Truth is Stranger than Fiction

[FullChoke]

I, for one, never get tired of hearing a good story about how you were finally able to close the deal on that arrogant feathered Harry Houdini that has been able to pull off his disappearing act on you for most of the season. You know, the one that you had to measure his spurs with a yardstick and his beard with a rangefinder!

This is where we can share our stories about our successful, and unsuccessful, hunts. Understand that we will be hanging on every word as if we were hunkered up against that same tree right there with you. We will share in your victories and help bear your burden when that snot knocker disrespects you in front of his harem. That creep!
Have fun!   

FullChoke

[surehuntsalot]

I know this is old news,but I thought ya"ll might enjoy.
This is from a journal 2 years ago.

  The first day of the battle (friday)
5 different birds sounded off at daylight,I was calling for a buddy who just started turkey hunting this season.We headed to the closest bird,the bird gobbled 6 times and he was on the ground.
I figured he had hens with him because we never heard another word from him.We played the waiting game for 2 hours.
I was watching on way on a power line and down 2 logging roads,my buddy was watching the other way on the power line.About 1-1/2 into the waiting game,a lone gobbler walks into one of the logging roads.
I called to him,he looked our direction,didn't say a word and turned around and walked off.
He made a big circle and came out on the power line in front of my buddy at about 100yds.
I called and my buddy tried calling,the bird gobbled 1 time and walked off into the woods.
We waited 1 hour,nothing.I decided to move on him,we got what I figured was in front of him.We never heard another sound from him for the rest of the day.

The second day of the battle (sat)
Only 2 birds gobbled this morning.One was in the same area as the bird fron friday morning.
I was thinking oh no here we go again.We headed to him again,well when he flew down,he gobbled 8-10 times as he walked away.No matter what I did,I could not turn him or get him interested.
We followed and moved on him 3 times,but he won that round.We headed back to camp for a break and a drink,we were sitting at the camp house,when 2 other guys drove up that had been hunting on the other side of the camp,we were standing around talking about the mornings hunt,when Mr.Pain in the Butt let the world know that he was back,he gobbled from the other side of the power line.
My buddy and I grabbed our stuff and eased up toward the power line,as we were easing  up to the power line,we got the crap scared out of us.As Mr. Pain gobbled again on the other side of the power line,not 1 but 2 birds gobbled on OUR side of the power line not 60yds away.We grabbed a tree and get ready,Mr.Pain gobbles,both of the other birds gobble.I start calling very excited,cutting and cackling all 3 birds gobble,the bird on the other side of the power line starts moving closer,as he closes toward the edge of the power line,the other 2 birds shut up completely.
The bird on the edge of the power line hung up for what ever reason,he came to the edge 4 times,but would not come out on it for nothing.Why he hung up I don't know,turkeys being turkeys I guess.
He walked up and down just inside the wood line,and gobbled 42 times from 12:00 until 1:30 when he finally walked off around a hill.We sat there for another hour.nothing happened,went back that evening to listen and try to roost one,heard nothing.

   The 3rd day of the battle (sunday)
T told myself that I was going to regret this,but we went right back to where we were standing saturday morning.At daylight 2 birds gobbled,one way off down a creek bed,and guess who(believe me,I had done learned his gobble)Mr.Butt,he was up on the top of a hill,I told my buddy come on,we crossed the power line and set up.I put the new guy in front of me and I backed up about 50-60yds.
Mr.Pain gobbled 10 times in the tree then he flew down about 80yds from us basically in front of the "rookie"I was laughing so hard to myself from watching his gun barrel shake that I could hardly hold a call.I did some very light cackles and soft yelps,he jumped all over them,the next time he gobbled,he was closer and off to our right just a little,he was trying to circle us,sure enough I saw his white head in some brush then I lost him,the next time he gobbled,he was back out in front of us somewhere,I called, he answered this time going to the left,trying to circle again.
I spied him out behind some green bushes,but lost him in all of the green.I scratched the leaves,he gobbled almost behind me.I waited a couple of minutes and clucked one time and scratched the leaves again,he gobbled just over my left shoulder,I'm guessing less that 40 yds.
Finally saw him out of the corner of my eye,as he strutted behind a tree,I shifted the 20ga and ended his morning when he stepped out from behind the tree,thus ending the 3 day battle at 7:20am on sunday morning.

   PS: my buddy is still mad at me for shooting the bird


hope ya"ll enjoyed it.......i'm not real good with words

[FullChoke]

  I first met King Tut on public land in Northern California. He was well known and greatly respected far and wide for his incredible ability to miraculously find the weakest link in every hunters armor and exploit it for his own survival.  California did not allow afternoon hunting during the time that I first met him. One afternoon, I crawled up to a ridge overlooking a meadow and spotted him strutting in the middle of it surrounded by 10 hens and 2 jakes. I didn't need the binoculars to see how thick his beard was. He was the King and he was holding court! I watched him for 2 hours until he worked his way up onto the opposite ridge right at sunset. Finally he gobbled two long, throaty proclamations of his unchallenged royalty and I started making plans right then.

