From The Blind

bit late, but very sad. Had a 12 year old girl out Sunday for a morning set. I had us placed perfectly and she got the surprise of a lifetime (for 12 years old). at 5:05 the valley was just echoing from all the roost activity. We had 4 toms I watched go up to roost the night before, plus another 4 or 5 in the near distance on another hill side. We heard them drop out of roost and the feathers slapping the branches on their way down. As soon as I heard them hitting the ground, I sent a couple loud cuts & yelps from the slate. Man, they just went nuts and you could hear them running toward us.
Two coyotes had the crappiest timing to make their way down our hillside. With 40 yards left to getting a shot, four toms made their way to about 3/4 mile away from us. It was sickening to look at her face and see her expression when she realized what had just happened. Dang, I still feel for her. Hard way to have a good hunt go wrong

Sorry to hear about her experience! That had to be devastating for her! I missed one this morning. It really is frustrating and I am mad at myself! They are hard to shoot at-they are a moving target! You have to be fast. I guess it was a hard lesson learned. They are very smart too!

Last chance, hope a big softball headed Tom decides to do his morning stretch front of me…..but I’d even shoot a Jake today.

Good luck – thunderstorms are rolling through here right now

Good luck Bob

Pretty slow so far. Only 2 gobbles from the bird I roosted last night. One hen flew down in front of me and walked straight up towards the tom. I may have to hang up the gun and go catch fish!

One gobble, one coyote, & 33 wood ticks so far. Dang ticks everywhere!

Birds are pretty fired up this morning! First gobble was at 515and I set up in the wrong blind.

Watched 3 toms and a hen fly down. One tom had a significant limp and hasn’t gobbled once. I have Pretty Girl out but they are showing no interest …

The hen ended up walking by at 51 but the toms didn’t follow and are milling around in a cattle pasture. One sees the decoy and is gobbling every 45 seconds or so

Patience. They’ll come in. Good luck.

Been an interesting 2 mornings for me. Yesterday all the birds I put up in roost did a 180 on me and did the opposite beside the 3 jakes that decided to come in and attack my jake decoy and snap the stake. Last night had 3 nice toms enter a pasture and roose with NO hens around I could see and pull in at 4:15 this morning to find a pick up in the same field drive……had a plan B and hauled [censored] for it and after setting up realized I needed to move ASAP as the birds were not where I planned. Made it to a “strutting lane” and it was packed with birds. The issue, they wanted nothing to do with calls and I couldnt set a decoy up due to birds on the ground. I finally broke a tom off and after well over an hour of working him he hung up 50-55yds. out and I gave him the beans. Flopped all over I got up as he was beginning to run and rolled him again. I think in the [censored]/wing second shot and he continued into the brush.

Came to the office now and my buddy is still out combing a few areas over but not looking to hot! That’s hunting I guess but man did that bird put on a show! Just didn’t put the ending to the story I guess

Recap from this morning for me:

I set up about 175 yards from the roost this morning. I watched 3 toms and a hen fly down into the cattle pasture like they always do. I had a hen decoy set up, and i didn’t call once prior to fly down. The toms saw the decoy, and didn’t pay much attention to her….
One of the toms was gobbling at everything, but decided to stay with the single hen. I did a few soft yelps and purrs to try and pull any of the toms away. But that didn’t happen
The gobbling tom broke away from the others, but he gobbled his way back up through the pines where he roosted. After about 45 minutes, he went back to the group-giving Pretty Girl a few looks on the way back.
Later, him and another tom left the hen they were with and headed back through the roosting spot. 30 minutes later, the tom quietly walked parallel to me about 75 yards and back behind me.
I thought he was strutting for me, but there were 2 hens that came up behind me and walked within 55 yards of me. He decided not to follow behind them, but parallel once again to me.
During this time, a jake came up behind me and walked within 4 yards of me, but i decided not to shoot.
I moved the blind to where the group was walking and feeding. But the next time im not bringing a decoy

After setting up to close on the Tom I wanted and making him spook I high tailed it to the truck to look for birds I have been seeing after my morning sit strutting. I had to make a LONG walk in but got set up.

