Hey guys, figured I'd go ahead and start a story thread for this year.
I had a great opening weekend in Mississippi. The evening before opening day, I listened to three turkeys fly up, although they didn't gobble, neither on the ground nor on the limb. Based on only hearing the three fly up, I assumed these were the gobblers, and the hens were roosted further down the ridge. As forecasted, a thunderstorm came through opening morning. Nevertheless, I set up in the bottom below where I thought the hens were roosted in the pouring rain. Shortly after sitting down I was rewarded with gobbles at thunder, and they were exactly where I heard them fly up. 20+ hens pitched down and piddled past me at 20 yards, while I could not see the gobblers who were roosted to my 10:00 up the ridge. As then hens moved up the ridge behind me, I attempted to circle and get in front of them, hoping the gobblers were behind. Unfortunately, the gobblers were leading the flock, and had soon drug their harem off and shut up in the downpour.
After changing into a dry set of clothes, I moved locations, and after sitting for awhile, was awarded with a gobble around 11:30 from a distant field. I moved through a fresh burn and set up in the woods to shoot to the field edge, and gave my best itteration of "two bored hens." Shortly after noon I see a vibrant red head pop over the crest. As my red dot was trained on him, I was thinking, "come on man you are going to have to give me more than sneaking in quiet," and he proceeded to blow into strut and began waltzing into the burn. That was enough for me, and at 12:15 I claimed my first gobbler of the season.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240319/7bb9b1a411a4b80a4e96320750e69903.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240319/aa9f9d21af9ce3779638ccc89874f64c.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240319/b592d9b6886b6b41e630a589132568ab.jpg)
The next morning, the weather was perfect. My dad and I set up a close to the flock I was on the morning before. After pitching to the opposite side of the ridge, we attempted to make a loop around to get in front of them. While doing so, I told him we needed to check the two turkeys we had heard in that direction from our inital setup. I cut on the trumpet and they gobbled two bottoms over. We closed distance, and before cresting the next ridge, I checked them again. They hammered in the next bottom over. We sat on them on a huge oak seemingly made for that purpose, almost seven feet in diameter. Within minutes the two gobblers appeared on top of the ridge. One showed no hesitation and bee lined to us. This gobbler, however, had only a 2-3 inch beard, and while I was confident he was a gobbler, I wanted to see his wing patch, and was unable to do so, as he was facing us. He got to twelve yards to our 11:00 with nothing but air between us. He was, in fact, a gobbler, but I wasn't about to tell my dad to swing on a gobbler at 12 yards. Dad remained focus on the more cautious gobbler, who stepped in a lane at 38 yards. I told dad to let me know when I should stop him. Instead, dad stopped him himself with a shot from his Benelli. It was a beautiful morning, and one we will never forget as this was my dad's first Mississippi longbeard.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240319/dce3353bf82585e13ed544603efbdd10.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240319/7d81018ed449789087bda6076cc6d547.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240319/1e734ef200f094eb1531424825f18f21.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240319/df79542a29fbcd4ce0c72f1637b546e2.jpg)
I couldn't ask for a better start to the season, and I am excited as to what is to come.
Congrats to you and your dad, enjoy those times, you'll always remember them.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great job my friend! Can't beat those memories! As always, exceptional pics and story telling!
Life is good again when Delmar is posting recollections of a successful hunt!
I don't even know where to start with this. A_Jabbo and I have been dreaming up and planning an Osceola hunt for years. We finally made it happen and booked a hunt with Osceola Outdoors. Those guys run a really fine operation. We arrived in camp on Monday and they had us out the door and in the field within an hour and a half of getting there. We thought we would be early for and evening hunt but on our way in I glassed the field edge and there I saw my first Osceola strutter and he was glorious! He stood out on a dark road strutting and spinning for a pair of hens. The iridescence was incredible and he almost looked gold. Unfortunately we were 350 yards across an open field and really didn't have the option to close the distance. Turns out Florida is flat as a board! We hung with the gobbler the rest of the evening and ran into 3 covey of bobwhite quail on the way out. When I got back to camp I got to celebrate with A_Jabbo because his bird didn't hang up! The next morning dawned cool windy and made hearing a gobble darn near impossible. Calling seemed futile so we didn't do it and instead waited in our palmetto hide and hoped the wind would die. Around 8:10 I had to get rid of some morning coffee. With the mission accomplished without leaving my hide, I turned back around and saw a mouth call next to my left boot. It's here when I heard Josh whisper but couldn't understand what he said because of the wind rattled palmetto leaves between us. I slowly reached down to grab the mouth call but before I got my hands on it I caught movement and found myself staring at a longbeard 7 yards away. Fortunately for me he was already locked on the strutter decoy and fully committed. He mean walked past me straight to the decoy at 17 yards and put on a show. A gentle squeeze of the trigger and it was over. This trip was a dream and it lived up to my expectations. Now it's back to waiting and fighting off cabin fever with the never ending rain in western Pa.
(https://i.ibb.co/3rgxnrt/IMG-1112.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/vdkt4qt/IMG-2014.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/G08Xhh4/IMG-1141.jpg)
Great story! Congrats to you both!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Congrats! Those Osceolas are incredible, their colors are unreal. Great memories for sure.
CONGRATS, fellers !!!
Osceolas are gorgeous birds !!! I'm trying to fight (by way of reasoning) off the idea of heading back down to Florida to hunt for 2 days......
Congrats on a fine Tom, and good read, especially for us still month away from starting.
Well done guys! Anxious to hear the other story!!! :turkey2:
Quote from: Delmar ODonnell on March 19, 2024, 03:23:37 PM
Hey guys, figured I'd go ahead and start a story thread for this year.
I had a great opening weekend in Mississippi. The evening before opening day, I listened to three turkeys fly up, although they didn't gobble, neither on the ground nor on the limb. Based on only hearing the three fly up, I assumed these were the gobblers, and the hens were roosted further down the ridge. As forecasted, a thunderstorm came through opening morning. Nevertheless, I set up in the bottom below where I thought the hens were roosted in the pouring rain. Shortly after sitting down I was rewarded with gobbles at thunder, and they were exactly where I heard them fly up. 20+ hens pitched down and piddled past me at 20 yards, while I could not see the gobblers who were roosted to my 10:00 up the ridge. As then hens moved up the ridge behind me, I attempted to circle and get in front of them, hoping the gobblers were behind. Unfortunately, the gobblers were leading the flock, and had soon drug their harem off and shut up in the downpour.
After changing into a dry set of clothes, I moved locations, and after sitting for awhile, was awarded with a gobble around 11:30 from a distant field. I moved through a fresh burn and set up in the woods to shoot to the field edge, and gave my best itteration of "two bored hens." Shortly after noon I see a vibrant red head pop over the crest. As my red dot was trained on him, I was thinking, "come on man you are going to have to give me more than sneaking in quiet," and he proceeded to blow into strut and began waltzing into the burn. That was enough for me, and at 12:15 I claimed my first gobbler of the season.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240319/7bb9b1a411a4b80a4e96320750e69903.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240319/aa9f9d21af9ce3779638ccc89874f64c.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240319/b592d9b6886b6b41e630a589132568ab.jpg)
The next morning, the weather was perfect. My dad and I set up a close to the flock I was on the morning before. After pitching to the opposite side of the ridge, we attempted to make a loop around to get in front of them. While doing so, I told him we needed to check the two turkeys we had heard in that direction from our inital setup. I cut on the trumpet and they gobbled two bottoms over. We closed distance, and before cresting the next ridge, I checked them again. They hammered in the next bottom over. We sat on them on a huge oak seemingly made for that purpose, almost seven feet in diameter. Within minutes the two gobblers appeared on top of the ridge. One showed no hesitation and bee lined to us. This gobbler, however, had only a 2-3 inch beard, and while I was confident he was a gobbler, I wanted to see his wing patch, and was unable to do so, as he was facing us. He got to twelve yards to our 11:00 with nothing but air between us. He was, in fact, a gobbler, but I wasn't about to tell my dad to swing on a gobbler at 12 yards. Dad remained focus on the more cautious gobbler, who stepped in a lane at 38 yards. I told dad to let me know when I should stop him. Instead, dad stopped him himself with a shot from his Benelli. It was a beautiful morning, and one we will never forget as this was my dad's first Mississippi longbeard.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240319/dce3353bf82585e13ed544603efbdd10.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240319/7d81018ed449789087bda6076cc6d547.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240319/1e734ef200f094eb1531424825f18f21.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240319/df79542a29fbcd4ce0c72f1637b546e2.jpg)
I couldn't ask for a better start to the season, and I am excited as to what is to come.
Way to go my friend! Congrats
Congratulations to you and your dad, Del!
Sorry I'm super late to the party fellas. As you heard from zsully, we had a pretty amazing few days down in Florida. My hunt was extremely quick. Like Z said, we got to the lodge and had just enough time to throw a sandwich down, and we were dressed and ready to rock. It was a little over an hour drive to the spot I was headed, and I was filled with excitement the whole way. We arrived, and drove up the trail to where it would open up, and we glassed the area, only seeing a single bird a good distance away headed away from where we would be setting up. We backed out, and had to circle around through the woods, and try to be as cautious as possible. We get out of the woods about 30 yards, and see 5 hens bolt from the direction we had glassed before and saw nothing, and they were toting a gobbler with them. We hit the dirt, and let them go off. We get to our tree, built up some good cover, set the decoys up, and sit down. I pick my phone up to send Z an update and respond to his, then Tanner said "He just came back out", which I responded "you're $#!^^ Me". I adjusted in my seat and grabbed my gun. It was magical watching this gobbler strut in the sunshine from 120 yards out into 20.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get the weight and images needed to get a score for this, so we'll just have to settle for the story and memory.
(https://i.ibb.co/nCX2pmq/IMG-7107.jpg) (https://ibb.co/SrkTSyD)
(https://i.ibb.co/k3kBCPV/IMG-7116.jpg) (https://ibb.co/rbT0rXK)
(https://i.ibb.co/CJByjVm/IMG-7126.jpg) (https://ibb.co/wJyqnpB)
(https://i.ibb.co/SPhgM3K/IMG-7131.jpg) (https://ibb.co/37DbjC0)
Great idea Killer BS, an area to post stories, for truth stretching, wild exaggerations
and flat out lies! :icon_thumright:
Quote from: a_jabbo on March 25, 2024, 03:00:52 PM
Congratulations to you and your dad, Del!
Sorry I'm super late to the party fellas. As you heard from zsully, we had a pretty amazing few days down in Florida. My hunt was extremely quick. Like Z said, we got to the lodge and had just enough time to throw a sandwich down, and we were dressed and ready to rock. It was a little over an hour drive to the spot I was headed, and I was filled with excitement the whole way. We arrived, and drove up the trail to where it would open up, and we glassed the area, only seeing a single bird a good distance away headed away from where we would be setting up. We backed out, and had to circle around through the woods, and try to be as cautious as possible. We get out of the woods about 30 yards, and see 5 hens bolt from the direction we had glassed before and saw nothing, and they were toting a gobbler with them. We hit the dirt, and let them go off. We get to our tree, built up some good cover, set the decoys up, and sit down. I pick my phone up to send Z an update and respond to his, then Tanner said "He just came back out", which I responded "you're $#!^^ Me". I adjusted in my seat and grabbed my gun. It was magical watching this gobbler strut in the sunshine from 120 yards out into 20.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get the weight and images needed to get a score for this, so we'll just have to settle for the story and memory.
(https://i.ibb.co/nCX2pmq/IMG-7107.jpg) (https://ibb.co/SrkTSyD)
CONGRATS, A J !!!!!!!
Way to git r done !!!! :you_rock:
Way to go team! Nice job!
Flash in the pan, lol. Great job guys. Z
(https://i.ibb.co/Pgc4D9D/IMG-5159.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Yhc80y0)
:you_rock:
Let's hear it !!!!!!!
Amen. Congrats!
This morning I went on a hunt with my cousin on his place. We see each other all the time but we haven't hunted together in over 35 years. We went to a spot where he has a stubborn old call shy bird. We got to where the bird likes to roost and sat down waiting for the woods to wake up. As it got closer to daylight a hen started tree yelping...40 YARDS AWAY! The gobbler sounded off so I just clicked the safety off and waited.
As daylight came we noticed we had inadvertently set up with 5 hens within 50 yards of us...we couldn't move or call. Every now and then the gobbler would sound off and the hens would limb hop from time to time. After about 20 minutes one by one the hens flew down away from us. Now I'm just about deaf and I was wearing ear muffs but I can't course where a bird is a lot of times. I thought he was about 75 yards in front of me. Turns out he was 75 yards to my 8 o'clock. My cousin was 20 yards behind me and could hear him drumming but couldn't see him. He finally eased off to the west.
We slowly moved towards his direction moving in a creek bottom with a ridge to our right; stopping every now and then to listen. He'd gobble once in awhile but was steady moving away from us. Finally he gobbled one more time and seemed to be only 150 yards out so we sat down. Scott lightly purred and yelped and after about 10 minutes I get a glimpse of a gobbler 75 yards directly in front of me. I see his beard is sticking straight out and I know this isn't the big one we were chasing. But it gave me hope that this one would come in. We went silent on him as he looked intently for the hen he knew was supposed to be there.
This went on for about 10 minutes..he'd take a few steps walking back and forth and stare in our direction but wasn't too keen on getting closer. When he turned and appeared to be walking away from us Scott ever so slightly purred and the bird started walking up the ridge. He disappeared behind a tree and I figured he was just going to keep walking over the ridge and out of range. Well all of a sudden he comes out the other side and he's 40 yards halfway up the ridge trying to parallel us. Every time he gets behind a tree I'm inching my gun over trying to get on him. I'm almost to the point to where if he keeps walking I'm going to be completely out of position. He gets almost to that point and stops to look again, and at 25 yards I pull the trigger. The bird hits the ground and never flops.
We all know life gets in the way of things. 35 years is a long time but today we made the most of it. Getting to carry a bird home is irrelevant compared to us two just hanging out in God's creation...but it was the icing on the cake. This bird wasn't the biggest...he didn't have any spurs and weighed only 14 lbs but he sure was pretty coming across that ridge. It was one of the more enjoyable times I've had in the woods and that's all that matters to me.
The bird calculator wouldn't let me score without a spur measurement and I stink at math so feel free to recalculate my score.
(https://i.ibb.co/b7CGrfp/IMG-5165.png) (https://ibb.co/52SJ57q)
(https://i.ibb.co/1dhV1M5/6958268-E-7-D97-48-F3-BED9-3769-DAA982-CF.jpg) (https://ibb.co/MGWTrf4)
(https://i.ibb.co/Zd0yx8Y/BA3-A90-D1-B7-A6-4-ADB-8-EB1-6-EC1678-DFD07.jpg) (https://ibb.co/XXqmts3)
Great story !!!
CONGRATS !!!!!!!!!!
Good stuff buddy I'm still trying down here in Mississippi :-\
Congrats my friend! Well done!!!
Great stories all around. Congrats to all... :icon_thumright:
Congrats Mossy! Great story.
Congratulations on the bird, Congrats on getting back together with a hunting partner who shares the passion.
Sounds like a perfect hunt mossy! My best hunts have always been shared with those that mean the most to me. Rarely do I remember the stats of birds. Watching the smile on my old man's face after he takes a bird I could paint by memory but I couldn't tell ya what the spurs, beard or weight was. Glad y'all got to share that moment.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Congrats Mossy! Time in the woods with friends and family is always the best.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Awesome story and hunt, Mossy. Those will be some special memories.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Good job gents. Keep on rolling.
Good-looking and Platinum level member of the Elitist club
Congrats to all of you guys on some fine gobblers and some interesting stories. Good job all the way around.
Such a great story, Mossy! Congratulations, and hopefully you two get back in the woods together soon.
I've been away doing spring things around here and took a fishing trip. It's good to check back in and see that you guys are stacking em up and creating memories! Already over 200 points on the year! I leave in a week and a half and am getting quite itchy...
I've been so fortunate enough to have some great hunts in the last couple weeks.
On Saturday the 23rd, my best friend and I hunted together. He is expecting his first child any day now, so we were very excited to hunt together before his son is born. It was relatively chilly with a stout 15+ mph wind. We heard a turkey as far as you could possibly hear one, and I told my buddy I believe I knew where he was. By the time we made it to the general area, it was past flydown, and per usual this time of year, he had gone silent. Before we crested the first ridge, I yelped and cut on my trumpet and was soon responded to by a hen in the bottom. We sat down on a cedar tree and I played back and forth with the hen for 10 minutes, until finally she broke. We see 2 hens running towards us with a gobbler and jake in tow. As the hens approached, they turned to go up the opposite ridge. When the gobbler went behind a tree in the bottom, not having started up the opposite ridge with his hens, I lightly yelped and clucked. He froze, blew into strut, and turned to us, where he closed the distance to 22 yards. It was a special hunt with my best friend.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240404/bb6c138c9155016adf3705f838f3afc7.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240404/10e793104be4e89e7779038409bf1556.jpg)
Last week, during a meeting with a client, I mentioned being a turkey hunter, and he graciously offered me access to his property. On Wednesday, March 27, I went to his property before work. Hearing a gobbler on the roost, I tried to work his direction to no avail. I decided to make a lap of the property before going to work. At the bottom of a large hill, I heard a distant gobble which sounded like he was on a road "T"-ing the trail I was on about 500 yards ahead. I progressed 300 or so yards up the hill on the trail and stopped to check him before a slight bend in the trail. I had barely made my second yelp when 3 gobblers blew my hat off right around the bend. I took my time to find the right tree and sat down. I soon saw glimpses of 2 strutters and a looker right around the bend. They responded to the slightest cluck or whine I gave them. They came from 60 to within 30 yards, and for 10 minutes they gobbled and drummed there while obstructed by the bend in the road until finally the looker stepped out in the road and gave me an opportunity. He was a small one-spurred turkey, but I couldn't be more thankful for the experience he and the strutters gave me.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240404/9ec26d53c99b5c5f76dac497eea9fe49.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240404/aeb3e3b07e9840ef98b6417092880658.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240404/cccb3d5b53574c0513dbf061469e4a27.jpg)
This Easter weekend, my family was going out of town to visit my sister, so I took the opportunity to go to a family friend's property I had never been to. The property was immaculate, but I found myself hunting the same gobbler every day as I couldn't find another. He beat me handily for three straight days, including having him at 50 yards, with his hen at 10, before they moved away without presenting a shot, and me spooking him on two separate occasions. Monday morning, he gobbled in a tree line in between 2 fields. I positioned myself on the treeline, facing him, where I could shoot into both fields when he pitched down. Unfortunately, he had different plans. He sailed over the field and into the creek bottom. He never gobbled after flying down. After some hen talk, I guessed they were moving away and made a move, to no avail. Realizing I had made a mistake, I eased my way back to my original location, to find the gobbler and his 2 hens in the middle of the field. Using the terrain and folliage, I was able to get on a cedar tree on the field edge. From there, I was fortunate enough to watch this gobbler display for his hens for an hour while at 55-75 yards before finally his hens made a move to my hard right. Seeing this, he quarter strutted to 38 yards before I ended our 4 day long battle. Finally killing a turkey that beats you is so rewarding, but is also bittersweet, and brings back the old adage that when you lose, you go home and go to bed, when he loses, he's gone for good.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240404/53f179c43458716380d8952e3def3166.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240404/4b42f4faf6bea607bfe1c52eca64bf53.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240404/c885a5b3c55bee2f63d35884be23d7f8.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240404/dbce6dddfadad9ccf21683727e8b1f66.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240404/948aca475cf93da3d61d7bbb8595de08.jpg)
Great read and pictures!! Congratulations! I always remembered to get a hero shot with my dog also, she hated Turkeys, where we upland hunted there were many chases with Turkeys and she got pissed we never shot them.
Fantastic Delmar!!! As usual I absolutely love the stories and pics!
Way to go brother!!
DANG, son !!!!!!!!!! You on FIRE already !!!!!!! :you_rock:
GREAT stories !!!! CONGRATS !!!!!!
Congrats Delmar! Great stories.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great story. Congrats.
Loving the stories and pictures!!! You're on fire as usual! Congratulations
Congrats Delmar!!!! Freaking Seabiscuit couldn't come out of the gate faster!!!!Love the stories and pictures.
Talk about a bangout few weeks you had. Always crushing it. Congrats, Del. Awesome stories.
Great stories and pictures...especially the pictures. I really appreciate someone who takes the time to take quality pictures of their hunts and birds. Well done! :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
Man love to see it Delmar. That's a hell of a season and we haven't started. Seems like you got some great memories and those pics are killer. Keep rollin killer b's
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have a little bit of an upgrade this morning and one heck of a story. I'll update y'all after church. All I can say is that the competition better be glad they won't let us count multiple beards ????
Lookin' forward to it !!!!
Way to go mossy! That's awesome. Lookin forward to it
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Way to stay after them brother!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
A little backstory....it's a long one so you might want to go to the bathroom or get a snack before reading...
I've hunted this particular property for at least 30 years. It takes about 1 minute to get to it from the house, which is a plus since my dad is 74 years old and can't go as far as he used to. We always manage to get a couple birds each spring..which is surprising considering it looks more like deer country than suitable turkey habitat. I always let him hunt first and this year he was able to shoot the big bird we let go last year.
I got on two gobblers Easter Sunday...they were gobbling good but they were henned up and weren't budging. I stayed a bit too long and was late for church. Since then they had disappeared...I know the neighbors have been hunting them a good bit so I just figured they either got whacked or moved on to parts unknown. I hadn't been hunting since.
Yesterday I got the call I've been dreading since December...the landowner told me a logging crew should be moving in next week to cut the property as he has a bad pine beetle infestation and wants to cut it before he loses everything. I decided I'd make one last trip before the cutting starts and was in the woods before daylight this morning....
Since the birds have been MIA I chose to walk a bit further south thinking maybe they were hanging out in the creek bottom. I got to the edge of a ridge where I could listen and waited for the woods to wake up. At 6 o'clock I think I hear a gobble...about 250 yards back in the direction I came from. I'm extremely deaf so I stayed put for 20 mins hoping to hear it again and get a better direction...I never did. I walked down to the creek bottom but didn't see any sign. Around 8 o'clock I decided that I'd head back towards the truck and check out the food plot on the way out.
