GilaMonster
New member
This was my second attempt to add a Rio Grande gobbler to my collection. My first attempt was last year with a bow on the "Hunt Talk Group Hunt", with Moosie and Tom, and MITCH. (a whole different story). I couldn't wait to get after them again! With a shotgun this time. I was able to get on a lease with Tom where he got a big gobbler last year, so I waited the last couple of months (not so patiently) to finally get my chance at one. Tom is smart, and has been watching the birds every weekend and knew where they were on the lease. Saturday morning (opening day in that area), we drove to the area where Tom had been seeing the gobblers and started walking across the top of the ridge. We had all gotten in too late to roost the birds the night before. All of the sudden, we heard a gobble, then another, and another. We continued across the ridge to get into a better calling location and started hearing more birds gobbling. I guessed probably 5 different ones, maybe more than that. Hard to tell exactly. We finally found a suitable location, and we set up. I tucked into a small cedar tree (bush) and Tom and MITCH just behind me. They agreed to let me take the first one. Nice guys! I started calling and the gobblers exploded each time. They were still on their roosts, but quite vocal. I would call once in a while, and soon they seemed to loose interest, so I changed diaphram calls, and tried again. I got responses, but not as good as I hoped, so I changed out calls a couple of more times to see if I could find a particular pitch that would get one of the gobblers really excited. I finally found it too. Man, when I put that one in my mouth and gave a few yelps, here he came, accompanied by another one, just a little smaller. The two of them came in pretty fast actually and soon I could see the tops of their heads just before they passed behind some brush in front of me. i raised the shotgun when they went behind it and waited just a second, The big one stepped out from behind the brush and stopped and stuck up his head... Bad mistake! LOL End of the story for him! Nice big gobbler. After the shot, I got up to go get my bird and fell like a ton of crap into the tree behind me. My leggs had completely gone to sleep while sitting and calling, and with all the excitement, I didn't even notice it. Hahahah I laughed, and the others were worried I had hurt myself. No, I hadn't. MITCH walked over and picked up my bird for me because i still couldn't get up and walk for a minute or two.. Hahahaha
It was a fantastic morning! Tom got one about the same size the next day, but I will let him tell his story himself.
It was a fantastic morning! Tom got one about the same size the next day, but I will let him tell his story himself.
