Weird spring here in the Colorado high country. Got this old bird at 8,500 feet in a foot of snow this week. Passed on him twice last year...nice Merriam's with a 9.5 inch beard and 3/4 inch spurs. Taken with my 1937 Ithaca NID 16 bore full choked barrel at 25 yrds uphill...got lucky!
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj14/birddogdoc/image_44.jpeg)
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj14/birddogdoc/image_43.jpeg)
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Very nice
Very beautiful!
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Congrats! Gotta love the mountain birds.
Very nice, love Colorado any time of year...
Very nice bird. Lived in Colorado for 5 years and miss every bit of it. What part of the state did you shoot that bird. I always hunted south west of Colorado Springs.
Thanks for the replies everyone! JD...I was in the Sangre de Cristos
Congrats again! I hunted the Sangres when I lived in CO 06 to 11. I lived in Leadville most of that time.
Hobbes...thanks!
I love that area and there are now more turkeys around the Arkansas River valley then one can imagine. I love to fish the ark and chasing Merriam's is a total thrill! Last year by the middle of May I was at 9,500 to 10,000 ft chasing one big tom in particular.
Congrats!!
Lots of frustration in Colorado this year it seems - way to keep after them.
Beautiful bird in beautiful country! Congrats. Just out of curiosity, how did you know it was the same bird you passed on twice last year?
Noice work! I'd love to try that, but I can't carry a gobbler lounger and an oxygen tank at the same time. ;)
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Congrats!
Forget the lounger in the mountains and just carry the oxygen. You'll be in your feet trying to keep up with those birds most of the time anyway. Get positioned right and you won't have to sit long enough to need the lounger, but you may chase a flopping tom down the mountain after the shot. :)
Quote from: hobbes on May 09, 2016, 04:51:53 PM
Forget the lounger in the mountains and just carry the oxygen. You'll be in your feet trying to keep up with those birds most of the time anyway. Get positioned right and you won't have to sit long enough to need the lounger, but you may chase a flopping tom down the mountain after the shot. :)
I'm OK with a downhill chase....well, an UNDER CONTROL downhill chase, that is.
farmboy...I've been watching this guy for at least 3 yrs. He'd collect his hens and go to the same strutting grounds. Last year I was chasing a very nice mature tom but never could get him patterned like this guy.
Beautiful bird in beautiful country, for sure! :icon_thumright:
Very nice!