well off the path opening as I found.