Foggy Morning Gobbler

7/31/2019 Foggy Morning Gobbler

1/6


2/6

They were about 100 yards out, so they were still a good distance from where I

was at.. I hit a yelp on my mouth call and just over the hill behind where the hens

were feeding I heard a Gobble.. I continued to watch and sure enough a few

minutes later I seen the old Gobbler working his way up the edge of the field

going to meet his ladies that were already feeding their

way to their roost.

I didn't want to call anymore, I just slowly backed out and left without them

knowing I was there. I couldn't wait for opening day as I felt confident that he

would be there close in the area.

The next day, the 7th, passed slowly, I watched the weather channel and they

were calling for rain and thunderstorms for the next day.It was suppose to set in about 9 p.m. that night, and rain through the next day,

which was the 8th, opening morning.

I went out the evening of the 7th, right before dark and parked on the side of the

dirt road that leads up to the ridge where I'd seen the gobbler

and hens in the field the day before.

I didn't want to invade the ridge so I just park at the road and listened waiting to

see if any gobblers were vocal, or as some turkeys hunters

put it, "putting a gobbler to bed".

This way you know where he's at, and it makes it easier to get in that general

area the next morning and hopefully call the gobbler off the roost.

It's a great stradegy, and gives the hunter a little bit of the advantage.

I sat on the hood of my truck, and waited for the light to fade.

About 10 minutes or so before the last flicker of daylight, I gave an owl hoot on

my owl caller, and there on the ridge, a turkey Gobbled.

I felt good all over, I knew he was back and he was going to be there the rest of

the night and I was going to be on the ridge come daylight and hopefully close to

his roosting tree when daylight fell upon the earth.

I left feeling as I said, confident that I would at least be in a good spot, now

whether I would be successful or not, that was to be seen, but


3/6

at least I had an advantage on the old bird.

The rain set about 10 p.m.

I kept checking weather.com and all it was showing was rain.

I finally went to bed about 12 o'clock.

I set the alarm for 5 a.m, when the alarm went off, I looked outside my window

and as the weather man had promised it was raining.

I got dressed and decided I would go set in the truck if I had too and see if the

rain would stop, many times after daylight the rain will stop.

It wasn't raining very hard but hard enough it would make for a miserable day

in the woods.

I just sat and watched as daylight came and opening day was offically here, but

all I could do was sat in the truck and listen to the radio.

About 7:20 I was ready to go back to the house and forget it, but I had never

missed an opening morning and I really wanted to hunt, even if it was just for 30

minutes, just so I could say I went.

I told myself I would give it ten more minutes and sure enough about five

minutes later it had almost stopped and was just lightly sprinkling.

I grabbed my shotgun, threw my vest on and ran up the hill. I was almosthalfway up to the top of the ridge, when a huge thick fog rolled in on the hillside.

It was so thick you could feel the mist in it.

I didn't care I was going to the top and at least hunt till it started raining again.

Right before I got to the top, I heard the old gobbler thunder out.

I thought to myself, "YES, HE'S STILL THERE"!

Now this was April the 8th, so there was still alot of trees that was barren, and

the woods were still pretty open, so I knew the chances of this old gobbler seeing

me was very high.

The Fog continued to get thicker, and the old bird kept gobbling.

I used the fog to my advantage and kept closing the distance trying to get as close

as possible to the gobbling turkey.

I started feeling I was getting to close, I honestly couldn't see 20 yards in front of

me cause of the thick fog, but I knew neither could the turkey see me either.


4/6


5/6

wet all over, but I wasn't leaving, I knew this gobbler was within gun range I just

couldn't see him cause of the fog.

I clucked another time after he gobbled keeping motionless and watching for

movement moving my eyes from left to right.

Nothing was moving it seemed, the rain and thunder was all around, then out of

the thick gray fog, he just appeared in full strut.

Honestly, when I first saw his fan piercing through the fog he was 25 yards or

less,, he was close. I'll never forget it seemed my heart went from my chest to my

throat.

The rain was pouring down and I was getting wetter by the second.

The old gobbler strutted in front of me but his head was covered by his feathersas they sometimes are when they are in full strut.

I clucked on my mouth call hoping to get his head up for a clear shot, but he just

wouldn't lift up his head.. Finally I chackled pretty loud, and

he threw his head up and dropped out of strut one last time.

BOOM!! The first shot out of my new Remington filled the mountain air.

The old Bird began to flop around, I jumped up and ran over and pinned the

gobbler to the ground.

Now for you ladies who think the gobbler was floppin around cause he was stillalive, I promise he was dead before he hit the ground, but as chickens do when

their heads are cut off, they flop for a second but are already expired.

I picked up the Gobber and he seemed heavy but most of it was wet feathers, I

wasn't the only one that was soaked, the gobbler was too.

I threw the turkey over my shoulder and hurried down the hill, going back to the

truck.

I unloaded my gun and put the turkey in the back of the truck, I was so wet, even

down to my under garments was wet.

My boots, my socks, my hair, you name it, I was just soaked. I drove back to

house, changed cloths ate a quick bite and headed out to my buddy's sporting

good's store, which served as a check station too.

I remember walking in and he said, "No turkeyhunting today".


6/6

Documents

Foggy Morning Gobbler