Four beards and a Butt chewingThis hunt was in the 1980s while I was working at the state fish hatchery. Spring was a very busy time at the hatchery and much of my turkey hunting consisted of a quick hour or maybe two before work. It was my good fortune the hatchery was located right in prime turkey country and there were usually birds right on the property.
I had spent a couple mornings in the valley just N.E. of our facility and messed with a group of gobblers that were being difficult. This valley was mostly state forest or paper company land under agreement for public hunting. A small piece of private transected the public grounds. We were hauling trout this day so I only had time for a quick hunt. One of the guys who worked fisheries at a local lake was helping us, but wanted to get a quick hunt in too. So, we agreed to go into the valley together and I'd hunt the west side and he the east side.
At gobble time birds opened up on the east side and I knew Jim was on them and sat down to listen to his hunt. I could hear him calling and thought there would be a shot any time, but the shot never came. I decided to move up the hill and see if I could find a bird. For some reason I thought I would throw a call and see if I could get JIm's birds to answer and maybe give him a location. I got an answer but they were well below him on the hill. I listened for a moment and started my climb, then I heard a gobble and it came from below me. I thought, "what the heck, there was a bird on my side that I must have walked by on the way in". The next gobble was closer and I set up fast and made a call. I got an answer, but there was multiple birds. There they are, I see them coming and I get ready. At 40 yards the lead bird stops and starts flicking his wings and doing the "I'm about to leave dance". So I bead down on him and kill him. I tag my bird and head to the truck, not thinking much about what had actually happened, just happy with my bird.
When I arrive at my truck I am putting my gear away when I hear a pissed off voice say, you make a habit of trespassing? You were on my land when you shot that turkey. Here was the private landowner that lived just up the dead end lane. I explained I never trespassed and new exactly where I was on paper company land. I also explained I worked for ODNR fisheries and could be fired for a game violation. It never phased him as he explained he was an old marine and took no bullshot or prisoners and I should of thought of my career before I trespassed. I was now really worried, but I knew I was right and I was close to his line but still where I was legal. Still didn't need the investigation if he called the main office. Jim was still in the woods as I left.
In about a half hour Jim showed up at the hatchery and said he wanted to see my bird. I showed it to him and he instantly said, "dang, how many beards that thing have?". I replied with what are you talking about and he said look. I did and discovered it had four beards totaling 23.5 inches. Then everyone had to start looking at it. I had been so distracted by my chewing I hadn't even noticed. It wasn't a big bird and weighed 17.5 pounds and only had 1 1/8" spurs. Jim told how he had sparred with the birds on his side, but all morning they wanted to drift down the hill towards my side. Finally they shut up and he could see them heading down to cross. He explained it was about that time I made my call and they took off practically running to me. I happened to be where they wanted to be. It was my good fortune and there was no hard feelings from Jim. Actually he went back two days later and killed one of the others and it had a 13" beard, the longest I had ever seen, those birds had good beard genes I guess.
I waited all day for the call I knew was coming about my encounter with the landowner. I had decided I would just have to have a law investigator come out and show him I was legal. In the mean time my friends from Ky. showed up for a three day hunt and stopped by work to wait for me to get off. About that time I see a vehicle pulling in and it is the landowner. I tell my friends this is about to get ugly with this old marine. One of these friends is an ex-marine and wounded warrior. He said, I can handle a fellow marine. As this old gruff got out, my friend belts out a semper fi and the old marine stops in his tracks and says, what conflict and my buddy says Vietnam, two purple hearts. He laughs and they engage in war stories. Then he turns to me and I melt as I know the fun is over. He immediately says, " I came to apologize, I went up and found right where you sat and where the turkey fell and you were perfectly legal". He admitted he was wrong and I said it was an honest mistake and I understood a lot of hunters had trespassed. Then he says, "I want to make it up to you and give you permission to hunt my property, and your buddies can hunt too". He stated old marines stuck together and my friend was blood. It turns out we hunted that property for many years, until he died and killed a bunch of birds off it. Sometimes things that look really bad actually turn out good.