Not so Fun Experience

hobbes

WKR
Joined
Jun 6, 2012
Messages
2,409
I've had a good season so far, killing three toms in three separate regions and my son killing a Tom. I try to stay away from the roads, but in MT you hunt whichever birds you find

I covered a ton of ground on Thursday trying to find a bird on new ground in a region here in MT that I haven't hunted. I stopped as a last ditch effort in one last place a couple hours before dark and got a bird to respond close to a gravel road running along a creek in the mountains. Two guys in a side by came along stopping every 300 yards or so and running a box while I was trying to set up on him. I don't think they'd heard him (just not so perfect timing)and he never made another peep since they stopped within 100 yards of him. They even stopped within 50 yards of my truck and did their box call thing.
However, they finally left and a short time later I heard a hen clucking along the creek. Assuming that he'd be roosted close by, I planned to return Friday morning well before fly-down. I spotted the two side by guys about a half mile or so down the road still listening for gobbles when I left, so knew there was potential for things to go south if he gobbled after I left.

On Friday morning I left the house at 3 AM so I could be there by 5 with sunrise at 6:07 and shooting hour starting at 5:37. While it was dark I slipped to the top of the ridge where he'd gobbled from yesterday and in line with the clucking along the creek. I hoped he was out along the ridge and I'd be between him and hens on the creek. Still no gobbles at 5:30 and no other hunters. At 5:35 he gobbled on the creek and I slipped up just above him and a jake. His location meant that the gravel road along the creek was between us. The other side of the creek was similar because the road switched back after a bridge 75 yards past him to my right then ran along the opposite side. I could hear hens also, so knew that he'd require some patience.

At about 5:55 he flew down and went quiet. At about 6:05 I could hear a vehicle coming. I was hoping the worst they'd do is drive by (not see him) and he'd just stay quiet a little while, but I knew he had to be close to the road. They were driving really slow and I'm not sure if it was the side by or not (I'm guessing that it was) due to the creek noise. They had made the switch back and I thought they were about to turn up the mountain when BOOOOOM! They shot either the tom or the jake (if they didn't miss) from the road. I couldn't see them, so I suppose there's potential that the shooter got a legal distance off the road but I doubt it. Shortly afterwards two really weary hens came by. They wasted no time getting back down hill, I'm sure they had their head on a swivel since they drove past my truck before shooting.
 
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