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The day just Started out crappy, I had a hard time getting out of bed, when I sat up everything was spinning and when I tried to stand my ankle gave out. I was having a hard time getting out the door, could not find anything i wanted and my body was just fighting me. By the time I pulled out of the driveway it was between 4:00-4:15 and I am normally in the blind by that time. On the way there I had a few deer run out in front of me, I was lucky the moon was so bright and I was able to see them a long way off and avoided hitting them.
So I got to where I was going to be hunting and started walking up to the blind and it must have been about 4:45 and I was able to see blue in the sky starting to appear so I headed right out. I got a tad bit nervous as on my way to the blind I got a strong order of skunk, I have had a few close encounters with skunks in the past including one lifting his tail in my direction three to five times. Luckily I was able to get to the blind without running into the little newspaper colored devil and without the use of my green light that I normally use.
I got all set up but did not bother to set up the decoys as I was running so late, I just got things arranged in the blind and waited to hear the toms start to gobble. They did not. The lack of gobbling really surprised me, I have been hunting the property for a few years now and have never, not even once had a day I did not hear at least one gobble. It did not bode well with me as I fear my late entrance had spoiled any opportunity I may have had to get a turkey.
As the sun came up I decided to send my GF a text letting her know that I had gotten there alright, something I do every morning after the sun is up enough that the light of the cell will not disturb the turkey. That was at 6:34 and there still had been no sound whatsoever. I was getting rather bummed.
A little after that a few deer came out into the lane-way and started to feed, I felt that was a good thing thinking that if any turkey were to come around they would see the relaxed deer and may let their guard down. Eventually the deer left and then nothing but silence. That went on for quite a while.
At 7:17 I sent a text to a friend commenting on how dead it was there and he replied that that way not good. I sent another text to my sister a minute later telling her my nephews had to come call for me with the calls Christopher Brumfield had sent me for them and then sat there and got bored as nothing was happening.
I did make a conscience effort not to call a lot as I have seen many people here post that when it is dead you should call sparingly, so I only called every half hour or so, but got no replies no matter what call I had tried.
I looked over and saw a pouch with a call I had not realized I had brought, a copper call with the American flag on it I had purchased from Jessie Jefferson of C4 - Crooked Creek Custom Creations. Using one of Neal's Rutland Diamond wood strikers I played a short series of yelps and the very first time I played that call I got replies above me and to my right immediately. I had one that was gobbling at me for some time but would not come down at first, he was kinda far but close to me at the same time if you know what I mean, lots of stuff he would have to go around before he could get to me.
I decided to gamble a little bit as I knew I had a little time and as he was coming from my right and I am right handed I did two things, I closed one of the windows that would be behind me as he approached so as not to silhouette myself as he came in and I carefully moved my chair so that I would be able to comfortably shoot in that direction.
I hit the copper call again and he sounded off again, and so did another gobbler and then I could see the first but barely, I turned the scope on the shotgun up to 4 and peered through it to be sure that I was seeing what I thought I was seeing (I had the netting up on my blind and it can distort your view a bit at distance) Sure enough he was standing there and he did display once, but then he went back up to the field he had been in. He would come down a bit but then go back up and this happened a few times. I had been trying to soften my calling on the copper call but with my hand problems that can be a bit hard for me at times.
While trying to decide what to do and looking in that direction I saw what I am pretty sure were 4-6 other turkeys run out of the woods going from left to right and into the other side of the lane-way.
I hit the copper call again and I am am really sure I heard about 4 toms sound off in different areas around me. I saw the one come back in again but he would not come down, that is when I reached for another call, my Apple wood and Mullberry made by Eric Crouse of Grizz Friction Wood Calls.
I used that call the first time and had an immediate response so I hit that call a second time and had several gobble around me again, so I waited a few seconds and played it again and that is when I saw two coming from where I had seen the first making a beeline coming at me at a steady run like a pair of Olympic track stars trying to find out which one would break the tape first.
I was able to set the call down and get my my gun up from my lap onto my shoulder and to the yoke I had to use to keep the front of the gun up (because of a torn tendon in my shoulder) all before they had gotten half way to me, this allowed me to check out their beards and choose which of the two I wanted to take. My biggest fear was that the sound of the safety going to the fire position would startle them and they would take off on me. I wish they had displayed but they did not really do that, the one lifted his tail to 3/4 strut but never beyond that and the second did not try to display at all.
I remember reading here of people misjudging distance when looking through the scope so I kept lifting my eye just to be sure they were as close as I thought, I was also trying to see the spurs but could not as the grass was a little to high.
I decided which one I wanted to take and waited for the second to clear him, they passed in front of each other a few times so I had to wait and they got a bit closer than I had realized, but when I finally had an ethical shot to take I took it, and he dropped like a ton of bricks, no flop or nothing, dead on impact.
Things started to fly through my mind, like jumping out of the blind and getting the bird, and all those other things you see on videos, but the biggest thought was turn that safety back on!
I sat for a few seconds, shook with excited joy and thanked God for allowing me to return to the woods to take part in this wonderful sport we all love.
I was sitting there a few minutes and then I got a surprise, he started to move a little on me, that is when I said hey wait right there buster and made like the dudes in the videos and got to him and stepped on his neck. In retrospect I am sure it was just nerves making him move.
I love that I had the time to stand there and look down and admire all the wonderful colors shown reflecting in the sunlight, I have never seen that, none of my friends hunt turkey, it was so amazing how they changed in the light. After he stopped moving for the last time I was able to see how beautiful and intricate the colors of his head were, the way the colors change on each bump of his head and how pretty that pale blue was and how robust that red was and I reached down and checked out the way the snood felt, it was just amazing to be able to stand there and admire this wonderful creature that God gave to us truly is. I am so incredibly thankful that God let me get back to this after not really being able to hunt for 17 years, it is such a glorious gift he has given us to be able to enjoy the world and the creatures he has created.
If there is one bad thing about this is that the dummy that I am I left the call that I made sitting between the seats of the van, that would have made things even cooler yet.
Thanks to all of you that have helped me get calls and have offered me advise this past year, it has been very much appreciated.
I do have this I took on my cell but it is not the greatest as the cell is not the greatest. https://youtu.be/Gy9zHw4O4eg

