2021 Strut Stopper Story Thread

[fmf]

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This was one of those rare mornings where everything just went so smoothly that you just had a good feeling about it.

Great bird and story, congrats!  I love that "one is gonna die today" feeling driving in!

[dzsmith]

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My best scoring public bird. Story later

is that 2 beards that I see?  Either way, great bird!  Definitely a heck of a rope for around here!

yes 2 beards 10” and 8”. The bird actually had one spur that was 1,3/8” and the other was chipped on the tip making it 1,5/16”. Couldn’t hold the tape around the curve with one hand and take a pic with the other so I just entered it as both spurs as 1,5/16”. Yeah it was a good bird. Spent 8 days trying to kill him. Had a couple opportunities when he was over the property line .... but the point in hunting public to begin with is to kill the bird on the public. He roosted back and forth on and off the property so it took some time to catch him in the right spot on a morning I was able to get in front of him. Killed him right off the limb 7am. Tree yelped on my trumpet ... he answered me twice . He gobbled one more time on the limb and his next gobble he was on the ridge with me. He stayed in the thick stuff for a while strutting. Sun wasn’t up enough where I could  see him. After about 15 minutes of the same thing , when he broke to leave I caught a glimpse of him, and soft called and he started strutting again behind a tree. Long enough for me to get turned about 90 degrees and be ready when he finally stepped out from the tree. Of course he , only stuck his head out over and over . So I could see tail fan and head. Pretty smart dude , he had definitely played this game before. However he did finally take one more step and I let him have it. I typically do not devote tHat kind of time to a bird .... I simply hunt the hot ones , but I figured I actually had the time this year, and I had seen the bird before and knew he was a good bearded bird none the less . It was definitely worth the 8 day it took to seal the deal. I would not breathe life back into this one lol.

[aclawrence]

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 Congrats dzsmith. That’s extra sweet to get one you’ve been chasing like that and then for it to be a stud turkey.

Congrats fmf. I’d prefer calling in a gobbling bird to but I’d be happy to get another one just about anyway that’s legal lol. They’re all trophies and tasty!


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[bornagain64]

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Nice job everyone. Keep it up.
My best hunt is coming up next week, so hopefully I can get it done.

[turkey harvester]

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Great job guys. Youth season is this weekend. Hopefully my nephew can smack one.

[aclawrence]

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Hey team I have missed this whole week of hunting. All of my family got the stomach virus except for my wife. She has a phobia of throwing up and goes into serious cleaning mode. Anyway I haven’t really been sick since earlier this week but it is still kicking my butt. I’ve never been so drained of energy from being sick before. I’ve spent a lot of time laying in bed. In the meantime my brother has been out and so far this season seems worse than last year as far as hunting pressure. He’s been out a couple mornings in the middle of the week with bad rainy weather and there are still multiple trucks at most of the gates. Lots of these trucks are out of state. Well I’m just really getting my self worked into a real pity party over here now. Anyway I’m hoping to preserve and make my way back to the woods this coming Monday. I’ve only been out twice in about 12 or 13 days of the season but I’m batting 50% so I can’t complain about that.  I’m grateful it was just the stomach virus, and that I’m about to reenergized and hunting again. Hope you all get to punch a tag soon!


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[turkey harvester]

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Took my nephew and the neighbors daughter hunting yesterday for last day of Mo youth season. Things were looking grim because the birds were not talking. Started field hopping found some. 3 adults and 2 kids tryin to hide on a spur of the moment is tough lol. Put out a full strutter decoy and dropped back to call. Birds seen the kids getting ready and started running out of the field. I got loud and proud on the calling and the girls dad said they're running back to us! I was laying on my belly and finally seen them coming. A pair of jakes came to investigate the decoy and after a 1 2 3, both birds went to flopping. Grayson, my nephew, got his first bird and Reese got her second bird!! Absolute great day in the turkey woods

[Dmason3]

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That’s awesome!


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[birdman67]

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Congrats guys on some great birds and great stories!

[birdman67]

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After not being able to hunt much with the wife being down, the Lord blessed me this morning.

Not much action at daylight. One bird way off was it. I sit and waited. About 630 I finally heard one gobble on the land I was hunting. I made my way down a road and closed the distance. I hit him with a few calls and he refused to answer. He actually shut down gobbling after I called. This let me know that he had probably already been educated. I sat for about 30 min and then eased back and gave him some space. After resetting a couple hundred yards further down the ridge, I waited on him to make the next move. A little after 8, he finally gobbled again. Since I figured he was pretty smart, I hit the box one time and he answered. I laid the call down and got ready. 15 minutes later I heard a putt to my left, as he walked around me looking for the hen, I was waiting. Finally the first of the season.

10.25 beard
15/16 Spurs
19.6 lbs

[fmf]

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congrats on that double for those youngns TH!  sounds like a fun hunt

congrats on the bird birdman, thats the way to play the game right there

[aclawrence]

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Took my nephew and the neighbors daughter hunting yesterday for last day of Mo youth season. Things were looking grim because the birds were not talking. Started field hopping found some. 3 adults and 2 kids tryin to hide on a spur of the moment is tough lol. Put out a full strutter decoy and dropped back to call. Birds seen the kids getting ready and started running out of the field. I got loud and proud on the calling and the girls dad said they're running back to us! I was laying on my belly and finally seen them coming. A pair of jakes came to investigate the decoy and after a 1 2 3, both birds went to flopping. Grayson, my nephew, got his first bird and Reese got her second bird!! Absolute great day in the turkey woods

That sounds like a blast!


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[aclawrence]

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After not being able to hunt much with the wife being down, the Lord blessed me this morning.

Not much action at daylight. One bird way off was it. I sit and waited. About 630 I finally heard one gobble on the land I was hunting. I made my way down a road and closed the distance. I hit him with a few calls and he refused to answer. He actually shut down gobbling after I called. This let me know that he had probably already been educated. I sat for about 30 min and then eased back and gave him some space. After resetting a couple hundred yards further down the ridge, I waited on him to make the next move. A little after 8, he finally gobbled again. Since I figured he was pretty smart, I hit the box one time and he answered. I laid the call down and got ready. 15 minutes later I heard a putt to my left, as he walked around me looking for the hen, I was waiting. Finally the first of the season.

10.25 beard
15/16 Spurs
19.6 lbs

Well played. Congrats!


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[wvhoyt19]

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Awesome! Love reading these stories. WV opens up this weekend for youth. Hope to have a story soon


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[Turkeyman]

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Congrats to all you guys...here I am itching and waiting for May 1.