Hey everyone, sorry for the late post. Work and a high school friend passing when I got back was crazy. Praying for her 2 kids she left behind.
Ok, to the hunt, we got there nice and early. We were assigned camp hope and I got great Intel from great people on this forum. Looked at the path that was given and figured, what the heck, they saw some birds there why not give it a shot. We set up between 2 paths that were drawn up on a previous post. It was dark and we navigated with a red light. Found a spot looking down and now here is where things get interesting.
I had a rookie that had 2 hours of sleep and was restless with me as a hunting partner. I knew he wasn't going to be able to stay still so against all advice, I'm the idiot, we set up in a 2 person blind. Well, he knocks out on the floor laying there and moving and twitching. I set up a decoy 15 yards from the west of the blind. It was actually a nice setup when the sun came up.
I was told to call lightly or almost not at all. I hear a distant gobble toward the hills and my partner thinks I'm crazy. I lightly do a couple hen calls and stay quiet. A couple hours later I hear a gobble still in the distant. I start to doubt myself if it was really a call but I know the sound. Light purrs from there on out. At about 11am I peak outside the blind. It couldn't be... It was something moving. Thinking it was a squirrel, I watch it. About 130 yards out on top of the ridge it was a Tom!!
A slight purr and he gobbles. He spreads his feathers and gives me a show. I wake my useless partner up(I'd say it to his face lol) and he doesn't see it. Then he hears it, looks again and yep, it was a bird.
Then, wind starts to pick up and my cheap primo decoy starts to move. I thought that was great but the blind started to shake also.
Well, the bird follows the cliff watching the decoy, not, he was watching the blind sway in the wind(yes, I'm an idiot). He circles down toward the marsh and goes on the other side of the water. He walks up that field and then gobbles at the decoy/blind. I know he was laughing at us as we deserved it. He come back down the marsh and goes the opposite way.
We quickly get out of the blind, we were too far no matter what. The Tom did not like what he saw at all. So we then go to the path he walked and set up in the brush. Well a few more hours of waiting and friend takes a few more naps and not realizing a snake just slithered across from underneath him(SCARY) we pack up and call it a day.
I can't thank those who gave great info enough. We had the best chance I feel. I failed that day and it's pretty embarrassing but any down out hunting is better than working.
Had to post this on the go but I want to follow up and point out exactly where we saw it. It was right off the ridge of the playground by the tree by the large bolder.
If anyone hunts there good luck!
We saw no flocks but we did see a lone hen at the picnic area.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ok, to the hunt, we got there nice and early. We were assigned camp hope and I got great Intel from great people on this forum. Looked at the path that was given and figured, what the heck, they saw some birds there why not give it a shot. We set up between 2 paths that were drawn up on a previous post. It was dark and we navigated with a red light. Found a spot looking down and now here is where things get interesting.
I had a rookie that had 2 hours of sleep and was restless with me as a hunting partner. I knew he wasn't going to be able to stay still so against all advice, I'm the idiot, we set up in a 2 person blind. Well, he knocks out on the floor laying there and moving and twitching. I set up a decoy 15 yards from the west of the blind. It was actually a nice setup when the sun came up.
I was told to call lightly or almost not at all. I hear a distant gobble toward the hills and my partner thinks I'm crazy. I lightly do a couple hen calls and stay quiet. A couple hours later I hear a gobble still in the distant. I start to doubt myself if it was really a call but I know the sound. Light purrs from there on out. At about 11am I peak outside the blind. It couldn't be... It was something moving. Thinking it was a squirrel, I watch it. About 130 yards out on top of the ridge it was a Tom!!
A slight purr and he gobbles. He spreads his feathers and gives me a show. I wake my useless partner up(I'd say it to his face lol) and he doesn't see it. Then he hears it, looks again and yep, it was a bird.
Then, wind starts to pick up and my cheap primo decoy starts to move. I thought that was great but the blind started to shake also.
Well, the bird follows the cliff watching the decoy, not, he was watching the blind sway in the wind(yes, I'm an idiot). He circles down toward the marsh and goes on the other side of the water. He walks up that field and then gobbles at the decoy/blind. I know he was laughing at us as we deserved it. He come back down the marsh and goes the opposite way.
We quickly get out of the blind, we were too far no matter what. The Tom did not like what he saw at all. So we then go to the path he walked and set up in the brush. Well a few more hours of waiting and friend takes a few more naps and not realizing a snake just slithered across from underneath him(SCARY) we pack up and call it a day.
I can't thank those who gave great info enough. We had the best chance I feel. I failed that day and it's pretty embarrassing but any down out hunting is better than working.
Had to post this on the go but I want to follow up and point out exactly where we saw it. It was right off the ridge of the playground by the tree by the large bolder.
If anyone hunts there good luck!
We saw no flocks but we did see a lone hen at the picnic area.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
