2022 Story Thread

[Tom007]

Way to go brother. Fantastic job! Beautiful pics again......

[Delmar ODonnell]

Thanks, gentlemen! I just got back from a 2 1/2 day trip to Texas with my best friend and his wife. It was an awesome time of hunting and fellowship. Our host was so gracious, and we managed to run into some turkeys as well.

Thursday afternoon, my friend and his wife went to a spot while I went with our host went to scout around his ranch. Within 30 minutes we spotted 3 gobblers with 9 Jakes. We made a wide loop on them, and I hit my glass call to cut through the 20mph wind. They answered immediately. As I watched a few Jake's about 80 yards out front, the 3 gobblers snuck in in full strut on my left. They went behind a tree and when they reached the other side, I took my first Texas gobbler at 17 steps, less than an hour after arriving on the ranch.


After spending a few minutes appreciating this gobbler, we decided to get back in the truck and continue to scout. On the next property we go to scout, we spot 3 gobblers with 3 hens about 500 yards down a power line. We make a loop through the woods and set up on a dim road that runs perpendicular to the power line and meets it about 200 yards past where we saw the turkeys.I hit both my mouth yelper and trumpet without a response. The wind was gusting and deafening. I again took out my glass call and after a few loud yelps and cuts, got a response. The gobblers were still on the power line at a 45 degree angle to my left. They continued to answer my calls, and I told David, our host and now new friend, that they were moving to the right and towards the opening of the road. Sure enough, I see 3 hens come into view, followed by the 3 gobblers. They strutted, drummed, and gobbled all the way to 30 yard before I had my second Texas gobbler, a fine double beard, only an hour and a half after taking my first.

This was the first time I have taken 2 gobblers in a day, and I'm truly blessed to have such memorable experiences in such a short amount of time.


On Friday, 2 gobblers gave us the slip all morning in a creek bottom with a pecan orchard. I went back in that afternoon, and after 45 minutes of silence, the birds gobbled on their own. They answered my responding yelp immediately, and I watched them with the most vibrant red heads come to 100 yards before deciding they did not want to cross the creek. I watched them drift off, and after 10 minutes of silence, they gobbled about 400 yards away. I was able to put my eyes on them, and use the creek bottom to position myself 70 yards away as they strutted around 4 hens. I never made a call after that, and after 20 or so minutes, the hens began drifting back towards me. I took my 3rd Texas gobbler at 7:30 in the evening at 38 yards.


On Saturday morning, I went after a bird I had heard the day before behind our lodge. He revealed himself in the gray morning light about 1/2 mile away in a creek bottom. I began making my way to him, but was slowed down by the herd of cattle that would not quit following me as I advanced towards the turkey. After letting the cows lose interest, I positioned myself 20 yards from the creek bottom, and began to play the game. He ate up everything I gave him on my trumpet. After 5 minutes of silence, he gobbled just below the crest directly in front of me. He then stepped out and drummed at a deafening level 15 yards in front of me for what seemed like several minutes, but was probably closer to 30 seconds. He finally periscopes his head, and I took my last Texas gobbler at 7:25 in the morning at 18 yards. He was absolutely beautiful, sporting slightly lighter back feathers for a rio, black, almost Osceola-like wings, and a nice 10.75 inch beard.




It was such an amazing weekend. My success and this story is certainly not a testament to my ability, but to the kindness and generosity of our host. I am so humbled to have spent the last few days in beautiful Texas hill country hunting with awesome friends, both old and new.

[Yoder409]

DANG, SON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You on FIRE !!!!!!!!!!!!   CONGRATS X4 !!!!!

God bless Texas !!!

[a_jabbo]

WOW!!!! That's insane!! What a hunt and great stories. Sounds like a dream. Congrats, Del!! You're having an incredible season.

[zsully]

After all Delmar's updates I couldn't take it anymore. I made it down to Virginia Sunday afternoon to hunt the next three days with Twyatt. This morning started off with us hearing 5 different birds gobbling but we just weren't in the game. We made a quick decision to make a long loop and try to get on the two hottest birds. As we're sneaking in checking out sign I thought I heard a bird drum. We made the call to set up and give it a little bit to see if we could get one to gobble. We didn't have to wait long. As soon as my butt hit the ground a bird gobbled so close it almost blew my hat off. First time getting that close this year had my hands shaking while I was trying to run my slate call. Gosh I love that feeling!!!! Somehow I was able to scratch out a few yelps and he immediately answered. Two more series of yelps and he was thoroughly fired up and closing the distance. From the time I saw him to the time I shot was probably 3 minutes but it felt like 3 hours. Every step was so cautious and every time he paused he looked right at me and burnt a hole into my soul. So naturally I fell apart and whiffed.

