My Contribution

[huntinhard]

I put 2 birds down this weekend (officially tagged out) and here's the better of the two:
Weight:20.25 lbs
Beard: 10 1/8"
Spurs: both 1"

Total score is 60.5

[MDbowman]

Congrats on the great bird!  Good to see all the official pics.  Got any stories to go with the birds. I still have 3 weeks to go, I need stories!!

[utgirl052]

WOOOO HOOOOOO    Way to put us on the board!!!!!! 

[huntthehollow]

Atta boy huntinhard!! Like MD said, i've got till May 1st, i need a story! Plus could you pm me some info about huntin florida turkeys? My dad has a place in Orlando and we were interested for next year.

[capnrock]

I don't know if there is one, but it would be cool to have some sort of leaderboard that way all the teams knew where they stood...

[capnrock]

Also, can some one explain to me how the score of 60.5 came about?  So I can score mine when I get it, as in how did we get to that number?

[Mag10turkeyman]

                                                      

I'll Try!!!!

Weight                                                        20.25lb
Beard             10.125 x  2 =                        20.25"
Right spur               1" x 10=                       10.00"
Left spur                 1" x 10=                       10.00"
TOTAL                                                          60.5

Marty

[huntinhard]

The story.....

Saturday morning I went into a pasture I knew birds roosted on and was greeted by the gobbles of two birds. Figured I had a great morning ahead of me. Because of the fog I didn't see the birds fly down but I could hear the two gobblers fighting, several seconds later a bird emerged from the fog in full strut. I figured he had won the fight, and was focused on him. Actually got him to break from the hens and come to within 22 yards and popped him. (that was the 16.5 lb turkey I shot) I then saw the other gobbler who was obviously bigger and sat tight until he exited the pasture with his hens.

Saturday afternoon I went back to that pasture and just eased to the edge and sure enough he was back and strutting with his hens so I just glassed from the edge and waited until they flew up and it got good and dark. I then went out into the pasture and made a little blind in a wax myrtle where I figured the birds would come close by me and put the mornings rising sun at my back.

Sunday morning, the gobbler was fired up in the tree gobbled probably 15 times on his own. He was the second bird out of the tree and went right into strut. As the hens flew down the flock started to move due south  and away from my set up. I knew I had to make a move so as soon as it was possible I retreated to the north and into the woods and procedded to make a loop out in front of the birds, while I was doing that I spooked a group of hogs that high tailed it right at the turkeys pretty much, that spooked the turkeys right back where I had come from. So while the turkeys were running  I ran too and got to a gate I knew the turkeys  used as a crossing because it also had a canal crossing in front of it. I sat down at an oak tree about 15 yards from the gate and tried to get an eye on the turkeys I finally saw them trough a  some cover in the corner of the pasture. I made a quick 5 yard move to some better cover and shooting options on the fenceline and made some soft calls.  The hens started working towards me crossed the canal and went through the fence five yards in front of me. The first hen didnt like the looks of me, so went back through the fence and retreated back down the fence line about 30 yards and crossed again, this time the rest of the hens followed and the gobbler was in tow. he got in my open shooting lane and I clucked at him, he raised his head. I sent the lead his way and piled him up never flopped or flapped once. It was awesome!

[nstrut]

good job huntinhard  nice bird