I took my 14 year old grandson out this morning for his first hunt of the season. He killed a jake two years ago but that was his only bird.
I had scouted earlier in the week and seen four or five longbeard together in a pipeline one evening. I had an idea where they roosted and we got there in plenty of time this morning. Another hunter pulled up by us in his Jeep right at gobbling time. He's a loud talker and wanted to visit. We heard nothing after he left so I went down the road a bit to another spot. We had one gobbling but he went away from us on flydown. We tried to follow but it got so thick, we opted to back out and go at him another way.
That worked! We sat up on the other side of him and he responded to calling. As the gobbling got closer, it was clear there were two gobbling!
We had one on one side and two gobbling and coming down a pipeline from the other side. We quickly shifted in intercept the two gobblers. They gobbled REAL close and then we could see them. Not two, FOUR longbeards strolling in. My grandson was directly in front of me and had a wide open shot at the lead bird as he stopped and periscoped his head up at my clucking. BOOM! I saw the head hit the gobbler's back so I knew it was a done deal. The bird flopped, the other three milled about and my middle school lineman grandson bolted more like a running back. :laugh:
He scared the other three toms half to death when he came flying out of the woodline.
The tom was a real trophy. 1 1/2" spur and 1 3/8" spur, a 10 1/2" beard and ANOTHER beard of 8". Yep, his first longbeard was a double-bearded STUD!
(http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx344/LawDuck/IMG_0452_zpsnti5povi.jpg) (http://s770.photobucket.com/user/LawDuck/media/IMG_0452_zpsnti5povi.jpg.html)
(http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx344/LawDuck/IMG_0453_zpsftfgnhsc.jpg) (http://s770.photobucket.com/user/LawDuck/media/IMG_0453_zpsftfgnhsc.jpg.html)(http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx344/LawDuck/IMG_0455_zps8uz5lrxe.jpg) (http://s770.photobucket.com/user/LawDuck/media/IMG_0455_zps8uz5lrxe.jpg.html)
That's awesome! Congrats to him!
Fantastic!! Tell him congrats! (Pap is going to have to make a nice display for him!)
Congratulations to the both of you!! On a nice bird and memorable hunt.
Congrats to that young man. He will have a hard time topping that one
Nice
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Dang! Setting the bar pretty high right out of the shoot. Congrats!!!!
Congrats to the both of you on a awesome bird and hunt.
Man that's great! Congrats on a stud of a bird!
That is a great bird.
Congrats all around! What an awesome hunt, and bird!
congrats to the youngman :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
He is all smiles , must be a proud Granddad
That smile says everything! Awesome experience for the both of you.
Congratulations to him on a great gobbler!! Enjoyed the story and pictured it all going down. Great job.
I may have messed up. I didn't weigh the bird, but would guess him to be 20 lbs, which is pretty typical of birds I've taken around here.
Guesstimating 20 lbs, 4 oz, that tom would score 92, and be the #8 Eastern registered in Texas. Sure wish I'd weighed it now... :angry9:
Congratulations to the both of you!
Great story.
Congrats!
Semper Fidelis
:happy0064: :you_rock: :z-guntootsmiley: :icon_thumright: :funnyturkey:
Awesome David!!! Congrats to you and the boy!! Memories to last a lifetime. :z-winnersmiley:
Congratulations, a day neither of you will forget. Thanks for sharing.
congrats to you both, on a bird of a lifetime :icon_thumright:
Congrats young man!
:icon_thumright:
Great job
:drool: Very nice!