Last tag filled! (a little late posting!)

[trkehunr93]

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/v46AQJ3tlahOJjSaHP2fL-h23JroXRCREmm1Md6_1E0?feat=directlink

Killed this gobbler on Monday morning April 30th, I tagged along with a longtime hunting partner and turkey hunting mentor to some land he has permission to hunt.  At daylight we heard nothing so we decided to keep walking the road up the mountain and as we near the top we hear the first gobble of the morning at 6:16AM, we walk a little further and get to a crossroads and he gobbles again and is straight in front of us but sounds like he is about 200 yards away.  We hear another bird gobble of to our right so we decide to split up, Mark goes right I stay straight on the road we came in on.  As I'm walking up the road he gobbles again and I about mess my pants as he is roosted to my right about 60 yards to my right.  I quietly backstep and cut into a stand of white pines and mixed oaks about 20 yards from the road.  I decide to throw my hat in the ring and give him some soft tree yelps and clucks and he lets me know he heard me, finally at 6:40 I can tell he has flown down as he is gobbling on the ground now.  I grab the wing out of my vest and give him a flydown and some scratching and another flydown like to hens have hit the ground.  I keep scratching in the leaves and soft calling and he gobbles in front of still about 80 yards out.  He gobbles again and I can tell he has crossed the road I came in on and he is off to my right now, I call and nothing.  He gobbles again and sounds like he is going up the mountain away from me.  I said no so fast buster so I cutt to him and yelp real loud and when he gobbles he is facing me now.  I get my gun up and take off the safety.  I'm scanning the drop off in front of me for a head or top of a tail fan and I'm straining to hear him walking, finally I here him coming.  I keep listening and now I can't hear him walking, I'm thinking did he turn back and go up the mountain?  I scanning left and right and when I cut my eyes right he is standing right there at 30 yards.  I need to move my gun about 5-6 inches so I ease it over, he sees me, putts once and BOOOM! he's on the ground flopping like a fish.  My 2012 season officially ends at 7AM.  Nice mountain gobbler to finish a good season.  Sorry it took me a couple of days to post it, now I will hopefully get my son back out there so we can try and get him his first turkey.

[davisd9]

Congratulations on your bird and for tagging out! You only get two tags?

[M,Yingling]

Congrats on the birds

[trkehunr93]

Congratulations on your bird and for tagging out! You only get two tags?

We get three tags and they can be used fall and spring.  I fall hunt also and had killed a fall bird so I only had two left for spring.

[JVA54]

Congrats!!

[dirt road ninja]

Congrats. When does your season end?

[trkehunr93]

Congrats. When does your season end?

Our season ends May 19th.  We just moved into all day hunting starting today, they let us do it the last 2 weeks of the season.  We are currently working on a updated management plan for turkeys and the concensus from the focus group I attended in April was all day hunting all season as long as it was shotgun only, rifles are legal in VA for turkeys (ridiculous IMO that they are legal).  We have alot of regs. still in place from the early 70's.