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That ONE gobbler

Started by FullChoke, February 29, 2020, 12:36:51 PM

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FullChoke

If you hunt turkeys long enough, you will come across that one that seems to know your every move before that thought to do it even comes to you. He's smart and big and old and he fills your thoughts and dreams. Tell us about how frustrating he was (if you didn't get him) or what it felt like when you finally kneeled down next to him and laid your hands on his still warm feathers.

FC


Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.

mightyjoeyoung

I hunted ONE old boss gobbler one year on a little patch of public ground for 9 days straight.  They roosted in a corpse of HUGE oaks at the edge of the public land and would gobble their fool heads off at everything...until their feet touched the ground...then all 7 gobblers would shut up faster than a mob turned state's evidence and they'd strut and parade out in a vineyard for the hens that would run in from their roost about 175 yards to the west.  To say these birds were decoy shy was an understatement.  They'd skirt any set up I could dream up and nothing I tried worked.  On the 9th day I made up my mind that that big old sucker was gonna die.  I had slowly, over the previous 8 days cleared a thin path right up to the roost and that morning I was in the woods and within 30 yards of the roost 90 minutes prior to even the hint of daylight.  The show those birds put on just yards from me is something I will NEVER forget!  200+ gobbles and yelps and purrs and I could hear every sound they made.  The hens started yapping and it was like I was at a domestic turkey farm!  Gobbles almost constantly for 15 minutes until FINALY, old boy had had enough and sailed down onto the green between the vineyard and the woods, popped into strut and gobbled ONCE.  I sat there taking it in until the other gobblers started dropping out of the trees and let out one loud series of yelps and cackles.   He thundered off his last gobble 22 yards off my gun barrel.  I can remember the steam from his breath and then the cloud of pink mist when the 2 ounce load of federal 5s slammed into his giant head still to this day.  He weighed 24 pounds, sported a 12 1/2" paintbrush and had 1 3/8" needle sharp hooks.  My single most memorable bird...
Big Al's "Take-em" Style Silhouette decoys Pro-Staff.

Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind te most.



FullChoke

Man, what a great story! I could feel the thunder.


Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.

3seasons

I've had a few but here is one from my hunting journal from April 12 2015

Persistence and public land

Whew it's been a tough but fun season. Between my dad and myself we've hunted this bird for 23 days this season alone. It's was looking like it was going to be one of those birds that you really should just forget and move on to another one but being hardheaded and determined I was either going to make or break my season on him. Being a public land bird he only gobbled 3-5 times and that's all you'd get, if you made a call to him it was game over. We've fought weather and people and not to mention the 45min hard walk to get to him. Well this morning I decided to try again so I was where I wanted to be an hour before first light. Well of coarse he wasn't anywhere close to where I was hoping he would be(he had 4 different roost spots). When he finally gobbled and I realized where he was I picked up and took off. I got kinda close to where I thought he was roosted and he gobbled again. So once I finally tiptoed to the right finger ridge I eased down to the tree I wanted and he gobbled for the 4th time. I relaxed looked around and made the slightest softest purr I could on my Madhatter 4track copper pot and then I set it down and used my wing to do a couple fly downs and scratched the leaves. It's got eerily quiet and finally after about 15 min passed and I see a hen coming towards me and I think I can hear drumming every now and then. She mills around and walks past me walking up the hollow to my left going up into some pines. 10 minutes passes and I can still hear drumming and then a crow caws over my head and he gobbles 75yds away and now I can see him strutting and walking my way. He struts up the hollow to my left and I have one good opening to shoot through. When he struts into it I yelp softly and he broke strut like nobodies business and that's all I needed. I let my little 20ga work. After a very gracious prayer to the Man upstairs for his awesome creation I looked at a bird that has had me humbled and kinda depressed the last few weeks. I couldn't be happier with this year's season. I've called in a few for friends and my dad and now I finally got this old bird. He's got a 10" beard and 1 1/16" needle spurs.


The second one on the list came into my life opening morning of the 2017 turkey season.