Congratulations, beautiful bird! Very happy for you.

Quote from: packmule on May 18, 2019, 10:16:53 PM
Congratulations, beautiful bird! Very happy for you.

Thank you bud, I am still grinning from ear to ear.

Awesome!  Many congrats to you man.  I'm  very happy you got it done, and great story!  Enjoy it and look forward to next time.  You save the fan to mount?

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By the way for some reason my camera lost a bunch of photos and a video of me talking about what happened and thanking the call makers.

He weighed 17.9 beard unscratched was over 8 inches, I will measure it tomorrow again, the spur on was side was around 3/4 of an inch, the one on the other side about a half inch. I will remeasure again tomorrow, the birds legs with feet attached , beard and wings are all in the refrigerator. I saved the entire wing and want to try to learn how to make something with those as well.

Glad you got one. Congrats!

Quote from: Gobspur on May 18, 2019, 10:19:49 PM
Awesome!  Many congrats to you man.  I'm  very happy you got it done, and great story!  Enjoy it and look forward to next time.  You save the fan to mount?

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Thank you. I have the fan, complete legs, I still have to cut off the feet and spurs, fan and I really hope I did it right and the beard.

My pain made me have to stop but I will get them all in borax tomorrow.

Quote from: Happy on May 18, 2019, 10:26:30 PM
Glad you got one. Congrats!

Thanks Happy, me too!

Congratulations!! Beautiful Gobbler!!

Good deal, congrats on getting it done!

Cool.  That made my day.   Glad it all came together for you.   Congrats, well deserved.!   

Quote from: WiLL B on May 18, 2019, 10:33:13 PM
Congratulations!! Beautiful Gobbler!!

Thank you and thank you :D

Congrats man,on a well earned bird

Quote from: paboxcall on May 18, 2019, 10:35:04 PM
Good deal, congrats on getting it done!

Thank you much. I am glad I sat as long as I did, I was going to go use my 2 man chair blind and go mobile at 9 if nothing happened, I shot it a little after 8

Quote from: guesswho on May 18, 2019, 10:39:44 PM
Cool.  That made my day.   Glad it all came together for you.   Congrats, well deserved.!

Thanks bud, you are one that was a big help to me.

Quote from: Yoteduster on May 18, 2019, 10:42:28 PM
Congrats man,on a well earned bird

Thanks Yoteduster, going to try to make it two tomorrow. If it had been legal I could have taken his partner as well, he stuck around for a while.

Awesome!   Great to see that come together for you. 

CONGRATS!! Great to see your able to get back out at it and earned yourself a bird!!


MK M GOBL

Quote from: Rapscallion Vermilion on May 18, 2019, 10:48:41 PM
Awesome!   Great to see that come together for you.

Thank you, it was and still feels like quite the thrill.

Quote from: MK M GOBL on May 18, 2019, 10:51:43 PM
CONGRATS!! Great to see your able to get back out at it and earned yourself a bird!!


MK M GOBL

Thank you very much. Maybe by next year my body will let me do it without the blind again, that would be fantastic.

Way to go. Congratulations

Quote from: falltoms on May 18, 2019, 11:08:02 PM
Way to go. Congratulations

Thank you. Now time to head to bed, it is 11 and I have to be up by 2:45 Have a good night.

Way to stick with it and make it happen!! Great feeling to take a gobbler!!

Congratulations Steven.

Congrats!

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Heck of a restart. Congratulations, well deserved!

Congrats on the Gobbler

Congrats!

CONGRATS! The day may have started out poorly, but it sure came together nicely. Well done!

Atta Boy! Way to make it happen. Welcome back. Relish in it sir!  :blob10:

Congrats on a beautiful bird!

Congrats

congratulations

Good job man. Congratulations!

Congrats, AWESOME!!!

Way to stick with it!!! Congrats on a great bird.

