By the third morning, about half our group had scored a bird. Nick started to focus in a bit more on me and Whip. Since Nick was starting to get a feel for how I was hunting and what I was looking for, he made some suggestions and we hatched a plan.
He knows all the roost locations and mentioned a good spot that would likely provide good cover for me with a close shot. There were two draws these birds might travel from this roost location but he felt good that they would probably use the one I would be in.
About 8am, he drives up and hops out of his rancher...."Dang, Julian! That stinks!". No birds used my funnel and Nick had been watching through the spotters. They were all out on the prairie by now.
With Nick wanting to keep me in the game, we saddled up and headed out to locate some birds. Now, we were totally out of his element and totally in mine. We knew he could have put me in a blind and I'd have had a shot within an hour but spent the next 2 running and gunning and had a ball!
After a few attempts to work birds, but with no close calls, we spotted a strutter not too far from the road that looked to be headed towards a hill top. There was a lone cedar just the other side of the hill and Nick said I should try to head him off. Like I mentioned earlier, you don't just "tuck into" these cedars and I was thinking this is practically impossible but I may as well try.
We rode ahead and I jumped out of the rancher. I scurried up to the cedar and Nick drove down the road to a glassing spot. I got set up and actually felt good about being covered up enough to potentiall get a decent shot opportunity. Two hens that I hadn't seen earlier actually crested the hill first and mosied right by me at about ten yards. They didn't make me so now I'm feeling good about this. Finally, a hen and the big gobbler crest the hill headed right for me. About 40 yards out, the hen does a 90 degree turn and drops down a bank and out of sight. The gobbler starts to follow and I hit him with a yelp on the diaphram. He breaks into strutt and starts moving towards me. He took about 5 minutes to cover the next ten yards, looking hard for the hen he just heard. I'm on one knee with bow up and string tight. Starting to shake and wondering how long I can hold it. He inches closer and gobbles. I've got to tell you, this is about as pretty a sight as I've ever seen and the air is electric at this point. He's almost to my shot window but finally loses confidence in the ghost hen and drops down the bank after the real deal. What a rush. My hunt is made.
Topic: Road trip Trad Turkey Hunt NE. we're back pg 4 (Read 1358 times)
