Fallen Gladiator

[Gooserbat]

Okay this all started two weeks ago and four hours from home.  Dad and I take an annual trip to a WMA somewhere in Oklahoma.  Birds were tough this year. We started hunting on the 19th.  On the morning of the 22nd I found "Egghead" as I named him.  Hunted him all day for 3 Days straight and stayed over and hunted again the morning of the fourth day.  I never got aggressive with him and let him make his moves. He stayed in the same core area that may have been 100 acres.  He didn't respond to call until the fourth morning but got a ravine between us and never got in range. To make matters worse he had an obnoxious girlfriend and he just was stubbornly infatuated with her.

I came home got a bunch of work done and studied on the moves from my game with Egghead.  I realized that while he was giving me the slip he always passed around the head of a certain draw.  He just approaced from different directions...

This past Sunday night after church I drove back to the wma with four days of season left.  Monday morning he was still in the same spot. Monday was a repeat of a week before, so was Tuesday except I was in position to cut him off at the draw... And he went the other way.

Today, next to the last day of season I didn't hunt him off the roost but showed up about 10:30. He gobbled at a crow around 10:50, and 10:52 and 10:53 and 10:55. You get it.  I slipped in above his position and set up about 100 yards from where I thought he was.  I very lightly yelped 3 times and silence, 30 minutes later, still nothing. 

I had crows calling and he was saying nothing. I thought why not so I owl hooter and he blows up just where I last heard him. 

I was once told if you can't call em, crawl em.  I slowly crawled 60-70 yards to where I could just peep over the edge and down to the next bench.  I waited just a minute and he steps out from behind a pine at about 40 yards.  TSS does weird things to turkeys.  So often they don't flop, and I've still not gotten over that.

Oh yeah 1 1/4" spur, 10" beard 19lbs 6oz and came from a hard hunted wma.  Old warrior bird.

[Sanders153]

A massive accomplishment friend. As an Okie, I can tell you our birds are down in numbers something awful. You did something not many fellas did here this spring

[Gooserbat]

Here's a couple more pics of Egghead and one of Dad and the great bird he took during the first trip.

[Yoteduster]

Congrats on a hard earned gobbler

[Sixes]

Congrats on the bird, but it sounds like he nearly won the war this year.

[aclawrence]

Nice. Those birds you build a little history with are special. Unfortunately my two birds like that  gave me the slip for the 3-4 days I got to chase them.


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[Muzzy61]

Congrats on a great bird.

[MISSISSIPPI Double beard]

Congrats! You earned that gobbler.

[chadly]

Nice bird.

[Ozarks Hillbilly]

Congrats good bird

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[OJR]

Congratulations!

[J.D. Shellnut]

Nothing more satisfying than that! Congratulations!!!

[the Ward]

Great story, thanks for sharing it!

[sswv]

great bird and a very memorable hunt for sure. thumbs up to your dad as well..

[JeffC]

Congrats to you both. Hopefully his offspring provide same challenge in the future for you both.