Congrats, started off bad but every cloud sometimes does have a silver lining. Now get number 2

Awesome brother, I am very happy for you. Nice bird and a better memory  :funnyturkey: :funnyturkey:

Awesome story! Congrats! Glad to see it all came together after a crappy start to the morning!

Quote from: Wigsplitter on May 18, 2019, 11:22:49 PM
Way to stick with it and make it happen!! Great feeling to take a gobbler!!

Thank you very much. It sure does feel great.

Quote from: Spring Creek Calls on May 18, 2019, 11:25:10 PM
Congratulations Steven.

Thank you much.

Quote from: oakraidia on May 18, 2019, 11:37:13 PM
Congrats!

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Thanks.

Quote from: land cruiser on May 19, 2019, 01:34:29 AM
Heck of a restart. Congratulations, well deserved!

Thank you very much. I was able to restart 4 years ago but we lost our vehicle 2 years ago and friends have been kind enough to let us use their vehicles and 3 years ago I had to miss the season for shoulder surgery. I have grateful to God he has let me return as much as he has and very grateful that he allowed me my first turkey yesterday.

Quote from: LaLongbeard on May 19, 2019, 07:51:55 AM
Congrats on the Gobbler

Thank you very much, it sure was a thrill.

Quote from: Jroddc on May 19, 2019, 08:18:25 AM
Congrats!

Thank you.

Quote from: Harty on May 19, 2019, 09:09:35 AM
CONGRATS! The day may have started out poorly, but it sure came together nicely. Well done!

It certainly did start out wrong, it was just God's way of letting me enjoy it more when it finally happened.

Quote from: DUCKDIGGLER on May 19, 2019, 09:23:14 AM
Atta Boy! Way to make it happen. Welcome back. Relish in it sir!  :blob10:

Thank you, thank you and I certainly will! :D

Quote from: DawgsFan1 on May 19, 2019, 09:35:42 AM
Congrats on a beautiful bird!

Thank you very much.

Quote from: jmart241 on May 19, 2019, 09:37:00 AM
Congrats

Thank you kindly.

Quote from: Mtd69 on May 19, 2019, 10:17:15 AM
congratulations

Thank you.

Quote from: Spitten and drummen on May 19, 2019, 10:40:08 AM
Good job man. Congratulations!

Thank you and thank you.

Quote from: 3bailey3 on May 19, 2019, 11:51:25 AM
Congrats, AWESOME!!!

Thank you much.

Quote from: captpete on May 19, 2019, 11:54:07 AM
Way to stick with it!!! Congrats on a great bird.

Thank you.

Quote from: captpete on May 19, 2019, 11:54:07 AM
Way to stick with it!!! Congrats on a great bird.

Quote from: NCL on May 19, 2019, 12:05:40 PM
Congrats, started off bad but every cloud sometimes does have a silver lining. Now get number 2

Thank you, and yes they certainly can. I went out this morning but it started to lighting storm so I came home, found out about and hour ago that after it had gotten light that it was great out. Oh well I got to see and smell all kinds of wildlife on the way there though, deer, fox, coon, woodchuck with tread disease and never got to see one but I smelled a mess of skunk. I hope to be able to make it next weekend if he lets me use his vehicle again.

Quote from: zelmo1 on May 19, 2019, 01:26:27 PM
Awesome brother, I am very happy for you. Nice bird and a better memory  :funnyturkey: :funnyturkey:

Oh it is a memory I will never forget, that's for sure!

Quote from: ejhandler on May 19, 2019, 02:09:16 PM
Awesome story! Congrats! Glad to see it all came together after a crappy start to the morning!

Thank you, was a wonderful turn around for sure.

Congratulations on your first gobbler! Now go bust another one!

Congrats sir. Stay with them
Now they be another limbhanger out there
Give him the dirty deed

Quote from: MISSISSIPPI Double beard on May 19, 2019, 02:30:06 PM
Congratulations on your first gobbler! Now go bust another one!

Thank you, I will have to wait until next weekend but I am going to try.

Quote from: Prohunter3509 on May 19, 2019, 02:44:57 PM
Congrats sir. Stay with them
Now they be another limbhanger out there
Give him the dirty deed

Thank you very much. There was another gobbling that sounded bigger or older but he never came in. Maybe next weekend.

Man that's awesome congrats. I just seen this, were have I been ha ha

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That's awesome congratulations, way hang in there and grit it out. What started out as a rough morning sure did turn around in a big way for you.

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 :icon_thumright:  Well-deserved and, I'm sure, supremely gratifying. Well done!  Congrats.

Congratulations proud for you.

Congrats, that's a great bird.

Congratulations on a great bird!
Nice write up.

good job nice bird

I'm really happy for you on a well deserved bird. You definitely worked all year preparing for this..Some guys would have gave up with the challenges you faced,but you kept at it and persevered... :icon_thumright:

Quote from: Sir-diealot on May 18, 2019, 10:08:21 PM
I love that I had the time to stand there and look down and admire all the wonderful colors shown reflecting in the sunlight, I have never seen that, none of my friends hunt turkey, it was so amazing how they changed in the light. After he stopped moving for the last time was able to see how beautiful and intricate the colors of his head were, the way the colors change on each bump of his head and how pretty that pale blue was and how robust that red was and I reached down and checked out the way the snood felt, it was just amazing to be able to stand there and admire this wonderful creature that God gave to us is. I am so incredibly thankful that God let me get back to this after not really being able to hunt for 17 years, it is suck a glorious gift he has given us to be able to enjoy the world and the creatures he has created.