  The next morning I made my way under the cloak of total darkness across the open meadow 1-1/2 hours before sunrise. I snuck up onto the grassy ridge and could barely see the outline of a big black oak tree. I was about 100 yards up the ridge from where I had heard him gobble the night before. I set my hen decoy out about 30 yards from the oak tree and eased over to sit down against it and wait for the morning festivities to start. Just before I sat down, I stopped and I had a strange feeling to just look around. I peered hard into the morning gray and then looked up the tree. There, looking straight down at me, was a giant bird next to a much smaller one! It was King Tut and one of his concubines! He stuck his head out and clucked a deep guttural question, "What are you?" I froze. He clucked several more times as I tried to figure out what I was going to do next. Directly his clucking calmed down, and finally stopped. I stood motionless for 10 minutes to let him fall back asleep. I realized that I had very few options, so I just slowly turned around and sat down right there underneath him.

  The rising sun began changing the night sky into a warm peach color and the diurnal players started warming up for their show.  A coyote yipped down on the other side of the meadow and the two jakes started gobbling at him. Hens started waking up and clucking all around me. Directly a large, warm splat hit the ground right next to me and then another one hit the ground right on my other side. The rattling gobble that jarred my teeth from right above my head was unmistakable. "It's good to be the King." I was hoping that he would drop off of the roost and introduce himself to the dewy baby doll making googoo eyes at him from about 30 yards away from his boudoir. Hello Baby. No such luck! When he sailed out of the tree, the ocean liner anchor rope hanging off his chest was simply ludicrous! But, he was sailing and didn't hit the ground until well out in the meadow. With that, other turkeys bailed out of the trees, stopped by to chat up the new chick and left because they didn't know how to communicate with this stuck-up broad.

  I had 3 other very close encounters with his Majesty that year, and he managed to escape the lead headache each time. I had the drop on The King in that tree that morning and could have lowered the boom on him, but there is not enough money in this world that could have convinced me to end his glorious reign without giving him a fair chance. I don't know that he was ever shot by a hunter, but I want to believe that he wasn't.

FullChoke

[RutnNStrutn]

Great story Full Choke!!

[Hooter]

Not really much of a story with the bird on Sat.
Been watching these 4 longbeards with 2 hens for a week now.
There has been a bigger Gobbler with 12 hens that both groups have been using the same big field, but are never together, always separated.
Those 6 came off roost in front of me 300yds out and headed in my direction with one series of yelps.
I was actually calling to the one big one that had gobbled behind me still in the tree.
The 4 Toms and 2 hens were on top of me before the big one ever flew down.
I really wanted to wait him out, but was too afraid the others were gonna bust me, so I picked out what seemed to be the best one, and took him out.
They were only 25yds, so I figured it was just a matter of time before they were gonna mess everything up.
After I loaded up, and drove back around to the back road behind this place, I was looking hard.  Sure enough, I see the Big guy, still high up in the tree, Ha ha.
Maybe I can get lucky with him soon too.

[FullChoke]

Tommy, Chapter 1 was fantastic, I can't wait for chapter 2 of this novel!

[Hooter]

Ya'll don't get your hopes up just yet, but Chapter 2 has been started.
If this works out, it will be a good story to tell.
Took the bow this morn, and the big one has a hole in him. I must have gut shot him, cause he hobbled off in to the woods.
I just left, and came home. Figgered I better just let him die, instead of risking him getting airborne and covering some distance.
Going back in a few hours.

[FullChoke]

And then wut happened? If I get any further out on the edge of my seat, I'll be on the ground! 

[memert116]

great stories....more please....

[Hooter]

Sorry Norman, just spent more than an hour typing the story,.. twice!!!
Couldn't get it submitted.
Bottom line, No turkey!!  He was right where he was the last time I saw him, 7 hours later, but I was too stupid to carry a weapon. When I made it back with a weapon, he vanished.

[FullChoke]

Man that is tough. Sounds like you put a solid hit on him and he still managed to get away. Maybe he can survive and offer you another chance. Maybe.

[Hooter]

Good news fellers,... found the bird this morn, dead.
Bad news,... he is not an upgrade, only a little over 68".
I've got to get to work, so I'll get a few pics up later.

[gophert]

Good news fellers,... found the bird this morn, dead.
Bad news,... he is not an upgrade, only a little over 68".
I've got to get to work, so I'll get a few pics up later.

Keep it up hooter.  Heck, put my name on one of those 70+ birds.