Another story from my hunting journal

I found this bird opening morning and of coarse he was across the property line. I had him gobbling every breath and coming my way when I hear the loudest racket coming from behind me, two coyotes nearly run me over going to him. It happened so fast and it was so thick I never got a shot at them. Needless to say I see the gobbler fly up into the tree about 150yds away and 3hrs later he's still there and I have to get some sleep so I can go to work later that evening. I worked nights that whole season and hunted that bird every day of the season and never heard him gobble again. I set out cameras and he would show up 1-2hrs after I checked them it was so aggravating. So one day I had off I said id outsmart him, I check my cameras and made some calls as normal then walked out and drove up the road 3\4mile and parked then slipped back into a blind I had made out of pine limbs right where I was getting all the pics of him. He never showed up, its like he had a 6th sense.  He haunted me the whole year and I was dreading the 2018 season.




March 20, 2018
The bird that haunted me is back.
So we get back from Hawaii around 10am and I clean my poor gun that has been getting rained on for a solid week. Then me and Caitlin sit down for a second and completely crash out. I had set my alarm for 12 but we finally got up around 1:30pm 
I got my fans and took them to Mr. Alan's(my taxidermist) and told him all about our hunts and then we talked about birds that drove us crazy last year. From there I rode by and talked to Granny June until it got later in the day and I told her I needed to leave and go check some cameras we had put out before our trip.
I get home and tell Caitlin that I'm going to go check the camera and she said she wanted to go too.  She's in her PJ's (Oscar the grouch pj's) so she throws on a jacket and her boots and I grab my gun and a call just in case. We get to the gate and while we are walking in I make a few soft calls but never hear anything which is expected. Once we got to the first camera I told her we would grab it on the way out and made a soft set of calls.  We then walked to the last spot and picked up the camera and started out.  When we made it back to the first camera I was standing in the road as she went to retrieve the camera. As I'm looking at some hen tracks I look up and around the curve comes the ghost I had been hunting all the prior year. There he is standing there looking and all in can do is look down at the ground in disbelief. He clucks a couple times and starts my way I couldn't believe it, I slowly get one hand out of my pocket and ever so slightly motion for Caitlin to stay still and she finally sees me and locks up.  Now the bird has closed the distance to about 50yds and I reach behind my back with the hand that I was motioning to her with and turn my scope on. I then ease it back to my side. The bird is hesitant but still not spooked. He actually starts pecking in the grass and when he did that I made a quick move and got my left hand around and on my forend of my shotgun. He looks around and keeps walking (the only thing I can figure is I must have blended enough with the grass and gravel spots for him not to make me out, and a lot of divine intervention) towards us. Now he is about 35yds and can start to see my wife and probably me because I'm shaking like crazy now.  I ease my hand out of my right pocket and make my move constant and smooth and he stops and goes to take off and I squeeze the trigger and almost fall forward because I have forgotten to take the safety off. Then panic on both our parts sets in and I slap the safety off and make the shot before he disappears into the thick woods.  I couldn't believe it, I was so happy and Caitlin was in awe. She said it was so cool watching me and the bird.  I believe that every bird has one day that you can get them on and that was his one day. Said a big prayer to the Lord and thanked him for everything he has done for me. Ill sleep better now that I don't have to chase this big ol gobbler again this season.  21lbs 10.75" beard 1.25"spurs.


Present day I've got a bird that has gotten the best of my the last 2 years, granted I've only hunted him 5 or 6 times but he's slick.  Shoulda gotten him on my birthday last year but a squirel saved his life.  I'll be back after him this year and hopefully have a great stroy to tell about him. 

Sorry for the long read but hope you enjoyed some of my misadventures if you read this far. 





zelmo1

2015 I had a trip planned to Missouri, Kansas and South Dakota. I get to meeting spot in Mo. and guide doesn't  show up. I decide to stay and hunt on public land. First couple days I got schooled by hard hunted birds. Called in 3 Jakes and had a few close encounters. Saw a young man there a couple days and we hooked up on day 5. I called a bird in for him and he smoked a gorgeous 3 year old. He leaves and I worked a bird for 3 hours before he went silent. He becomes my focus. He gets to 40 yards 3/4 times over the next 2 days. No shot opportunity. Last day, I get to 30 yards of him on the roost. He flies down to about 50 yards, gobbles and struts forever. I am near my property line of the WMU after a couple of moves. I switch calls and get really soft, he breaks and runs in to 12 yards. The last 4 unfortunately were on private land. I am over a mile away from my vehicle, nobody around and I have a true double bearded giant gobbling and strutting in range. I watched him leave 3 times and come back, but not over the fence line. I let him go one last time and back off 60 yards and call again. He never answers. That is the hunt I am most proud of. Had better results, but never had that feeling before. I won the battle, he won the war. Great day  :funnyturkey: