2022 Strut Stopper Story Thread

[turkey harvester]

This is where we want to hear your story. Tell us the details too

[bornagain64]

I hunted yesterday and heard a couple birds, so we set near a trial before making any moves.
A thunderstorm was moving off in the distance, and a bird gobbled 150 yards away at 6:30: it does not start getting light until a little after 7:00. So we moved into an area to set up and wait for daylight. At about 7:00 I owl hooted to check on the bird and he gobbled in the same place. A few minutes later a made some soft yelps and few clucks and nothing. A few minutes later a wood duck zipped by us and a bird gobbled 80 yards to our left: different bird than earlier and he was close. I made another sequence of soft calling and he gobbled: I made 1 more sequence and he double and triple gobbled. I put the call down wanting to wait for him to get on the ground before calling any more. I told my buddy we should either hear or see the bird fly down, a few seconds later and he tells me he sees the bird and he his coming. I see the bird a few seconds later, his head was all white and he would stop and strut and then keep coming. He got to about 25 yards and my buddy asked if I could hear him drumming and I said no. ( I am convinced that is a sound I just can not hear) He stopped and went into strut again, and I was about to yelp to him to lift his head, but he did it on his own, and I took the shot. It was 7:18am, still seemed a little early and I was surprised he was on the ground that early. When we where walking out we heard another bird hammering a couple yards away, my buddy snuck out and looked down the road and could see the bird about 100 yards away. It was just one of those days. Osceolas usually do not gobble much when they hit the ground.

[birdman67]

Great story and congratulations again! Don't you love it when it's one of those days that they hammer! Nothing like it.

[aclawrence]

That's exciting. I'm hoping for one of those kinds of hunts here soon!


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[birdman67]

I hunted several days this past week and the weather just wouldn't cooperate. I had only heard one bird all week until this morning. I changed up my location and went to another listening area. While I was getting my gear out of the truck, a bird gobbled. I setup on the edge of a timber ridge that joins a group of pine trees. Once I sat down, the hammering began. It was 4 birds roosted and surrounded by hens.  I tried to play it cool and let them make the first move. I let them know I was there but didn't wanna push the issue. Once they flew down it was evident that they were going in a different direction than I was. So I circled around them and went to where I thought they were headed. I sat patiently and waited in one of them to gobble. One of them gobble about 200 yards from me. I eased up to the top of ridge and sat down. I gave them a soft yelp and they cut me off. I heard drumming and knew they were close. 2 of them came up the hill but were behind a brush top. They began to putt some and I quickly used my mouth call to calm them down and they eased on up the hill. When they cleared the brush I shot the strutter. 8 1/2 inch beard, 1 inch spurs

[bornagain64]

Congrats also, nice job moving on those birds. Always scary, but you never know what would have happened if you stayed put.

[lacire]

Nice bird and an exciting hunt.

[turkey harvester]

Awesome job Tandy and John!!

[fmf]

Nice!  congrats yall

[dzsmith]

Nice birds Yal. It's killing being able to go so little and having no action. But I know my day is coming. Keep up the good work.

[RossAnderson]

Congrats on the birds men! Waitin on a week and a half to go by. Ain't got long.


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[Tom007]

Nice birds congrats...

[RossAnderson]

Started GA's opener off this mornin with a good hunt, just couldn't get close enough to connect. Birds was gobbling good this morning but they didn't wanna leave all the hens they was runnin around with. Fought with the whole group til lunch. Tried to move around to get ahead of them several times but just never could get close enough. Backed out went and got some lunch, ran a few errands and headed back in around 3:00. Set up on some good fresh scratching sign on a ridge top they made this mornin. Made some soft calls and scratched in the leaves every so often. More scratching than calling. Heard a few hens clucking and feeding around the bottom of the ridge below me around 5:30. I made a few more soft calls with some light yelps and heard a bird spit and drum a few times. I put the call down and scratched in the leaves some more. A few minuets goes by and I hear a bird walking straight up the ridge to me. I see his white capped head come up over the top of ridge and he gives me a good shot at about 35 yards around 6:00. Thank you Lord. I'm by myself and couldn't figure out a good prop to take pictures. By the time I made it out of the woods and home it was already dark so the pictures ain't what I wanted them to be. I always end up in the prettiest places Turkey huntin but never can get the pictures down. Today was a good day.


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[wvhoyt19]

Congrats everyone!!


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[bornagain64]

Congrats Ross!