Going in to the season there was one specific gobbler that I had my sights set on killing. It appeared from trail cam pics that he had multiple beards...
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b284/WNYBowhunter/zIMAG0384b.jpg) (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/WNYBowhunter/media/zIMAG0384b.jpg.html)
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b284/WNYBowhunter/zIMAG0013.jpg) (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/WNYBowhunter/media/zIMAG0013.jpg.html)
On the evening prior to the season opener I spotted him with his partner in crime out in a cornfield with several hens shortly before flyup time. It was game on in the morning...my wife and I were hoping to pull off an opening morning double...though she got the first shot and she wanted the bigger bearded bird of course. I managed to call the hens out in to the field the next morning with the two longbeards in toe but I couldn't get them any closer thatn 80 yds...
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b284/WNYBowhunter/DSCN0282.jpg) (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/WNYBowhunter/media/DSCN0282.jpg.html)
I continued to chase these two for the next several morning until I learned from a friend of mine that someone hunting on the neighboring property had shot one of them on the third morning of season. After he shot...the other one jumped on the flopping bird and proceeded to whoop up on him. At this point I didn't know which one of the two had been killed but there was only one bird gobbling in the mornings now.
Fast forward to monday...
I managed to get in between the gobbler and his hens on the roost and ended up taking a very marginal shot and missed him. Although I felt that I had blown my opportunity, I decided to go back after this bird yesterday morning to see if he was still around. He had been roosted in the same exact spot on a gully bank for the past several times that I've been there and he's had hens roosted around him and they all pitch down in to the open hardwood flat below. At 5:20 he gobbled right where he was supposed to be about 50 yds away and I felt better about the miss since I knew now that he wasn't laying dead in the woods some where. He gobbled two more times on the roost...a hen flew down behind me...I got ready...a couple of minutes later he glides down and lands 25 yds away right in front of the gun barrel...BOOM...game over at 5:45!!!
As luck would have it it was my target bird and he has 5 beards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b284/WNYBowhunter/zDSCN0417b.jpg) (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/WNYBowhunter/media/zDSCN0417b.jpg.html)
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b284/WNYBowhunter/zDSCN0445.jpg) (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/WNYBowhunter/media/zDSCN0445.jpg.html)
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b284/WNYBowhunter/zDSCN0446.jpg) (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/WNYBowhunter/media/zDSCN0446.jpg.html)
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b284/WNYBowhunter/zDSCN0452.jpg) (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/WNYBowhunter/media/zDSCN0452.jpg.html)
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b284/WNYBowhunter/zDSCN0454.jpg) (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/WNYBowhunter/media/zDSCN0454.jpg.html)
Stats: 22.5" beard, 21 lbs, 1" spurs
Nice bird, I would mount that one.
Thats a dang nice one, Congrats !
Sent by this stupid phone
Nice bird, that's the way to get them this year! I have attempted that same game plan but with no success as the hens have beat the gobblers to me.
Very cool bird and a great photo essay of your hunts.... enjoyed it.
That's awesome man.....way to stay after him
Way to go, congrats
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Awesome job. Congrats.
Congrats
Excellent bird - Congrats.
Awesome bird. Congrats.....
Awesome bird man!! Congrats!!
Wowzers
Great story & bird :toothy9:
Congratulations on a really cool bird! All the better that you have the TC pictures to go with it. Awesome.
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together!! That gobbler could have landed anywhere but you picked the right spot. Congratulations! Several years ago, I slipped near a gobbler that had gobbled over 200 times while on the roost the day before. It was now a day later, the first morning of turkey season, and I waited for him to fly down. Instead, he flew off the roost and finally disappeared in the distance as a tiny dot still flying away! That's the only time I've had one fly off the roost like that.
Congrats! Great Bird
Congrats on that awesome bird. I'm glad you're having better NY luck than we are.
:agreed:congrats on a true trophy !!!!
:OGani:
Quote from: njdevilsb on May 16, 2015, 11:07:44 AM
Congrats on that awesome bird. I'm glad you're having better NY luck than we are.
They are still henned up big time here!!!
Quote from: WNY Bowhunter on May 16, 2015, 11:45:18 AM
:OGani:Quote from: njdevilsb on May 16, 2015, 11:07:44 AM
Congrats on that awesome bird. I'm glad you're having better NY luck than we are.
They are still henned up big time here!!!
Same thing where I am. Our toms have been following the same 4 hens since the season started. There were a few more hens at some points but these 4 have been consistently with them. We still see the other hens but they leave the group to nest I assume. We are going to get ahead of them before the season ends.
Great bird, congrats!
Way to go on a great bird. Congrats!
WOW!!! Nice bird congrats.
Bill
Good job man! 5 beards, that's amazing. I STILL have yet to even get a double beard.
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Congrats on a great bird!
That's a great way to finish a season. :icon_thumright:
Way to go man, that's an incredible bird and awesome that you went after him knowing he had some extra tassels.
I've had the itch to get a bird mounted and of course since then I haven't shot one worthy, you got a mountable bird right there!
Killers kill! Congratulations my friend!
Sent from the Strut Zone
congrats!
Quote from: TauntoHawk on May 16, 2015, 09:39:19 PM
Way to go man, that's an incredible bird and awesome that you went after him knowing he had some extra tassels.
I've had the itch to get a bird mounted and of course since then I haven't shot one worthy, you got a mountable bird right there!
I didn't know that it was the mutli-bearded gobbler until after I pulled the trigger (twice), I was just hoping that it was... :you_rock:
Honestly, I am not too big of turkey mounting kind of guy, I guess it's because I've seen so many poor turkey mounts. Maybe someday I'll reconsider.
Very nice!!!
Congrats!!!
Great story! Very nice bird! Congrats!
awesome bird, way to go!!
Quote from: WNY Bowhunter on May 17, 2015, 10:45:52 AM
Quote from: TauntoHawk on May 16, 2015, 09:39:19 PM
Way to go man, that's an incredible bird and awesome that you went after him knowing he had some extra tassels.
I've had the itch to get a bird mounted and of course since then I haven't shot one worthy, you got a mountable bird right there!
I didn't know that it was the mutli-bearded gobbler until after I pulled the trigger (twice), I was just hoping that it was... :you_rock:
Honestly, I am not too big of turkey mounting kind of guy, I guess it's because I've seen so many poor turkey mounts. Maybe someday I'll reconsider.
It's like bobcats they are worthless unless you get one done right. A good taxidermist that hand paints the freeze dried head can make birds look awesome!
Meyers in West Coxsakie, NY near Albany does incredible work that my hunting buddy and father have both used. I'm waiting for the next giant me or my wife nocks over to take to him.