Long story short made a calling sequence and sat back. 10 minutes later a group of jakes come hauling [censored] out silent as can be. behind them was a tom that would not leave the corner. I had seen this bird the previous 2 days and knew he was a stubborn [censored]! I was planning to hunt until noon today and on Saturday until 10 is all I had for time. Well the 17 jakes I had passed up the last 2 days were lucky but my tired and grumpy [censored] had enough of 3AM alarms and I laid the beans to one at 10 yds after the tom turned and . Not a monster by any means weighing in at 17.9 lbs but man did this year test me to my limits with silent/henned up birds. First year I have hunted farm country birds rather then forestville area and i learned a lot. Complete new ball game here!

Watched a hen fly down at 537 am. No decoy today as of what happened yesterday. Passed a no bearded Jake at 10 yards at 6 am. He met up with another Jake 5 min. Later

After 2 days of hunting with no sight or sound of a bird, my luck finally changed yesterday, or did it? At 6:55am, while set up along my favorite field, out came a short bearded creature. I immediately assumed it to be a jake but I was excited non the less, it was something. As it stepped out into my full view, I did a double take. It was a bearded hen! I couldn’t believe it. I had heard of this but kinda thought my buddies were pulling my leg. Sure enough she/he, it walked right into my decoys and started clucking. I thought this was great in that I now have a live decoy to attract a Tom. After a half dozen clucks, she wandered off eating her way in the field. About 50 minutes later, she came right back and entered the woods right where she initially came from. Was she sitting on a nest back in the woods and left it just long enough to eat and return? That got me thinking, if that was the case, that meant some Tom really dropped his standards in quest for some action! That’s kinda like some guy going to the bar and selecting the chick with a partial mustach cause his options were limited and he was feeling frisky? I told a buddy about this strange bird and he asked why I didn’t shoot it? I had no intention of shooting it as I was rather dumbfounded. I’m sitting with my bow in same spot this am, hoping to get another glimpse of this strange bird. Hopefully she brings a companion with today!

It was a cool morning today. I had i believe, the same gobbler from the last 3 sits gobble up a storm. But, he wasn’t roosted in the pines like he usually does. Had a hen fly down at 5:45 all by herself and work her way away from me.
The gobbler ended up becoming curious enough to check out my calling, but lost interest after his gobbling didn’t bring a “hen” in
I think this might be the dominant bird in the area and tomorrow morning, im going to bring out Pretty Boy and see if that changes my luck!! This is the 3rd time ive seen this bird, so hopefully tomorrow morning ill be writing a report

Quiet this morning. Had that same tom roost on a different part of the property, but he was gobbling away

Roosted that same tom last night in his usual spot! He is on the ground now with a hen gobbling away! I haven’t called yet and don’t plan on it because he is unresponsive. I’m waiting for him to follow his routine, but he’s running late …

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Roosted that same tom last night in his usual spot! He is on the ground now with a hen gobbling away! I haven’t called yet and don’t plan on it because he is unresponsive. I’m waiting for him to follow his routine, but he’s running late …

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Stay on him PTB!

Good luck!

He got to about 75 yards and I was ready for him to cross the cattle fence. I couldn’t see him nor could he see me. He ended up circling around me and walked 3 yards in front of where my old blind was!!! This is so frustrating!

Set up this morning in a the same spot I shot my bird last year. Hard to hear if there has been any gobbling because its so windy!

Set up this morning on a horse farm with over grown hay and alfalfa fields. I have seen two solo hens and a pair of hens already with no toms…

8:36 am, just got back to cabin with Kooty, doubled up in mn at 6:10!

Congrats!!! you guys are very efficient! I, on the other hand, am still sitting in blind….pouring rain. Nicely done.