Today was the first day of the 4th segment of our 2023-2024 Virginia Fall turkey season. I call this segment the "Winter Season" or "Pre-Spring Season." Deer season is over and I can hunt fall birds without having to wear blaze orange.
I set the alarm for 4:30 AM this morning and when I got up, the wind was howling and the rain was driving. Back to bed. Figured I might take the day off. But I got back up about 6:30 and the rain was over, but the wind was not. I did notice the clouds were breaking. What the hell, off the to the woods I went. I toted along my newish Browning BPS .410 and Indian Creek Choke, a few #9 TSS rounds, a Quaker Boy push pin call, a Primos Water Board box call, and my well used and trusty Perfection Screamin' Demon.
I got to where I park at about at about 8:15. I no sooner got out of my truck than a Bald Eagle started to circle over my head at tree top height. (I also saw a juvenile Bald Eagle in the road on the way in eating a dead Opossum.) Not sure if this was an omen or not. But I strapped on my vest and headed in to the pine thicket.
We've had a pretty mild winter so far. The tweety birds around my house are scoping out nests and claiming boxes. They are pairing up. And the Blue Birds are already fighting themselves in my car mirrors and house door glass. They are acting very spring-like. Are turkeys the same? I don't know why not.
After a 30 minute brisk walk to the pine thicket, I arrived at about 8:45. The sun was up. The wind was blowing. It felt like it was about 60 degrees. It felt very March or April-like. I stepped into the thicket. Everything was still wet. And it was dead silent walking to the spot where I like to start hunting. Just the sound of wind and creaking trees. I found a pine with a laurel on either side overlooking a shallow area. I like this area. It's just young pines. And I can see quite aways between the trees.
After taking a seat and kicking a clear area for my feet, I pulled out my Perfection Screamin' Demon glass call and acrylic striker. I gave three raspy yelps and set it down. I kept and eye out left and right. Within 10 minutes, I had one, no two, wait, three, holy cow, four, holy double cow, five birds coming from my left into that shallow area. Totally silent. Then it happened. One of the birds fanned out and strutted. Never seen that in January. They worked their way from my left to dead on in front of me. Then started coming up the hill. All of them had sizeable beards. Four of the birds stopped. One kept coming. I had my gun up. He stopped at about 25 yards. Bang.
I didn't see any feathers fly. I know my gun shoots a bit high and I aimed for his lower neck just above the breast. The other four took off. This one hit the ground and started flapping his wings, then went still.
I hit him dead in the head. In fact, I only found one pellet in the thick of his neck.
Here's he is. My first bird with a .410. And my second bird with TSS.
He's a double bearder. Solid inch long spurs. I am thrilled with him.
(https://i.imgur.com/GAZVBqG.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/TlYGLa4.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/fLVTb3y.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/jrq8zhN.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/4Lsd40h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/o64PDQB.jpg)
He's been eating Beech Nuts.
(https://i.imgur.com/61iGPfY.jpg)
Congrats on the gobbler
Congrats. Great bird!
Thanks!
Congrats on a fine gobbler.
Nice little peaceful story, I felt like I was there. Sounds like a morning you won't soon forget. Congratulations!
Awesome! Congrats!
Great story. I really enjoyed.
Congrats on a fine hunt, congrats on 1st Tom posted for the New Year!! Thanks for sharing, good luck this spring and wish you continued success with your new gun.
Congratulations! Beautiful bird!
Great hunt! Thanks for sharing
Cool. Nice tom. Congrats to you, sir
Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk
Congrats on a real fine bird!
Thanks for sharing the story and your photos!
Much appreciated.
Thank, all.
It's certainly not my intent to start a "is the .410 adequate" debate. I bought this gun with the intent as using at as a small game gun. Up until this bird, I 'd only killed squirrels with it. I bought the Indian Creek choke and TSS shells as an afterthought. I patterned it a couple of times and all seemed well. So I went into this hunt with confidence that if I got a clear shot, the gun and load would perform. My confidence wasn't questioned until I laid that empty shell next to the bird's head. LOL. Man, it just looks really, really small.
Congratulations on a very nice gobbler!!! Great job! BTW, I like the way you use a tape measure. ;)
LOL, I know right? You can take a couple inches off that. If I measured the spurs from the front of the shin, I get well over 1 inch!
What a great start to 2024! Congrats on a very spring like hunt and a fine bird.
Beautiful gobbler!. Congrats. Nice 410 there, what make is it? Looks like a beauty...
Very nice. Always like to see other people from Virginia on here. Congratulations
congratulations on a nice bird
Quote from: Tom007 on January 14, 2024, 02:40:23 PM
Beautiful gobbler!. Congrats. Nice 410 there, what make is it? Looks like a beauty...
It's a Browning BPS with 26" barrel.