- Feb 2, 2017
- 5,525
- 10,134
Gobbler activity has been hard to locate on the property I hunt, but the weekend of 4/11 I finally heard a bird gobble. The gobbler and hen sat in the tree until 10 am, I spooked them out when I had to leave to meet my wife and mother for our monthly lunch. A quick scout of a couple of fields and I found a bird with a couple hens, so I set out to hunt that bird this last weekend (4/18).
Got in my pop up blind Sunday about 630 and all was quiet. Good daylight comes and I see a hen walking a fence line to feeding along the edge of the field I am watching. This hen fed around until 9:30 or so then disappeared. About 10 am a bird gobbles, first gobble of the day and one of very few I have heard this year. I guess the echo threw me off, because I thought the bird was north of me, but after 5 - 10 minutes I see a bird standing at the fence line to to the east. A check with the binoculars confirmed a red head. So, I struck a few licks on my copper pot call. Looking through the binos, I felt like the bird at least looked at me. Then the bird moved back to the south into some trees and out of sight. I called a couple more times and the bird gobbled. I thought ok, he is going to try to come through trees and check me out. So I waited for a while. After 15 minutes the bird gobbled again and I could see his head sticking up over the weeds among the trees about 150 yards away. So I made a couple more calls. After another 15 minutes or so, I see a bird coming out of the weeds into the field, I am like alright, this is gonna be good! But it is a hen, not the gobbler.
Well the hen comes on out and is about 75 to 80 yards away. A few minutes later the gobbler struts into the field following the hen. At this point all I could do was hope the hen would lead big boy my way. Alas it did not work out for me, the hen and gobbler teased me for an hour before they decided it was time to make some eggs.
First time I have ever witnessed a gobbler and hen "seal the deal". When they finished, the hen left with the gobbler in tow begging for more.
One more weekend to see if I can connect on a bird or two.
Got in my pop up blind Sunday about 630 and all was quiet. Good daylight comes and I see a hen walking a fence line to feeding along the edge of the field I am watching. This hen fed around until 9:30 or so then disappeared. About 10 am a bird gobbles, first gobble of the day and one of very few I have heard this year. I guess the echo threw me off, because I thought the bird was north of me, but after 5 - 10 minutes I see a bird standing at the fence line to to the east. A check with the binoculars confirmed a red head. So, I struck a few licks on my copper pot call. Looking through the binos, I felt like the bird at least looked at me. Then the bird moved back to the south into some trees and out of sight. I called a couple more times and the bird gobbled. I thought ok, he is going to try to come through trees and check me out. So I waited for a while. After 15 minutes the bird gobbled again and I could see his head sticking up over the weeds among the trees about 150 yards away. So I made a couple more calls. After another 15 minutes or so, I see a bird coming out of the weeds into the field, I am like alright, this is gonna be good! But it is a hen, not the gobbler.
Well the hen comes on out and is about 75 to 80 yards away. A few minutes later the gobbler struts into the field following the hen. At this point all I could do was hope the hen would lead big boy my way. Alas it did not work out for me, the hen and gobbler teased me for an hour before they decided it was time to make some eggs.
First time I have ever witnessed a gobbler and hen "seal the deal". When they finished, the hen left with the gobbler in tow begging for more.
One more weekend to see if I can connect on a bird or two.
4:
