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Yesterday I got on a bird mid morning. Was gobbling good and I was taking my time trying to slip toward him. Leaves were good and wet so it was quiet. I start getting close and I realize he's topped over the ridge and is now on the backside. So I get where he had been and set up. Called a little and nothing. Cranked up and he answered. I give it some time and he gobbled but sounded a little farther away. Give it some more time and he gobbled to my call but sounded even farther away. Gave it a bit more time and silence so I finally decided to get to the ridge. I stand up and start gathering my things and I hear a putt. Look up and he is at about 60 or 70 looking dead at me. Busted.

So this morning I get back into that same general area and I hear him gobbling on the limb. I get as close as I think I can without spooking him and I set up inside a blowdown. I let him gobble for a while and when it's fly down time I tree talk to him briefly and quietly and he honors the call. I let him gobble some more and I wing flapped but that was it. Time goes on and he's still gobbling. In my mind he has to be on the ground by now but I'm not entirely sure. I'm hunting mountains and he's two finger ridges over. Suddenly the gobbles start seeming farther and farther away. Looking back he's actually still in the tree but has turned around and is gobbling away from me. Regardless I'd started running two calls trying to sound like a few hens. He's still gobbling but not necessarily to my calls. So I call loud on one then crank up the other to cut it off. He hammers. I start fighting purrs. He hammers. Suddenly I see him pitch. He was still in the tree until this moment. The more I get these two calls going the more fired up he seems and I know he's coming. I shut it down completely and go silent.

Over the next few minutes he gobbles a time or two but mostly silence. When he crests the finger ridge in front of me and starts his approach I need him to turn to my left to reach an opening for a shot. That's the natural slope of the drainage and I think he'll take it. No dice. Instead he comes straight toward me. Closer. Closer. Now he's at 10yds. Now he's at 5. Now he's on top of me and he jumps onto the front log of this blowdown that I'm hid inside. I close my eyes. He's within feet hovering over me. I keep my eyes closed and pray he doesn't spook. I can hear him purring. I wait until I hear him jump back down. I barely open my eyes to a squint. He walks to about fifteen yards and is obviously shook up. He's going back the way he's come from and he's still at an angle that offers no shot. He gets beside a tree and holds there. He starts left which is what I need and he gets behind a tree. I've got the gun just on the other side. He needs to take one more step. He doubles back again and eyes me. I'm still barely squinting. He holds there for what seems forever. Finally he commits to a mistake. He goes left. He passes behind the tree and when he comes out the other side I squeeze.

Bird never flopped. Didn't move. When I get to him I notice these wings. Never seen or killed one like this. This is in the mountains of North Carolina on public. Most our birds weigh in around 17lbs. This one was 20lbs even. Those wings are what got me. It's a hunt that'll stick with me for a long, long time. Crazy cool bird, but that whole approach, the coming to a few feet, jumping on a log, me closing my eyes and praying he wouldn't spook. That's what it's all about. Shot him with a hundred year old piece of nickel steel. I could care less if I fill another tag this season. That one will hold me over until next year.
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Great hunt man congratulations. Great story thanks for sharing.

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Beauty Dave, congrats on a rare trophy!

Wow, Wow, Wow, What a hunt!
Yes indeed, that's one you will never forget for sure!
Great looking bird, Congratulations.

Great hunt and gobbler! That right there is what turkey huntin should be about and how the game is played. Beautiful gobbler. 

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Awesome bro, that is a really nice trophy. Z

Great hunt and a really cool bird.

Awesome hunt / story and nice gobbler ... I love those wing colors ...  congratulations ....

Awesome hunt and bird. I killed a bird with similar wings but not to that extent in KS several years ago. I didn't even notice the wings until I looked back at pictures a few days later. I was kicking myself for not noticing. I would have gotten a cape mount with the wings.

Nicely done, great hunt and cool looking gobbler

Yeah i would definitely get that mounted.

Great story. I got nervous reading it! Very cool trophy.

Has anyone ever told you that you write quite well.  ;)

One of the cooler looking birds I've ever seen! Congrats.

Let's see.

Crazy cool story?  Check

Complete trophy bird?  Check

Color phase variation (like once in a lifetime)?  Check

Killed with an antique (model 12 I assume)?  Check

I don't see how that could be any better of a hunt and a result.  Awesome and great write up.  I too am a squinter as I have had them see me blink.  Had a hen this weekend at a measured 9 feet!  I was big time squinting.

Great story! Not sure how I would've handled that one, congrats on an awesome bird!

Great story and kool bird!  You will remember that hunt for a very long time.  Where in North Carolina, I'm in North Carolina as well and also hunt public.

Ralph

 Cool looking tom and great story, well done.

You maintained your composure during an unexpected situation. Those are the trying ones that test a hunter's mettle. Congrats

Sounds like an amazing hunt!! Congrats on a beautiful gobbler!!

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Scary close is quite a thrill.  Congrats on a great bird.  Well played! :icon_thumright:

I don't know that I played it as cool as it sounds I didn't move and I closed my eyes knowing he'd surely bugger if I didn't, but I was coming to absolute pieces


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Rare trophy for sure !

The thing I just keep thinking about with this bird, and with lots of birds in the past, is just how amazing their abilities are for spatial memory and to triangulate sound. I mean he started 150yds off with two finger ridges between us and when he got there he was bound and determined to stand exactly where that sound had come from. That just always amazes me. They're just incredible animals.


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Quote from: g8rvet on April 24, 2023, 12:40:49 PM
Let's see.

Crazy cool story?  Check

Complete trophy bird?  Check

Color phase variation (like once in a lifetime)?  Check

Killed with an antique (model 12 I assume)?  Chec

Well said g8rvet.. Chester great read, only thing better wouldve been you reaching out and grabbing him, catch and release hunting!!  I agree that Tom needs to be displayed in a flying wall mount. Congrats on a great hunt.

Congratulations

Awesome hunt and even cooler bird!  Congrats

That Winchester Model 12 that you used to take that gobbler is a reflection of my grandfather's nickle steel shotgun of the same model. I used his shotgun with 2 3/4" #6 shot to take a tom a couple of years ago. Being in my 80s, using his shotgun was a real treat and reminded me of days gone by when we used to hunt rabbits and squirrels together. He was the one who kept me interested in the outdoors.

Gorgeous bird, excellent storytelling. Prime example of the best camo being "DON'T MOVE!!"
Congratulations.  :happy0064:

Wow that's an awesome story. Congrats on a super cool experience!


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Turkeys like that deserve to survive to pass on genes.  Well, we can't always get what we want.  Congrats.

 Very nicely done!

Great hunt, great write-up, and great photos! :icon_thumright:

I am having trouble picturing your hide in a blowdown, and what was preventing you from shooting earlier???

Congrats. Awesome Tom

Mornings like that are exactly, why this sport is sooooo addictive...

Great read..

Awesome gobbler..

Congratulations in a big way...

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Great story, thanks for sharing! I think I would have to scrape up the cash for a flying wall mount!

Congrat's on a Awesome hunt!

What a great hunt.. congrats

Man, it does not get any better than that. Thanks for taking us along on the hunt, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
     JT

Great story and beautiful gobbler!

The thing that really caught my attention is that you used fighting purrs in that situation.  I have to admit that, under those circumstances, I would be reluctant to have tried that,...and it sounds like that may well have been "the ticket" to bringing that gobbler to you.  I gotta say, I am impressed that you tried that,...and that it worked!  I obviously need to expand my game!  Lesson learned!   :icon_thumright:

Very pretty gobbler, congrats!

Awesome!