This plot is about 100 yards from where I park the truck...it's only 15 yards wide but it runs for about 130 yards on a ridge with pines on each side. I stop to listen and immediately a bird sounds off and I'm pretty sure that's where he's at. I decide to move to the east and get above him so I can use the sun to my advantage. I hit the fire lane that runs to it and when I'm about 60 yards away I start crawling on my hands and knees. I get close enough to peek through the brush and the bird is in full strut about 100 yards away. I'm scared to crawl to where I really need to be so I find a tree about half my size with a huge pine 10 yards in front of it. I figure if I use this big pine to cover my approach maybe he won't see me...not the best setup but it's about all I can do at this point.
I crawl to my itty bitty tree and get ready. I can see about 30 yards to the left of the pine and about 80 yards to the right. My only shot will be a tight window to the left as the right side is too thick. I let out a series of yelps and immediately he hammers. I can see him every now and then and he's putting on a show. I call again and he starts making his way up the plot to me. Now there's a dead tree 60 yards away from me that fell down during deer season and it blocks the entire width of the plot. I'm telling myself that as soon as he gets to it he's gonna put the brakes on and that will be the end of it. He gets to the tree, looks for about a minute, hops onto the log and stays there for 10 minutes strutting and gobbling!
I didn't want to call anymore as I figured it would lock him up, so I took my left hand and began scratching in the leaves/pine straw. He plops down off the log and slowly walks my direction. He keeps walking and now he's at about 30 yards...and cue the big pine that's 10 yards in front of me...
He gets behind it and now I can't see him. I can hear him drumming and his wings dragging in the grass but I don't have eyes on him. He gobbles twice and then SILENCE. For the next 10 minutes I don't see or hear him. I'm starting to think he's walked away from me and used this flippin' pine to his advantage to get away. I resist the temptation to take a tiny peek to each side of the pine and I keep my eyes peeled. Then he walks out to the left of the big pine and begins to head toward the south edge of the plot..I figure he thinks the hen has left and it's time for him to go. He walks to the spot in my shooting lane and I let out two short yelps. He sticks his head up and that's when I end my hunt...
I don't get up immediately and go to him. I put my gun down and sat there for a couple minutes with my eyes closed, taking in the awesomeness of God's creation. After thanking Him for a beautiful day I went over and claimed my prize. At first glance he looked like a normal bird(minus one spur). As I got him positioned for pics I noticed he had two beards. Upon closer inspection I realized this bird had SIX! I've taken a few gobblers that had two beards and one with three but this is like winning the lottery! I looked at my phone and realized that I was EXTREMELY short on time so I ran home, put the bird in the camp house fridge, and the wife and I headed to church. I didn't have time to change so I showed up in the camo I wore hunting. I'm from a small town in Mississippi so do you know who cared about what I was wearing? Not one person...
I still have one tag left and have permission to hunt another property. There's about two weeks left so we'll see how it goes.
Sorry for the long read...hope y'all enjoyed it.
The log he perched on
(https://i.ibb.co/Z2T0hfy/IMG-5251.png) (https://ibb.co/7kyqGS7)
View from my setup
(https://i.ibb.co/4WLdh7p/IMG-5231.jpg) (https://ibb.co/XXP8cbt)
(https://i.ibb.co/1fL9grc/IMG-5238.jpg) (https://ibb.co/8D0jCrk)
Congrats on a "Tom of a Lifetime". Great read and pictures!! Do not apologize for "long story", you wrote how it happened, with the emotions and great pictures! Thank you, good luck with your last tag.
Great story and trophy! Congratulations
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great story and trophy! Congratulations
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great story and great bird !!!!!!!!
Congrats! That's not one you're gonna see every day. Enjoy it.
Good-looking and Platinum level member of the Elitist club
Way to go! That's the Gobbler of a lifetime! Great story!
SIX beards! That is incredible! I have still yet to kill a multi bearded gobbler. Maybe I'll speak it into existence! And yes don't apologize for the long stories! I like reading them!
Not much to tell about the bird I posted. He looked like a nice bird when I roosted him yesterday evening. Went in early, as close to his tree as I dared. Set out a jake and a feeder hen decoy and waited. Once I heard the first gobble I did some soft tree talk with my Buice trumpet. Didn't use the call but maybe twice. The hens with him were talking and he was gobbling like crazy. Hens flew down and milled around and he flew down last. He took off towards my jake decoy in full strut and I knew it was over already. I set up a little closer than I like to the decoys, about 20 yards. After I let him have his moment flogging the plastic jake, I served him a load of 20 gauge Apex 9 shot directly in his face. He didn't make it...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Way to go my friend, great job! Congrats....
Quote from: Meleagris gallopavo on April 17, 2024, 05:19:16 PM
Not much to tell about the bird I posted......
I roosted him yesterday evening...... Went in early...... ....... I did some soft tree talk with my Buice trumpet...... Hens flew down..... he flew down....... He didn't make it...
I fixed it for ya. Just the facts, sir. :TooFunny:
My kinda story !!!! Don't ya just LOVE IT when a plan comes together ?? :you_rock:
CONGRATS, man, on a well-executed hunt.......and a thoroughly executed bird.
Congrats on a fine Tom Mr. MG
Got back from Virginia and went straight into youth baseball coach mode and been getting back late from the fields the last three nights but let me tell you about the biggest bone head move and the 10 year old girl who bailed me out.
Went down to hunt with Travis. For weeks he had been telling me how bad his daughter Riley wanted to hunt with us. I tried to convince him that I would honestly be just as happy to come down spend time in the woods and let her be on the gun. Neither of them would have any of it. Day one started off on fire. We were set up on a bird who started gobbling in the dark around 6:00 and didn't stop for more than 2 hours. I thought for sure patience would kill him. That is until I heard a four wheeler on the neighbors coming down the property line, four wheeler stopped, a hunter rips two of the most awkward fly down cackles I've ever heard, bird runs away and four wheeler drives off. Two Jake's played in front of us for about another hour and the wind kicked up and we never were able to get on another bird.
Day two starts in that early morning fog where coffee is more important than anything. Grab coffee and run out the door. 40 minutes in to an hour drive I realized my mistake. I left my gun and vest at the house. While I wanted to scream profanities for such a bone headed move I just made the suggestion that Riley be on the gun. I mean the fact of the matter is she didn't forget her gun. That little lady insisted that I hunt with her gun and no matter how much I tried there wasn't any changing her mind. So off we went and we started brutally slow. 1 gobble off the roost, a three mile hike which she handled like a champ, brought us back to the truck with no gobbles and little hope. We decided to move to a new spot and sit for the last hour and a half. Honestly it was warm and I was alright with a mid morning nap in the woods. Before we set up we bumped a hen. Not the end of the world but not ideal either. We decided we would wait for 30 minutes to let things settle and start calling around 11. Well at 10:35 I was texting a_jabbo about what an idiot I am when I looked up and saw a gobbler standing at 35 yards!!!! Well now I'm in a predicament because the borrowed gun I have is leaning against the tree to my right. This bird was cautious, he wanted nothing to do with the decoys and it felt like he looked way more than he ate. Patience and a little wind helped me get away with the movement to get the gun up and shouldered (left handed). I figured if he popped out from the pine tree between us I'd be in position to shoot. Naturally I needed him to go left and he went right. So now I had to turn and shift back to shouldering the gun right handed. I made the move when he got behind some brush and as he started to leave I had one small lane through the brush. When he stepped in his head came up to look for the last time. That little gun knocked him flat at 40 yards and he never flopped. In all honesty if I didn't have that light little 301 with the shortened stock I don't think I would've been able to make the shot and good grief the excitement and celebrating in the woods we shared was amazing!
Day three was just about as slow of a start as day 2. We had one bird fire up around 7:30 on the next hill over so we tried to make a big loop. Well the turkey zigged when he needed to zag and all the sudden we found ourselves out of the game. Not much happened the rest of the morning and I had to scramble to make the 6 hour drive back to Pa before baseball practice started. Over all a great trip and I'll never forget the time where a little girl saved the day and allowed me to kill a turkey. Thanks Riley and Travis! This was a hunt I'll talk about for a long long time.
