# ‘21 Public Land Bird - 4.30.21



## CalebBone (Aug 29, 2015)

My young hunting buddy turned 18 in February, so we were unable to utilize the youth season, so this year he joined me for the regular season opener, and we were both behind the guns. We left my house at 2:30a to ensure we beat any other hunters to this promising spot we have found.

We approached a faithful ridge where he missed a chance and I took a bird last year. This ridge has a low saddle and these dips in the ridge tops always seem to be promising areas for encountering wildlife. And sure enough we did.

Just after 6am we heard our first gobble gobble gobble gobble. There were at least 4-6 birds roosted out off this ridge. I didn’t realize we were so close, so we scrambled to get set up and tucked in tight at the base of the biggest tree we could find. They answered everything. It was glorious. We gave each other a fist bump and couldn’t believe what we were listening to.

Until they flew down behind us, heard a gobbler fight and scuffle, and then they stood behind us on the ridge, approx. 30 yards away, gobbling and clucking and looking everywhere for us. We were stuck. 30 minutes into 2021 Ohio turkey season and this team of birds just kicked our butt.

We continued to hunt until quitting time and did hear a few more gobbles, but nothing workable. We took the next 5 days off and came back in there on Friday 4/30. We left even earlier this time as Zach got a flat tire the night before and I had to go pick him up at his house, which is about 20 minutes the wrong direct. I pulled out at 1:30a that day.

Back to the faithful ridge, but this time it was windy. Friday was the first pretty day after two days of tons of rain, and I knew there was a chance of wind, but didn’t expect 15-20mph winds. It was noisy before daylight and near impossible to hear very far away. As we walked through the low gap and started up into the area where we got into the birds during the opener I switched to my glass pot call because I didn’t think my diaphragm was loud enough to get a good roost gobble. Just after 6am and on my first sequence we got an answer down over the ridge from us, only about 100-200 yards away.

We quickly set up and within a few minutes we heard a bird fly down. And it started yelping at us. So I switched back to my diaphragm and we pointed that direct. I let this hen have it, yelping and cutting and trying to be as disrespectful as I possibly could, and she loved it. And so did the TRIO of gobblers following her. Just before she came into sight I aggressively cut her off and these three gobbler went bananas. It was AWESOME.
She jumped up on a log 15 yards directly in front of Zach and he was STUCK. That bird had him pinned down. The three musketeers skirted around her to our left and went behind a huge tree with some thick low growth at the base, so I swung their way and the moment a head popped out I let my 870 sing and she nailed the first note.

During the roar of that gun and initial chaos of birds reacting is when Zach should have quickly turned too, but he didn’t. The other two toms went another 90 degrees to our left and stood there looking around. I quickly started clucking and purring and doing all I could to calm them down and they stuck around for another 2 to 3 minutes. But they were not interested in coming any closer. My bird eventually started to beat its wings on the ground and then they took off.
All this action was before 6:40am. We had an awesome morning together. We came back on Saturday 5/1 and got into another bird but could not get it to commit.


And yes, I was wearing my lucky turkey socks that have been on my feet during my last 4 harvests .. why change it up?


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## fireline (Jun 14, 2007)

Shooting a bird on public ground is not a easy task, congratulations


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## joekacz (Sep 11, 2013)

You and your friend had a very successful hunt whether you both tagged or not. With all of the excitement and anticipation going on for that period your adrenaline had to be flowing a100mph! Now that’s turkey hunting!! Congrats!


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## CalebBone (Aug 29, 2015)

Thanks y’all. 

And yes, joekacz. Sure do love the adrenaline that comes with gobbling birds - hard to beat!


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