GilaMonster
New member
I have a lot to be thankful this morning. Had a great hunt (short, but great). The season started here in New Mexico three days ago, but couldn't get out and try to call in a gobbler 'till this morning.
I parked the truck and started walking down the ridge. It was just about time for the turkeys to give themselves away from the roost so I fumbled through my pockets searching for my crow call to try to locate one. Before I could get it out, a gobbler gobbled back toward the truck and down in the bottom of the huge canyon to my left. It was a long ways down to where he gobbled and I decided to try the crow call anyway and see if one was closer. I blew on it and the only answer I got was way off in the distance from the same gobbler that I heard before. I figured he was the only game in town, so I turned around and walked back towards the truck. The gobbler continued to gobble in the bottom of the canyon the entire time. When I got close to the pickup, I turned and started down a smaller ridge that went down to the bottom off of the main ridge from where I parked the truck. This canyon is huge and there was no way I could get to the bottom if I wanted to. The ridges bluff off into rimrock well before reaching the halfway point from the top of the main ridge to the bottom of the big canyon. I got close to the bluff and sat down. The gobbler was still gobbling way down below me. This was as good as it was going to get.
I put the diaphram call in my mouth and gave some soft yelps. That gobbler exploded along with another one just a short distance down the canyon from the first one. Then just a few seconds later both of them gobbled again so I answered them with a much more serious set of yelps. Man, they exploded again. I waited a couple of minutes and yelped again. One answered and I thought he sounded closer, so I figured he had left the roost. I waited a minute or two and yelped again. this time no answer. I was hoping that was good news because from my previous experience, they normally don't gobble much if they gobble at all when climbing a steep hill. I waited a minute or two longer and gave out some soft yelps and one of the gobbler answered much close to me. He was comming in!
I waited again and gave a couple of soft yelps and he exploded really close, but with my poor hearing, the gobble sounded like it was behind me. It must have been an echo or something, but at that second, that is what it sounded like. I slowly turned my head and looked behind me. Nothing! I then turned slightly to my right so I could swing the shotgun back in that direction if I need to. (I'm a lefty)
I then gave just a few soft yelps and ...there he was! Right where I had expected him to be to start with. He was in full strut. I couldn't raise my shotgun, so I just waited for the opportunity. He came out of strut quickly and continued up the ridge slowly, giving a couple of putts. He walked behind a large downfall tree and I raised my shotgun. As soon as he came out the other side of the tree, the hunt was over! I got him!
This gobbler must have flown from his roost strait up to me, because it took a lot longer to explain all this than it took to call him in. He was a big gobbler, but unfortunately, I was shaking and blew all but about the last inch off his beard when I shot him. He had a really nice beard before the shot though. Hahahahaha
Oh well, no big deal. It was a great morning and I got him!
Here's a couple of pics.
I parked the truck and started walking down the ridge. It was just about time for the turkeys to give themselves away from the roost so I fumbled through my pockets searching for my crow call to try to locate one. Before I could get it out, a gobbler gobbled back toward the truck and down in the bottom of the huge canyon to my left. It was a long ways down to where he gobbled and I decided to try the crow call anyway and see if one was closer. I blew on it and the only answer I got was way off in the distance from the same gobbler that I heard before. I figured he was the only game in town, so I turned around and walked back towards the truck. The gobbler continued to gobble in the bottom of the canyon the entire time. When I got close to the pickup, I turned and started down a smaller ridge that went down to the bottom off of the main ridge from where I parked the truck. This canyon is huge and there was no way I could get to the bottom if I wanted to. The ridges bluff off into rimrock well before reaching the halfway point from the top of the main ridge to the bottom of the big canyon. I got close to the bluff and sat down. The gobbler was still gobbling way down below me. This was as good as it was going to get.
I put the diaphram call in my mouth and gave some soft yelps. That gobbler exploded along with another one just a short distance down the canyon from the first one. Then just a few seconds later both of them gobbled again so I answered them with a much more serious set of yelps. Man, they exploded again. I waited a couple of minutes and yelped again. One answered and I thought he sounded closer, so I figured he had left the roost. I waited a minute or two and yelped again. this time no answer. I was hoping that was good news because from my previous experience, they normally don't gobble much if they gobble at all when climbing a steep hill. I waited a minute or two longer and gave out some soft yelps and one of the gobbler answered much close to me. He was comming in!
I waited again and gave a couple of soft yelps and he exploded really close, but with my poor hearing, the gobble sounded like it was behind me. It must have been an echo or something, but at that second, that is what it sounded like. I slowly turned my head and looked behind me. Nothing! I then turned slightly to my right so I could swing the shotgun back in that direction if I need to. (I'm a lefty)
I then gave just a few soft yelps and ...there he was! Right where I had expected him to be to start with. He was in full strut. I couldn't raise my shotgun, so I just waited for the opportunity. He came out of strut quickly and continued up the ridge slowly, giving a couple of putts. He walked behind a large downfall tree and I raised my shotgun. As soon as he came out the other side of the tree, the hunt was over! I got him!
This gobbler must have flown from his roost strait up to me, because it took a lot longer to explain all this than it took to call him in. He was a big gobbler, but unfortunately, I was shaking and blew all but about the last inch off his beard when I shot him. He had a really nice beard before the shot though. Hahahahaha
Oh well, no big deal. It was a great morning and I got him!
Here's a couple of pics.