Congrats again and thanks for the story, wishing great Turkey karma to Mrs. Riley! Great to have friends that just enjoy the experience as much as the kill.
Sounds like a fantastic time...and it sounds like a little girl will grow into a fine turkey hunter!
Great stories and congrats to all of those with successful hunts!
Zach, it is always a pleasure having you here my friend. I think if it was up to Riley she'd have you move in with us, lol. Sorry the hunting was so slow, this week has continued to be brutally tough. I can't ever remember an opening week so slow.
While I was part of that whole story, I enjoyed the read and remembering those fun times. I can't wait to come up there in a few weeks.
X2, congrats to all!
Today I ended my season with about 12 days left. Last year I took a bird on this property and today was the first chance I had to hunt it again. This morning the weather was windy, overcast with rain moving in but according to the radar I might be ok. I left the house at 5 heading to my listening spot...and smacked a bobcat with my truck about a mile down the road.
There was an excavator parked where I listen so I climbed on it and waited for daylight. As expected I didn't hear a peep. After about 20 minutes I decided to walk the road in hopes of hearing one or finding some sign for later on.
I didn't find much sign so at 9 a.m. I worked my way back towards the truck. When I got to this curve in the road I slowly peeked around and saw two gobblers at the other end about 150 yards away. I crawled up to the edge, hid behind a tree and yelped twice. They both stretched their necks up and one bird decided that was all he needed and took off at a dead sprint towards me! I guess the second bird didn't want to get left behind so he took off right behind his buddy. Obviously at this point I've already clicked the safety off and I'm just waiting to see what happens next.
At 50 yards they stop for about 10 seconds and take off running again. At 30 yards they put on the brakes but they are right next to each other and I don't want to shoot because I I know I will get them both. It wasn't long before they separated and the left bird folded at the shot. The second gobbler runs a few feet, comes back to his friend, and proceeds to beat the brakes off of him(obviously a moot point)! After about 30 seconds it seems he's satisfied and walks off.
I rarely tag out and was able to do so this year but that is irrelevant. I got to hunt with my cousin after a more than 35 year hiatus, shoot a 6 bearded gobbler and got to see my dad shoot a big bird at the age of 74..life is good!
(https://i.ibb.co/3mmpH1Y/IMG-5277.jpg) (https://ibb.co/JjjvPnF)
(https://i.ibb.co/qj1HCZC/IMG-5278.jpg) (https://ibb.co/7Cy3Q9Q)
(https://i.ibb.co/x1Ldb1T/IMG-5281.jpg) (https://ibb.co/YcQwScs)
The road the gobblers were on
(https://i.ibb.co/7XtrKJm/IMG-5279.jpg) (https://ibb.co/yXFgqnj)
(https://i.ibb.co/30c8BRL/IMG-5282.jpg) (https://ibb.co/p3dsJh9)
(https://i.ibb.co/6X7rF1J/IMG-5286.jpg) (https://ibb.co/GH4nRt3)
(https://i.ibb.co/74yybBc/IMG-5298.jpg) (https://ibb.co/k1ccMzn)
Congrats on a great season! Season of great memories!!
Great final chapter on a great year, Mossy !!!!!
CONGRATS !!!!
Congrats to all of you! Love hearing everyone's stories and playing it all out in my mind's eye. Thanks for sharing.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Indiana youth weekend was an awesome weekend for my cousins boys! I took one of his sons out and we had a weekend to remember.
Saturday morning we head out to the blind @ 6 am and got settled in. Had a good gobble 200 yards from the blind in the timber (hunting a half acre abandoned vineyard). We've coined this spot the killin field. The drive to the house goes right through it but for the last 6-7 years it has produced multiple strutters a year for me. 710 am we see the gobbler pitch down to ridge next to us 75 yards away and puts on a show for the next 2 hours before he makes a break and finally comes into the grass field. Full strut big beard just a big butterball. It took him 10 min to go from 40 to 25 yds. He wouldn't commit to coming in to the setup and the only window we kept open was pointed at the dsd Jake because I will swear by that deke. I finally made the move to open a crnr window real slow so he could see the bird. I think the bird would have come in to dekes eventually but my 2 hens were between him and the jake. I ask him once he comes out of strut put that bead on his head. 3...2..1 "kill him" BOOM I see the turkey start running off and saw the shot go over the bird it looked like. Bummed. Dejected. Gotta keep a 12 yo morale up.
This morning we went back in the field and an unsuccessful afternoon/roost hunt last night. But drinking coffee on the porch we heard 5-7 birds within 400 yards of the killin field and 2 were really close like the gobbler from yesterday we missed. We climbed in at 6:35 (thanks to bush light for the late start night before) at 6:55 we heard the birds hit the ground on our side of the ridge. They gobbled twice and I tell him get your gun up there headed to this field. GOBBLE. I peeked through a window and a white head coming out of the timber. Then the second one pops. "It's go time buddy, point that gun at the jake they are coming". Here they come running. I tell him let them get separated and kill one. (I had my jake at 9 yards) BOOM. No turkeys flopping but I was recording on my phone and they just jumped up and came right back to my jake. (I bought a savage 301 in .410 this year, threw a ff3 on it, apex ninja load...really happy with the 25 yard pattern). I'm like WTH I know this gun is dead on I shot it Saturday afternoon. Made scramble and dash to reload the single shot with 2 longbeards at 10 yards. Reload. "Get on one and kill him" BOOM. Turkey flopping. The second bird stuck around and whooped on him good for 5 mins then proceeded to go in full strut at the back of the field 35 yards away for an hour! (Indiana season starts Wednesday) I didn't want to climb out with him in the field and getting to watch a gobbler do what he does for an hour at 35 yards is worth more than the harvest to me. 27.1 lbs. 3/4" spurs and 10" beard. His first turkey ever! (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240422/52c9ac9e3e54f0f1bf7dd17a03471727.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240422/4ba9d82d85d5c436fefc859fda978fb0.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240422/9d89bec764b2b142481d7dbe05dd7deb.jpg)
Happen to get a nice surprise and find some morels in my secret honey hole. Fried up fine this afternoon with biscuits and gravy for supper.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240422/5f46d291716ff8754658dd18d9c9e1cc.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240422/22f4297bb35cd171ae43aa403aa2bc01.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240422/0e2af407b64c4b0cdc64bc615f7f3c31.jpg)
Here is the pattern at 25 yards with that 410 and the ninja loads. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240422/176610b8473cdf7fe67d509bd82b4b11.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240422/fa33661b7e7b65893aea090753e544c3.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great stuff !!!
CONGRATS to the young man and kudos for stickin' with it.
27 lbs ?? :o You oughta be hunting with a .300 Magnum !!!
Congrats to the young hunter, what a haul, monster Tom and Morels on the same day! Great read and pictures, thanks for sharing.
Awesome! Congrats to you both
Congrats guys!!! Great stories and pictures.
I tried to harness my inner Delmar and snapped a pic on our early morning scouting mission. I think it turned out decent. With a little more practice I might just be coming for your title Delmar!
(https://i.ibb.co/tz2ZnwV/IMG-2143.jpg)
Great pic, Sully !!!!!! :icon_thumright:
Loving all these stories! Was forced to come back to work this week and well...what are work days for if not reading hunting stories and wishing I was in the woods! Congratulations to all! A 27 lb turkey!! Wow!!
