BY
APRIL 2, 2022 VIDEO HUNT #1
LOCATION: BALDWIN COUNTY, PRIVATE
PARTNER: CHASE FOWLER
AM HUNT: CALLED IN 3 GOBBLERS AND 3 JAKES
On opening day Chase and I would hunt our club in Baldwin County. We heard three gobblers in the distance
behind and in front of us. It
wasn’t long before we had one behind us interested and on the way. He soon appeared to our right and would
make his way out to the decoys.
Since it appeared to be a 2 year old we debated on whether or not Chase
would shoot but thought we would set back and watch the show. It wasn’t long before a couple
more toms came in from in front of us.
They all joined at the jakes and put on a show. As we tried to pick the largest one to
shoot it appeared he had the longest beard but had a broken spur. Chase tried to pick him out and wait to
get a clear shot but he soon managed to get around and then too far for the
shot. Chase picked the best one out
of the other two and took the shot.
The last bird would not leave and continued pecking the downed gobbler
for nearly an hour. When he finally
left 3 jakes came in and after a while the last gobbler appeared again. It was now 3 hours after the shot and we
decided we would call it a day! Chase’s Gobbler weighed 18 lbs had
¾ and 7/8 inch spurs and a 9 ½ inch beard. See the footage on my 2022 video.
I have to say most hunters would not have experienced all that we
saw on this morning because they
would have probably shot the first gobbler and then left. I encourage everyone who hunts and
enjoys the outdoors to sit and enjoy nature. If you’re successful you can still
enjoy everything the hunt and post hunt has to offer.
APRIL
12, 2022 VIDEO HUNT #2
LOCATION:
WILKINSON COUNTY, PRIVATE
PARTNER: ALONE
AM HUNT: CALLED IN 1 HEN
I would hunt alone on this morning on some
private land in Wilkinson County. I was hearing birds on my previous 8 hunts
but nothing to show as it seemed the gobblers were all henned up. I heard 2 gobblers on the roost on
this morning. They gobbled quite a
bit but would pretty distant so I wasn’t too sure they would come in. After about an hour and a half I heard a
gobble to my left well within calling distance. Not long a couple of gobblers appeared
about 200 yards in front of me.
They worked their way to within 100 yards but didn’t want to come
downhill in the food plot. I
thought they would eventually see my decoys and they finally did come to the
bottom but didn’t seem interested enough to come across the small stream
and up on my side. I ranged the
birds at 45 yards and decided to take the shot. The Gobbler weighed 18 lbs 3 oz. had 1
1/16 and 1 1/8 inch spurs and a 10 inch beard See the footage on my 2022 video.
APRIL
18, 2022 VIDEO HUNT #3
LOCATION:
TWIGGS COUNTY, PRIVATE
PARTNER: KYLE POWNALL
AM HUNT: CALLED IN 5 JAKES AND 2 TOMS
I
would hunt with Kyle Pownall this morning on some private land in Twiggs County. After setting up we heard a few close
gobbles but didn’t expect them to be this close. They pitched down in the road less than
100 yards from where we sat. They
could obviously see the decoys we had in the road but the two best gobblers
skirted around us on what apparently was their normal morning route. They jakes were curious and came up
front and center! See the footage on my 2022 video.
APRIL
27, 2022 VIDEO HUNT #4
LOCATION:
KENTUCKY, PRIVATE
PARTNER: KEITH SMITH
PM HUNT: CALLED 1 GOBBLER AND 1 HEN
Keith
Smith and I would travel to Kentucky to hunt some private land which he had
obtained permission for. The first morning we heard a couple and eventually saw
one that wouldn’t come in.
Later that evening we went back and set up in a cattle yard where we
thought the bird was that morning.
We put our backs to a fence which as it turned out would be on the wrong
side. We thought surely the gobbler
would pitch across but he never did. See the footage on my 2022 video.
APRIL
28, 2022 VIDEO HUNT #5
LOCATION:
KENTUCKY, PRIVATE
PARTNER: KEITH SMITH
AM HUNT: 1 GOBBLER KILL
Keith and I went back the next morning and
although we didn’t change sides of the fence, we set up farther down near
the cattle crossing where the bird had a somewhat better access to getting on
our side. It wasn’t long
after first light when we saw him enter the field….again on the other
side. This time he would strut but
slowly made his way toward the cattle gap.
He came as we hoped and we watched as he gave a good show around the hen
decoy. He finally moved far enough
away from the decoy for Keith to take a shot. The gobbler weighed 21 lbs. had 1 inch
spurs and a 11 inch beard. See the footage on my 2022 video.
MAY
9, 2022 VIDEO HUNT #6
LOCATION:
WILKINSON COUNTY, PRIVATE
PARTNER: ALONE
AM HUNT: IRRITATED HEN
I would hunt a private tract in Wilkinson County
on this morning. I had taken a gobbler
previously at this spot and didn’t really plan to take another but wanted
to get some video and see if I could call one up. I was on a hillside overlooking the ditch
and food plot where they had hung up before. I heard a distant gobble a few times but
nothing close. A hen came in and
was very irritated with my decoy. My
hunt was successful as she gave me some excellent footage. See the footage on
my 2022 video.
MAY
10, 2022 VIDEO HUNT #7
LOCATION:
TWIGGS COUNTY, PRIVATE
PARTNER: ALONE
AM HUNT: CALLED IN 5 JAKES AND 3 HENS
I
would hunt my Twiggs County club on this day. No birds were gobbling off the roost but
after a while 5 jakes appeared and then 3 hens. They stayed around nearly 2 hours but no
toms every came. See the footage on my 2022 video.
MAY
13, 2022 VIDEO HUNT #8
LOCATION:
WILKINSON COUNTY, PRIVATE LAND
PARTNER: ALONE
AM HUNT: CALLED 2 HENS AND 2 JAKES
I
hunted some private property near the Baldwin and Wilkinson County lines on
this morning. There were no gobbles
to be heard but eventually a couple of Jakes and a couple of Hens made their
way into the pasture. See the footage on my 2022 video.
MAY
14, 2022 VIDEO HUNT #9
LOCATION:
JASPER COUNTY, PRIVATE LAND
PARTNER:
ALONE
AM
HUNT: 1 HEN, 1 GOBBLER KILL
Chase and
I were supposed to hunt Jasper County on this morning. Chase was sick and couldn’t make
it so I decided to go anyway since this would probably be the last hunt of the
season. To my surprise a gobbler
was roosted on the hillside across the creek in front of me. This in years past could be good or bad
depending on which way he flew down.
I made some calls before he flew down and this obviously helped to determine
his decision. After a while I could
tell the gobbler was going to make his way into the field to my front left
which was somewhat uphill. It would
be a matter of time to see if he was eager enough to come down the hill. Once he started strutting I felt there
was a problem and that there might be a hen in the field. Eventually the hen made her way to my
setup. He followed but would get no
closer than 57 yards before the hen went back. At this point all I could do was soft
call and hope the hen would return.
And she did. He followed in
tow and I took the shot as he made his way just beyond my jake decoys. The
gobbler weighed 21 lbs. had 1 inch spurs and a 11 inch beard.See the footage on my 2022 video.
THE END