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05-03-2005, 02:15 PM
Been hunting the past 3 days nearly all day and nothing. Saw 1 hen one day and think I heard a couple gobbles. Had some action early on and then nothing since. Well, today was my last chance and the alarm went off and I could barely roll over. Shoulder has a slight problem and it was sure acting up this morning. Anyway, I shut off the alarm and rolled back over. Along about 7, my cell phone rings and it is a couple guys I work with headed home after killing a bird this morning. It was his first and he was excited. They brought it over and I fileted the breast out and prepared the fan for a mount for them. The one guy doing the calling has taken a bird before and this was the shooters first ever turkey hunt. Worked out well for them. Hearing them tell their story got me wound up again and I headed for the farm soon as they left. Had about 4 hours before I had to get the kids. I get to the farm and decide to go in on the low side instead of the ridge as I usually do. Get to the back side and think I hear a gobble. I continue on and then hear him again. I ease over a little rise and get set up and hit him with a light call or two and he cut me off. I'm gettin excited now and he is out of sight but has to be within 30 yards just over the bench. He gobbles on his own and is moving up the ridge and I hear hens with him. I move up a little and call again. He gobbles and so it goes for about 30 minutes. He doesn't seem to be moving so I wait til he gobbles at a crow and he is still in the same spot. I roll over the bench and take off at a run on the back side of the ridge he is on. I make it about 150 yards and stop to get some wind. He gobbles and now sounds about 30 yards away on the other side of a strip of cedars. I set up and call softly, and he cuts me off. I go quiet and he waits about 5 minutes and gobbles again. This time I cut him off and cut hard on the call then go quiet again. He gobbles hard 2 or 3 times and I stay quiet. Next thing I see is him sneaking through the cedars. I let him get to about 25 yards, see he's legal and take him. Turns out to be a big jake with a 6 inch beard. Weighed a little over 20 lbs and had some nice filets on him. Not sure if he was the one doing all the gobbling as the gobbles had that roll on the end and most jakes don't usually do that. Anyway, I am tickled to get one this year as it hasn't been a great year in this area and my family enjoys the meat as do I. This was a last chance bird and he's gonna taste great. If it hadn't been for my buddies first kill and their story, I never would have went. You just never know.
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