"Trainwreck"........and a bully hen..update-oh yeah!!!

[Guru]

Went out this morning and watched the birds before work.Didn't hear any close gobbles from any of the roost areas where the toms usually roost.A little after daybreak I watched a hen sail out into the vineyard.Watched her for a while,was getting ready to head north to check out that part of the orchard.Then I hear a gobble coming from the direction of the nearest houses and road.I look and see a  gobbler up behind the house heading down towards the hen in the vineyard.Sure enough,here comes Trainwreck!! No mistaking him when he struts!! I've never seen a bird come from that direction.Don't even know where he could have roosted,across the road I guess.But here he comes to join the hen.Then as he gets close to the vineyard I see another hen come to join the other.It's the bully hen.They all kinda get together in the spot in the vineyard where they do most of the time.Then it's time for me to leave.

Oh yeah,I forgot to mention that at 5:37 I heard a single shot from the direction Trainwreck came from.Hopefully not Splittail or Prettyboy  :confused:

[Guru]

Thanks Troy    

 Went to the north side of the orchard this morning/Lots of gobbling,3 birds at least.Would have been a perfect time for a spot I have picked for when the birds are over there.
Then headed south to the vineyard to see what was going on over there.I had faintly heard some gobbling from where I was.Snuck up to my observation spot just in time to see Trainwreck doing a "solo act" for 2 hens.Then I just backed out and went to work.

Might take a couple hours Fri morning.If not I'll be out Sat and Sun. Man I can't wait to get back in the woods!!!  

Also out shooting b heads today.It's Time!!!!

[the Ferret]

They are about done here Curt. Just 1 gobbling today at noon, and he is definitly not coming to the calls.

[Wapiti Chaser]

Curt, Keep the faith. It only gets better ! I can remember birds I have hunted for weeks with no shot better than some I have killed.The longer the chess game runs the better your odds ! I worked a jake on Sunday thought he was an adult. He had all the moves and I moved on him three times before he came in. I love this time of year !!!!!!!!!!

[Guru]

I hear ya Bob,I'm having a great time!!!

  Watched Splittail and Prettyboy this morning in a spot I killed my first longbeard w/a bow a few yrs back.They flew right to the same spot the birds did that yr. Roosted them tonight in the same spot,I'll be ready for them in the morning.Also saw another "hunter" parked 100yds from where the birds were roosted.No wonder he didn't hear anything   !! Made it clear to him that I'd been hunting that spot for yrs and I WILL BE HERE IN THE MORNING!!!!!!!

Wish me luck  

[Luke Vander Vennen]

go get em Curt

[Guru]

Yesterday I killed Prettyboy(check out-"Prettyboy is no more").

Bringing this one TTT so some of you can read about the "history" I had with these birds before I killed him.

Had a hell of a hunt this morning too.I'll be back with that one later.

[Guru]

This morning headed back to the vineyard.Didn't roost last night,but was pretty sure Trainwreck would be there.First gobble at 4:57,I smile,game on!!!
 I set the blind right next to the truck,just like opening day.More gobbling,then 2 birds gobbling...cool!

Getting lighter,hear some hen talk.within minutes,next thing I hear is wing beats,CLOSE!! Hen lands less than 10yds from me and heads for my solo hen decoy.Oh no,not again! Before she gets to the decoy anther hen soars by within feet of the blind and lands right behind me.She turns around and they tag team my poor decoy.Knocked it flat,and pecked it a few times.Then just settled down and stayed right with me.Awesome,the boys will just come following them,this might work.
Gobblers are on the ground now,first to come into view...Splittail!! With binos I comfirm it's him.Yeah, I missed that bird 2 miles north of the vineyard yesterday.But there he was,gobbling hard and getting closer!!
Then on the other side of the creek is Trainwreck,and he's coming too!!

Well they had other travel plans.Splittail,heads for the middle of the vineyard and the hens go up to join him.But Trainwreck is still coming,but cuts accross the creek and into the vineyard about 30yds away....Dangit!!!  I thought for sure it would be a point blank shot.Not to be.

Birds stay in the vineyard,I call very little.From all my obsevation of these birds I know they will work around the vineyard and maybe come back close.

Within and hour I have hens at spitting distance again,and here come the boys......

[Big Ed]

Man you gotta quit doing this.LOL

[Guru]

Sorry Ed    

... so now I figure one of these boys has gotta come close this time.I have my bow in my hand and I'm ready.....

Wouln't ya know it,both Splittail and Trainwreck cross the creek about 30yds in fron of me ,out of sight.Come back in sight at about 25yds.I start to tighten the string...a little closer...But just not close enough!!!! go into the rasberry bushes and disappear.Within a few minutes,Splittail comes out.Again at about 20 plus,again tighten the string,ready to draw.but it just wasn't right.He goes into the vineyard,and just keeps walking across into the orchard and disappears.Where all the other birds went,I have no idea.I sneak out,to cook some pancakes for my wife and son.

 So close man!!!    Tomorrow!!!!!!!!

[swampbuck]

Congrads Curt!!I just got in from a quite morning,heard a couple gobbles early on then nothin..I suppose I should still be out there but I,ve got stuff to do around the house.Good luck on your next bird

[Littlefeather]

  Ain't it great Buddy? t
All he misses and close calls just make the whole thing all the more special. Keep at em Boy! CK

[Guru]

Tom, Thanks

CK, Lovin' every minute of it!!!

 Slow morning on the roost,didn't hear anything close,but about an hour after fly down,saw a hen in another part of the vineyard.I was set up in the same spot as yesterday.Figured my patience would be rewarded.Soon she was joined by more hens and  then Trainwreck!!!! Where they roosted I have no idea.Never heard a gobble from that direction.Then as I watch them,another tom starts gobbling to the north in the orchard.Start doing some calling,bird in the orchard is gobbling hard and often.Thought foe sure he would come.but eventually I heard his gobbles fading.Trainwreck was just following the hens heading north to the orchard.With nothing to lose,I just settle back and wait to see what develops.
Hadn't heard anything for at least 40 minutes.Just sitting daydreaming.I can remember just thinking to myself,"this stinks".All of a sudden here comes the bully hen running at my hen deke!! Oh no,not again!! Sure enough,while I'm getting turned around in the blind,she starts pecking.Then I hear a gobble from the orchard...OH YEA!!!!! Game on!! Well she slams the deke flat,and just wanders off.I look with my leicas and see a hen coming over the stonewall with Trainwreck in tow.I thought for sure,this was it.But,it was not his day to die.He came about 40yds,following the hen and turned to go up the hill.I called to him as sweet as I could,he gobbled at everything,strutted,but just kept going.His gobbles faded,I waited a while then closed up shop.But cleared a little spot closer to where the hub of all the travel is.Only about 15yds from where I was,but should be better.We'll find out next time I get to hunt.

[Guru]

Went to watch the birds yesterday morn. Kicked the hens out of the trees,they were roosted in a tiny patch of woods by where I usually park my truck.First time i've actually seen them roosted there,but i think that's where they might have been roosted Sunday.But that didn't bother the bird that was gobbling up on the hill,he was bagin' away.Hit the ground,and was still gobbling real hard.Came to the vineyard looking for his hens.It was Splittail and he sure wanted company!!! He started right to where the hens had been roosted,that was my cue to leave,as he was headed right for me.Might have been a perfect day to kill him,he was alone a looking.And the hens weren't around to beat up my decoy!!!
Here's a couple pics of the vineyard

 

 

[Huntrdfk]

Great looking country Curt.


David