I have often spoken of "relishing the moment..."  I primarily hunt birds, and turkeys are the only game, that I really relish that moment after taking a bird...

Every time I take a bird, I will sit there and just admire the bird in a state of disbelief that I actually got it...

I enjoyed your story, and could feel your excitement as I read it...   Great Job!!!  All the way around...

So the next question. Who has a better beard? The Turkey or the hunter?

Quote from: Happy on May 19, 2019, 09:09:44 PM
So the next question. Who has a better beard? The Turkey or the hunter?

Now that's a tough question, that got me cracked up! Ha ha

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Congrats on your nice gobbler, good shooting and way to get it done

Congratulations!! So glad to hear you were rewarded with your patience and perseverance brother!

Congratulations proud for you.

Happy for you man. Hope it's the first of many!

Congratulations on a fine bird. Good story, too.

High five! Congrats!  :you_rock:

Congratulations!! Perseverance!! (Just like your Schwarzenegger quote.) Nice work getting it done.

Phattso  ;)

 :you_rock:Congrats Sirdiealot! All your work and preparations paid off big time. Glad you were able to get a fine gobbler!         :you_rock:

Congrats on a fine bird. Enjoyed reading the story as well!

Quote from: Happy on May 19, 2019, 09:09:44 PM
So the next question. Who has a better beard? The Turkey or the hunter?

No contest for turkey here, I hope the bird can at least claim the victory on spurs.

That's awesome!

Congrats on a fine bird!

Congrats on your first one. Now go get one more (if I still lived in Corning, I would've been more than happy to try and get #2). Good job sticking with it too.

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Great job!

Congratulations to you! I know you've put in the time and glad it all worked out for you.

Sorry I have not replied to everybody before now, my girlfriend and my dog really miss me when I am away hunting so I wanted to spend a lot of time with both of them, the dog is more jealous of my hunting that the GF is. lol

Thank you for all the congratulations and the compliments, it means so much here than it could on social media as we all love the same sport here so it means so much more and so many of you have helped me along the way with advise and calls and more advise.

As far as the question of the bear goes I think the turkeys was longer and certainly thinker but I like to think my has more character :D

As to the Spurs the turkey has me for sure at this point, but I really do have to get the right foot checked out, I am either getting spurs in my heel or Plantar Fasciitis and they both run in my family and I certainly do not want to become a limb hanger!

Congrats man!!! :icon_thumright: The way this story started out, I figured you were going to the hospital, not killing a gobbler!! Boy was I wrong!! ;D I know you have some physical problems, so I'm very happy your morning turned itself around in a big way!! :fud: :turkey:
Congrats again!! :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:

Quote from: RutnNStrutn on May 21, 2019, 05:35:15 PM
Congrats man!!! :icon_thumright: The way this story started out, I figured you were going to the hospital, not killing a gobbler!! Boy was I wrong!! ;D I know you have some physical problems, so I'm very happy your morning turned itself around in a big way!! :fud: :turkey:
Congrats again!! :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:

Thanks bud, glad you enjoyed it.

Congrats on a nice bird .. i'm glad all that grief i give you on the forum payed off ... lol...  It's those day's sometimes you feel the worst is the day your successful .... I guess that god's work ... see we are going to make a turkey hunter out of you yet .... 

Quote from: Greg Massey on May 21, 2019, 11:52:30 PM
Congrats on a nice bird .. i glad all that grief i give you on the forum payed off ... lol...  It's those day's sometimes you feel the worst is the day your successful .... I guess that god's work ... see we are going to make a turkey hunter out of you yet ....

Thanks. Yea I think I am getting there. Now with all this experience I am going to have to teach you old guys a thing or two and write a book. :P

Oh one thing I realize I forgot to mention is that I was using one of Neal's Rutland Diamond wood strikers on the copper call when I started to call them in.

Man that is fantastic! Congratulations!


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Quote from: Wisgobbler on May 22, 2019, 12:51:47 AM
Man that is fantastic! Congratulations!


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Thank you very much.

Quote from: Sir-diealot on May 21, 2019, 11:54:50 PM

Quote from: Greg Massey on May 21, 2019, 11:52:30 PM
Congrats on a nice bird .. i glad all that grief i give you on the forum payed off ... lol...  It's those day's sometimes you feel the worst is the day your successful .... I guess that god's work ... see we are going to make a turkey hunter out of you yet ....

Thanks. Yea I think I am getting there. Now with all this experience I am going to have to teach you old guys a thing or two and write a book.

Use pictures in your book please. I am an exceptionally good looking fellow that dont read to good.

