Friend's Trophy Bird

[davisd9]

While hunting this afternoon I got a text from my mentor/friend about a bird he killed today at 6 pm.  It is beautiful!  Never seen one like this in person but would love to kill one.  17 lbs, 8.75" beard, and 1" spurs.

[davisd9]

Also received a picture of another friend that killed a hoss on our land back home.  20 lbs., 12" beard, and 1 1/8" spurs.  Killed an timber rattler also.

[JVA54]

  Wow that's different, I guess that's a color phase turkey, good looking bird!!

[Bustabeak]

those are awesome birds. but that long skinny thing the fella in the second pic is holding doesn't look friendly. Makes me nervous to walk around!

[dirt road ninja]

That almost looks fake. I've seen a few over the years that had some white to them, but never a golden one. I hope he is mounting it, I would. Pass along a congratulations from me.

[paladin]

Wow that is a beautyful bird. It is interesting that not only does it have white feathers but also that the wing is not "barred". I wonder is that possibly a cross between a wild and domestic or some state of albinoism.

[davisd9]

Thanks for all the kind words fellas. That bird has a little history, I called him in as a jake with another half blonde bird and two regular colored last year while calling for my Daughter. I thought about a full body mount but it's just not something I wanted to do. I killed that bird for pure simple meanness and he doesn't deserve a mount. I may regret it but I was mad at him when I shot him, not sure if that makes sense but I don't want the circus critter in my house. LOL!

I'll get to the story but first let me catch you up on the past three very busy days.

Monday 4-2-12
Went with Daddy to Laurens. Heard 3 across the road at daylight. Didn't hear any birds on our side. Hunted to 1:30 PM in the heat and came out. Went back at around 4:30 PM. Got a bird cranked up on a back pasture and called him to within 80 yards. He had a hen and she dragged him to a different pasture. We circled and set up on nearby but still couldn't get him to within 60 yards. Big storm blew up and the turkeys eased off to roost so we left before the rain set in.


Tuesday 4-3-12
Hunted down near Rose Hill. Got back on a big river ridge before daylight. Had two toms gobbling on roost across river. Just held my ground and about 8 AM I had two coming up from the lower ridge. Sounded as if they were about to appear then they went quiet. Spent the rest of the day moving down then back up the river bottom with the toms answering a few times then going quiet. Then about an hour later they would have moved off. I would then move and they would repeat the whole game again. This went on all day with them gobbling a few times every hour. I finally got frustrated and set up on the point of a big pine ridge. Called a bunch then shut up for an hour. At 6 PM they came slipping in and I shot the lead blonde tom. Extreme prejudice kill plain and simple. No he doesn't rate a mount, I'm gonna eat his blonde arse.
17lbs. 8 ¾" beard and 1" spurs.


White toe nails


Wednesday 4-4-12
Hunted the mountains. Didn't hear anything on the roost at daylight. Lingered till well after fly down time before heading off to the top of the mountain. Walked for 2 hours and finally heard a tom gobble 3 times on another mountain ridge. Headed his way but couldn't get on him. Ended up back at the first ridge and struck up a tom at 10 AM. Couldn't get up there to him before he was on me and just sat in a laurel thicket waiting for him to move off. He heard me walk in there and was strutting about 40-50 yards away. Then a squirrel started rustling in the leaves 10 feet from me and the gobbler thought it was the hen. Only made him drum louder and stick around longer. Suddenly he spooked and flew right back over me. Next two hunters came walking down the ridge so I got up to deal with them. Sat up there another hour after they left before I called again. Got a couple toms to answer from the next mountain over. Moved over there but took the wrong log road and ended up below them. I passed them before I heard their answer so I ended up circling back above them higher up on another log road. By then they moved off into the valley below. After I completely circled them they finally committed and came in fast. It ended up being three two year olds at 3 PM.  I shot the first one I had a clear lane on at 35 yards since there was a good bit of brush between us.
17lbs. 10 ¼" beard and ¾" spurs.
On my walk out I struck up one of the other toms and had him to 50 yards at two different spots in the laurels but couldn't coax him on in.




That completes my quest for a SC Slam (toms from the Lowstate, Piedmont and Mountains). I am going to do a triple fan mount with the feathers, may include the beards and spurs.

Have a great season.

Story of the hunt and everything from my friend.  Also another turkey hunting story.