2022 Story Thread

[Delmar ODonnell]

Hey guys,
I was fortunate enough to connect on a beautiful gobbler this morning.

Mississippi's season opened yesterday, but the weather has been rainy and muggy both mornings. Yesterday morning, after hearing nada on the roost, I sat up near a field hoping to catch turkeys coming to it in the rain. At 9:30 I struck a hen, and we proceeded to have an obnoxious 20 minute conversation before she came to 25 yards. The whole time, I could see turkeys, including 2 strutters, on the opposite ridge. As open as the woods are right now, and as quiet as the flock was being, I left at 11:00 hoping to try them today.

This morning the weather was much of the same, and I edged quietly into the same area. As I am slipping in to find a tree, I hear a hen cluck in the tree about 150 yards away. I sat down and began talking to the same boss hen from yesterday. After 10 minutes I watched from a distance the entire flock fly on top of the ridge that I was at the bottom of. This hen would not be quiet. After 30 minutes of constant conversation, I decided to make a move. I moved up a drainage to get to the top of the ridge. As I near the tree I want to get to, I hear drumming. LOUD. I could not tell if he was at 5 yards or 100.

I slowly raise behind the tree to look over the crest. I see many hens, but no gobbler. Just drumming. Finally, I catch him. I go back down, back up, and work 10 yards over to get to a better tree. Once I make it, I slowly raise up again. He has disappeared again, but the drumming is deafening. Roughly 20 hens are 30 yards away, and finally he steps out from behind a tree in full strut at 45 yards.

At this point, he is 45 yards away on the face of the opposite finger ridge from me, with his hens between us and slightly to the left. Walking to them would close the distance and put him right in my shooting lane. I am in no hurry at this point. I hold my gun on him for 10 minutes as he struts and drums. It was quite the show. Finally, he started easing down, and once he broke strut, I finished it at 38 yards. It's still surreal that turkey season is upon us, and I'm very thankful to be able to break the ice. Early season is a different game almost, as I hunted this gobbler the past 2 mornings and he gobbled zero times.

[Tom007]

Way to go brother, beauty of a bird.......congrats......

[Yoder409]

Now, THAT'S what I'm talkin' about, son !!!!!

CONGRATS !!!!!!

[Mossyguy]

Congrats man!

So I let a 2 year old walk this evening. I was set up on a gas line right of way where I've seen 4 birds...one of them is a two year old that hangs out by himself and the others are 3+ and they travel together. I had the whole flock of about 15 birds total show up but I guess the lead hen picked me out. She slammed on the brakes, stared in my direction and let out a few putts. The edges of this gas line are still kinda thick even this early in the season so I was set up a little closer to the open than I wanted to be and she figured me out.

The 2 year old didn't care...he walked right past me at 12 steps, but the other 3 were around 25 yards to my left but I didn't have a shot. The hen turned around and went back the way they came with the 3 big boys strutting behind her the whole time.

I don't know what it is but it's tough for me to shoot a smaller gobbler on my own property knowing that there are bigger ones around, especially since they've been using this area regularly. I'll try again tomorrow!

[twyatt]

Congrats Delmar! Great story and beautiful bird! Great pictures too.

- Keep after 'em Mossyguy!  Good luck today

[GobbleNut]

Congrats to you, and to your team!  Great story and pictures!  Even though you are on the "wrong side"!   
(Personally, I always appreciate someone who honors their gobblers by taking some quality photos...and with a smile on their faces!  Good for you, buddy!)

[Meleagris gallopavo]

Well done Delmar! 


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[Happy]

Congrats sir!

[randy6471]

Congrats. Really nice job on the pics!

[zsully]

Congrats Delmar!!!!!! Awesome bird and story.

[Vintage]

Congrats Nice bird.

[Delmar ODonnell]

Thanks gentlemen! I really appreciate it! I'm a stickler for slowing down and taking lots of pictures. When I'm fortunate enough to get one of these beautiful birds in hand, it almost hurts to take the knife to them and reduce them to parts. Pictures give me a way to quickly reminisce on my favorite memories. As for the quality, I give all the credit to the gobblers. They're pretty enough even a dumby like me can manage to take some good pictures with just an iphone on portrait mode with just a little extra effort. I do like to hang my birds from a tree for a little while after the hunt. Their wings, feathers, and fan set nicely for pictures.

[Muzzy61]

Congrats on a good bird and nice pics!

[Hoosier2]

Congrats delmar! That is one sharp looking eastern bird ya got. Y'all making an Indiana guy mighty jealous I'm still 5.5 weeks out!


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[POk3s]

Always so impressed with your field photos! Not a feather out of place! Sounds like a great turkey HUNT!