That there are some old turkeys out there that lead a charmed life? I am beginning to think so. I haven't hunted as long as some of you fellows but it does seem that some old gobblers are just on really good terms with their guardian Angel's. They are a tough nut to crack and when you finally have him beat and in range something abnormal happens to save his wrinkled neck and he survives another day. What do you guys think?
There are only two choices. They are either "charmed" or they are just smarter than me. I'm going with the "charmed" theory.... ;D
Been dealing with a river bottom turkey the last three days in Nebraska that I can tell is a big and old Merriam. The first morning I had him in comfortable range to kill only 10 minutes after flydown, I should've killed him then because since then it's been nothing but a chess match. His hens have saved him several times but in the 7ish hours of watching him strut he has yet to breed any of them. I think he just sticks with them and follows them to nest, because they know how stay alive in their group, and he's perfectly content with that. A charmed life he seems to live I would say with certainty. I have one more morning to get after him, but I have a feeling he and his hens are gonna win this war.
Killed a nice two year old two hours into my hunt the first afternoon, and didn't want the trip to be over 10 minutes after flydown the first morning. He was at the edge of my comfort zone, and that's why he got the pass, I figured he'd close and he never did. Sure been fun messing with him, but kinda kicking myself for not laying it on him, but the battle is all the fun.
Luck can be better than skill sometimes
Quote from: HookedonHooks on May 27, 2019, 03:15:16 PM
That's why he got the pass at 60, even though I'm confident with my gun to 60, I figured he'd close and he never did. Sure been fun messing with him, but kinda kicking myself for not laying it on him, but the battle is all the fun.
Never ceases to amaze me, no matter how many posts and threads are deleted some people just can't comprehend this ain't the forum for your 60 yard hail marry desperation shot talk. If the best you can do is get him to 60 yards he's won you've lost period.
Some have sold their souls to the devil in exchange for tormenting hunters.
And here I thought this was another Young vs Older hunters thread. Happy, you're just getting long in the tooth. I will say it first before young gunz start telling you how to do it right (LMAO)
I don't know about a charmed life, I think a turkey that lives to be 4 or 5 year's is a little more wary and maybe a little more in tune with the world in which he lives. I am not sure how smart or intelligent a turkey can be. I just feel the older ones are a more cautious and less eager to go against their natural instincts. I like hunting those as I call them " slick joker's" I seem to get hung up on them when I run across one. It's truly a game of life and death to them!
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Quote from: land cruiser on May 27, 2019, 05:26:52 PM
And here I thought this was another Young vs Older hunters thread. Happy, you're just getting long in the tooth. I will say it first before young gunz start telling you how to do it right (LMAO)
Oh there are plenty of turkeys that have straight up wooped me. And I am sure there are more to come. What I am talking about are those old birds that you finally beat and have in shotgun range and then something totally out of the blue happens and they win again. Just seems like a few of them are leading a charmed life.
Oh Yeah, took me 4 years before "Hook" made a mistake and we hunted him hard! I usually get a bird that works me up every year, beats me at his game and then I go to working him, that's' what keeps me going all season!!
He was a bird of a lifetime for memories!
MK M GOBL
Quote from: Bay1985 on May 27, 2019, 04:01:11 PM
Never ceases to amaze me, no matter how many posts and threads are deleted some people just can't comprehend this ain't the forum for your 60 yard hail marry desperation shot talk.
That happens?
Quote from: Happy on May 27, 2019, 08:23:09 PM
What I am talking about are those old birds that you finally beat and have in shotgun range and then something totally out of the blue happens and they win again.
You mean like a turkey just over a rise in good range and a coyote comes out of nowhere and runs him off..
Or he finally comes into range with a herd of cattle and you cannot safely shoot without risking hitting a cow?
Or when he is charging in, and hangs up on two fence posts (with the fencing removed)?
I have friends that win at every single raffle event, find money on the ground tying their shoes... Probably some turkeys out there with the same cosmic luck....
Or ya got a nice tom just coming into range when a bull elk charges in and bucks and kicks him to neverland...
or he's coming in when suddenly thunder reigns from above as jet fighters roar over the tree line....
I do think some have divine protection.
I have known a few of these. One exist right now on one of my favorite ridges. He escaped at 25 yards this year as a load of shot wizzed by his head from my buddy's gun. This guy never misses, but did on this bird.
Charmed life, lucky, geniuses or just bad luck or ignorance on my part....... I've had plenty of turkeys in close range that nearly vanish into thin air.
Hens taking the Gobbler off or other hunters spooking a bird your working coyotes running in are just common aggrevations. I once spent most of a season hunting a particular Longbeard. I never spooked him so I was able to hunt him nearly everyday. He always had two hens with him and he would answer occasionally and even start working into range but the hens always lead him away. I left him for a few days and found another more cooperative Gobbler a few miles away. As Gobbling turkeys aren't numerous on public land in La I went back after him. Same deal as before the two old hens leading him away. This went on until the second to last day of the season He gobbled once on the roost I circled around and got on the end of the ridge he was on and I'd seen him strutting before. Made a few soft clucks and scratched in the leaves. No answers but really wasn't expecting one. I knew he was on the ridge maybe 150 yards away. An hour later I see him slipping my way ,and he was alone, one or two steps then he'd stop and scan the whole area. Slowly working to me. I don't use a decoy so he'd have to keep coming closer to find the hen he heard. At about 40 yards I had him, couple steps to get around some brush and give me a clear 35yard shot. Out of nowere a big oak limb fell out of a tree on to the ridge between us...he took a few steps and pitched off the ridge and was gone. What are the chances that old dead oak limb that had been hanging above that ridge for years let go at that particular time? My bad luck or his good fortune I guess it depends on how you look at it.