Hooks from IL!!!

[hobbes]

My cell phone rang this morning around 8 am and I could see by caller ID that it was my brother.  Its turkey season and my brother is calling in the morning........hmmm.  That usually means dead turkey.  My brother doesn't get to get out near as much as he used to during turkey season because his job is full steam ahead this time of year working for an agricultural company.  He still manages to get out for some early morning hunts before work and that is usually enough for him to fill his tags.  

Yesterday he got out to listen for birds in some locations on National Forest and private land that I asked him to check out before we arrive on Saturday.  He called in the late morning to tell me of several birds in a few locations that he had heard.  One bird was fairly close to the road in a location that we have to ourselves and he mentioned he may go after that bird this morning.  My response........"Heck yeah......Go kill him in the morning".  I've mentioned my brother on here before and if there is anyone that was ever born with a golden horseshoe planted up their........., it's him.  After a while though you have to step back and say.........this happens all too often to be luck.  Quite honestly, my brother is a killing machine.

Anyway, his call was to confirm that I have one less gobbler to hunt back home.  He said the bird didn't want to talk too much, so he played it easy with him.  He did a couple flydowns with no response.  Listened to the tom fly down and he yelped at him a little with no response, so he sat and waited.  After 15 minutes or so the bird gobbled on his own, so he yelped at him softly and he responded immediately.  He waited again for 5 minutes or so and yelped and the bird responded a little bit closer.  He waited some more, maybe 15 minutes, and hadn't heard the bird so he yelped with no response.  He yelped again and saw a fan come out of the may apples slightly to the right only 30 yards away.  The bird had slipped in through the may apples leaned over far enough that they only thing he could see was his fan in half strut.   The tom worked its way in front of him and he just about squeezed the trigger when he went behind a tree and went into full strut.  He yelped one more time and the bird turned and started running straight toward him.  He turned a load of #6's loose and flattened the bird at less than 20 yards.

The results........................22 lbs, 11 ¼" beard...............and 1 ½" spurs.  He's killed a bunch of birds but this is his best.  He's already preparing to deliver him to a taxidermist.

More good news is that two of the birds he heard yesterday are tucked back into NF property that has been somewhat of a honey hole for me over teh years.  Hopefully no one bothers them before I can get to em.

All I have are some lousy cell phone shots of the spurs, but man was it exiting to listen to him tell the story.

[renegade19]

Congrats to your brother.  Those are some long spurs!

[harvester]

congrats to him

[Wrangler95]

 


Very nice,congrats!!!

[bowhunter84]

congrats on a very nice bird

[njdevilsb]

Congrats to your brother.  That's a great bird.

[Basser69]

Congrats to your brother! 

[LX_Trkyhntr]

Congrat to your bro, those are some daggers!!

Good luck on your hunt this weekend!!!!

[archery1]

 
awesome hooks

[tnturkeyman28]

WTG!!!!

[hobbes]

I edited the photos.  I doubt he'd mind, but plastering his name and address on the internet may not be appreciated.  I should have payed closer attention the first time.

[CSAW]

 

[Hognutz]

Congrats to your brother. That is a really nice gobbler. Good luck to you, Hobbes, on your hunt in Ill..Mike

[spur collector]

nice hooks

[Flydown]

Those bad boys are AWESOME!!  Good luck and congrats to your brother!