Sweet Kentucky Gobblers !!!

[jplittlebuck]

had a great time, in the Boone national forest in K.Y.
7pm evening before opener, had me tucked in close to a fine adult gobbler, out strutting for 6 hens in a green field,
because of how this hollow is, i knew before hand, were ever they were going to roost, it was going to be a tough hunt, but at least i got half the battler won allready,
long story short, actually had a hell of a hunt, just to tired to write, i killed that longbeard at 7:15am, 23 lbs,
7/8 " spurs, 9 1/2 " beard, pulled him away from 6 hens, which always leads to a hell of a show, LOL
next morning my bud Bruce and i, had roosted a bird,
high on a ridge, in the hollow across the road from were i had killed this one in the morning,
we made a great dark approch, in unformilure woods,
and we had his longbeard killed, on the ground no more then 1 minute, 30 seconds, to the end of the barrel, after flydown, LOL
19 lbs, 1 1/8 " spurs, and 10 1/2" beard,
i left after day 2, may head back next weekend, gobbling was very heavy, and all gated trailheads, had vehicals parked, and our shot's were the only ones we heard,

[hatracked]

Sounds like a great hunt John. Im looking forward to starting the travelling part of my season. I'll get to carry a gun for a change , and I wont have to deal with these swamp toms for a bit. Damn they are being difficult !

I called three in today and everyone came out a winner . Hunters moving guns, dekes spooking birds ect , you name the odds were in their favor today.

New day tomorrow.

[ncboman]

Congrats to both of you.

I'd like to know how you choose which hollow to hunt when the birds are roosting the ridge.

[jplittlebuck]

thanks fellas, got a little second wind after some eats,
but you both are very well aware of taking the show on the road, and how it wears you out,
John, good luck with the rest of your season, it's got to be a nice feeling knowing your taking the show on the road,
NC, these hills and hollars in the eastern part of the state, are like nothing i have ever hunted, every critter has one leg longer then the other, and the very tops of those saddles, you have to put one foot in front of the other, just to walk, LOL,
steep up and downs are just one of the problems, the area sustained a bad ice storm few years ago, and a tanggle of dead fall trees, chocking ever hollow, especially east face slopes, makes things a nightmare for calling in birds,
fact is i learned last year the hard way hard charging after a gobbler, going right after him, wound up crawling out of dead fall, like 3 story scafolding, LOL
anyway, it only makes sence to go after the easyest gobbler, meaning closest to the bottom rim of a hollow,
then as the season wears on, longbeards will start roosting at the very tops of those ridges, and if you want to kill one, which i found out the hard way last year, you better be prepared to cough up a lung going up to them, becuase having one pitchout and fly to the bottom is slim to none,
anyway, without a doubt, of all the terrains i have ever hunted spring gobblers, this has to be the most challenging,
BTW NC the hills are much steeper, and higher then central K.Y. and very little agriculture, reminds me alot of south eastern O.H., only the hills are higher elivation,
Deer sign is poor to none also !!!!
i guess someone might ask, why hunt a place like that??
for the challenge, and the beauty of the area, to me thats half of spring gobbler experiance, the enviroment in which they are found,
deer hunting on the other hand, i'll take a nasty ole cattail swamp chock cherry and willows any day !! LOL