Thread: 3-30-09 ooohweeee what a hunt!

Got off work at 16:00 hrs and went to the woods. I parked and started slipping towards the riverbottom. Slippin and soft calling..... At 17:02 I heard one hit it.. Sounded like 150 to 200 yds. I was in a bad spot so I cutt loud and fast and moved 30 yds to a dry spot I could sit down. I figured on staying put for at least an hour ....

17:20 nothing going on...I gave a few soft yelps.

17:35 I gave a few soft yelps

17:40 I'm thinking this isn't going so well...GOBBBBBEEELLL he hit it again. Sounded like the bird moved left 100 yds or so. I cut loud hard and fast...I got a double gobbel that cut me off. I'm thinking it's on!!!

17:50 I hear 2 birds gobble but they have moved farther away. I have to move.... I get up and slip/splash thru the thick nasty swamp towards the birds. After 100 yds or so I see a BIG tree and the swamp finally opens up. I figure If I can make that tree I got a chance.

As I'm setting down to get set up GOBBBBBEL inside 100 yds straight ahead. I cutt hard.. double gobble 2 birds close!! A few min later they are hitting it hard so I'm talking back getting dirty with them. Then I see a big white head and the fan spread out....80 yds and too thick... I started soft talking scratching leaves and they were both fired up / strutting man what a show..but out of range. This went on to a bit after 18:00. Then I lost site of the birds. They gobbeled again a few min later and they had moved 100 yds farther away!!! DUDE>>whats up with that??????

about 18:10 I hear them again...farther away... so I thought to my self.....Stan ya gotta give them something different..... So I tried it. I did the WORST impression of a jake gobbel with just my mouth then I cutt hard and fast with the call..I did it twice. The birds NEVER responded.

After a few min I'm thinking to my self..what a Dumb $$$$ I am!!! Trying some horse doo doo like that.

18:20 hrs I caught some movement off my left shoulder...theres a Tom staring at me at about 50 steps!!! I guess he figured he would circle around that jake and jump him!!. I was caught with the bird HARD left//almost behind me. I had my neck turned about as far as I could...him staring at me...me staring at him. He alarm put one time and started moving slow keeping his head on me as his body went the other way..he went so far that he finally had to let the head catch up with his body. At that moment he went behind a tree, I swung the 835 around and waited for him to come out the other side...about 50 yds.

Well that didn't work out too good as he slipped farther away behind the tree and finally came out the same side again but much farther..it was now or never. Click..off came the safety. I cut loud and he streched out that neck looking BOOM... the 835 sent a 3.5 in mag load of 5 shot his way. Floppin in the water he was!!!!! YEEEEHAA!!! Number 2 was down!!!



About 1 hr and 20 min after I first heard them it finally happened. A few min later as I was talking to my bud on the phone I was pacing off the shot. The bird got up and tried to get away . I put another one in him to finish him off at about 40 steps . The original shot was 62 steps. A bit farther then I thought, But it got the job done!!!

18 lbs
9.5 in beard
1 and 1 1/16 spurs
Another wet swamp bird....gotta love it!

Stan you are the man! Good job on sticking it out with them birds. Seems like they're starting to get right. Heard of alot of birds talkin today around here.

the swamp is the ONLY place to kill a mature bird. Ive never killed one in a field that was over 2 yo. good job man

Nice harvest. Thanks for sharing the story with us Stan.

Dang Nice Thunder Chicken and very good story with it...
You da man to stay out with'em that long..........

LOL..Awesome job Stan!Yeah he was pacing off and said"OH!..nah he's ok.."I said whats up is he trying to run?,he said yeah but he aint going no where,then "Oh S- I gotta go!"..Glad you knocked him back down bro.

Dang good job man! I guess they liked your horse doo doo gobble!

Sounds like you called too much! That happened last year to me on an afternoon bird.
Congrats!!!

Great job of hunting him - congrats!

Stan..that gun is getting on up there in kills! I think I killed 10 gobblers or so with it when I had it. Its a seasoned vet now!