His name is Mr. Tick Tock and I found him late Tuesday April 26th. He will gobble at most everything maybe! He will sound off from the roost on cloudy days at 5:24 AM - Clear days, 5 minutes earlier. He will gobble his fool head off but once on the ground and with his hens, he goes quiet ~EXCEPT~ Tick Tock will gobble hourly or very close to it! Just about when you think all is lost as it is raining, snowing, hailing, and the wind picks up - Tick Tock will gobble. He might return the favor to your responding call as you call in intervals or he might not! He came close to me several times but he wants to see that hen! When he does – he will gobble once maybe twice. He may step into the field at all the wrong places - and leave just as quick. You go back to see how he got to that point there and you won't believe the incline this boy will walk up. And then just when you think you have him a single strand of barb wire no more than 2 inches off the ground will stop him! I have been turkey hunting almost a quarter century and never had a bird such as him needless to say he really pissed me off! Man I am tired - wait what time is it - almost 5 PM and you guessed it – I hear Tick Tock!
That went on for 3 full days.
The third day my nephew was with me and he got to witness Mr. Tick Tock. We did battle all morning on and off. It was quite a show and was good for this new hunter to hear. I was tired and decided it was time for lunch, so we were going to leave, and you guessed it Mr. Tick Tock sounded off almost out of ear shot. So foolish me I pulled out the Tom Turpin as it was windy! He answered almost immediately but man he was a long ways off! I waited for a good 10 minutes and hit the Turpin hard again. He was closer but still....man.....Good ole Mr. Tick Tock. Waited another time period as this time I waited a good 15 minutes. Hit the Turpin and he gobbled right back and was closer but it was slow going. So I went silent for the next 10 minutes. This time I simply clucked and he gobbled closer than he ever was before. And this time since he was so close I cut him off in mid gobble with some wild racket calling. This cranked this bird up and he choked out non-stop gobbles – so much so the last one I thought he would drop over from loss of breath! He was right behind us in our blind. So close that last gobble had made my nephew jump out of his seat! ? I had promised my nephew he was the shooter! Well that was the plan from the get go. He had to be right behind us but it was steep and it had one single strand of barb wire on that fence. What I believe from his angle he could not see my hen decoys at all
I kept teasing Tick Tock with the Turpin Yelper ever so slowly - 5 mins here - then let him gobble 6 to 7 times before I even thought about answering him back. and slowly switched over to my box Call. He was behind us in a ravine as I was sitting the edge of a cornfield. We played cat and mouse for almost and hour. Then all went quiet ~ We heard no more drumming or the snap to gobble and figured it was all over. Through the my hard right side corner of my blind I could see a bird sneaking up through the tip of this ravine which entered in the cut corn field. It had several tree blow downs so entrance was tricky but I had cut a few big limbs out of the way making it easier for me to sneak in this way. And Tick Tock was using it!
Mr. Tick Tock entered the field hard to my right at 35 yards ~ he had a big tree blow down to maunver around to make it to us. This was unfortunate for my nephew as he sat on my right. I had told him if the bird came in for a shot he was the shooter. And that almost happened. But Tick Tock that once he cleared the mass of branches and limbs that he saw my decoys – he went into strut! He just stood there drumming. Then when he came out of strut he simply started to walk away – so a few more soft clucks to a yelp or two and he went back in strut – but I swear he was strutting facing the decoys but walking backwards. It was like he was in a moon walk. I figured he had moved to 40 yards and he was at less than 30 when he first came. Then he stood straight up and turned to walk away! Man my nephew is not going to get this shot at all but with my gun and as hard as I had chased this Tom!
It was a poke but I certainly have the gun to do it! Certainly helps ruin my 24 yr 21 pace average! But screw that! Tick Tock time had run out!
24 lbs – double beard my 4th! 1st beard 3.3125", 2nd 9.0" Rt spur 1.0". Lft Spur 0.9375"
NWTF ~ Your score is 24 + 9.375 + 10 + 24.625 = 68
Note: In Wisconsin you need to register each bird shot and the scale was at the registration station downtown Lyndon Station, Wi.
How I get in and out of the fields. I have a long walk and many hills to climb. But I sit all day.
Now as I think about it I should have taken this bird to the taxidermist as it was prettier in color than the one I had mounted. It was the real iridescent green and I did not knock a feather out at all. Counted good 8 pellet holes in the skull.
JW