I am sorry I did not see this post sooner. I am truly moved and filled emotionally from reading your story and all the post following. This is truly what the brotherhood of turkey Hunters should be ( not that senseless quarreling we have seen on other threads). I stand and applaud you brother and join you in praising God.

I doubt there is such a thing, but I nominate you and your gobbler for "Hunt and Bird of the year".

Congratulations, my friend. If I had never had to get back in the game from a serious injury I wouldn't understand how much it truly means to you. After I was shot and nearly died, I wasn't sure I could ever enjoy the spring woods again, but with perseverance I have.


CONGRATULATIONS:  :happy0064:

Quote from: Happy on May 22, 2019, 06:37:31 AM

Quote from: Sir-diealot on May 21, 2019, 11:54:50 PM

Quote from: Greg Massey on May 21, 2019, 11:52:30 PM
Congrats on a nice bird .. i glad all that grief i give you on the forum payed off ... lol...  It's those day's sometimes you feel the worst is the day your successful .... I guess that god's work ... see we are going to make a turkey hunter out of you yet ....

Thanks. Yea I think I am getting there. Now with all this experience I am going to have to teach you old guys a thing or two and write a book.

Use pictures in your book please. I am an exceptionally good looking fellow that dont read to good.

They only guy on the planet that actually buys Playboy for the pictures. Wow!

Quote from: eggshell on May 22, 2019, 07:38:00 AM
I am sorry I did not see this post sooner. I am truly moved and filled emotionally from reading your story and all the post following. This is truly what the brotherhood of turkey Hunters should be ( not that senseless quarreling we have seen on other threads). I stand and applaud you brother and join you in praising God.

I doubt there is such a thing, but I nominate you and your gobbler for "Hunt and Bird of the year".

Congratulations, my friend. If I had never had to get back in the game from a serious injury I wouldn't understand how much it truly means to you. After I was shot and nearly died, I wasn't sure I could ever enjoy the spring woods again, but with perseverance I have.


CONGRATULATIONS:  :happy0064:

First off let me say I am glad you were able to get back into the woods, it is something that to this day makes me cry when I think of my first day back in the turkey woods on my own, it just was so emotional for me as was getting this, my first turkey every. If you watched my horrible video you can hear my voice starting to crack at the end, I did cry then as well, I am not given to being an emotional person but it just felt like such an incredible victory for me if it makes any sense to put it that way.

I do not like the idea of anybody losing the ability to hunt or fish, I used to have to use an electric wheelchair to get around things were so bad with my balance and my pain, it was something I needed in crowds and where I would have to stand for a time. I just offered it to a guy that is having health issues as well as one of my blinds to help him get back out.

The gentleman that taught me all I know about archery that I did not learn from a book is a very giving man and gave me a lot of stuff when I started, let me come to his house and shoot my bow constantly and encouraged me greatly, it is something that I have done as well and to me is the meaning of the word Sportsmanship, I have given away or loaned out so many things to people some of the loaned out stuff I got back, some I never expected to get back but just wanted to help others get started. It is what we are supposed to do, I firmly believe that.

A few years ago my friends two sons were out turkey hunting, the one son (Eldest) went forward to scout for turkey for his younger brother who was on what I think was his very first turkey hunt, well the younger was sitting there and heard something moving and then saw motion and ended up shooting his brother in the right side of face, neck, shoulder and chest. He came very close to dying, he happened to have a cell phone with him which was a fortuitous thing as they are Mennonites and are not supposed to have them, thank God he did that day or he would be dead. It took him a bit to get back into the woods emotionally and his little brother took years to get back into the woods because A. they took his hunting rights away from him for a few years and B. just the emotional part of it. His brother that he shot did get him back in the woods eventually but it is not the same for him anymore. The one good thing that did come out of it and was a major contributing factor is that they found out the younger desperately needed glasses, the father told me the first time he put glasses on he just stood there and stared at things because he could not believe how much he could see and all the definition between leaves and all.

Anyway back to what you were saying, thank you very much for the compliments, I truly do appreciate them. And yes we do have a wonderful group of guys and gals here, I am so glad I found this site, none of my friends really turkey hunt. I did make a new friend turkey hunting this year hunting the property so who knows what may come of that.

Posting a picture of me in the wheelchair in front of the Super Bowl XL trophy in Pittsburgh several years ago, so glad I do not need to use the chair anymore. Also my profile picture is a picture I took of myself that first day back in the woods on my own, that is why it is my profile pic, it means a lot to me.

Congrats!

They only guy on the planet that actually buys Playboy for the pictures. Wow!

Nah, I am a pretty handsome fellow but my wife is even better looking. I did really well landing her.
Now a serious question, deer or Turkey hunting? I enjoy deer (especially with a bow) but it is no contest to spring turkey hunting.

Quote from: Gobble! on May 22, 2019, 11:27:09 AM
Congrats!

Thank you.

Quote from: Happy on May 22, 2019, 11:41:39 AM
They only guy on the planet that actually buys Playboy for the pictures. Wow!

Nah, I am a pretty handsome fellow but my wife is even better looking. I did really well landing her.
Now a serious question, deer or Turkey hunting? I enjoy deer (especially with a bow) but it is no contest to spring turkey hunting.

