As daylight started to happen the cardinals began to sing and I smiled as I sat against an ancient osage tree in a hedgerow gripping my double-barrel 12ga muzzleloader in Kansas. Soon the first gobble rang out about 100 yards over the hill, followed by a few others. It wasn't long until the hens pitched out followed by Mr. Big and a few side-kicks. I watched the strut with the hens for about 20 minutes, just out of range in the pasture. I gave them a few calls but Mr. Big had all the hens he wanted. The hens got excited, but they had their mind made up on where they wanted to go, so I slipped back in the hedge and circled around.
As I eased up to the fence I saw a big fan about 50 yards out. I gave a few soft yelps and he came out of strut and popped his head up, then started my way show-boating the whole way. I laid the hammers back when he got to 30 and killed him at 25 yards. He sure was pretty with the morning sun on his big fan and his chest just GLISTENED!
I waited for prob 1/2hr for a hen to fly back down, which had flown into a tree across the pasture. She was eyeing me hard and I didn't want to educate any of them just yet. Once she flew down, I crawled out and claimed my prize and after a short admiration session, hung him in a tree and thanked the God for such a day as this.
I eased up to the next big field about 300 yards down the hedge and spotted a coyote at the far side. I made my way around but the coyote was gone and hens were in the trees, I guess he tried for dinner and flushed them. I spotted a gobbler coming across the field and eased into position and gave a few soft yelps w/my voice. Soon he was in range and I fired while laying prone in the weeds. He continued into the woods after the shot and I had missed!
I didn't reload the one barrel after the first gobbler so I was out of shots and walked back and reloaded where I had left my gear at the initial setup. I decided I couldn't have completely missed and went back and picked up his trail, flushing him not much further where he went into the brush. He went across the creek into the thick cedars and the search continued.
Finally, after cross-hatching the thicket I spied him trying to hide under a cedar and dispatched him, claiming a nice double-bearded gobbler they had named "Scragley" since his bottom beard had 1/2 rotted off with only a portion going the full length. His spurs told of his age, a nice one!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/flintlock/Wess_Kansas2012Flintlock.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/flintlock/Wess_Kansas2012.jpg)
Thanks so much to my friend Bill allowing me to come out and hunt! I was blessed to be able to assist (3) other guys the following day to take their turkeys and it sure was a hoot to see their smiles and the excitement.
Good luck if you are after them!
Wess
Congrats on a great day. Those are a couple of real nice birds.
Great story congrats!!!! And way to keep after the wounded bird, I think more die than people think after being shot at.
Congrats Wess ! 2 awesome gobblers with your smokepole ! :icon_thumright:
Ricky :newmascot:
Quote from: vaturkey on April 16, 2012, 01:52:06 PM
Congrats Wess ! 2 awesome gobblers with your smokepole ! :icon_thumright:
Ricky :newmascot:
X2
WTG Wess. That is awesome. Congrats on 2 nice gobblers. How did KY go?
TRKYHTR
Congrats!!
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Congrats on the two nice gobblers, Wess. They are both dandys..Way to go, my friend..
Awesome story Wess. Congrats.
Congrats Wess!! Way to go!
AWESOME :icon_thumright:
Thanks guys, good luck if you are after them!
Wess
Way 2 go.What an exciting hunt......
congrats
Congrats!
Outstanding Wess! :funnyturkey:
Congratulations on a great story and a couple nice birds.
congrats on what had to be a awesome morning
Smokepole beauties.. Congrats..