Dad and I are a perfect team...Tagged out in 12 days.

[Sevenyearsandcounting]

I started this forum in rough shape. I couldn't get a bird to save my life. I was struggling. Last year bird count in our area was low. We had birds but they were few and far between. I worked my  off last year hunting 28 days with my dad. It took us 26 days to get our one and only bird... A true eastern monster. 24 lbs of old mean gobbler. All that work paid off and dad and I had learned a lot and took away so many lessons.

Now comes 2017. Turkeys had a great and easy winter two years in a row and dry dry springs. We had birds everywhere! The season starts I have dozens of birds located. Then comes the weather! Pouring most of the first two weeks. Finally we get a break and boom my daughter needs to go into the hospital for 7-21 days. So we hit the woods and dad and I both get Jakes a day before I thought my season was ending.

Well it didn't. My daughter is home and healthy and I was back in the turkey woods yesterday. My dad had run into a pair of nice birds the day before but couldn't do anything with them. These old tough birds were smart and we needed to deploy the yo-yo method on them and he didn't have me along to do so. So he gave up and went to work and called me. Just minutes before I got the news my daughter was coming home.

I have never been more excited to hunt. I had new life. I was gifted 14 days of hunting I didn't have the day before.

We hit the woods at 4:30. 20 minutes pass...nothing. 5am hits. A literal damn symphony hits! Gobbles were coming from every direction. My dad a 30 year turkey hunter has never heard so many and neither have I. He had 7 Jakes walk into his setup. Literally within yards. He passed them up because in the distance, about 75 yards from me, "GOBBBLEEE GOBBLLEE GOBBBLEE" the deepest rip roaring gobbles!

30 minutes pass every bird stops talking except one...The big boss man. I go and grab dad and spook the Jakes. "Get up dad I got a monster roaming the woods: let's go get em." Dads hearing is going but he can still call like no one I know. I am the ears and eyes, he's the turkey whisperer. We keep moving towards the gobbler. I can only hear faint gobbles he can't hear them at all.

It's now 9am. We're sitting under a massive hickory tree. Talking pretty loud "that's a beautiful tree." "Sure is. Maybe 40ft? Massive." I haven't heard our bird for 45 mins. My dads older he's tired. So I take mercy "Dad hit a call if we don't hear him we leave." "Yelp" "GOBBBLLEE!" He's within 60 yards. How he didn't hear us no clue.

I fall against a tree out of position. No time the birds coming. I see a black object appearing in all his glory from the woods. He is massive. Full strut he walks out. He sees me. I've seen this a ton. They look left right don't see a hen and bolt. Well he looked left and then loo "BOOM" nah I wasn't letting him look right!

It took 45 seconds to kill that bird once we got on him! 22lbs 10in beard with a second 5 inch beard. 1 inch spurs. And a story to last a lifetime. Last year we took one in 28 days. This year we took 3 in 12. Population helps but persistence and scouting is everything. Can't wait for next year! Wish I had more tags!

[Sevenyearsandcounting]

Can someone help me upload photos? Not sure why I'm having such a hard time. Same thing happened last year.

[High plains drifter]

Nice! Sounds like you guys are a good team.

[hookedspur]

Congrats I sent you a pm I will post your pictures for you.

[Happy]

Congrats! Looks like you are learning. You are on your way.

Sent from my SM-G800R4 using Tapatalk

[hookedspur]

Posted for seven.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hookedspur]

Awesome birds !!!  Congrats to you and your Dad


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CDNduckslayer]

Congrats on a great season and some great birds!! Looks like he was going to grow a second spur on that one side!! Congrats to you and your Dad.

[Sevenyearsandcounting]

Thanks for helping me upload!

Also those spurs are my favorite part about this bird. They were striking when I first saw them. My dads shot plenty and not one had white spurs.

Every turkey I've shot seems to differ from the last. I love it. Last years bird was big beard this ones ivory spur.

Thought I was done for the year but a friend that can't hunt has gifted his tags to me in hopes I can out a bird in the freezer for him.

[CDNduckslayer]

Yes I should of mentioned the pearl spurs are very sweet as well!!


Man I wish we could gift tags here, only allowed 2 tags and can only fill your own. Good luck getting your buddy a gobbler or two!!!

[Sevenyearsandcounting]

Yep just found out I can't get the tags. Darn. Could've sworn tags could be gifted but sure glad I looked up the regulations! Well no gun no matter time to practice my wildlife photography!

[Vabirddog]

Congrats to you both and my Prayers for your daughter! Good news all around!

PS. The gobbler probably did hear your voices but IME they hear voices all the time and do not equate voices with distance or location for some reason. I whisper and talk often in the presence of turkeys and they pay no attention to it. ymmv

[renegade19]

 

[tha bugman]

Made some good memories for sure!  Congrats!

[Cut N Run]

Congratulations on your successful hunt and on your daughter doing well. 

Just think, a lot of today's jakes are going to be longbeards in the future.  You should have more quality hunts coming.

Jim