Of all the big gobblers I killed this spring.....

[L.F. Cox]

I'm proudest of this one...And I never pulled the trigger.



This past Saturday I went turkey hunting with this pretty young lady and her dad. We struck out at first light then started cruising looking for a gobbler...about the third stop her dad said there's a big gobbler strutting about 200 yards down from us in a planted corn field.

At that I put my binoculars on him and said..."and he's saw us and is walking away".....her dad looked at him again and said..."and he just flew out the other end of the field into that set of big woods". (Almost due North)

At this point our odds didn't look so good...we drove about 2 miles around and came into the woods from the East side. Just as we approached the woods we heard him gobble....then he gobbled again....then silence. Her dad is a great turkey hunter in his own right and suggested we go no further...I agreed. I suggest they pick a spot to sit and that I'd just lean on a Dogwood tree about 2 feet away from a larger tree and call...(boy that was a mistake after an hour my legs were feeling it).

I played about the sweetest tune I've ever played on my trumpet call...with no response. After a short time I repeated it...again with no response.  After a short time I spotted the gobblers red head checking me out from about 80 yards away and I was pinned down standing up. I didn't think they could see him and I was correct.

Knowing he was in town after I lost sight of him I started to talk to him instead of just call to him...and in short order he announced his presence to all....Gooooobllllleee. (Game on.)

After that he became almost invisible to me. (In the next 2 hours I saw him eye balling me one more time)..but both my buddy and his daughter could see him most of time...I hit him with some light calling on a diaphragm and the trumpet call. They said when he'd gobbled he'd just stand and look for an eternity and then go back to strutting.

Most of the time I sat in wait with call on ready for him to gobble...then I'd come in on his gobble with a few yelps with mixed in cutts.

After a time I eased out my Magic box call...(That I made in 2007..and now has 81 kills to it's credit). I was still standing...I eased over closer to the large tree and started playing the box call behind the tree. His daughter later told me she could see me playing the box call behind the tree...(I bet she thought this ol'man is crazy)

There was a pasture that ran up the side of the hill next to woods and to my dismay here comes this coyote to the call. (lucky for the coyote and us he winded us and left...the gobbler went silent and I was worried our game was up.)

After pretty much free standing for an hour and one half I had to sit down...I eased my head around a spotted a fair sized tree about 5 yards behind me eased back and sat down.

After a time I eased up my trumpet and gave some soft yelps....Gooobblleee (Game still on).

At this point I knew he either had to come or he was going to leave....

I eased the box back out and propped the lid open with my thumb and gave the lid a series of light slaps...making a light cackle. He immediately gobbled and I immediately cackled at him again....my buddy said he immediately went on the move towards me.

After a minute I repeated the light cackle again in a series of three...to which he gobbled and she answered him with the shot.

[drenalinld]

Nice. Is that four beards?

[L.F. Cox]

3...11" chiquita banana , 6 & 1/4" and 6"....19.5 lbs with little over an inch stiletto spurs.

[DirtNap647]

Congrats

[tomstopper]

Congrats to that young lady.....

[MACHINIST]

Beautiful bird for a beautiful girl,way to go.I am trying to get my daughter her first and will show her this thread tonight!

[troutfisher13111]

Nice bird!

[Idratherb]

that is one stud gobbler nice story, I guess that makes 82 kills with the box.