Killer B’s 2023 Story Thread - Embellishments Encouraged

[Mossyguy]

Looks like just about everyone has managed to find at least one this season....great job!

[Tom007]

Good luck my friend, you'll get him...

[a_jabbo]

It was an incredible morning. And the way it played out on a day that I didn't expect much action, to say we were pleasantly surprised would be an understatement.


Awesome Yoder!!!! Great looking gobbler you got there. Love those white spurred behemoths.

[harleytom]

Congrats guys!


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[Yoder409]

Called some hens in early but their boyfriend (who I gave a pass to last Saturday)  skirted well outta range. He's a very subordinate bird and very skittish. About 9:30......slushy snowflakes hitting me like bird crap...... I found one gobbling at the far corner of a big field. Probably 300+yards out. I glassed and found him through the trees in front of me.  VERY big bird !!!    There was no way for me to get to the edge of the field without a huge risk of getting busted.  So, I formulated a plan to back off and get on a farm road that leads into my near corner of that field. I got down on the road and called from about 100 yards back in from where it enteres the field. He answered me immediately. I cut him off and he in turn cut ME off. I cranked right back at him and he cut me off again. He was wound up tight !!  I beat feet for as close to where the road dumps into the field and was getting set up off to the side of it when, through some greenbrier, I see a gobbler in the field walking toward me about 50 yards out !!! Not the hard gobbling bird.........but one of his buddies coming in on the sly all quiet-like. Got the dot turned on and waited............and waited.......and waited. I didn't think there was any way the bird could have left without me seeing it. Heck !! He was nearly in range when I got sat down. Just that one wad of greenbrier thicket between us....... I was just starting to raise up to try to see over the greenbrier when he steps from behind it......leaving the field and coming into the road  to my right. He caught me in a semi-awkward position. But I got the gun on him and the hammer back right as he stopped and ran his head up at 32-33 yards.  The hard-gobbling bird out in the field corner gobbled at the shot.......and was still gobbling as I toted his sidekick off, over my shoulder.

[Tom007]

Way to go Don. Tough weather, your perseverance paid off. Well done, congrats!

[zsully]

Congrats Yoder!!!!! What a stud!!!!

[POk3s]

Awesome stuff! Can't wait to see the pics of the ring leader after you kill him

[Yoder409]

I want him bad.

Gut feeling is that he'd have ended up getting capped if his buddy hadn't tried to run the gauntlet first.

[zsully]

Gotta get some sleep but by all accounts day one of Twyatt's Pa turkey extravaganza was a success. Story to come.

[Meleagris gallopavo]

Gotta get some sleep but by all accounts day one of Twyatt's Pa turkey extravaganza was a success. Story to come.

Hot dog!


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[Yoder409]

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

CONGRATS X2 !!!!

[harleytom]

Very nice!


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[Meleagris gallopavo]

There's not much to tell about the bird I posted in the kill thread today.  To be honest I'm almost embarrassed.  The biggest thing I did was roost this Tom yesterday.  This all started yesterday morning when I decided to ride by a spot that's easy for me to hunt on week days because it's very close to work.  Gobblers have eluded me in this spot so far this year, and I was afraid the one I had seen earlier in the season had been killed by one of my co-workers in this particular place.  After he killed his, all I had been seeing were jakes and hens.  Yesterday morning I saw a big red head in a wheat field, and although he didn't strut and I didn't see his beard, I figured he may be big enough for a closer look.  So I rode back to this spot yesterday around 6:15 PM and found 2 red heads in the wheat field.  I watched them a while, and they watched me until they decided I wasn't a threat and started meandering there way away from me between the wheat and the woods where I couldn't see them at all.  I knew they were going to an open ground area so I drove to the edge of the opening and waited.  As predicted they showed up and I saw a nice beard on one and the other was a jake.  I watched them until 7:15 PM which is when they disappeared into the woods at the corner of the field.  So I felt like I knew pretty well where they'd be this morning.  This morning I showed up about 30 minutes before legal shooting time and picked a spot for the decoys and then picked a spot for myself.  Legal shooting time was about 5:39 AM but I didn't call for 20 minutes because I hadn't heard any gobbling.  I usually announce myself with calling once I hear some gobbling on the roost, but only once or twice.  About 6:00 AM is see a hen making her way across the field to me.  She's walked across where the gobblers could see her from where I thought they'd be roosting so I just didn't complicate the situation by calling.  She starts angling away from me to the right and the jake walks out from the left about 150 yards away and doesn't pay much attention to the decoys.  I figured I'd call then as I had the diaphragm in my mouth already but the gobbler came from around the edge of the woods where the jake came out at a fast pace, strutting and heading right for my jake decoy.  He began flogging the decoy and I knew I had him so I took my time and watched him through the "green" dot on my Swamp Fox Kingslayer and waited for his head to be clear.  Once it did I shot him and he went down without flopping much.  They were exactly where I thought they'd be this morning and the hunt was over by 6:07 AM. Not much of a memorable hunt but it makes you more appreciative of the more exciting ones.  He scored better than my last bird I posted in the kill thread so he's there now.  I have one tag, 6 days left and 3 birds I have targeted that appear to be much nicer than the one I shot today.  Gonna sleep in tomorrow and get after one of them Wednesday.

[Mossyguy]

Don't be embarrassed...that just means you figured it out to the letter. Not all hunts can be exciting as some others. The good thing is you were able to enjoy another morning in God's creation.