Just completed a very successful season with my last tag filled Sunday. I shot this gobbler at 44 yards with 2 oz Hevi-13 7's out of my Beretta 12 ga. After shooting this bird I walked up to take a look at him and when I rolled him over I saw that he had a leg band that indicated he was part of a South Dakota Turkey Project. He was shot at least 12 miles from the WY/SD border. I'm waiting to hear from the SD G&F to find out when and where he was banded. After tagging him I walked over to a snowbank and gutted him and washed my hands in the snow, put him in my orange HS turkey back pack and hiked back to the truck.
When I got back to the truck I took some pics because I had forgotten to take my camera with me. As I rolled him on his breast I noticed that a transmitter was attached between his wings on his back with an elastic cord. The bird is two year old with a 9" beard and 1/2" spurs and weighed 20 lbs. I've never shot a banded bird of any kind before so it was a new experience for me. I've included pics of the bird, leg band and transmitter. :cowboy:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v323/WyoHunter1/WY2011BHNFGobbler3.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v323/WyoHunter1/WY2011BHNFGobbler2.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v323/WyoHunter1/WY2011BHNFGobbler1.jpg)
WTG Bob!!
very cool
That's very cool. I shot a banded turkey in SD, but it had a regular crimp style band, not one that's riveted on like this, and of course mine didn't have a transmitter.
What a way to end your season.
Pretty cool. Let us know what you find out about this. Congrats on your Tom and your season.
Ugh Oh!!
You shot an undercover bird!!!! :gobble:
Probably been undercover for more than a year, and just getting in good with the contacts.
Congrats on the bird. What a neat added bonus in your hunt!!!
God Bless,
David B.
:anim_65:
Very nice,congrats!!
Congrats on the ''Special'' gobbler. That is way cool..Keep us informed of the outcome. I'd go underground for awhile, in case they come lookin' for the guy that wrecked their project..The Fed's may be lookin' for some restitution..Way to go, Wyo...Mike :you_rock:
Very Cool!
Public land bird?
Let us know any info you get on him. I wonder how far he has traveled.
:you_rock: :you_rock:
very cool congrats
:jackson:
That's awesome! Please update us with the info when you get it.
Congrats on a very special trophy for sure!
Thats a great trophy for sure. Congrats,
TRKYHTR
Congrats! Twelve miles..........that is a lot farther than I would have guessed he'd end up. Nomadic Merriam's describes him well.
thats a special bird, congrats
Congrats on a once in a lifetime trophy!!
Nothing like icing on the cake!
Congrats
Very cool
He was shot on public ground in the Black Hills NF.
From what I hear from the man that started a project like this in the southern Black Hills there is still some research being done. As you know Merriam's are great travelers. His project ended a couple of years ago and this isn't one of his. This bird I killed was 14 miles from where he was last located two days before. He told me that he had one travel from the southern part of the Hills 55 miles into Wyoming.
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/thewaterfowler/dakotawyoming039.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/thewaterfowler/dakotawyoming069.jpg)
Very Cool!!
That's an awesome bird!
Here's an update on my turkey:
I talked to the graduate student in charge of the project (Gobbler Mortality) about my gobbler. It was trapped and banded and transmitter fitted on Feb. 11, 2011 about 4 miles from where I killed him. One hundred gobblers were branded for this study by him and so far 23 have been reported killed. He said the harvest has been up substantially since they started selling extra tags for this area. He said brood counts were average the past two summers. He's a MS student attending South Dakota State University and he's doing the study in cooperation with the WY G & F.
Nice!!
4 miles, wow, makes me reconsider where the birds in my area get around to
Cool trophy.
That's like a turkey hunter's dream! Thanks for sharing all the info!
:smiley-patriotic-flagwaver-an
That is awesome, and the greatest thing about the whole story is that if people haven't been researching turkeys and transplanting turkeys we wouldn't have the hunting oppurtunities we have today.
Did the student want the transmitter back?