I slipped off early from work today to go and chase those TN toms around again. I got to the farm I was hunting and as I drove up the hill I was talking to Reloader on the phone, it was at that point I realized I had left my bino's at home. I carry a small Zeiss monocular in my vest for just such times at this but I was in a hurry to hunt so I did not take the time to get it out and check the far end of the field. I parked the truck and hot footed it through the woods to the back of the blind. Just as I was about to break out of the woods and into the field, I see at least 2 birds I bumped heading up into the woods on the other side of the field. It is at this point I figure this hunt is going to be a bust. I wait until I am sure they are gone and slip into the field to put my decoy "Mary Ann" (as everyone knows that she is way better looking than Ginger) out.
I get into the blind and wait for things to settle down. I call a few times and had a hen answer me from across the field in the woods. I waited about 20 min's and called again. This time I heard some yelping from down the field and it was loud and it went on for at least 2 min's. I was thinking someone was hunting in the wood line and would not back off the call. It was about that time that I see a hen walking across the field toward the woods and she was letting the world have it. I started calling back to her just as loud and hard as she was calling thinking she would come up to where I was, but she found a spot she like to hang out in. In a few more min's, there were two more hens that joined here. They must have stayed down there for 45 min's just doing the turkey thing. Finally one of them broke out of the back and headed my way. When she topped the rise and could see Mary Ann, she started back in with the hard loud calling. This time it was like magic, turkeys started coming in from everywhere. I had a hen come out of the woods across from me and one come out of the woods from behind me, and one from who know where. The other two from way down the field came to the party as well.
I have never heard that many hens cutting and purring and clucking all at one time. I also saw something I had only heard about before today. One of the hens went into full strut, and I had a ring side seat. With all the calling and hens strutting and chasing each other around, I could not believe that a gobbler could not be too far away. That thought no more than crossed my mind and one hammered off on the other side of a grown up fence row. I kept looking but could never see him. It took about a minute but it seemed like an hour and I could see his fan through an opening in the brush. Then a second fan came through the same opening. I was about to loose my mind with all the hens putting on a show and now 2 gobblers coming to the party. They finally made it to an opening in the fences and started through to my side. The first one comes through and puffs up into full strut. The second one comes through and puffs up as well, but then here comes a third one through but he never goes into strut. I put my Zeiss monocular to good use trying to see spurs. The grass in the field is about a foot tall so it was a no go on looking at spurs. I next went to the beards. The one that would not strut had a long beard but it was not near as big as the other two, so I ruled him out. The other two were very close but one was thicker so I knew if I got the chance I was taking that one. It seemed like they had just walked in on a pajama party at an all girls dorm or something because they just stood there for several minutes just checking everything out. Two of the gobblers headed for three hens that were all in a little wad. Turkeys kept coming through the gap in the fence , and I knew one was a jake and another was a hen but I had to turn my attention back to "my gobbler" as he was making a bee line for "Mary Ann". At one point I could have pulled the trigger and dropped all three toms with one shot but that is not legal to do in TN, (but it sure was tempting ::) ). I let the tom I wanted get to within about 20 yards (I had Mary Ann set out at about 15) I put the FFII on him and flipped the safety (yes I remembered to take the safety off this time) . He dropped and did not move. All the other birds, (by now there was over a dozen) in the field just moved away a little from where they had been. Then one of the hens went back to purring and another went to clucking and everything was good until my bird flopped once. At that point all the turkeys started to move away again. They had gone about 5 yards and were settling back down when my bird made his 2nd and finial flop. At that point the party broke up and everyone just slowly walked put of the field in all different directions.
I waited about 5 more min's to make sure all the party guest were good and gone before going out to claim my prize.
23 lbs, double beard, (1) 9.5" (2) 6" and 1" spur on one leg and 15/16" on the other. All in all it was a heck of an afternoon hunt.
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n164/jkwillou/turkey%20hunts%202012/002-1-1.jpg)
congrats to you
I do love a good old afternoon turkey hunt
Great looking bird!!
WA-HOO sounds like a great HUNT :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
Congrats!! Now, that sure beats workin', don't it? Well done..
Congrats!!
Congrats!
Sounded like a great hunt, nice bird!!!
:icon_thumright: Congrats!!
Congrats on a successful hunt!
Great bird!!! Congrats!! :icon_thumright:
Cool picture and congrats on a great bird!
congrats!
Nice Hunt! That bird has a perfect tailfan - not tattered or torn up at all.
:you_rock:
Very nice going,congrats!!
Awesome John! That's a darn nice tom and double beards makes it even sweeter. Sounds like a heck of a turkey hunt with all that action and in the evening none the less.
You're off to a good start this year. I hope you keep right on stacking em up.
That's a dandy of a Tom
thanks everyone, I just need a few more volunteers....
Awesome bird!
great bird!
Congratulations!!!!
That's a nice bird John.
Great Read! Congrats on a awesome bird!
Nice bird, congrats.
Thats a nice bird--congrats!!
Very nice bird!!! Congrats!! :icon_thumright: