So, the birds had been in their usual lull for a few days after gobbling pretty good for a while. Hadn't been able to roost anything and when I did there was nothing talking the next morning, or I would get one to gobble, set up and nothing. Except for late Sunday morning when I left my hide to scout and stretch my legs... and a nice tom came in gobbling like crazy as I was just up the hill. Got back to my spot as he moved off but couldn't get him to come back in, did see him. Thought I missed my chance with only a few more days to hunt before heading to Alaska.
May 9th, my birthday I was up with the plan to set up before first light right where I shot the tom on the opener, was taking practice shots at 4:30am. Had been seeing lone hens there in the morning and had had some gobbles to owl hoots so knew toms had been roosting nearby. Heard a gobble as I was setting up the blind at 5:08, made a barred owl hoot to see exactly where and he wasn't too far to the west, over the ridge and downhill. The gobbling continued and I tried a few tree yelps and clucks from a glass pot, got an answer. Then I waited until they were on the ground, too far to hear any wing flaps but I could tell when their gobbles sounded further off... and soon I realized there were at least 2.
Sounded like they were getting further away so I cranked it up a bit with some aggressive yelps and cutting, they answered and soon the gobbles were much closer, they were coming. Then I heard them on the hill just above me and spotted them on a small flat, the second tom was strutting with a full fan and I heard spitting. I clucked and purred as they were eyeing the decoys and next they slowly worked their way down. They were pretty hesitant at first, holding up at 20 yards, then the lead tom started toward the jake.
He had a thin and crooked beard and might be a little heavier but the second tom, still holding at the tree line, had a nice long beard and I wanted him. The first tom bumped up against the decoy as the second one started over, first tom is pecking at the deke and the jumps on top and knocks it over. That's when the longer beard comes around behind in strut, quartering to me at 6 yards, I was able to raise to bow undetected with all the commotion, drew and held as he turned and I nailed him right where the 3 lines in the feathers meet, great penetration. The tom ran right by the blind like the opening day tom had, but this one circled right behind the blind, back around out front and face planted right there where he had just walked by, it was crazy, 5:47am. The first tom is still there bewildered, goes over to check his buddy, then keeps strutting and spit/drumming for the next 20 minutes, I enjoyed the show.
The aftermath:
Light tom at 17 1/2 pounds, 10" beard and broken spurs: 3/4 & 1/2":
Perfect shot:
Topic: Tagged Out in NY (Read 1315 times)
