Been chasing some gobblers, they are gobbling their heads off at first light for the last 3 days and twice we have seen hens heading to them at a fast trot. This is on hard hunted public land, so we knew we needed to get on them. I have passed on two jakes this year, one public, one private and I decided last night as I was still blanked, I was gonna kill the first legal bird I had in my sights today (I could hunt today and Sunday and the season is out). Bird gobbles this AM and I move in. The only place to set up as close as I wanted had zero cover and to get to it, I had to walk right by his roost, so I backed up a little on a road that comes from a field. I called sparingly and he answered. He came up the road, gobbling frequently. He gets to the spot I wanted to get to and hangs up, strutting and gobbling (maybe 60 yards away). I think no sweat, he will come, he knows a hen is here. An hour later, he is still there and still gobbling and I am just being patient. I had packed a lunch and planned to hunt until 1PM if needed. About that time I notice movement to my right and see 3 birds heading to him at a trot across a grown up field. Crud. Henned up again. They are too close to me and him or I would have waved and scattered them if I had seen them across the field. I get my gun up just in case as I can't see the trail birds real well. The first is a hen and #2 following her has red on his head! He steps out for an ID and I clearly see a beard and down goes Frazier. 38 yards. My first public land kill (I have called 3 in for others on public, just never killed one) and my first kill with a 20. He did not flop until I stepped on his head. The Fed HW #7 performed as advertised. I cut it close this year, but never gave up and hunted harder instead of getting discouraged. Even though he was a little 6" beard bird, with the lack of gobbles and the lack of tracks and the lack of birds after the first week, he feels like a trophy.
Congrats!
congrats ,,,,Nice bird
any gobbling, bearded bird called up and killed on public land is a trophy!
Congrats
Congrats......
Congrats! :icon_thumright:
Congrats.
great job and great story
:icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
Congrats! :icon_thumright:
Congrats!
Good job Larry!! Congrats!! :icon_thumright:
Was that at that same place I used to come up and deer hunt? Good turkeys there, but a lot of pressure too!
I don't think so, Jim. I thought you hunted where you had to wait in line, right?
10-4 :icon_thumright:
Congrats! Looks like a good one to me.
Congrats :icon_thumright:
Congrats!
Public land and pressured gobblers ..... You did great, it's all in the hunt way to go congrats.
I have a good friend that hunts private right up against that WMA. He kills as many as he wants to. He has let several walk this year. If he does not get them in close and they are not a trophy, he just tells them goodbye. He is 72 and his eyes are a little bad, so he only takes slam dunk shots.
Very Nice! Congrats!
Good job
:turkey2: Congrats nice bird!
Congrats!!