Congrats team! Great stories. This was my opening week. Got lucky from my scouting, very slim pickings this season. Birds sure were in a weird mode. The first one on Wed was alone, but very apprehensive to come in. Played him for 2 hours. He had a comfort zone he wouldn't leave. I went for broke, moved closer. Quick cuts on Slate, then soft clucks convinced him to come to the gun. Thursday, started one at daybreak. Waited him out. Showed up with a hen, but stayed at bottom of field out of view for an hour. I made a risky move down an opposite hedge row to get closer. Got the hens attention with OG Clucks, she came through hedge row, he was right in tow. Shot was close, 20 yards. Wad hit him......
(https://i.ibb.co/Kxwjtgv/473-BC362-38-A4-4-B56-89-F0-770-D5824-B766.jpg)
img]https://i.ibb.co/Kxwjtgv/473-BC362-38-A4-4-B56-89-F0-770-D5824-B766.jpg[/img] (https://i.ibb.co/cvy1Mkg/86-F9285-A-50-B9-4-F2-A-AE1-F-8499441-B2-FA2.jpg)
Great job Tom! Congrats again on 2 tags filled. See your rocking and shaking again today, must be all that shooting you're doing. Did hear a gobble around the time of tremor, didnt feel anything. Didn't hear any shots the past 2 days.
Thanks so much Jeff. Your gonna connect, they can't dodge you for long....can't wait for your pics!
Way to go everyone! Love hearing all the stories. Mossy, you've had a hell of a season. Hoosier, you are going to spoil that young man with a turkey as big as him, and Sully, that picture is beautiful and surely has me beat. Congratulations and love those push pins, Tom, they are pretty calls; I've never used one.
I've been out of commission from OG trying to stay employed while hunting as much as I can. The first 2 weekends of April, I headed down to Louisiana and got my tail whipped. The first weekend, I didn't hear or see a turkey. Unfortunately for me, I don't have an excuse for the second weekend, as I had the same gobbler whoop me while gobbling to his heart's desire. The second day of that weekend, while approaching that gobbler, I caught movement behind a tree and thought it was another hunter standing up. Instead, a huge black bear standing upright pivoted from behind the tree at 5 yards. Standing up, she was taller than I was and making eye contact. Hearing noise in the tree above us, I look up to see 2 small cubs. She sat down and huffed and puffed until I was out of sight. It was an awesome experience.
I took last week off work with hopes of hunting Oklahoma, Missouri, and Illinois. After work on Friday the 19th, I drove to Oklahoma, where my dad was meeting me for the weekend. We did not see or hear a turkey the entire weekend. With my dad flying out Sunday afternoon, I decided to cut bait and head East early.
The father of a friend very graciously allowed me to hunt his property in Missouri. On Monday morning, I hunted his property on a river in Missouri that consisted of fields, some open hardwoods, and pockets of thick briars. It was obvious there were turkeys in the area, as 4 jakes and a hen pitched down in front of me at flydown, but I only heard three distant gobbles. Throughout the day, I spooked two separate gobblers, realizing moving was doing no good. I then proceed to take naps at 2 separate locations, went back to the truck at 3:00 to get more water, and headed back out, where I sat at a natural funnel between the river and a briar patch. After an hour and a half of dozing off and/or daydreaming and sporadically calling, a hen walked by me at 3 yards. I was completely horizontal using my seat as a pillow, and realized that if she was a gobbler, I would have been helpless. I sat up and mimicked the cluck and purr then hen was making. Twenty minutes later, as I'm staring at a wall of green, I notice a spot of vibrant red that had not been there before. A gobbler steps out of the thick underbrush and into the open at 65 yards, intently looking my direction. Finally he drops his head and starts heading my way. As I'm counting down the steps until he is in gun range, another gobbler comes from behind me to the right at 15 yards at 45 degree angle towards the other gobbler, who is at my 11:00. I quickly swung my gun, and when this new unlucky gobbler stepped from behind a tree, I raised his head and killed my first Missouri at 34 yards at 6:15 PM.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240430/4d0f65ff941c1ca2e6d94d056f561b6b.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240430/0d373de0b57310cf0e3ac35d6831e654.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240430/5a24a721c2d54b6e713f80d952517ff1.jpg)
The next day, as my Illinois tag didn't start until Thursday, I drove south to public land in Tennessee. After cleaning the Missouri gobbler and answering emails til midnight, I had slept in and did not arive until 8:30. The winds were howling that morning, and after walking in a ways, I was lucky enough to spot a strutter out in a field with 2 hens. They were probably 250 yards from the nearest treeline, of which there were two making an "L" shape. I sat and watched as the hens would yo-yo him from the middle of the immense field to the treeline and back. My calls were lost in the void and wind and it was obvious they could not hear them. As they moved back and forth, I meticulously and slowly moved from shadow to shadow, bush to bush, using the wind as cover. I eventually worked to a spot where I thought they would "yo-yo" back to, and I catch glimpse of them roughly 60 yards away down the treeline. I quickly get to a tree in front of me and look to where the turkeys just were. They were not there. My confusion was quickly answer by a drum behind a bush 20 yards in front of me. Shortly thereafter they step out into the open in front of me. I cut to raise his head from full strut. Instead, the hens come to full attention staring at the loud bush, while the gobbler doesn't react at all. Again I cut, and he poked his head out enough so as to not completely ruin him upon the shot. I killed my first Tennessee gobbler at 11:20 at 15 yards.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240430/14820fcddf9781eb2e04d865ed3a2c98.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240430/872d1bea00c38866bba1c19de90e5a95.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240430/5f3b267368f087ad67a373cfb1f69743.jpg)
On Wednesday, I hunted a new piece of public in Missouri, where I had a gobbler triple gobbling and drumming at 35 yards just behind a bush. While I could have made a subtle move to the bush to kill him, since I had already found success in Missouri, I wanted him to "do it right." Unfortunately, after 15 minutes, he got tired of waiting for this unseen hen to walk from behind the bush, and he went along the creek bottom with his one real hen. Despite not killing, it was an amazing turkey hunt.
Thursday morning was my first day in Illinois. My brother in law allowed me to stay at his cabin which backs up to a national forest, and Wednesday evening I heard a gobbler off in the distance. That morning, I positioned myself on the side of the ridge they were on, and they gobbled well. At 7:15, I watched as four! gobblers strutted, drummed, and gobbled down a hogback ridge 55 yards away from me. They were moving quickly, and after they left my sight, I hustled to get in front of them. Despite me having a much better angle of attack, they beat me to the spot on the bench I was trying to get to. I set up and listened. Suddenly, I hear the hens spook and fly up in the tree. The gobblers did not know what happened (and neither do I). They answered every cluck I threw their direction, but would not leave from below their hens. Finally, 20 minutes later, the hens flew down and silence ensured. Figuring they would continue the same direction considering the speed they were previously traveling, I made a huge, hour and half long loop to get in front of them. Nothing happened. Finally, I moved the direction I had last encounted them and struck them one time at 10:00 in the same spot on the ridge now opposite me. I began easing down to the creek, making content hen sounds and scratching as I went. I stop as I hear scratching from the ridge opposite. I see a gobbler making his way to me, and he eventually gets to 40 yards but remains in the shadows. After 10 minutes, I see him making his way back up the ridge. I wait 5 more minutes, make my way to a cut in the opposite side of the ridge, and meticulously make the steep climb to the top. I sit immediately upon cresting the top and make some content yelps to ensure nothing is within eyesight. After 10 minutes, I make my way across the top to a saddle leading down to the bench they were on. Here, I give pleading, yet not obnoxious yelps, and wait. 10 minutes later, I hear footsteps in the leaves, followed by drumming. I quickly swing my gun to my 3:00 and he cr sts on top at 25 yards in full strut. He drums one more time and raises his head. I kill my first Illinois gobbler at 11:50.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240430/4a05a417f2d6196d4fbfd1dccf7d8cfd.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240430/7bf0865ad863dc74975e1c1b3b587639.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240430/f609ab04643e40a7731339c8d4efa1c5.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240430/762a55c7d9a0ad3bc859822febb16088.jpg)
With three more days to hunt before returning to reality, I head over to Indiana. For all day Friday and until noon Saturday, I covered tons of ground with no gobbles and a couple cut hen tracks to show for it. I decided to drive 45 minutes south to check out some new areas. I found one gate in particular that would allow me to get deep into the forest away from all access points, so I figured I would walk in and at the very least attempt to roost a turkey before my last morning. After getting off the trail and easing down the massive ridge lightly calling, I stop as I hear scratching in the bottom below me. I set up thinking these turkeys are coming to my calling. Five minutes later 7-8 turkeys, consisting of a couple gobblers, jakes, and hens walked up the next rise parallel to me, again at 55 yards. I lightly called but received no recognition. I waited until they were out of sight and again made my way around and up the bench they were headed to. When getting there, I again called. With no immediate response, I layed down and took a 2 hour nap. Upon waking, I slowly made my way down the bench to where the turkeys were previously headed. Thinking I heard a gobble from the mountain opposite me, I picked up the volume slightly, not overbearing but enough to be heard, and a gobble answered 100 yards down the ridge below me. I set up and gave a series of light content yelps and clucks. Five minutes later I hear a deafening drum. The ridge was full of thin stemmed vegetation, so while not thick to walk through, when leafed out, did provide a visual impairment. I knew the drumming was from my right but within a 150 degree radius. He continued his series of drumming. I began answering with soft yelps. My heart is pounding as I'm awaiting a visual. Finally, I see his head and tail fan move as he drums again, now at 45 yards. He moves to 40 behind a tree and drums again. He then breaks the tree and heads my direction. He steps into a hole at 33 yards, I yelped to raise his head, and claimed my first Indiana gobbler at 5:35PM.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240430/1708ae554d1fefb5877c3887a43d92f1.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240430/d279b70c1a4061e84d529a4141d9fa14.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240430/2449d0ca4df1f304ae3a37f971c8c0f9.jpg)
On my way home to Mississippi that night, I decided I needed to make the most of my trip and turned the truck west again to Missouri. I was greeted Sunday morning with wet weather and howling winds. I didn't hear a gobble, but I'm glad I went.
I am so thankful for each and every one of these hunts, as well as the hospitality and kindess of those who helped me along the way last week. The hunts in hardwood ridges were everything I look for in a turkey hunt. I cannot wait to do it again.
GEEEEEZ, brother, but you're having (another) banner year !!!!! :you_rock:
CONGRATS on all your successes.
Once again Great read and great pictures Delmar!! Congrats, only thing better would've been pictures of momma Bear and her chasing you!!! :toothy9:
Way to go Del!!!
Congrats fellows! Nice pictures and write-ups.
Good-looking and Platinum level member of the Elitist club
New York Opening Day. Storms last night. Relocated my scouted bird, heavy t-storm. He moved down the ridge. Got lucky at 6:15. Nice paintbrush beard...Good gobbling today.. (https://i.ibb.co/KKg06b3/F347-A4-E8-FD78-4-CE1-A322-7-F2-A699-F2-AEF.jpg) (https://i.ibb.co/HK7SxBK/F4597266-FED7-4-CB9-8-DE2-D32145930-D6-F.jpg) (https://i.ibb.co/QJYtQSZ/DE664-C4-F-C73-A-4-CD1-BBEF-B1-C7-E62976-D8.jpg)
"Mr. Push-pin Tom" strikes again!!! Congrats sir!!
Very nice...Killer B's putting in the work :turkey2:
Thank you, appreciate it!
Had trouble posting yesterday's kill, hope it is still acceptable. Had to to really do some trial and error getting pictures up, I imagine there's new instructions somewhere I need to read. Anyway, went hunting yesterday morning for a bird I had seen earlier in the week. After I set up he started gobbling his head off, even double and triple gobbling. Eventually he flew down, strutted all the way across a field to my jake decoy, got within 2-feet of the decoy and stopped and spooked. He took off like a bat out of hell the other way and I don't know what spooked him. Dejected and disappointed, I left, but talked myself into trying another spot. I had seen a turkey there earlier this week but didn't have as much on this bird as the previous one. I set up around a corner of the field where I wouldn't be seen setting the decoy out, found me a spot to shoot from and waited. Just to be clear, I do use a call, and yesterday I was using a wingbone I got from Tony Ezolt. I hunt fields, and the way I look at it that the call gets them to start looking my way and the decoy kinda seals the deal "most" of the time. A black dot shows up across the field and from around the corner from where i set up. The black dot starts coming my way and eventually becomes a gobbler. He comes on in and I shoot him in the head as soon as he was in good range (25-yards). I finally killed one I could hang on a tree limb.
Congrats MG on the LimbHanger!!
CONGRATULATIONS again(X4) "Mr. Tom the Push-pin Killer". You're a one-man killing machine, wiping out all the turkeys on the East Coast!!!
Thanks for the kind words, but I think you can hold your own against any turkey in the woods! Luck plays a big part in our arsenals! Be safe
Quote from: Meleagris gallopavo on May 02, 2024, 01:21:10 PMHad trouble posting yesterday's kill, hope it is still acceptable. Had to to really do some trial and error getting pictures up, I imagine there's new instructions somewhere I need to read. Anyway, went hunting yesterday morning for a bird I had seen earlier in the week. After I set up he started gobbling his head off, even double and triple gobbling. Eventually he flew down, strutted all the way across a field to my jake decoy, got within 2-feet of the decoy and stopped and spooked. He took off like a bat out of hell the other way and I don't know what spooked him. Dejected and disappointed, I left, but talked myself into trying another spot. I had seen a turkey there earlier this week but didn't have as much on this bird as the previous one. I set up around a corner of the field where I wouldn't be seen setting the decoy out, found me a spot to shoot from and waited. Just to be clear, I do use a call, and yesterday I was using a wingbone I got from Tony Ezolt. I hunt fields, and the way I look at it that the call gets them to start looking my way and the decoy kinda seals the deal "most" of the time. A black dot shows up across the field and from around the corner from where i set up. The black dot starts coming my way and eventually becomes a gobbler. He comes on in and I shoot him in the head as soon as he was in good range (25-yards). I finally killed one I could hang on a tree limb.
Congrats!
CONGRATS, guys !!!!!
That's a TOAD of a bird, MG !!!!! GREAT hooks !!!!!
Congrats Delmar, Tom and Mel! Great hunts and stories. Yesterday was the opener for the regular turkey season up here in Pa and after a week of ribbing from his bother Easton got his revenge in a BIG way! It started Friday evening when they boys and I made our normal loop around the farms we have permission to hunt to put some birds to bed. We found birds at a couple places but one in particular stood out. He wasn't real visible from the road and he looked like a black vw big strutting with a hen and a Jake. I lost sight of the three birds and they still had plenty of time before roost but I knew the patch of woods they would spend the night in. This particular landowner is really good to the boys and was really excited for them to hunt on his property so A_Jabbo and I decided to leave the guns in the truck and take Easton as our shooter. We went in early in a gap between patches of rain and set the blind up. As A_Jabbo was setting the decoys and I was getting the blind up and organized he came back with the decoys under his arm. In a hushed whisper he told me we need to make this set up completely silent because he could see the silhouette of a turkey in the tree 30 yards away. Good thing we went in so early. We were set up and comfortable as the rain fell for about 40 minutes. Just as the rain stopped the fist gobble of the morning about blew the blind over it was so close! A couple more gobbles from the roost and he flew down into the field at about 35 yards. Three soft yelps and the Jake and hen joined him and all three started working our way. Easton did a fantastic job of being patient and making sure the gobbler cleared the other birds before he made an 18 yard shot with the 301. Game over.
