Tagged out WV, next to last day!

[longbeard11]

Well what a soggy second half of the season we have had here in WV, absolutely miserable!!!! Didn't hunt a single day last week due to pouring rain every morning and thought this week was going to be more of the same but fortunately some shifts occurred and most of the worst weather was missing us. Hunted a couple days early in the week and heard only one bird one day and nothing the next day. I was afraid it was going to be over, especially with them calling for more rain Thursday-Saturday. Well it rained Thursday and didn't hunt, but fortunately late Thursday night the weather changed and was showing a great window Friday morning and is showing good weather now for Saturday which is the last day.

I knew I had to take advantage of the window and give it one more go today! So I got up at 4:30 as I have so many days this season and headed out to climb the mountain yet again to my favorite ridge to get after a big boss bird I had been hunting. As I get to my listening spot the woods are totally silent, nothing going on, very calm! I knew it felt like it could be a really good day. As the birds began to wake up and chirp, the owls started to wake up as well, I patiently waited hoping to hear one more gobble! About that time some crows started in and a bird cut loose across the road, followed by 3 thundering gobbled around the hollow from me on a big long point. YES!!!!

I began to make my way around the bowl to them, I knew where they were all too well and more than likely where they would want to go. They gobbled their guts out on their own allowing me to creep inside of 100 yards to them where I staked out my avian x hen and got set up with my camera to begin talking sexy to them. I threw in my mouth call and began to give them some soft tree talk which they ate up, answered every call I made! I started to escalate into some more excited talk which they were just puking over, followed up with two flydowns and they went bananas!!  They quickly flew down and were gobblingsboit every breath, I knew these boys couldn't handle it! So I turned my head and gave some leaving yelps and shut up. They went silent for a bit, but I knew they were coming, and about that time I catch movement in front of me. 3 longbeards walking right at me fast.

As the lead bird continues to approach he starts up hill so I had to reach over and move the camera just a hair to keep him in frame. He caught a little bit of that movement and started looking. I figured, well I better shoot him before the jig is up, and Bam! Down like a sack of bricks, never even flopped! The other two birds jumped and then gobbled at the shot, then preceded to walk over and stand over my dead bird for a good 15 minutes!

Finally they walked off and I was able to go up and retrieve my bird. Great 3 year old with about a 9 1/2 inch beard, very thick and I even shot some of it out, inch spurs and very heavy! To be able to have one more hunt like this was such a blessing, I absolutely love late season turkey hunting!!! To be able to punch my last tag on the next to last day, have one of the best gobbling days of the year, and to get it all on film self filming, u just can't ask for much more than that! What a blessed season it has been for me!! This makes longbeards #17 that I've called into gun range this year with us toting 5 of them out, 4 of 5 being killed on film! My best season ever, and I'll be taking my little girl tomorrow for her second tag to hopefully put the cherry on top! Thanks for reading and God bless!!

[Wvgobbler]

Congrats on a great bird and story. Yes it has been horrible the last 2 weeks here in WV.

[MISSISSIPPI Double beard]

Nice pics, congrats!

[Greg Massey]

nice bird, congrats

[birddogdoc]

Excellent story and hunt!

[beagler]

Nice!

[hunter22]

Congrats on a fine gobbler.

[J-Shaped]

Congrats, and what beautiful woods to have enjoyed it in. Great pics.

[wvspitndrum]

Heck of a season !!! Congrats  !

[WiLL B]

Congrats!! Real nice pictures and story!!

[rifleman]

Woke this AM and talked myself out of going out.  Maybe not too bad as the rain came a little after daybreak.  Going tomorrow no matter what being last day.  Congrats on your bird and hope the youngin' takes one tomorrow.  Like the pics.  3 together!  I haven't heard a turkey in days.

[chatterbox]

Well done, and what a fantastic hunt!
Great bird!

[lunghit]

Very nice!!! Congrats

[J.D. Shellnut]

Congratulations!!! That looks a beautiful place to kill a bird!

[kyturkeyhunter4]

Congrats!