Last SATURDAY morning was one of those morning, well you have to be a gobbler hunter to really know what I'm talkinmg about. It started the week before. 4 LONG BEARDS 3 TO 7 JAKES AND 2 HENS started useing the clover field behind the barn.
One evening I was watching them in a spoting scope from my shop. Up at the far corner 500 yards was a SMOKEY GOBBLER STRUTING. I'D NEVER SAW HIM BEFORE. WE HAD A SMOKEY HEN FOR 3 YEARS UNTILL THIS YEAR SHE'S GONE.
I hate pop-ups but I've been helping out a recurve freind (3 miss's he got caught moving 4 other times).
So I set up a pop-up about mid way across a electic fence on thicket side. I tied 2 dirt bags to the fence so I could shoot over it. Really for me and that smokey gobbler.
SATURDAY morning first hunt. I could here 3 gobblers on the roost 100 yards behind me. Not long after fly down a gobbler had made it to the corner 200 yards. At first I though the othere 2 were lesser birds and was along. I was just getting ready to sneak out and take a look down in the corner.
When a gobbler gobbled 50 yards behind me. I yelped with my voice away from him. He gobbled straight back. A few min's. I could here him druming, then walking. I looked out my little slit he was 2 or 3 feet away on a deer trail.
Here's where it's kinda gets fliped out. I had the fence tie'd down with bags of soil. Well as far as I can tell when he got to the fence to go under. He got shocked he spun straight up landing 15 feet to my left front. He was right on the left side of my shooting window.
Man he stared me down hard I though he was about to attect the blind. Well to find out he was looking a another gobbler behind me. I could here him walking beside me. I looked out my little slit was that smokey gobbler. 3 feet at the most.
It was like my first gobbler with a selfbow all over. I had to make myself clam down. When the fighting started and the birds were fighting in the brush. I was breathing so hard I can't remember breathing that hard before. Matter offact if I'd went out after them Isure I could have gotten a arrow off.
My granddady had a smokey gobbler he killed in 81 in NF in VA. Only ONE SPURR ,LEFT SIDE WAS 1 3/8's. 4 year old 10 # beard.
Like I said the shocked gobbler out in the field came instantly. The 2 birds fought 50 ,60 yards over a hill. I was stunded. If I don't draw my bow the rest of the season I don't care. About 11:30 the very first gobbler had came up the electic fence to my yelps.
When around me 35 yards out in the field. He did'nt like my decoy at all. Diffently a older gobbler.
It was 11:30 It was hot in that blind. I HATE POP-UPS.