While I'm beating myself up Travis is telling me to get my @$$ up because there's another bird gobbling further out the ridge. We hike out the ridge and get to a pond that has been drained with a grassy dam and he's gobbling on the other side. With nothing but 500 yards of grass between us and him we were pinned. We put the decoys out and decided to give it a shot. Nothing I threw at him worked but when Travis hit him with an EZ wingbone he did give us a pair of courtesy gobbles. Long story short he marched across that 500 yard grass field and sprinted the last thirty yards to the decoy. I shot him at 5 yards.......boy am I glad I didn't miss. We hunted hard the rest of the day and found a couple other birds that didn't want to play the game so we got a good starting point for the next couple of days. There's nothing better than hunting turkeys with good friends!

[Delmar ODonnell]

Hell yeah buddy! Congratulations! Glad yall boys had a great hunt. I know the first one after such a long offseason is always special. Hope you meet the first bird again to settle the score!

[Mossyguy]

Congrats to everyone! Looks like my season is over. Between my dad and I we managed to take home 5 birds. We like to leave a couple gobblers for next year and there's 2 left so we called it quits. I can't complain...any time I'm able to get out and enjoy time with family and friends is always a blessing!

Aren't we missing a story from someone?

[Yoder409]

ATTA BOY, Z !!!!!!!!!!!!   

Since you redeemed yourself, e won't cut nothing off your shirt tail.........this time.   

CONGRATS !!!!!!!!!

[Tom007]

Congrats team, wow. Great birds for all. Hopefully us late staters can contribute same. Fantastic job......

[POk3s]

Great job guys! Delmar, I'm glad a couple of those birds challenged you a bit . Way to redeem yourself sully!

This team dynamic is great, but man I just love that this team LOVES turkey hunting. I hope to contribute this weekend!

[Meleagris gallopavo]

Congrats to everyone! Looks like my season is over. Between my dad and I we managed to take home 5 birds. We like to leave a couple gobblers for next year and there's 2 left so we called it quits. I can't complain...any time I'm able to get out and enjoy time with family and friends is always a blessing!

Aren't we missing a story from someone?

Mine were kinda boring, but here goes.  I'd been scouting a good bit last week and I had 2 gobblers marked for termination.  They were very predictable and one didn't mind hanging out in the exact same spot day after day strutting for the ladies.  That one was gonna be mine.  I put my buddy and his son on the other one.  I got a call Friday night and the landowner said he's letting this "chasing49" guy hunt where I was planning on hunting.  I have a lot to say about that but it's not very nice.  I had a couple of less desirable options so I decided I'd take one of those and put my buddy on the bird I had for him.  Saturday morning rolls around and I take my buddy to his spot and give him and his son the skinny on their bird and I unenthusiastically go to one of my backup spots.  Long story short my buddy killed his bird, which I was real excited about, and I thought about what I'd do next.  I set up in a spot where I had seen turkeys the day before and after 2 hours of trying to turn every sound and dark bush into a turkey I went to lunch.  I'm hunting in NC so I can hunt all day.  I decided on going to an old favorite spot where I had seen a gobbler recently.  I picked a good spot in the edge of the woods, set out my decoys and hit the call every now and then.  I heard a close spit and Saturday's turkey came up and proceeded to flog my jake decoy.  I killed him after watching for a bit.  So Sunday morning in VA I had one that had a lot of bad habits in mind.  I set up early Sunday morning to where I thought he was roosting, and repeated the process I had done with Saturday's bird.  Again I hear some angry turkey noises and he strutted into sight.  This particular Tom would strut a little, do his version of a stare down, walk and strut closer...it took a little while.  Eventually he began flogging my jake decoy and got on top and stood on him.  I'm picky about my shots so I waited until he gave me a good look.  But this bird would just stand still on the decoy with his head pointed the other way like a statue for minutes on end.  Eventually he presented his head and neck and I ended him.  I know, I sound like a turkey killer not a turkey hunter.  I much prefer when a bird is talking to me while I'm positioning and calling and repositioning and calling and trying to figure him out, often with only a mouth call and my gun.  But I'll take the high percentage shots if given the opportunity.  There's always one or two a year that want to dance, just haven't run across one yet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tom007]

Congrats to everyone! Looks like my season is over. Between my dad and I we managed to take home 5 birds. We like to leave a couple gobblers for next year and there's 2 left so we called it quits. I can't complain...any time I'm able to get out and enjoy time with family and friends is always a blessing!

