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Offline Johnny Reb

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Great Morning
« on: April 18, 2008, 02:55:20 PM »
Me and my buddy went to a farm we hadn't hunted yet this year.  During his scouting he had heard at least four different birds gobbling at this location.  We got there early and waited.  Prime gobbling time arrived and we didn't hear a peep.  Finally one gobbled way off in the distance.  A few minutes later another one gobbled a few hunderd yards from us, so we moved in his direction.  He was hot, answering every call, and moving in our direction, then he hung up about 100 yards out.  My buddy gave him the silent treatment, and it worked like a charm.  The next time he gobbled he was close, and we realized it was at least two birds.  A few soft purrs was all it took.  Maybe 30 seconds later I could hear them in the leaves, then my buddy says "I see a tail fan over my right knee."  Then I saw them, there was at least three longbeards, and they were in range.  One stepped out and I said "Do you want me to kill him?"  He told me to shoot.  Just as I was going to shoot he told me to wait (he tought we might be able to double).  One of the birds got a little spooked, so I went ahead and shot.  I hammered him at 33 yards and he started flopping.  Four birds flew off (there were two that were just over the hill that we hadn't seen).  We know for sure that three of them were longbeards, don't know what the other two were.  My bird only weighed 15lbs. 10oz, but he had a nice 10.5" beard, one spur was 1", the other was 1 1/8".  What a great morning.  I can't wait for tomorrow to get here!!
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Offline TribReady

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Re: Great Morning
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2008, 05:18:48 PM »
That's awesome!
Great hunt for sure.

How many birds you allowed to shoot there? How long's the season?
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...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  -2 Chronicles 7:14

Offline Johnny Reb

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Re: Great Morning
« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2008, 10:54:40 PM »
Here in VA we can take three birds a season, but only one a day.  Season started last Saturday (April 12) and lasts until the middle of May (I'm not sure of the exact date at this time), it usually lasts 5 weeks.  How bout yourself?  How long is your season, and how many birds can you take.  Well, I better get to the woods.  Good luck to ya.

Scott
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Offline TribReady

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Re: Great Morning
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2008, 05:07:48 AM »
I have got to get down south for some turkey hunting!

Here in Wisconsin, the season is broken down into 6  5-day seasons. They run from the Wed-Sun, couple days off, then the next season runs Wed-Sun and so on.
We need to apply for season 1-6. Obviously everyone wants the early seasons and they fill up fast. We can take one bird.
So in other words, we have 5 days to harvest one bird.  In the fall, there's a male or female 30 day season, but it falls right in the middle of bowhunting and just isn't the same without gobbling  :)

It can be tough to get out during the week with work and then we're really dependent on the weather, too.
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A government big enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take everything you have. -Thomas Jefferson


...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  -2 Chronicles 7:14

Offline Johnny Reb

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Re: Great Morning
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2008, 07:15:34 AM »
I guess we've got it pretty good compared to a lot of states.  We also have a fall season (gobblers or hens).  The three birds we are allowed to kill is per license year.  You can kill a max of two in the fall, which would leave you with one tag for the spring, or you can kill all three in the spring.  I agree about hunting in the fall, it's not the same if they aren't putting on a good show (gobbling and strutting).  I don't even fool with them in the fall, I save all three tags for the spring (although I've never tagged out in the spring).  This has been my best season yet.  I killed two in Georgia over Easter weekend, and the one I killed here in VA, Friday morning.  Until this year the most I had killed in a season was two, here in VA.
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Offline six_gunz

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Re: Great Morning
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2008, 12:51:40 AM »
Johnny Reb, way to go, nice hunting!!!
I can't wait 'til next Monday (28th) that's when our season opener is here in Ma. It goes all the way to May 24th. We can take 2 birds here, one a day. In the zone I hunt in here we only have a spring season but I can hunt in other zones for the fall season. It's only 6 days though, I'd rather fill my tags in the spring and save the fall for the deer anyway.
My brother is flying out from Illinois to join me, he's hunting with a shotgun and I'm giving it a go with my bow this year. I've been geared up for this since I ordered my license and permits back in early January.....I've been seeing these big Eastern bad boys everywhere....can't wait.
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Offline Hopalong7

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Re: Great Morning
« Reply #6 on: April 21, 2008, 01:44:41 AM »
Johnny Reb, The rate you're going, you're gonna get all the birds in Bedford county.....leave at least one for ol' Walt to chase.....just kidding and Good going!!!  I've not scored yet....had a couple of encounters similiar to the first one you posted....but, that's what makes it Huntin'.    Walt  ;)
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Offline Johnny Reb

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Re: Great Morning
« Reply #7 on: April 21, 2008, 10:21:28 AM »
Thanks guys.   Hopalong, you don't have to worry about me killing all these Bedford Co. birds, I aint that good (lucky)!  I have had a pretty dang good season so far, but you know as well as I do that can change in a heartbeat.  The guy I hunt with is doing something right, we were figuring it up the other day, between here and Georgia he's called 13 longbeards into shooting range so far this year.  Six of those 13 have been carried out of the woods (3 in GA, 3 in VA).  Toting one to the truck is fun, but to me it's all about the game, and watching Mr. Tom put on a show.  Some of my most memorable hunts have been close encounters, where I left the woods empyt handed.  We learned a valuable lesson in patience this past Saturday.  We had to gobblers coming to us off the roost, then a hen got with them and took them away, so we moved on them.  To make a long story short, we ended up back near our original position, watching both birds strut right past the tree we had been sitting at, only problem was they were 70 yds out.  Oh well, live and learn.  Good luck to ya, I hope you get a big one.

Scott
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Offline gstewart44

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Re: Great Morning
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2008, 07:31:32 AM »
My "Great Morning " experience was about 8 years ago. My buddy and I drove up to Georgia arriving about 6 pm.  Just enough light to set up our blind and decoys as we knew the birds were roosting nearby every evening.   Well the next morning arrived way too soon - we forgot to set the alarm clock and slept in til 730.   Awoke at camp hearing gobblers talking.   

We rushed out and set up in our blind by 745 and proceeded to talk to and hear from a single gobbler who was walking up and down a creek bottom for 2 hours.  Suddenly he stopped gobbling.    We sat silently for 30 more minutes and decided to let out 5 more yelps. He responded and sounded like he was next door!  We saw his head pop up about 80 yds away over a rise that led to the creek bottom.   The tom spotted our "Jake-mounting-a-hen" decoy and proceeded to charge.    His blue-gray head turned bright red in seconds as he covered 60 yards to the decoys.    He jumped up and knocked over the Jake decoy and then stood there puzzled at the decoy on the ground.    My buddy unloaded his 12 g and the Tom was ours.  He weighed 23 1/2 lbs, 11 1/2" beard and 1 1/4" spurs.   
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Offline Hopalong7

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Re: Great Morning
« Reply #9 on: April 24, 2008, 01:39:24 AM »
Yep, I agree, a "Great Morning" does NOT have to include a kill.  I absolutely love provoking a good "show".  Over the years, I remember the close encounters better than some of the kills. Still, there ain't nuttn' wrong with carrying one out of the woods either.  They are still pretty good coming out of the smoker or deep fryer too.  GOOD HUNTIN',  Walt   ;)
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