Well boys, I got him. I was out scouting Sunday and had this bird cross the road in front of me. I went up tonight and obtained permission from the landowner so the hunt was on. He told me where the birds roost every night, so I made my way down the tree row to set up. I found a flock of around 50-60 birds and half the flock were longbeards! I didnt know for sure if this bird was with them our not, but the chances were pretty high as this area is very remote so most of the birds are all in one place right now. I crawled into about 75 yards with the decoy and immideatly had two big toms run into about 2 yards and gobble in my face, unfortunatly they were not the bird I was looking for. They started to putt a little and worked away from me still spitting and drumming the whole time. I kept crawling closer and closer to the main flock to see if I can look over all the birds and find him. I finally seen the tom, but he was one of the farthest birds away from me, and with 30 toms between him and I , it didnt look promising for him to come to me, so I just kept moving closer and closer. The birds spooked a little from me and had worked over into another pasture about 100 yards away, but I just stayed the course crawling behind the flock as they feed away. The birds crested a small hill and stalled out allowing me to close the distance. I set up the decoy on the hill and started glassing through the tail fan. I looked and looked and the tom was just not with them. I couldnt figure out where he would have went? After about 30 times of glassing every bird in the flock and not finding him, I decieded to back out and would just have to come back another day. I was just about out of sight of the birds when I saw a group of three birds come out from the below the hill I had been set up on and wouldnt you know it, he was one of them! He had been in range the whole time I was sitting there, just out of sight from me. I crawled back in to range, and as soon as the trio of toms seen my decoy, they came running in. I let him get to about 20 yards then I let the meat stick bark. So I got my BLACK PHASED WILD TURKEY! I had heard of guys shooting Black birds in this area over the past few years, and I had always wanted one, so I couldnt be happier to now have one. It is obviously a traight in the flock as I saw a black hen tonight as well. What a beautiful bird! 18 pounds, 8 inch beard, classic two year old. Hello Taxidermist!
(http://)http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206890_10150268104488976_814253975_9256978_5640331_n.jpg(//)
congrats on an awesome looking bird :icon_thumright:
:anim_65:
Very nice gobbler,congrats!!
Congrats on a fine trophy.
Congrats on a real trophy..Mike :you_rock:
Great Bird Congrats :icon_thumright:
Congrats... great looking gobbler. :you_rock:
Congrats on a GREAT bird! :you_rock:
Very cool. Congrats on getting it done.
:icon_thumright: :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
AWESOME!!!!!!!!
congrats! Great bird!
:z-winnersmiley: :you_rock: :you_rock: :you_rock:
Too cool!
very cool bird
congrats on a fine trophy
tha is a awsome trophy right there. Congrats on a great bird! :z-guntootsmiley:
Cool looking bird, congrats
:icon_thumright: Congrats!!
Congrats on a great looking bird!!! :icon_thumright:
Cool lookin turkey!
:you_rock: :you_rock:
Great looking bird! :you_rock:
Nice!!
way cool!
Beautiful Bird! Congrats!
Hey Dustin,welcome to the board.I saw the pics on your website,you guys are on a heck of a roll out there again.That black bird is awesome but i think Jess might have you beat so far.