Aren't we missing a story from someone?

Mine were kinda boring, but here goes.  I'd been scouting a good bit last week and I had 2 gobblers marked for termination.  They were very predictable and one didn't mind hanging out in the exact same spot day after day strutting for the ladies.  That one was gonna be mine.  I put my buddy and his son on the other one.  I got a call Friday night and the landowner said he's letting this "chasing49" guy hunt where I was planning on hunting.  I have a lot to say about that but it's not very nice.  I had a couple of less desirable options so I decided I'd take one of those and put my buddy on the bird I had for him.  Saturday morning rolls around and I take my buddy to his spot and give him and his son the skinny on their bird and I unenthusiastically go to one of my backup spots.  Long story short my buddy killed his bird, which I was real excited about, and I thought about what I'd do next.  I set up in a spot where I had seen turkeys the day before and after 2 hours of trying to turn every sound and dark bush into a turkey I went to lunch.  I'm hunting in NC so I can hunt all day.  I decided on going to an old favorite spot where I had seen a gobbler recently.  I picked a good spot in the edge of the woods, set out my decoys and hit the call every now and then.  I heard a close spit and Saturday's turkey came up and proceeded to flog my jake decoy.  I killed him after watching for a bit.  So Sunday morning in VA I had one that had a lot of bad habits in mind.  I set up early Sunday morning to where I thought he was roosting, and repeated the process I had done with Saturday's bird.  Again I hear some angry turkey noises and he strutted into sight.  This particular Tom would strut a little, do his version of a stare down, walk and strut closer...it took a little while.  Eventually he began flogging my jake decoy and got on top and stood on him.  I'm picky about my shots so I waited until he gave me a good look.  But this bird would just stand still on the decoy with his head pointed the other way like a statue for minutes on end.  Eventually he presented his head and neck and I ended him.  I know, I sound like a turkey killer not a turkey hunter.  I much prefer when a bird is talking to me while I'm positioning and calling and repositioning and calling and trying to figure him out, often with only a mouth call and my gun.  But I'll take the high percentage shots if given the opportunity.  There's always one or two a year that want to dance, just haven't run across one yet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Keep at it brother, you WILL score!

[zsully]

So I owe a wrap up story on my trip to hunt with Twyatt down in VA. Tuesday we went and chased one heck of a hard gobbling turkey. He was the only bird that wanted to play and boy did he love the sound of his voice. Long story short we played cat and mouse all day and we ran out of time at noon.

Wednesday we went back to the same property we started at just a different section. We set up in a good location where we got into fresh sign late monday. When the first bird gobbled we knew we were again just out of the game. We quickly repositioned and got in the game. Once we got set up on the correct ridge it was clear there were 3 gobblers within ear shot and we were between 2 of them. We called for about an hour and the birds would drift closer then drift away. Finally the bird gobbling behind us started coming. I adjusted to the other side of the fallen pine we were sitting in and got ready. One bird came in and I promptly whiffed. And watched two birds fly away off the ridge, but Travis got to cutting on a wingbone quick and they landed just out of sight down over the crest of the ridge and gobbled. Both those birds then worked back in closer this time and I killed one of the two longbeards. It was a crazy hunt and all I'm going to say is I need to get this first shot miss thing figured out. I shot the gun this weekend thinking I must have bumped the red dot..........I can confirm that I have no such excuse and the misses are all on me. I guess it's a good thing I don't shoot TSS. If I did I might need to get a second mortgage to afford ammo to finish out the season at this rate. The bird had a whopping 4 tail feathers, weighed 18.5lbs, had a 9" beard and 1" spurs not an upgrade so I didn't take any scoring pics.




It was a great trip!! I can't wait to get together again in May for round 2 in PA.

[a_jabbo]

Atta boy Zsully!!! Congratulations on two great birds.

[Yoder409]

CONGRATS, Zach !!!!

Got your warm-ups in, now.............