Guys, I gotta make this short....
I'm afraid there is no time for writing long tales of the hunt for now. Life has me running ragged!!
So here goes....
I've been watching this spot very closely for a month now. I knew when the time was right, and the birds roosted where we needed them too...there was no doubt it was going to be good! Little did I know how good!!!!
Cade had tests in school, so I was on my own, I was set up in the pitch black. I had to be because I would be out in the open, so I needed to cover of darkness to get set up.
Birds started hammerin' at 5:05!!! Sounded like there were at least three within a couple hundred yards. None sounded closer than 75yds or so, so I couldn't tell if they could see the decoys from the trees.
Before I knew it, without notice, two hens land 10yds from me! At first I'm afraid to move to turn the camera on, but seconds later a gobbler lights about 60yds out in front of me....now I have to take a chance and get the camera going!
That done, I slowly reach for "Cy" as he closes...I never even let him reach "Floyd", my strutting jake decoy....
I draw and shoot as he stuts at 8yds or so...my arrow blows right thru him and he flaps up in the air, comes down and stumbles off to about 20yds and collapses!!!
But, his head isn't going down.....and about 15seconds later he's back up stumbling, trying to walk off...next thing I know he gets some air under his wings and he flies low to the wood edge and goes down again!
Now I'm figuring he's done! So I just sit and wait but I look out and here comes one of the big boys! A bird I named "Notch", because I a short middle tail feather...I prepared for the show!!!
The video is phenomenal....he rubs "Floyd", bumped him, climbed on top of him. Got off, stpped on the hen, then back to Floyd...I was enjoying this all at about 8yds outside my blind! All while the camera is rolling!!
As he's "dominating" "Floyd", here comes another big boy..."Whitestripe"!
When he gets a couple yds. from Notch, Notch takes a poke at him and wipes both decoys off their stakes!!
Maybe I'll get the chance to finish up later, but for now let me post some pix in case I don't get the chance to finish....
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The awesome slate TG'er Bob Palmer made for me did it again....
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The guilty parties...
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I finally had my bird after witnessing one of natures greatest shows...
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more coming.....
Topic: Yesterday Was Opening Day in NY....some of the story and pix pg. 2!! (Read 2001 times)
