We all have reasons we love the things we do. I'd bet it's safe to say, that everyone here loves turkey hunting. This past April, before our season came in, I was doing some scouting and I was blessed enough to see one of the most beautiful sunrises I've ever seen. The sun was just starting to crest over the mountain horizon and it was painting the sky with the prettiest colors. I felt extremely blessed to be alive, in that moment and in that spot. I was the only human being on earth with that exact same view at that point in time. It was my sunrise. The best part of It? There was a gobbler in the bottom directly below the sun gobbling his head off. He was gobbling at every sound he heard, without any persuasion from me or my locator calls. For that period of time, I was the richest man in the world at that moment. Everything about that moment is engrained in my soul until the day I die. Moving forward about a week to opening day, I went back to the sunrise spot a little after daylight and eased into the woods. Wouldn't you know it, the gobbler is still there and gobbling as he was during our first encounter. He was about 300 yards away and on the ground, going away. I called with my box and he gobbled immediately after. I knew I had to get ready. I eased up about 30 yards to the best looking spot to set up and picked me a tree. I hit my box again and about the 3rd yelp, ol pretty boy cut me off. I just laid my call down and got ready. He closed the distance in about 10 minutes, gobbling every few steps. I never had to wonder where he was at he was very good at letting me know. He finally came over a small rise at about 30 yards in full strut. He strutted around a few minutes and gobbled about twice, and the next time he stuck his head up was the last time. It was one of my favorite hunts I've had to date, but they're all great. The bird wasn't exceptional in size. A 2 year old with a 9 inch beard and 3/4 spurs, but it couldn't have been better if he was 25 lbs with long hooks.
Yesterday, I made my first wing bone yelper out of one of his wing and I'm really liking it. I've got a lot of practice to do with it but I'm confident in it and I'm almost certain I'll be using it next spring in the woods.
Here's the sunrise
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171010/9602752feec280d275ab36bc1ae65d25.jpg)
Here's the gobbler
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171010/1deb0edad61515b11e81c3faf45a38c8.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171010/73907b97b7bb4feb99e2d3442e31c5f3.jpg)
And here's the call
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171010/07967379421cbe7c00726d1879c59edc.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171010/0d27599f377de0ec2d455cd2afd3df17.jpg)
God bless you all and God bless America!
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(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171010/db9a54492d1b3a16c47e20cb3ad97dfd.jpg)
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Nice!
Welcome to the disease. Awesome looking wingbone and great story and pics. Thanks for sharing. Really good post and what this forum is all about.
All around great story..wing bone looks great...
Thanks every one. I'm not new to turkey hunting, but every bird gets me as excited as the first one did. That's one thing I love so much about it. It's the only thing I do that makes me feel that way.
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Quote from: blake_08 on October 10, 2017, 08:01:59 PM
It's the only thing I do that makes me feel that way.
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Yup. I was right. Welcome friend. :z-winnersmiley:
Its like the way Tom Kelly put it, "I'm glad I lived to see it one more time." You're a turkey hunter my friend, a great lookin call and a fine hunt to bag him. Now to call in a bird next year with that 'bone.'
Wingbone looks great and thanks for a great story.We can all remember a special hunt that is why we keep doing it. Thanks for sharing
Congrats, glad to see you enjoy what it is truly about. Good luck with the new call and enjoy the memories.
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Beautiful sunrise, excellent story, awesome wingbone. You have a gift of writing so that it was as though I was on the hunt with you.
Thanks for sharing
Those young ones getting to tag along yet? If not your in for a whole new level of enjoyment in the near future, mine are grown, we still hunt together anytime we can, but I sure miss those days.
nice picture and story, good looking call, congrats
Great Story! Nice Call.
Great story and you weaved it so well...Man, that's what you live life for! I can't imagine what someone's life is like that doesn't hunt and doesn't get to experience all that a glorious morning like that is...And to salvage a vestige of that hunt to carry on to the next one is, well, priceless...
Thanks for sharing all of that with us!
Thanks for all the kind words everyone.
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https://youtu.be/rq4gHD_9pMk
Here's a sound file. I've never tried a wing bone before this one, so I'm learning. I'd like one a little higher pitched, so would shortening the bones on my next call produce a higher pitch or just a loss in volume?
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Nice story. Congrats!!
Quote from: blake_08 on October 12, 2017, 01:41:31 PM
https://youtu.be/rq4gHD_9pMk
Here's a sound file. I've never tried a wing bone before this one, so I'm learning. I'd like one a little higher pitched, so would shortening the bones on my next call produce a higher pitch or just a loss in volume?
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I think your call sounds good.
Great Story!!! That wingbone does look like a good one! This may become a habit as it did for me. I have made a good 10 wingbones over the decades-both gobbler and hen. They don't look anywhere near as good looking as your wingbone though. I probably make mine different from most turkey hunters as I don't boil the bones. I just use Elmers glue and they are ready after the 2 bones are cleaned and dried out. I was hoping to bag a hen in New York this Fall to make a few more wingbones- but struck out on public land. I was out 10 times. Once more in New Jersey tomorrow though--hard climb up Cupsaw Mt. in the pre-dawn.
This past Spring- I found the bony remains of a gobbler that was killed by a fox or bobcat. I was able to make a wingbone out of the Ulna and radius that I found there. That winbone which was cleaned very well did not sound good at all. This happens sometimes when making a gobbler wingbone. I have always had great sounding hen wingbones however. Again- great story and a good looking wingbone!
I love the look of the wrapping.
great job and cool story and nice job on the bone!
Enjoyed reading your story and congrats on the hunt. Fatbeard is making me a wingbone call from a hen I shot this fall. I'm not really a wingbone guy myself, but I look forward to playing around with it.
I would be curious to know how it sounds. I had always heard that hen wing bones made the best call. Not sure if that is right or not, but your sunrise gobbler sure did Make a pretty call.
I have lost a few wingbones also during the years in the turkey woods. I no longer carry them in a front shirt pocket. I need to get a laynard for my fav wingbone that I have named (sweet clucker). I wrote on it with black magic marker. I am pretty sure this one was made from a rather large Fall hen.I have taken a few Fall hens in excess of 13lbs.
The clucks on this wingbone are awesome. I like to start with this while the gobblers are still roosted.
Quote from: Hooksfan on November 04, 2017, 05:25:51 PM
Enjoyed reading your story and congrats on the hunt. Fatbeard is making me a wingbone call from a hen I shot this fall. I'm not really a wingbone guy myself, but I look forward to playing around with it.
I would be curious to know how it sounds. I had always heard that hen wing bones made the best call. Not sure if that is right or not, but your sunrise gobbler sure did Make a pretty call.
I posted a sound file on up in this thread if you'd like to hear it. it's a youtube link. click it and it should take you right to it.
Thanks for all the compliments guys. I enjoyed making the call and i have two more wings in the freezer so i still have a couple more to make. I want to try and shorten the bones on my next call to get a little higher pitch, but i will definitely be using a wingbone some in spring 2018.
That's your first one?! Dang nice work! I think it's safe to say that you got some talent brother! Love it.