(https://i.ibb.co/mtmrDk9/IMG-2197.jpg)
The bird didn't even flop. When we got up to him we were pleasantly surprised with a 10 & 3/4 inch beard and 1 & 3/8 matching spurs! We went and visited with the landowner who was really impressed and super excited for Easton. Then of course we had to score the bird so he could one up his younger brother. Great morning and now both boys are tagged out and Adam and I can start thinking about tickling the trigger ourselves.
(https://i.ibb.co/SrHZtjZ/IMG-2207.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/VqPgg30/IMG-2199.jpg)
CONGRATS to Easton on a PIG of a gobbler !!!!!!!!
:o
Congrats! That's fantastic! Nice job.....
Congrats Easton!! Slamming a great Tom!!! Forget your brother, you're outscoring most of us old guys. :z-winnersmiley:
Quote from: zsully on May 05, 2024, 01:49:52 PMCongrats Delmar, Tom and Mel! Great hunts and stories. Yesterday was the opener for the regular turkey season up here in Pa and after a week of ribbing from his bother Easton got his revenge in a BIG way! It started Friday evening when they boys and I made our normal loop around the farms we have permission to hunt to put some birds to bed. We found birds at a couple places but one in particular stood out. He wasn't real visible from the road and he looked like a black vw big strutting with a hen and a Jake. I lost sight of the three birds and they still had plenty of time before roost but I knew the patch of woods they would spend the night in. This particular landowner is really good to the boys and was really excited for them to hunt on his property so A_Jabbo and I decided to leave the guns in the truck and take Easton as our shooter. We went in early in a gap between patches of rain and set the blind up. As A_Jabbo was setting the decoys and I was getting the blind up and organized he came back with the decoys under his arm. In a hushed whisper he told me we need to make this set up completely silent because he could see the silhouette of a turkey in the tree 30 yards away. Good thing we went in so early. We were set up and comfortable as the rain fell for about 40 minutes. Just as the rain stopped the fist gobble of the morning about blew the blind over it was so close! A couple more gobbles from the roost and he flew down into the field at about 35 yards. Three soft yelps and the Jake and hen joined him and all three started working our way. Easton did a fantastic job of being patient and making sure the gobbler cleared the other birds before he made an 18 yard shot with the 301. Game over.
(https://i.ibb.co/mtmrDk9/IMG-2197.jpg)
The bird didn't even flop. When we got up to him we were pleasantly surprised with a 10 & 3/4 inch beard and 1 & 3/8 matching spurs! We went and visited with the landowner who was really impressed and super excited for Easton. Then of course we had to score the bird so he could one up his younger brother. Great morning and now both boys are tagged out and Adam and I can start thinking about tickling the trigger ourselves.
(https://i.ibb.co/SrHZtjZ/IMG-2207.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/VqPgg30/IMG-2199.jpg)
Those hooks are unreal. Maybe we can get this youngster on our team, he's the king with that brute! Well done!
Thinkin' we just went "First to 500".
Story to follow........
Sorry Yoder, I think the LImbhangers are already there unless there is a typo. Z
Quote from: zelmo1 on May 06, 2024, 02:33:32 PMSorry Yoder, I think the LImbhangers are already there unless there is a typo. Z
Could be I mis-read.
Thought I saw them at 484 & change.
Checking in after doing the same as Delmar. I have been trying my hardest to get things done around the house and have a happy wife. Although if they fired me from my job....it would be tough to tell how much I cared hahaha!
2 weekends ago I made my "mostly yearly" return to the black hills. I consider this my "home hunt" as its in state...but it's still 6 hours away at minimum.
I had a great time with my dad and his best friend/ our buddy mark. After having a great trip in mid April, I tried like hell to help these guys get on some birds.
There was one miss in there and otherwise I continued to hunt a turkey that was goofy. I think it was the same turkey last year that gave me fits. He's a goofball and hard to kill. I hope he makes it through one more year!
We left without a filled tag but with full hearts and rejuvenated minds after hunting the most gorgeous place on earth for a few days!
(https://i.ibb.co/f4JVV2m/F41-FD6-F1-20-B7-4745-946-C-1-EB6379-DD722.jpg) (https://ibb.co/PwkssNB)
Nothing like a great trip with good company. Glad you were able to share that time with your dad and friend.
I tried writing this story after the hunt, and when I went to post it, ERROR! And it got deleted. Then life happens, so I'm late for the story.
SOO, a little over a week ago on the 7th, zsully and I made the choice that there was one spot we needed to hit early. After having a bird killed about 60 yards from us on Monday, we were trying to go to a spot that we knew no one would be at. A super early wakeup call, a loooong walk in and maybe a 10-20% chance that the birds will work, kind of makes this a love/hate type of spot. But, I would say it's kind of a honey hole, because there's always birds there. Last year, we HATED this spot. It's up on a high hill of timber with a gas line that runs through it. The birds roost in a specific spot, but when they fly down, there's a high probability they are going to pitch off the roost and fly down to a horse pasture to strut the morning away.
We get there early, and walk the mile back, which about 1/2 or more of the walk is uphill. We're setup and we wait for the first gobble. We wait....and wait......and wait. Hmmm no gobbles at first light. Commence tree yelps to see if anything answers. Nothing. Greeeaaat. Typical turkey fashion, a gobble finally rings out, problem is that it's about 250 yards straight down hill in the horse pasture. Welp, the morning is shot for bringing that bird up here.
We won't be defeated and have the morning ruined before work, so we might as well enjoy the morning and rip on some calls. So we give it our all. I'm throwing what ever I can at this bird, and Z is sparing no expense with the pot and pegs. He is answering everything, but still all the way at the bottom of the hill. And not a small hill either, and possibly on the other side of the creek in the pasture. So the back and forth goes on for a little while, until we shut up. He continues to gobble. Sometimes sounding closer, and others not so much. Assuming that he's just spinning down there. After some silence, I break the quiet. BOOM! Gobble much closer to the right and coming up the hill. Then a second bird gobble, which sounded like a jake. Adjustments were made to be in position. Yelp yelp....Gobble. Closer and moving out in front of us. Now, about 15 yards from us, the terrain starts to go down hill, and the gas line is high grass, so we can't see very far. I yelp again, immediate gobble, and very close directly in front of us. Eyes are scanning the grass for any movement, and I see a white head. He comes a few feet closer and I can see a whole body, and then his beard pops out. THEN I see a second bird go into 1/2 strut. DOUBLE TIME. Waited for both birds to fully appear.
I got the left. 1. 2. 3. BOOM!!!!!! Two birds down at about 10 yards. Cheers and celebration erupts. A congratulatory hug, and then we bask in the moment.
(https://i.ibb.co/hdVbHvJ/IMG-2213.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Ydhm8GF)
(https://i.ibb.co/fdvDSZJ/IMG-2214.jpg) (https://ibb.co/KxwKGBn)
(https://i.ibb.co/QK7WvNW/IMG-2215-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/x7Knqjn)
pic host site (https://imgbb.com/)
Wet Birds = Destroyed tail feathers
Congrats! Those are real nice. Way to go! Some fine spurs!
Gotta love a double !!!!
CONGRATS, guys !!!!!!!
It was such a fun hunt and, man, a_jabbo isn't lying when he says it's a love hate relationship with this spot. When it works like it did that day though it makes the hike worth it and I don't know that I'll ever get tired of a double with a buddy!
Congrats to the both of you on a great hunt.