I was talking about this with somebody the other day, I am the only guy in our group that talks about turkey hunting in the middle of deer season. I want to get back to where I can shoot bow, I love bow hunting as much as turkey hunting and want to incorporate the two, that was my goal before my car accident in 2001. I do love deer hunting don't get me wrong, it really helps me when I get that meat because of my diet but I would still rather be on turkey. Three things I really want to hunt are bear, Elk and Moose. Bear is something that interests me and I don't really know why but Moose and especially Elk seem like they would be like calling in a 1500 lb. turkey because they are so vocal and it seems like the game is played much the same, especially for Elk.

Now bear is something I never had an interest in. Dont know why but I have been around plenty of them and even could have killed some but I just have no desire to. Just something about them that reminds me of a person. Years ago, back when i fed  the critters in the back yard i had a good 400 pounder coming in. During the summer he knew if he heard the lawn tractor that i had just dumped corn in the feeder. He would come strolling out as i was mowing and once i would get within about 50 yards of him he would stroll back into the woods and then stroll back out as soon as I passed. Once I was out of corn and on my first pass with the mower he came on out and started towards the feeder. I shut off the mower and told him it was still empty. He stopped looked at me and walked over to the feeder. The look he shot me when he realized it was empty was one of sheer disappointment and disgust. He then stomped back to the woods sulking like a child.

Quote from: Happy on May 22, 2019, 12:54:32 PM
Now bear is something I never had an interest in. Dont know why but I have been around plenty of them and even could have killed some but I just have no desire to. Just something about them that reminds me of a person. Years ago, back when i fed  the critters in the back yard i had a good 400 pounder coming in. During the summer he knew if he heard the lawn tractor that i had just dumped corn in the feeder. He would come strolling out as i was mowing and once i would get within about 50 yards of him he would stroll back into the woods and then stroll back out as soon as I passed. Once I was out of corn and on my first pass with the mower he came on out and started towards the feeder. I shut off the mower and told him it was still empty. He stopped looked at me and walked over to the feeder. The look he shot me when he realized it was empty was one of sheer disappointment and disgust. He then stomped back to the woods sulking like a child.

lol that is funny. I am not one that believes that animals have the same mental capacities of humans, but they do certainly learn our habits and react accordingly.

My church has a missionary and he is in Manitoba Canada and he told me about helping one of the guides out there and he said after they had picked up and skinned one of the bears a client had gotten the guide told the missionary to look back at the bear and tell him what he saw, he said he took a long pause when he looked back because skinned they look very much like a human corpse. I would love to get a cinnamon or blonde phased black bear before I die.

They are beginning to become more and more prevalent in my area and more so in some of the surrounding counties where the terrain is a bit more rugged and secluded. Years ago I went to Raquette Lake Adirondack her in NY and one evening we went to a garbage dump and it was where all the black bear would go to eat at night. I wound up getting within a foot or two from one of them as did another guy. The other guy reached down and petted the bear so I started to bend down to do the same, the bear growled at me so I decided that maybe I had just better leave it alone. I may not be the sharpest tool in the drawer but I am far from the dullest. I guess a few weeks later there was a kid that got mulled at the same dump.

Happy,

I have to admit I laughed out loud at your bear story, like you I never have had a desire to hunt bears.

I have often referred to turkey hunting as a poor man's elk hunt. I have hunted elk in the Bitterroot valley and it was work, hunted moose in Canada, deer in several states, and antelope in Wyoming but I still think turkey hunting is the best,pheasant over a good dog is a close second.

Quote from: NCL on May 22, 2019, 01:46:10 PM
Happy,

I have to admit I laughed out loud at your bear story, like you I never have had a desire to hunt bears.

I have often referred to turkey hunting as a poor man's elk hunt. I have hunted elk in the Bitterroot valley and it was work, hunted moose in Canada, deer in several states, and antelope in Wyoming but I still think turkey hunting is the best,pheasant over a good dog is a close second.

Pheasant and rabbit are both something I would like to try but I am scared to do it to be honest. My balance is not good (Lot better than it was) and I fear my feet getting tangled and falling in the type of ground that you have to walk through and hurting or killing someone. I think a dog on point is a beautiful thing. I used to love to watch that show Hunting With Hank

Way to go!!!  Congratulations.  Ain't it great having a hunt work out like it's supposed to?  I'm happy for you. There's still season left for you too.

Jim

Quote from: Cut N Run on May 22, 2019, 09:34:51 PM
Way to go!!!  Congratulations.  Ain't it great having a hunt work out like it's supposed to?  I'm happy for you. There's still season left for you too.

Jim

Thank you very much, yes I love it when a plan comes together as Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith used to say. Hoping to use my friends van this weekend, I know I have it last day of the season as I have to change clothes in the field and head to my pre-op appointment for my shoulder surgery. I will be bringing a cooler along just in case!

Congratulations! As always I enjoyed a good read.

Quote from: appalachianstruttstopper on May 23, 2019, 01:10:18 AM
Congratulations! As always I enjoyed a good read.

Thank you very much and glad you enjoyed the read.

Congratulations on a fine gobbler!  A great account of your hunt and story. I was only able to hunt one morning in NY and probably won't be able to get out before the end either. A story like yours reminds usl of what turkey brings to our lives and gives us good reason to persevere and get up another morning ....things can change in minutes.  I was thankful to hunt Texas in early April and harvest 2 Rios so all was not lost for me this season but that trip was a sacrifice of my free time to hunt this May. I wish you luck on getting the gobblers friend that was with him.

Quote from: arrow1 on May 26, 2019, 01:44:00 PM
Congratulations on a fine gobbler!  A great account of your hunt and story. I was only able to hunt one morning in NY and probably won't be able to get out before the end either. A story like yours reminds usl of what turkey brings to our lives and gives us good reason to persevere and get up another morning ....things can change in minutes.  I was thankful to hunt Texas in early April and harvest 2 Rios so all was not lost for me this season but that trip was a sacrifice of my free time to hunt this May. I wish you luck on getting the gobblers friend that was with him.

Thank you very much. Did not get the van this weekend but still have last day of the season to hunt. Means a lot of different things to different people and for different reasons but brings us all joy even if not successful. I am going to go after Rio's in OK in 2021 when I visit family in Oklahoma, looking forward to doing that. Thanks for the well wishes and best of luck to you as well, hope you can get out again.

Quote from: Sir-diealot on May 18, 2019, 10:08:21 PM
The day just Started out crappy, I had a hard time getting out of bed, when I sat up everything was spinning and when I tried to stand my ankle gave out. I was having a hard time getting out the door, could not find anything i wanted and my body was just fighting me. By the time I pulled out of the driveway it was between 4:00-4:15 and I am normally in the blind by that time. On the way there I had a few deer run out in front of me, I was lucky the moon was so bright and I was able to see them a long way off and avoided hitting them.

So I got to where I was going to be hunting and started walking up to the blind and it must have been about 4:45 and I was able to see blue in the sky starting to appear so I headed right out. I got a tad bit nervous as on my way to the blind I got a strong order of skunk, I have had a few close encounters with skunks in the past including one lifting his tail in my direction three to five times. Luckily I was able to get to the blind without running into the little newspaper colored devil and without the use of my green light that I normally use.

I got all set up but did not bother to set up the decoys as I was running so late, I just got things arranged in the blind and waited to hear the toms start to gobble. They did not. The lack of gobbling really surprised me, I have been hunting the property for a few years now and have never, not even once had a day I did not hear at least one gobble. It did not bode well with me as I fear my late entrance had spoiled any opportunity I may have have to get a turkey.

As the sun came up I decided to send my GF a text letting her know that I had gotten there alright, something I do every morning after the sun is up enough that the light of the cell will not disturb the turkey. That was at 6:34 and there still had been no sound whatsoever. I was getting rather bummed.

A little after that a few deer came out into the lane-way and started to feed, I felt that was a good thing thinking that if any turkey were to come around they would see the relaxed deer and may let their guard down. Eventually the deer left and then nothing but silence. That went on for quite a while.

At 7:17 I sent a text to a friend commenting on how dead it was there and he replied that that way not good. I sent another text to my sister a minute later telling her my nephews had to come call for me with the calls Christopher Brumfield had sent me for them and then sat there and got board as nothing was happening.

I did make a conscience effort not to call a lot as I have seen many people here post that when it is dead you should call sparingly, so I only called every half hour or so, but got no replies no matter what call I had tried.

I looked over and saw a pouch with a call I had not realize I had brought, a copper call with the American flag on it I had purchased from Jessie Jefferson of C4 - Crooked Creek Custom Creations using one of Neal's Rutland Diamondwood strikers and the very first time I played that call I got replies above me and to my right immediately. I had one that was gobbling at me for some time but would not come down at first, he was kinda far but close to me at the same time if you know what I mean, lots of stuff he would have to go around before he could get to me.

I decided to gamble a little bit as I knew I had a little time and as he was coming from my right and I am right handed I did two things, I closed one of the windows that would be behind me as he approached so as not to silhouette myself as he came in and I carefully moved my chair so that I would be able to comfortably shoot in that direction.

I hit the copper call again and he sounded off again, and so did another gobbler and then I could see the first but barely, I turned the scope on the shotgun up to 4 and peered through it to be sure that I was seeing what I thought I was seeing (I had the netting up on my blind and it can distort your view a bit at distance) Sure enough he was standing there and he did display once, but then he went back up to the field he had been in. He would come down a bit but then go back up. I had been trying to soften my calling on the copper call but with my hand problems that can be a bit hard for me at times.

While trying to decide what to do and looking in that direction I saw what I am pretty sure were 4-6 other turkeys run out of the woods going from left to right and into the other side of the lane-way.

I hit the copper call again and I am am really sure I heard about 4 toms sound off in different areas around me. I saw the one come back in again but he would not come down, that is when I reached for another call, my Apple wood and Mullberry made by Eric Crouse of Grizz Friction Wood Calls.

