Go get em coop! If you cant get on some start driving north west and I know some spots we can get on em.
Man I blew it this morning. We were set up where we roosted a big gobbler last night. When it flew down, it flew into the woods and not into the field like we expected. We called and waited for 45 minutes and could hear it gobbling down the hill. It wasn't getting closer or farther away so we figured it was strutting on an old logging road. So my buddy and me grabbed the blind and decoy and sneaked down near to where we thought it was strutting. We set back up, made a couple calls, and within 5 minutes he was checking out the jake decoy. He did not like it and was very skittish. I maybe had a shot when it was standing slightly quartering to at about 20 yards but my buddy told me to wait. He thought it was coming into the decoy, to strut or beat on it, and figured I'd have a better/closer shot. But that mature bird knew something was up, it never puffed up, didn't strut, never made a peep. It just suddenly turned and high tailed it. It was still a fun morning and that was the first long beard I have seen all season in range.
Heres the link to the video let me know what you guys think! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jciue5PIzqw
Great video man! I know my chances get worse as the season gets later, but I have until May 30th and I'm not giving up until either a bird is down or I run out of time .
For the record here is the iPhone footage from last Saturday. I left out the part where I missed, LOL. As it was leaving I rushed a shot. I know better but I was caught up in the moment I guess. I really thought it was coming to the decoy (off to the right in the video) and expected to have a nice broadside shot. But when it started to leave I tried to squeeze one in; I am just glad I missed and didn't wound it. The video and comments are my friend. He was in the blind with me calling. He got a bird the first Monday so he has been trying to help me out.
Great videos guys! I am hoping to have some good news posted yet this week as my season wraps up on Sunday. I was so confident in the beginning and that is starting to wain especially with the weather forecast. I took tomorrow afternoon and Friday off to give it one more try before I hung it up. Last weekend we had a blizzard in the west and tornado in the east and I had a sick little girl at home so we laid pretty low. the weekend before that my mom and my brother and I went out with the shot guns. It was the first time the 3 of us had hunted together since we were little. We had a great time but not a lot of success.
Good luck BigHoss! I was starting to think I was the only team member still chasing birds. It was pouring rain and very windy this morning so I stayed home. I plan to get back out tomorrow morning.
Well good luck BigHoss! It was a beautiful day today but I had to return some phone calls related to a new job I am taking so I had to hang around the house. I have the blind in the truck already for tomorrow morning though. I am going to try to roost some tonight but I haven't had much luck on PA state land roosting birds this season. They are hunted hard by the end of the 2nd week and pretty quiet unless you get back in deep and I can't do that the evening before a hunt, it's just too far.
Keith and I were out hunting the last two days. No luck had a great encounter with a tom with a 10 inch beard but he would not come into our set after 1 and 1/2 hours trying to get through the fence. once he did he went right down the hill came with in bow range but bad angle. He came and next to my blind but no shot as i could not see him. We will be back at it again soon.
Mom and I are set up a couple hundred yards from where I was yesterday. I'm really hoping she fills her tag this morning. I worked on the tom yesterday for over an hour. I was in a long clear cut and could see him for about 250 yards. He and his buddy would come a little way then start to wonder back so I would let out a few faint yelps to get there attention again. I can't believe it worked but I didn't rush them and let them do their thing if they were coming the right direction. I didn't have any dekes out and I was really wishing I had. He hung up the last time at 30 and I dropped the hammer. Like I said, today is Mom's turn but I still have another tag in my pocket and I wouldn't turn down an opportunity if she kills hers.
I'll be back out Wednesday. The first two weeks of the PA season we have to stop hunting at noon. These last two weeks we can hunt all day so I plan to spend all day in the woods unless I shoot one early of course lol.
Thanks guys. I know where some birds are still, but they have been very quiet lately and not receptive to calls or decoys this late.
