2022 Story Thread

[Mossyguy]

It's nice to have one of those spots where the magic happens year in and year out...congrats!

[Yoder409]

Thanks !!!

The place is just an ideal setup....... IF you get it figured out.   I hunted this particular place for years before I figured out exactly how to approach things.    There are several obvious, good looking setup spots that will get you nothing but frustrated.  About 5 years ago I figured it out.   It's been an AMAZING spot ever since.

[POk3s]

Great job Yoder! I think you better make a road trip or two to scratch that itch a little more!

[Yoder409]

Great job Yoder! I think you better make a road trip or two to scratch that itch a little more!

I'd sure like to.............................

[a_jabbo]

Heck yeah Yoder!!!! Couple great gobblers!! Congrats.

Way to go, POK!!!!!

Great stories fellas. I owe you fellas a story later today.

[zsully]

Gentlemen!!!!!!! Congrats on the birds and........Yoder!!!! Dang you don't waste any time do you? I'm glad I'm not a turkey in your neck of the woods! A_jabbo and I have been getting after them too after Saturday totally whipped us 2 have taken a ride in the truck the last two days. I'll let him tell his story from Monday. As for my story from today, it started yesterday when I saw a longbeard courting a hen on a historically good but small farm. This year they just haven't been there and since it's only a little over 30 acres it's a swing for the fences kind of farm. Yesterday evening when on my way home from work I saw a big old gobbler (maybe the same one) all by himself at about 4:30. Since my youngest had a t-ball game this would be the last look at him I was going to get for the evening. Apologies for the sideways pics. I don't know how to fix it.



That big ole rope out front was too tempting not to take a swing before work this morning though. So we met early and picked the perfect spot for an early morning meeting.....if he was there. As we got everything set in the pitch dark a bird down over the hill let's put the first gobble of the morning....he's close-ish but not real close and he's across a road. About the 6-7 time he gobbled I can't stand it anymore and decide we need to move down the hill and chase this bird. On our way down the hill in the pre-dawn grey we run into a tree with 3 birds roosted in it. They are all still tucked and none the wiser so we backed back up the hill and set up hopeful that one had a long beard. Just about the time we get set up in our new location a bird with a deep throaty gobble let's one rip from right where we left. I've never been a patient man when it comes to turkeys and it looked like it was going to bite me in the butt again. Things looked even more grim when the birds roosted below came in......5 jakes. They proceeded to beat the ever living daylights out of my decoy while the bird we should've been set up on keeps gobbling from the tree. At about 6:45 his gobble changes and it's clear he's on the ground now. We make a move up the hill to get on the same level as him and as we're moving Adam spots a bird in the field about 90 yards out. We hit the deck and I take the only cover I had which was a small tree the size of a broomstick. Now it's at this point where one would think that the jig is up. There's a bird in a field who has seen something but isn't sure what and a man the size of a respectable NFL lineman hiding behind a broomstick with a gun and another man sized man laying on the ground trying to turn himself into a log. While I'm this predicament Adam has the brilliant idea to scratch the leaves like a turkey feeding and that bird in the field starts coming. When he enters the woods he was behind a thorn bush at 35 yards coming closer and I'm thinking I'm a hot second away from a slam dunk. That's when this bird finally realizes that there's a fat guy behind a broomstick with a gun in his living room. He putts 2x and starts making his departure but not before he cleared one final opening and the new 20gauge barked. That bird hit the deck and never flopped until I had my hands on him and what a bird he is!!!!! Score pics coming tomorrow. He is an upgrade! Keep after em gents!!

[Yoder409]

WAY TO GO, ZACH !!!!!!!!!!!!!       

[Tom007]

Great job, fantastic bird....congrats......

[Mossyguy]

Turkeys don't have a chance with this team...laying 'em down!

[twyatt]

Heck yeah boys!  Keep up the good work!

[Delmar ODonnell]

Way to go, gentlemen! Great birds and great stories! This has been a great year for this team! This "competition" is my favorite aspect of OG; hearing y'alls success stories never gets old!

I bought an Iowa tag before the season started, which I though I would use last week, but I unfortunately had to come back to Mississippi for a funeral. I had school exams this past weekend, and after taking my last exam ever on Sunday (woohoo), decided to hit the road for a few days so I wouldn't eat this tag. After an 11 hour drive, I pulled up in Iowa at 3AM and kicked the seat back to get an hour of shuteye.

When I got out of the truck, the weather wasn't great: cold, clammy, and windy, but after a short hike I could hear 3 different gobblers, all across the river. I went back to the truck, drove around, and made my way to them. I began hunting one gobbler, but it quickly became apparent he had company and was not ready to play. His buddy across the holler, however, had quite the attitude. The woods were WIDE open, so I couldn't really close any ground on him. While I am inching my way to him, someone on private began target practicing, and the bird shut up and drifted down a little bit.

I made my way to the ridge where he was and sat down, waiting for him to crank up again. After an hour or so, my impatience got the better of me and I decided to try my best to strike him. As the woods were so open, I stayed in a thicket of briars and soft called/scratched as I picked my way through. I stepped into a small opening in the thicket and me and this gobbler were 5 yards from each other, about to step on each other. I don't know who was more surprised. He obviously took off after finding out this hen was a big clumsy redneck, but slowed down at 30 yards. He came into one last opening and I shot at 10:30. It was certainly bittersweet; it happened so fast there was no chance for the adrenaline to kick in. Still, he was an absolutely beautiful Eastern, and a huge one at 25 pounds.

[Yoder409]

The Machine !!!!

Strikes again !!!!

Way to go, brother !!!!!!!   

[Tom007]

The Machine !!!!

Strikes again !!!!

Way to go, brother !!!!!!!   

X10, wow. He is the "Executioner, Hammer, Turkey Duster" all wrapped into one. I am so glad I am not a Turkey in any woods that you frequent!. Congrats, Wow.......

[twyatt]

Congrats again Delmar!!!  Once again great story and pictures!!!

[zsully]

Can we just go ahead and unanimous vote Delmar MVP of the OG turkey slaying contest and get that dude a trophy? Good grief Delmar! Congratulations!!