Killer B’s 2023 Story Thread - Embellishments Encouraged

[twyatt]

CONGRATS on a stud of a bird!!!  Sounds exciting to me, you got to see the sun rise, strutting, flogging the decoy, made a good shot.  I'd sure trade you for what I was doing - working

[Meleagris gallopavo]

Thanks guys!  Twyatt caught that I made a mistake on the legal shooting time.  It's been corrected.


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[Tom007]

Congrats my friend!

[harleytom]

Congrats buddy! Way to stay after them!


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[Yoder409]

CONGRATS, MG !!!!

Well done by any standard.

[Delmar ODonnell]

Congratulations guys! Only one point away from leading this thing!

I've spent the last week chasing Merriams with my best friend. It was an absolute blast. We got our tails handed to us more times than I can count but were able to find some success.

After my buddy killed on Monday afternoon, I was up to bat on Tuesday. We heard no gobbles on the roost, but struck a bird at 9:30 who proceeded to beat us like only Merriams can for 3.5 hours. After conceding defeat with him, we struck another bird on the opposite mountain from 800 yards away at 12:20. After driving around and coming in on top of him, he answered the first call. We closed some ground and called again. He was on a bench directly below us. We sat up shop and yelped again. He was on his way up. One final yelp and he announced he had made it to the top with us. He then strutted and drummed to 37 yards. Adding drama to this moment, my red dot decided this moment was appropriate to be low on battery, causing it to blink 3 seconds, appear 5 seconds, repeatedly. Luckily, he did not know we were in the world and allowed me to take my time. He did perfect in every way and gave us the experience we came all that way to have. He also had no spurs at all, and my buddy's only had one.

I'll try to post a link to the video my buddy took here.
https://www.facebook.com/parker.durham.16/posts/pfbid02EmoZhBWdUSf53MoZ4FrssxDnwh77oURe91yPxkfzxw46ywsvrp4Q2buVU8T1m1sLl?notif_id=1684013623190871&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif

I also found success in the rain and wind gusts Friday morning. This turkey had been attacked, as he was missing 5 tail feathers and all his back feathers, and had healing puncture wounds in his breast and wing.

[Tom007]

Way to go my friend. As usual, great pics, fine story! Congrats!

[JeffC]

Congrats again Delmar, incredible season, great pictures!

[Yoder409]

OUTSTANDING job, Delmar !!!!!!!

MUCHO congrats !!!!

[harleytom]

Beautiful bird! Even more beautiful country. Congrats


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[Delmar ODonnell]

Thanks, guys! It is always humbling traveling out West and seeing the landscape and views we don't get here in the South. Certainly some of my fondest memories have been made out there with my best friend. I've got one more trip planned; my dad and I are taking are annual trip next week. This time, we are headed to the Northeast. Hopefully we come across a long-spurred Eastern that will close that small gap between us and first place! (Although I will gladly accept any hard gobbling 2 year old that wants to play.)

[harleytom]

Good luck and happy hunting


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[POk3s]

Like Delmar, I'm also hunting mountain merriams and experienced similar hunting conditions. Some turkeys seemed "done" while others were still with hens.

I hunted two different states and only tagged out in one of them in 5 days of hard hunting...which was perfectly fine.

I glassed up this turkey after driving, calling, and hiking ridges with absolutely 0 gobbling that day in areas I had high confidence in. I created a ridge and saw turkeys in a clearing across from me approximately 300 yards away. I at first just saw 2 hens and a few jakes, but finally saw there was one longbeard in the group. I said to myself "just be patient and see what they're doing to do". I really didn't want to screw this up as hard as the hunting was. I had a Tom spotted, it was in the afternoon and I knew if I didn't blow him out, I had a turkey to hunt in the morning.

Well after watching them for a bit, the male birds separated from the hens. I was in a good spot to call from, tucked into the pines and so I called as lightly as I thought they could hear me from 300 yards and in some 10 mph winds. Most of the turkey picked their heads up. I called again a bit louder and only 4 yelps if I remember right. Well they all took quick steps to my right and RAN off!!! I couldn't believe it! I went from "don't screw this up" to "what the he** was that!" In a matter of minutes.

In haste, I quickly followed but then thought about the situation and slowed my roll. I've spooked enough turkeys to know they usually really don't go anywhere and I just truly didn't believe these turkeys were going to move locations from some yelps.

I circled to a high point where the turkeys had headed towards and almost immediately saw them entering the same clearing we had all just vacated. Game back on but calls put away. The timber is not typically thick in the west and this was no exception. I crawled around them for a couple hours waiting to make my move but keep track track of them the best I could. I finally got my chance as they fed close to a ravine. I used the ravine to sneak in, and crawled to a scraggly ponderosa pine. I rose up and waited to make sure I picked out the longbeard, and ended my chase at less than 30 yards.

Also adding in a pic of my buddy's little boy with his Mom's Turkey and some scenery shots just for good measure

[twyatt]

Heck yeah Pok!!! Congrats, and GREAT pictures!

[Yoder409]

CONGRATS, Pok !!!!!!

Outstanding pics !!!!