Hello all, it's been a couple years since I posted here - and sadly, it's been a couple years since I got to turkey hunt. This year, I got back to it. Almost no scouting at all, I went back to a spot where I worked a big gobbler a few years ago - never did get him. The next year, there was nothing in there at all. This year, I took a chance and it turned out really well. They started gobbling about 7:30am and at one point I had 2 strutting and gobbling 100 yards in front of me that I could see, one gobbling far off to my right, and another within 100 yards to my left that I never saw, but sure heard. Believe it or not, all of that action dried up pretty fast when the two went back to their hens.
I wanted to be back there near lunch time figuring they might come back after the hens wandered off. About an hour later after poking around, I heard one gobble pretty far off. I wasn't sure it was a gobble right away. I closed the gap pretty quick and soon was within 100 yards of him. He was answering my calls when I got myself into some thick brush. He went up around me while I was in the brush and I had to get quietly out of the brush. Meanwhile, he came back down and went up around me on the other side. I heard him start heading up the ridge and I got myself against a tree and gave a couple frantic calls that were just about as awful as can be - I was using an old diaphragm call from several years ago. Bad or not, it turned him right around and about a minute later, I saw his head behind a bush. He stepped out and I popped him at about 30 yards at 11:30 am on the second day of season. Used Federal #6, 3" Magnums out of my trusty ol' Mossberg 835 turkey gun that I've had for over 20 years now.
Turned out to be my nicest bird in Idaho, and I believe my second best of all time. Really would have loved to have him mounted, but that's not in the budget at this time. 17+ pounds, 9-5/8" beard, and 1" spurs. I'm still not sure if I'll have time to head out again, but I can still get one more tag to try to fill.
(https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2019/04/26/IMG_0275-small.jpg)
(https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2019/04/26/IMG_0276-small.jpg)
(https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2019/04/26/IMG_0277-small.jpg)
(https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2019/04/26/IMG_0278-small.jpg)
(https://www.beamingpix.com/images/2019/04/26/IMG_0280-small.jpg)
Welcome back, beautiful bird, congrats
Can't beat that..congrats
Fantastic!
Welcome back. Got a nice one. Congrats
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Congrats
Yea buddy that's a dandy merriam. Congrats Doug!
Beautiful bird!
Congrats
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Congratulations! I got one near Elk City last week. Heard lots of gobbling from at least 10 gobblers. What part of Idaho were you hunting in. Just general area or unit?
Gorgeous bird! Congrats.
beautiful bird......congrats