It all started when I dropped my gun yesterday and thinking to myself “that it should be fine” ....
Fast forward to this morning i was only able to hunt for a couple hour so I decided that chase some mountain birds. With the foliage getting thick l was able to sneak in between two toms. One in which I had some history with from this season. In the past couple of times hunting this area Anytime, I would call to him he would head in the other direction.
This morning with overcast and thicker foliage, I was able to sneak into where he usually roosts. I got to the location and I hear a bird gobble once above me about 200 yards. Thinking that it was him. I decided to head up and awhile I was walking up at about 100 yards from the bird that gobbled the one that I was after gobbles right from where I left… I thought to myself being that this bird that's above me is going to fly down. I decided to get level with the one that’s below me and turns out to actually be the one that I’ve been after.
Both are Gobbling at each other pretty good. I get set up about 80 yards from the lower bird. He’s on a small finger ridge adjacent to me, and with it lightning up and the birds tweeting there was no way I could get any closer.
I sit down facing the Gobbling bird with the other Tom about 150 yards away at 2 o’clock. I sat there and waited it out. With it lighting up some, I decided to do a couple soft three yelps and he ate it all up. Waited another 10 minutes and tree yelped again and this time I did a fly down and he eats it up again. About 10 minutes later he hits the ground and Flies down to the right of me, on a flat. He gobbles on his own and I cut back at him and he eats it up. I shut up and he ended up slowly coming to my lap.
The other Tom above me is still on the roost while the closer Tom is getting closer and closer gobbling at me every 10 yards. he’s already in shooting distance, but I wanted him to get closer. The Tom is on the edge of the finger and gobbles right at me, and then starts angling down towards me rather than him going down the drain and popping up below me somewhere, I decided to take a shot at 30 yards. He is at around 35 yards and I gave him a couple cuts and he stops. I put the red dot on his head and pull the trigger. In disbelief, the bird tucks turns and flies off. I couldn’t believe it. It was a total chip shot and missed.
All kinds of thoughts are flashing through my head “did I miss Nv him” “ Did I hit him” “How did I miss that bird” and then I remembered that I drop my gun yesterday and didn’t take much of it. I’m still able to see my bead below my rail, so I put the red dot on a rock about 80 yards and then looked where the bead was at, my red dot was a foot high to the left…
Couldn’t believe it finally had the bird walking into my lap and I have equipment failure. While all this is going on, I still have the bird gobbling above me, I put my shock to the side and realized I still have a chance to get the bird above me.
I wait until the Tom hits the ground and I give him a couple yelps and cuts. And he cuts me off and gobbles right at me. less than a minute later, he gobbles again, and he’s cutting the distance quick. This bird roosted right above a bluff, which was a bunch of rocks and boulders. The only way he could get to me, is if he cut to his left, which would be closer to me. That is what he did. He then gobbles right in my face, but I just can’t see him. He’s on a little bench above me. Placed the camera on the left side of the tree and angle it up get my cheek rested on my gun stock, waiting for Tom’s head to pop up. he popped his head up and looks down for me. I cock back the hammer and he moves two steps to my left, his head was in between what I thought was a dirt pile and I put the bead on his neck and pull the trigger. To my amazement a big Puff cloud of dirt shot up in the air, and then I heard my favorite sound. A bird flopping. I run up to get him only to chase him tumbling down the other side of the finger ridge.
I step on his head and catch my breath. Walk back to where i had everything and sat there for a bit. i was still in shock thinking about what happened on the first bird.
This is the day when I had to get back home to take my son to the school bus, so I had to rush things. Took a quick picture and made a mark where I was at and hit the Road.
I had a little break in the morning and watched the video of the Bird several times. From the looks of the shot it was high left. With Tom looking up that would mean that I probably hit at least a couple times. I end up going back to where I shot. And slowly go through the scene. I find two broken feathers which means he was hit. I slowly walk down where I marked the tom fly down to. I grid searched the area with no luck.
At this point, I feel like the bird is fine then out of know where the tom gets up and flies into the swamp... Yep not good.... The only good things is that he's still alive 6 hrs later and his legs and wings are working. Just hope and pray he makes it through the summer....
A bitter sweat ending
