The "Little Monster" spoke today and a BIG turkey took a dirt nap.

[mightyjoeyoung]

Stiff winds and a front comming through this morning had the birds tight lipped.  Didn't hear a single gobble or hen call...at all.  After settling in a calmer, more wind protected bench, bordering a large wide, gentle sloping ravine, my friend Norm and I put out the "triangle of death", my sneaky pete jake deek, my phd and a feeder hen.  We set up with the deeks about 20 yards out in front and between us, me watching over the ravine to the north and west and Norm overseeing the south and east, up the hill from the bench we occupied.  I made a series of loud, agressive calls to hopefully cut through the wind and waited.  About 10 minutes later, as I scanned the ravine slope, I heard fffftvoooom and caught movement in my extreme left periphery.  Been chasing turkey for 28 years now and I gotta say I made a total rookie mistake just then.  I reflexively snapped my head to the left to find the big white and blue head and full fan of a mature bird strutting in the logging road at 35 yards!  How he got so close, so fast and quiet is just amazing.  One second there was open woods, the next there was a bird.  He had snuck in behind the cover of a large grape vine and briar tangle and as soon as he saw the deeks he popped into strut and spit-drummed.  Luckilly, my 20 ga. 870 was pointed almost right at him.  All I had to do was put the gun butt to my shoulder, click off the saftey, put the red dot on his lightbulb and squeeze.  Also luckilly, though he definetely saw my head turn, the deeks kept him in strut and distracted just long enough for me to get off the shot.  As he turned and raised his head ever so slightly to see why the stump had moved he took a load of Fed. HW 7s in the noggin, flipping him backwards and he died with barely a flop.  He weighed 22 pounds, 5 ounces, sported heavy double beards measuring 10" and 9" respectively and wore some seriously sharp curved hooks going 1 3/8" on the left and 1 1/4" on the right.  They curved up and out and bit me a few times, drawing blood when I forgot how sharp they were and picked him up to put him in the truck.  I'd post pics but I keep getting a download mgr full message! Grrrr!

[R AJ]

Congrats on a great hunt and bird in less than ideal conditions.
The second rookie mistake might have been picking up a limb hanger before it stopped kicking. That tear in the cotton gloves and a scab that keeps itching a couple of weeks later still brings a smile and memories that makes it worth it.
I know.

Keep it up the one, the only, MightyJoeYoung .   

[hookedspur]

Great Job .Congrats I hope you can get the picture thing worked out .

[savduck]

Very nice

[mr meat]

very nice bird congrats!

[Sand Man]

Very nice.  Look forward to the pics!   

[surehuntsalot]

congrats on what sounded like an awesome hunt

[mightyjoeyoung]

Ok.  Let's see if this works...

[weave]

Frigging awesome...love the pics


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[hunter-b]

Nice Bird ! 

[hookedspur]

Oh yeah the pictures make it even better 

[Longspur321]

Good bird man!! Congrats...

[yelpy]

Awsome bird! Congrat's on the beaut.

Wish they grew spirs like that around here. Haven't ever seen a multiple bearded bird around here either.

[mightyjoeyoung]

Awsome bird! Congrat's on the beaut.

Wish they grew spirs like that around here. Haven't ever seen a multiple bearded bird around here either.

Just worked a bird up for my buddy Norm this morning.  Sported 1 7/16" and 1 5/8" spurs.  And the best thing?...there are at least 3 more 4+ year old birds still in the area!  2 of which you can see hooks on at 60 + yards with the naked eye.   

[Woodsman4God]

Congrats, awesopme looking bird