Was able to connect on Tuesday. Off the roost the birds were in a drainage off the property. Gobblers went quiet as they hit the ground. I had run the call just enough to let them know there was a bird in the right direction, mine. About 15 minutes after flydown I heard gobbles and it sounded like they were moving up hill and going to move thru a bench on the property. All this is a usual pattern. As the group came to the skyline I could see 2 strutters, and what looked like 2 or 3 jakes looking down the hill at the decoys. They gobbled as I ran the call. All of a sudden all hell breaks loose up there- Putts - turkeys running- Jumping- A coyote runs into the middle of them, Everything went back into the canyon they came from.
Eventually they came back up the same way. Had a jake and one of the long beards finally come close. Shot the long beard at twenty steps. Darn near missed him. Could only find a few blood spots on his head. Trigger on my little single shot 20 gauge Baikal is long and creepy. Seems like it takes forever to go off. I think I pulled the shot, it should have just hammered him with the TSS 9's. Thank God for a few fringe pellets.
Shorter than usual beard, most 2 year olds are 9 1/2", but heavier than most. Over 20 is unusual, normally about 19.
So the stats. 20.1 pounds, 8 3/4" beard, spurs both 15/16". Either a healthy 2 year old or a small 3 year old. Score 56.35
Good first bird of the season. Looking to up grade now. Hunted a different property the next day, had heard nothing on the roost- About 7 am had one gobble- about a half hour later heard him again just up the ridge- had 4 hens walk in- stayed for an hour and a half- he never followed them. They were the best callers I've ever heard! and nothing!
