#4 in Bama

[Beretta686]

Well let's just say it has been one of those weekends. Read my thread on a humbling day on this forum.

Here are the cliff notes: Heard little or nothing for almost 2 weeks. Nicknamed a bird that gobbled close 3 times and disappeared "The Ghost". Hunted him again and heard nothing. Had one of the most awesome days in the turkey woods Saturday with nothing to show for it. Wicked bit me; the scope knocked me in the head. Good friend and turkey hunter is also my Dr. Went by his house and he glued it back together. Got called back into work last night and got home around 1:15a.m.

That brings us to this morning. I was originally going with a friend, but he wanted to meet at 4am and I was beat. It sure is funny how your body wakes up without an alarm during turkey season no matter how tired you are. With one of the best morning to hunt I said I'm going after "The Ghost". He's actually the running partner to the first dagger spurred turkey I killed.

The property I hunt is actually now land locked since they sold the property along the interstate. I usually drive and park at the road where you can't see my truck from the interstate, but this time as soon as I passed the property line I pulled into the trees along the edge of the field. When I got out of the truck it was light in the field, but I knew the hardwoods were still in the dark.  The Ghost had gobbled behind me when I was set up for them roosting over the flooded green timber. This time I cut in there, set up a decoy and was able to see several hundred yards to my left and right. I'm only hunting about 60 acres and 15 of them are across a creek. The woods drop off from the field so you are actually lower than the field with a gradual change of elevation of about 7 feet. I sat there just waiting to hear a gobble, I don't like to use locator calls when it is so open and I'm in so close. I waited; nothing, nothing, I sat there thinking man you wasted a day. I would soft call, loud call, nothing but the interstate noise. Finally around 7am I had enough, I figure I would use the time to scout and was trying to figure out what other tract of land I would go to. I cut through the woods with no sign of scratching, droppings, tracks, or nothing. I made it to the road where I killed the first bird of the season and there was no fresh sign in there.  I was calling and nothing but the interstate. I took my head net off and walked to the truck. As I was walked up to the edge of the field all I saw was the tip of a full fan. Did I mention that this fat man has a mean belly flop, even on dry ground.  My calculations put him just over the crest of the field and about 60 yards from me. The negative was, the sun was straight at me and my glasses were fogging up. I pulled the hood up on the gillie and began pushing with my toes and pulling with my elbows through the wet grass. I could barely hear him gobble above the interstate noise. Finally I could see his fan and knew he was about 30 yards. I took a deep breath and in one move I went to my knees like swamp thing rising from the field. The hen putted and was walking to the right. When the gobbler folded his fan it was too late the scope was on the noggin and I let Wicked speak, the meanie greenie did the trick and he flipped like he was trying to do a summer Sault.  After a day like yesterday, I'd rather be lucky than good. He weighed 22lbs 10oz, 11 inch beard, 1 1/8 and 1 3/16 spurs.

Here is the good part; he was strutting about 80 yards from my truck.  You know people were going down the interstate going; ha ha look he's in the woods hunting and the gobbler is strutting next to his truck.  I would have loved to see what people were thinking when I sat up in that field and killed him.

[guesswho]

Good job Jeff, looks like your picking up where you left off last year

[hookedspur]

 

[trkycaller]

 

[RutnNStrutn]

Outstanding Jeff!! You're putting a hurting on those birds!!!

[Flydown]

Killum All ! Congrats!

[harvester]

congrats 

[JVA54]

   Congrats!!     

[cannonball]

Nice one, congrats.

[nctrkyhntr]

 

[spitndrum]

Congrats!

[Basser69]

Congrats!!!

[TrkyHntr]

congrats!




Shane

[BOFF]

It's amazing what a gobbler will do to a man. I mean a belly flop on the ground, wiggling through wet grass, attempting to see through foggy glasses, and whacking oneself upon the nogging with a scope.

Ain't it great!!!!!! 

Congrats!!





God Bless,
David B.

[WyoHunter]

Congrats!