To make a VERY LONG story somewhat shorter, Friday my friend's wife called and asked me to come ride the tornados out with her until her husband (my good friend) and father-in-law got to their farm later that night. I pulled up and got a text that there were birds in the field behind their trailer. I see them, watch them ease off, and then go inside to check on her - she is NOT a bad weather person and was flipped out. About 10 minutes later, she calls me to the window where this guy was strutting as big as he could on the hill top by the pea patch. I immediately called my friend and asked him for permission to give him a try - NOTE: I do normally not have permission to hunt their place unless I am calling for one of them - this is another story in itself, but I can go into all of that later. I finally convince him to let me go after him, but I do not have my gun with me - I left it at my trailer 30min away since I was just coming to hangout until the storms blew through. I convince him to get his wife to open their safe and get me his dad's Benelli M1 Super 90 and some lead #4s. I got the gun and watched this bird and 4 others milling about in the pea patch and then they topped the hill. I made a mad dash 200 yards away from them, went left down the gas line another 200 yards, and proceded to belly crawl up the backside of the hill that they were on. I get to the top (I still can't see to their side) so I stand up and take a couple of steps toward the top just waiting to see him, point, and shoot. Of course they were not where I thought they were when I stood up, and I heard a hen putting to my right. There is a brush pile she is behind maybe 10 yards to my right), and I ease around it and see her walking away still putting. Then I see the big, bright red head pop out from behind the brush, I pull up the gun and shoot. He rolls and I see a paintbrush beard and hooks as he falls backwards only10 steps away. I start hollering and thanking God and ran back to the trailer to show off the bird. Then we got some pictures and went inside to get out of the storm. If you are not aware of the weather last Friday, it was miserable to say the least, but I'm so glad his wife asked me to come hangout and that he gave me the go-ahead on him. His father was pissed to say the least about the event, so I spent my Saturday running a weed-wacker on their farm from 10am - 6pm straight, and called for him on Sun AM to say thank you. Well worth it!
19.82lbs
11 1/2" beard
both 1 1/4" spurs
