I got a surprising phone call Monday. A buddy of mine called and said that he saw a turkey in a field on one of the places that I hunt this past weekend. I had scouted this place two or three weeks before season and couldn't find any sign. It looked like we might have a break in the rain Tuesday afternoon so I picked him up and we went hunting for a little bit. I dropped him off at the property he has permission to hunt and I continued on to the place that I have permission on.
I scouted/hunted for an hour or so when the thunder started gettig closer and closer. I was hoping to hear one gobble, but it wasn't to be. I did, however, find lots of fresh scratching! Then about 5PM the rain set back in and I headed back to the truck.
The weather showed it raining from Tuesday evening until Wednesday afternoon, and clearing off after that.
I told Jake I was going to be in the woods this morning, it was going to be the first sunny sunrise in 8 or 9 days!
I was slipping in to my listening spot when he announced his location at 06:00 this morning!! He was roosted about 300 yds away so I cut the distance to about 150 found a tree and set up.
He was really gobbling good, I sat back and enjoyed the show untl I thoght it was getting close to flydown. I gave a few tree yelps on my persuader mouth call and he hammered back!. I pulled out my wing and did a fly down cackle, and he went nuts!!
He finally flew down and I went to work on him with some plain yelps and cluck and purrs. Every once in a while I would throw in a few light cutts. He was gobbling his head off, double and triple gobbling! I got quiet and I could tell he was on the way! I finally saw him about 70 yds out heading directly in. He stopped to strutt and gobble a few times! He got to about 30 yards but was behind some small trees, he turned to go down hill , I found a hole he was about to walk into and once he stepped into it I took the shot! He went right down!
This is the first bird I have killed in Arkansas in a LONG time!
He is a nice bird, he weighed 19#2oz, had two beards one 10" and the other 3 1/4", and had 7/8" spurs
(http://i1013.photobucket.com/albums/af259/OpenSeason1/IMG_0910.jpg)
(http://i1013.photobucket.com/albums/af259/OpenSeason1/IMG_0918.jpg)
(http://i1013.photobucket.com/albums/af259/OpenSeason1/IMG_0934.jpg)
Very nice!!! I hear you may have just cut the Arkansas gobbler population in half. :D
:you_rock: :you_rock: :you_rock:
Nice one, Stephan! Congrats!
Gorgeous bird. Congrats, good to know there are still a few birds in AR
Quote from: honker22 on April 28, 2011, 03:12:07 PM
Gorgeous bird. Congrats, good to know there are still a few birds in AR
Gorgeous bird. Congrats, good to know there
was still a few birds in AR.
There...Fixed it for you Dusty! :TooFunny:
Quote from: vicksburg on April 28, 2011, 03:49:47 PM
Quote from: honker22 on April 28, 2011, 03:12:07 PM
Gorgeous bird. Congrats, good to know there are still a few birds in AR
Gorgeous bird. Congrats, good to know there was still a few birds in AR.
There...Fixed it for you Dusty! :TooFunny:
You guys are about right! It is terrible here in NWA, I think the last bird I killed up here was in 2006! I sure hope our population gets back to where it was!!
awesome bird!!!!!!!! well done!
Nice bird!!!
Looks like another upgrade :)
Great bird!! Congrats
Thats Awesome Stephan! Congrats on a nice AK gobbla! :you_rock: :you_rock: :you_rock: :you_rock: :you_rock:
Bout time you shoot a decent bird. ;D
Congrats Stephan.....AWESOME!
HC
Woohoo!
Quote from: Hardcore on April 30, 2011, 06:59:57 PM
Bout time you shoot a decent bird. ;D
HC
:goofball: :goofball: :goofball:
If you were barefoot with boney legs, would you want to live in those mountains? I'd probably find another place to roost too.
Just kidding. Congratulations on a good bird. Better invite your informant over to feast on the beast.