VA Opening Day

[Vaturkeyhntr]

I have been watching this bird strut in the same field my son killed in on youth day.  He was very routine and would alway use one side of the field to enter and go to roost.  The evening before the opener I watched as him and another longbeard go to roost with 5 hens.

The plan for opening morning was to get close to the corner of the field he exited the evening before and wait.  I was well setup about 45 minutes before good shooting light, hearing 3-4 birds gobble in the distance off the roost I knew the bird I watched the evening before was close but he never gobbled.  As it got light enough for birds to start flying down a hen started soft yelping in a tree only 50 yards from me.  After the first series of calls to answer her, the bird gobbled no more than 75 yards away.  He was very tight lipped and would only gobble a handful of times while in the tree.  As more hens started talking they all finally hit the ground.  I would only get about 3-4 responses from this bird before he went quiet.  Around 7:41 I looked at my phone and some of the recent trail cams pics I had of him, one said 7:44.  I put my phone down and looked up as he all of a sudden entered the field from the corner, only 25 yards from me.  He made his way into the field and at 7:43 was able to take the shot. 

I guess roosted was roasted

21 lbs, 9 1/4 beard, 1 1/8 spurs



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[RiverBuck]

Nice job! Nice gobbler!
It was very quiet this morning in VA on my side.

[callmakerman]

It's nice when a plan comes together. Congrats on a beautiful bird.

[JeffC]

Glad the plan worked out. Congrats

[Vintage]

Congrats on a nice bird.

[rifleman]

Heard nothing this morning in Clarke County but my teeth chattering.  At about 11:00 I see down through woods a turkey moving along and then two more, all jakes.  They came by me at about 45 yds. looking and feeding on up over a hill to my left.  That was the highlight of my day.  Can't go tomorrow, I'm married.  My brother hunted in Loudoun County where there are always turkeys.  He heard nor saw zero turkeys but was deafened by geese.  It'll get better.  Good luck to all.

[TrackeySauresRex]

   Good one congrats!

[3bailey3]

Awesome, congrats!

[Old Timer]

Nice job, nice pic congrats!

[Turkeybutt]

Good job! Nice bird and congratulations on a great hunt.

[Badger]

Nice, Great jobs.

[Tom007]

Congrats! Beauty of a bird...

[Bridger]

Fine bird, congrats!