So after punching my first tag early on opening day, I really didn't want to tag out so quickly, so my focus turned to running the camera and taking and calling for some buddies of mine. Tuesday I slept in, Wednesday I took a buddy back to the farm I hunted Monday after ol loudmouth, not really going to get into that hunt (still frustrated about that one) but we should have killed him but he gobbled up some hens that messed us up.
So Thursday rolls around and I am scheduled to take a buddy of mine that we grew up in church together all of our life, and he had never killed a bird before but wanted to so bad. Perfect, lets do this! So we go to his property, I had never been to it in my life, but couldnt wait to give it a try. We park the trucks next to a cemetery and I told my buddy, "this is a good sign, every bird I have ever killed has been on a property with a cemetery, we are going to kill today." He laughed, but I was dead serious! Literally as soon as my foot hit the ground out of my truck I heard a turkey gobble across the hollow from us. As we are getting our gear on and together he continues to light the woods up in the pitch darkness. I told my buddy, "come on, we gotta get around this bowl to that bird, have to be on his side to kill him." So off we went trecking around this big hollow to get to his side in a killing position to start talking to him.
Him and a buddy continued to tear the woods down the whole time we walked to him, I can honestly say I have never heard a bird that liked to gobble as much as this guy did! Incredible!! So we get around to his side and there is a beautiful little open field/gas well site, and I said "this is the spot we have to be to kill him, lets do it here." So we got set up in the edge of the woods looking into this field with an avian X hen decoy in front of us and the gobbler just puking it in the woods just across from us, probably 120 yards or so from us.
So as we sit down a group of hens decide they want to chime in down over the hill, OH NO!!! So I began a nice heated discussion with them. Incredible audio, some of the best I have ever heard with hens cutting like crazy and the gobbler losing his mind! I hit them with a fly down not long after that and he goes bananas!!! They cant handle that fly down! After a little bit, I could tell he was on the ground, and still tearing the woods down. Then he slowed down quite a bit, I could tell he was off the point strutting with those hens. I continued to lay the heavy calling to him and he continued to answer.
After a little while he gobbled and had cut the distance, he was on his way.Not 3 minutes later my buddy said, "I see him, coming through the woods right down my gun barrel." And sure enough here he came to put on the show of all shows for us. I got on him with the camera and began to lay down some of the most beautiful footage I have ever seen, by far the best I have ever been able to capture. He came through the open timber and into the field locked onto our decoy and strutted all the way in with his 4 hens in tow! He left his hens to come to us! Amazing! So after milking it for all it was worth, enjoying the show, and about giving my buddy a heart attack I asked him if he was ready, he said YES! So as the beautiful longbeard pirouetted around broadside I gave him some soft yelps and he answered with a resounding GOBBLE, followed by a big BOOM FLOP!!! And his first bird was on the ground at 7:00, with some of the most beautiful footage you will ever see. And the high fives and thank you Lord prayers ensued!
As we stood there over this magnificent bird soaking in the morning, our adrenaline flowing through us, we just smiled ear to ear and thanked our Lord and savior for his abundant blessings he pours out on us! This turkey gobbled no less than 300 times in an hour, put on the show of all shows for us, allowed us to get it all on film, then lay the hammer down all in Jesus name! I told my buddy, "Josh, you may hunt a very very long time and not have another hunt as good as this one!" He was absolutely so thankful and thrilled to have his first bird on the ground, and I couldnt have been any more thrilled to be there to help him do it!
So as we walked back to the truck he continued to thank me for the awesome morning, and all I could do was smile as God was shining down on us! We threw the bird in the back and I told him, "I told you there is something about a cemetery didnt I?" Hope you guys enjoyed this story as much as we enjoyed the hunt for this beautiful creation, and thank you Jesus for allowing us to do what we love to do! The best is yet to come! Be blessed guys! <br />(http://i1041.photobucket.com/albums/b416/zach20065/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsspthnymi.jpg) (http://s1041.photobucket.com/user/zach20065/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsspthnymi.jpg.html)<br />(http://i1041.photobucket.com/albums/b416/zach20065/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpszkkjc6nn.jpg) (http://s1041.photobucket.com/user/zach20065/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpszkkjc6nn.jpg.html)<br />(http://i1041.photobucket.com/albums/b416/zach20065/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpskgjxoxtg.jpg) (http://s1041.photobucket.com/user/zach20065/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpskgjxoxtg.jpg.html)<br /><br />(http://i1041.photobucket.com/albums/b416/zach20065/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsfioqq0jt.jpg) (http://s1041.photobucket.com/user/zach20065/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsfioqq0jt.jpg.html)<br />(http://i1041.photobucket.com/albums/b416/zach20065/007_zpsrjqri0zm.jpg) (http://s1041.photobucket.com/user/zach20065/media/007_zpsrjqri0zm.jpg.html)<br />(http://i1041.photobucket.com/albums/b416/zach20065/013_zpsdojo5lsb.jpg) (http://s1041.photobucket.com/user/zach20065/media/013_zpsdojo5lsb.jpg.html)<br />(http://i1041.photobucket.com/albums/b416/zach20065/014_zpseaclhxw0.jpg) (http://s1041.photobucket.com/user/zach20065/media/014_zpseaclhxw0.jpg.html)<br />(http://i1041.photobucket.com/albums/b416/zach20065/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsxleq2xgq.jpg) (http://s1041.photobucket.com/user/zach20065/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsxleq2xgq.jpg.html)<br />(http://i1041.photobucket.com/albums/b416/zach20065/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpstlc8yccv.jpg) (http://s1041.photobucket.com/user/zach20065/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpstlc8yccv.jpg.html)
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Congrats to you both.
Great job with the pics!
very nice pics
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That is some really good stuff right there, I bet the video is awesome! Congratulations to you both!
Great story and beautiful pics. Congrats to you both.
Great Story and Pics! Keep Hammering them
Beautiful Bird! Congrats!!!
Way to go ! Awesome picks and a fine gobbler, congrats.
Great story, when do we get to see that footage...
Way to go Zach!
Great hunt and an excellent recounting of it!
Awesome!
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Great story!!!!
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Congrats!!
We are in the process this spring of shooting a full length film, a movie. This hunt along with several others from this spring will be featured in this film. God is abundantly blessing us already and season isn't even a week old. Can't wait to see what he has in store!
Nice bird ! looking forward to the film, good luck during rest of season
nice wright up and pictures, good job calling for your buddy
Nice pics and congrats
congrats to the both of you