I used that call the first time and had an immediate response so I hit that call a second time and had several gobble around me again, so I waited a few seconds and played it again and that is when I saw two coming from where I had seen the first making a beeline coming at me at a steady run like a pair of Olympic track stars trying to find out which one would break the tape first.

I was able to set the call down and get my my gun up from my lap onto my shoulder and to the yoke I had to use to keep the front of the gun up all before they had gotten half way to me, this allowed me to check out their beards and choose which of the two I wanted to take. My biggest fear was that the sound of the safety going to the fire position would startle them and they would take off on me. I wish they had displayed but they did not really do that, the one lifted his tail to 3/4 strut but never beyond that and the second did  not try to display at all.

I remember reading here of people misjudging distance when looking through the scope so I kept lifting my eye just to be sure they were as close as I thought, I was also trying to see the spurs but could not as the grass was a little to high.

I decided which one I wanted to take and waited for the second to clear him, they passed in front of each other a few times so I had to wait and they got a bit closer than I had realized, but when I finally had an ethical shot to take I took it, and he dropped like a ton of bricks, no flop or nothing, dead on impact.

Things started to fly through my mind, like jumping out of the blind and getting the bird, and all those other things you see on videos, but the biggest though was turn that safety back on!

I sat for a few seconds, shook with excited joy and thanked God for allowing me to return to the woods to take part in this wonderful sport we all love.

I was sitting there a few minutes and then I got a surprise, he started to move a little on me, that is when I said hey wait right there buster and made like the dudes in the videos and got to him and stepped on his neck. In retrospect I am sure it was just nerves making him move.

I love that I had the time to stand there and look down and admire all the wonderful colors shown reflecting in the sunlight, I have never seen that, none of my friends hunt turkey, it was so amazing how they changed in the light. After he stopped moving for the last time was able to see how beautiful and intricate the colors of his head were, the way the colors change on each bump of his head and how pretty that pale blue was and how robust that red was and I reached down and checked out the way the snood felt, it was just amazing to be able to stand there and admire this wonderful creature that God gave to us truly is. I am so incredibly thankful that God let me get back to this after not really being able to hunt for 17 years, it is such a glorious gift he has given us to be able to enjoy the world and the creatures he has created.

If there is one bad thing about this is that the dummy that I am I left the call that I made sitting between the seats of the van, that would have made things even cooler yet.

Thanks to all of you that have helped me get calls and have offered me advise this past year, it has been very much appreciated.

I do have this I took on my cell but it is not the greatest as the cell is not the greatest. https://youtu.be/Gy9zHw4O4eg

Great story my man! Yes, God is very good to supply us with such beauty and the challenge to our predatory nature! Plus, they are delicious!


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Great story my man! Yes, God is very good to supply us with such beauty and the challenge to our predatory nature! Plus, they are delicious!


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Thank you much. He certainly does bless us. Yes they certainly are delicious!
.

I just went back and reread this post for probably the fourth time. I didn't take the time to fully appreciate the excitement and humble gratitude you expressed. I guess now that turkey season is over and I sit back and reflect on this past season. I can honestly say this is my favorite vicarious moment from the entire season. God bless you man. Thanks for taking us with you. No doubt I'll be back to read this again and feel like I'm right there with you.


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Quote from: Wisgobbler on June 01, 2019, 06:23:17 PM
I just went back and reread this post for probably the fourth time. I didn't take the time to fully appreciate the excitement and humble gratitude you expressed. I guess now that turkey season is over and I sit back and reflect on this past season. I can honestly say this is my favorite vicarious moment from the entire season. God bless you man. Thanks for taking us with you. No doubt I'll be back to read this again and feel like I'm right there with you.


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Thank you very much for the compliments. I thank you for them for another reason other than just the normal thanks as I went to pick up my stuff this morning and took a couple a pictures to try to show where the turkeys came from and had forgotten all about them until I saw your comment. Just remember it was two weeks ago and the was not nearly as tall as in the pictures dated today.

The other pics are to show what is down the left side of that intersection, took those 4 years ago I think when I first started hunting again, was a horrible morning, I could not sit still at all. A pretty morning though.

I chose the location because of that intersection and there is also a field to the right of that gas marker about 40 yards up and behind me it angles down to a driveway which is the entrance with a huge field and they kept coming up that row out of the field last year.

Congrats on your wonderful morning, nice bird

Quote from: Chris O on June 03, 2019, 10:11:40 PM
Congrats on your wonderful morning, nice bird

Thanks Chris, it truly was a joy. Found this pic I took on my cell today, forgot I took it.

Might be your first,but it sure wont be your last. Turkey hunting is very addicting, and it only gets worse now than you scored, and now you know that feeling..... Congratulations.

Quote from: Triple B on June 04, 2019, 05:10:35 PM
Might be your first,but it sure wont be your last. Turkey hunting is very addicting, and it only gets worse now than you scored, and now you know that feeling..... Congratulations.

Thank you much. I know it is addicting, could not hunt for 17 years because of car accident and it was not deer hunting that kept me dreaming, it was turkey hunting. Gets under your skin.