Been hunting in Kansas with my father since Wednesday. Words can't explain how hard we have hunted from daylight til dark every day. Was finally able to roll a nice longbeard today and it was a crazy hunt.
We were headed back to the hotel around noon to get some lunch. As we were headed back we spot some turkeys in this huge flat grassfield where we have seen them all week at random times of the day. Well today I finally tell my dad "might as well give it a shot, we're already out here."
We park the truck a little before 12:30pm and make about a mile hike out into the middle of the field. How we never got spotted I don't know, but there were a few gobblers with a couple hens. We get set up in a small shrub in the middle of the field and sit for about 30 minutes with no action. Can't even see the birds because they dropped down into this little gulley in the middle of the field. After a bit I told him "well im gonna try to sneak up the gulley and see if they are there." So I begin about a 200 yard hike across the field. As I start to make my way to the low lying area in the field I spot a bird. The bird "sees" me, but doesn't react and goes back to feeding. Im literally standing in the middle of a flat grassy field lol. Well I keep easing my way down to a little section of about 3-4ft high brushing sticks in the field and I see the other birds. Initially two hens feed by me @ 60 yards and jump across this little seasonal runoff creek in the field. I move up and all of the sudden I spot 2 longbeards. Im standing right out in the open and I don't move. They kinda look at me, but continue following the hens. The birds jump the creek too and continue following the hens. About that time I hear my dad hit his call 200 yards back. One gobbler freezes and looks @ me, but beyond me. I told myself if he comes to this ridge, which was about 45 yards out I would shoot. Well my dad keeps calling and the bird just stops following the hens and turns my way. He makes it to the ridge, but Im still standing in the wide open with my gun at my side. Im about to just whip my gun up and shoot, but he just keeps moving my way. The bird jumps down into the creek and I raise my gun. He pops back up on my side about 40 yards out and takes another few steps and I shoot and roll the bird.
I could not believe it. We have had text book hunts and set ups where the birds would be pulled away by hens, while this guy has hens and just leaves them to check out a call 200 yards off while Im standing in the middle of a wide open field lol.
It was a nice 3 year old with roughly a 9 inch beard and 1 1/8 inch spurs.
Pix to come, but the internet here is slow as heck.
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i126/gatrapper/DSC02941.jpg)
:anim_65: :anim_65:
Very nice,congrats!!
As I said, congrats!! Glad you could finally get one.
Congrats, post those pics!
Congrats, Trapper. Nice gobbler. :you_rock:
Congrats! Nice spurs!
Way to go bud! Glad you got to close the deal on a nice longbeard rio! :icon_thumright:
Those are some hammer spurs! Great Job! :anim_65:
:wav: :wav:
Congrats dude.
Nice ,,Congrats
Nice!
Nice bird!! congrats!
Congrats
Finally was able to put pops on a bird tonight. Will post story and pix later.
way to go! congrats
Congrats on a great bird!!! :z-guntootsmiley:
congrats!
Very nice bird. Congrats.
Got dad on another longbeard this morning and he tagged out with an awesome 70 yard shot that just folded the bird.
Will have post and pix later, at the KC airport waiting for the flight home to Atl.
Awesome news.....you aint missing nothing back here at home.
Nice one
Quote from: cannonball on May 07, 2011, 10:52:53 PM
Congrats, post those pics!
:agreed: :z-guntootsmiley: