Wish there was a little bit better story than this, but here goes.
Wife was out for a girls outing with her cousins, and wasn't returning until Tuesday, when opening day of turkey season was the day before on Monday. Needless to say, I was pacing the floor like a madman waiting to go. I decided not to go on Wednesday because it was foretasted to rain early morning. I remember thinking about that on my drive to work in the brilliant sunshine with birds everywhere. I was hoping this wasn't how the whole season was going to go. I decided to try for Thursday morning, as the forecast was for a cold morning 45 degrees or so, and then a sunny day. Figured that would get those birds on their feet!!
Trekked through the woods with my blind, decoys, vest, and gun towards an open field. I was set up and ready to go around 5:45, with shooting light in 25 minutes. Just about 6am the gobblers started. I decided to use the same Halloran slate I've been using the last 2 years that has been a killer. Multiple birds were responding to my calling, and I thought it would be a quick morning. Then the fog started to roll in, and the hens started yelping back...my hopes were falling quickly. I could hear a hen nearby every roosted gobbler, and I knew how this was going to play out. Sure enough, after fly down, I couldn't get a tom to fire off without a hen chiming in near him. Nothing was moving in my direction, although I knew they were out there and I'd just have to wait it out. I decided to keep calling and harass the hens. One hen I really started a fight with, she was very raspy, and very annoyed. I've never had a hen that worked up before. Finally, around an hour later, I see a hen making her way toward my decoys. I just knew that a tom was following her. I was wrong. She came out in the field alone, and walked/fed off by herself. Even though the fog was still out, it was letting up, and I took the lone hen as a good sign as now maybe there were some gobblers out looking for love all alone.
At this time, it was probably 7:45, I decided to try my Dawkins Stoned Aluminum just to see what would answer me. Immediately, a gobbler responded back, and so did the raspy boss hen. I waited a few minutes and tried again, and this time they were closer. I saw a hen moving silently in the woods and tried to call to the hens, knowing that a tom was nearby. This hen was still fired up and heading my way. On my last battle with her, the gobbling fired up again, and I knew the next time I saw them, it would be in the field. Sure enough, a white head emerged in the trees, and I watched the tom jump up on a log, down to the ground, and start heading my way.....with a buddy in tow!! They came right to the decoys and split them, one on the jake, the other the hen. I thought they were both double beards, but it turned out that they were just split, but mine did have a 4" extra beard...just not the one I was expecting. I pulled up the gun, put the red dot on his eye, and one, two, three BANG!!!! Instant death. The 3.5 inch Longbeard XR #5 killed him right in the face. Good times.
Final score:
22.5 pounds
9.25 beard (I was sad to learn only one counted)
1.125" and 1" spur
62.25 total score
Pics to come. Have had some technical difficulties lately (hence the late post) and my truck might (I hope not) have died last night. Everything has been taking twice as long as it normally does...but it was still a successful turkey season!!
