This morning started off disappointing; however it ended up action packed. When the alarm went off at 530 this morning I almost didn't get out of bed. Hunting every morning since opening day has been catching up with me and I almost decided to take the morning off. But the place I was going is a prime spot and I don't get to hunt it very often so I rolled out of bed and headed out. I was trying to change my luck up a bit because things haven't been going my way. I hunted this place last Saturday and was on one hot and heavy that was roosted on the edge of the field I was in. He was only about 75 yards and I was just waiting for him to fly into the field but he went the other way and never heard from him again. So I decided to carry the 28 GA today and use a different call and had a different plan.
I am sitting near the field by 615 and waiting for him to gobble so I know where to set up. The sun starts to come up and the turkeys should be gobbling but I hear nothing. Finally I hear one way off in the distance. By now its 700 and I am frustrated and start debating to stay or go home and get some rest. Again I convinced myself to stay and see what happens. I walk to the field and I can hear 7 or 8 different birds way off in the distance on another property. I am guessing they were around 700-800 yards off. I knew a gobbler had been working the bottom near the field around mid morning because I have heard him back when I was scouting so I figured I would just set up in the field and wait. I put out my Zink breeder hen and Jake and sat under a saw tooth oak out in the field with absolutely no cover which I should have known better than to do. I still hear the birds way off and I know there is no need to call to them because there is not a chance they will come that far. So I sit and play a game on my phone to pass the time. I hear the turkeys gobble less and less and they have not gotten any closer. I check the time and its now 820 and i go back to playing on my phone when all of the sudden I hear a hen cluck near by. I pick up my call and began to cluck back at her and she starts walking towards me. Two hens, both with beards, come withing about 20 feet of me out in the wide open. We get into a big argument cutting back and forth for several minutes. I was hoping she was have a gobbler with them but they didn't. I get tired of messing with them and they walk back in the woods. Back to playing on my phone and a few minutes later a gobble about 100 yards away. I know I have to get hid better so I crawl to the edge of the field and get ready. I call again and he is now at 40 yards. My hopes are up and I am going to get a change to kill my first bird with my 28 ga. I can hear him walking then all of the sudden I hear the hen cut me off. I give him a minute hoping he is still going to come in the field. A couple of minutes go by and nothing. I give a call and he is going the other way back to about 100 yards. The only thing I know to do is to try and make the hen mad enough she will come back. I give a series of loud, aggressive cuts and I hear a bird way off in the distance, easily 500 yards or more. I wait about a minute and give another series. The gobble is now no more than 200 yards and it sounds like more than one. I call again as soon as they gobbled and they are coming fast. I hurry to get the video camera set up and call again to see where they are. This time the ground shook they were so close. I put the gun up and not even 30 seconds later I see them on the edge of the woods. Three strutters and the lead bird was walking through the last little bit of brush before coming in the field. He sees the decoys and stops. All are drumming and I am just waiting for the lead bird to clear one last branch. He takes one more step and I unleashed the 1 1/8oz load of TSS #8s from the 28ga. It did a number on him at 19 steps. I could have doubled but I didn't want to be selfish and I let the others walk. He ended up weighing 16lbs 11oz with 10 3/4 beard and 1 1/16 spurs. Its hard to believe how things can change so fast turkey hunting. One minute I think I am wasting my time and 15 minutes later I killed my first bird with a 28ga. It seems every turkey hunt there is something special about it and it never gets old. Thanks everyone for reading.
(http://i1069.photobucket.com/albums/u462/jrseale82/turkey_me.jpg)
(http://i1069.photobucket.com/albums/u462/jrseale82/turkey_28-1.jpg)
Nice bird man! Even better story gotta love those phone games. Haha
Congrats
Justin
Great story , Congrats. on your small bore bruiser.
AWSOME! :icon_thumright:
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That's a dandy!
Love the Franchi! Great hunt and a good reminder to all of us not to get discouraged and give up too soon!
:you_rock:
Very nice going,congrats!
Nice bird, congrats :icon_thumright:
:icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
Classic case of just being patient. I applaud you and a great hunt!! Congrats
That's a great story and a good reminder to stick with it and not give up. Congrats!
Thanks for all of the kind words. I think I make carry it again tomorrow morning.
Congrats!!
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
Congrats on a really nice bird. :icon_thumright:
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congrats on the bird and I applaud you for your patience
Thanks again for all of the praise
Congratulations and good job on being patient!!!
Congratulations on a nice bird, only problem I had was with getting up at 5:30.
I get up at 4:45 to 4:50AM every morning, during Turkey season I get up at 3:15 AM.