Arkansas gobbler!!

[LX_Trkyhntr]

I got a surprising phone call Monday.  A buddy of mine called and said that he saw a turkey in a field on one of the places that I hunt this past weekend.  I had scouted this place two or three weeks before season and couldn't find any sign.  It looked like we might have a break in the rain Tuesday afternoon so I picked him up and we went hunting for a little bit.  I dropped him off at the property he has permission to hunt and I continued on to the place that I have permission on.

I scouted/hunted for an hour or so when the thunder started gettig closer and closer.  I was hoping to hear one gobble, but it wasn't to be.  I did, however, find lots of fresh scratching!  Then about 5PM the rain set back in and I headed back to the truck.

The weather showed it raining from Tuesday evening until Wednesday afternoon, and clearing off after that.

I told Jake I was going to be in the woods this morning, it was going to be the first sunny sunrise in 8 or 9 days!

I was slipping in to my listening spot when he announced his location at 06:00 this morning!!  He was roosted about 300 yds away so I cut the distance to about 150 found a tree and set up.

He was really gobbling good, I sat back and enjoyed the show untl I thoght it was getting close to flydown.  I gave a few tree yelps on my persuader mouth call and he hammered back!.  I pulled out my wing and did a fly down cackle, and he went nuts!!

He finally flew down and I went to work on him with some plain yelps and cluck and purrs.  Every once in a while I would throw in a few light cutts.  He was gobbling his head off, double and triple gobbling!  I got quiet and I could tell he was on the way!  I finally saw him about 70 yds out heading directly in.  He stopped to strutt and gobble a few times!  He got to about 30 yards but was behind some small trees, he turned to go down hill , I found a hole he was about to walk into and once he stepped into it I took the shot!  He went right down!

This is the first bird I have killed in Arkansas in a LONG time! 

He is a nice bird, he weighed 19#2oz, had two beards one 10" and the other 3 1/4", and had 7/8" spurs

[stinkpickle]

Very nice!!!  I hear you may have just cut the Arkansas gobbler population in half.   

[vicksburg]

Nice one, Stephan!  Congrats!

[honker22]

Gorgeous bird.  Congrats, good to know there are still a few birds in AR

[vicksburg]

Gorgeous bird.  Congrats, good to know there are still a few birds in AR

Gorgeous bird.  Congrats, good to know there was still a few birds in AR.

There...Fixed it for you Dusty! 

[LX_Trkyhntr]

Gorgeous bird.  Congrats, good to know there are still a few birds in AR

Gorgeous bird.  Congrats, good to know there was still a few birds in AR.

There...Fixed it for you Dusty! 

You guys are about right!  It is terrible here in NWA, I think the last bird I killed up here was in 2006!  I sure hope our population gets back to where it was!!

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

awesome bird!!!!!!!!  well done!

[barry]

Nice bird!!!
Looks like another upgrade

[SC_WILDMAN]

Great bird!! Congrats

[Flydown]

Thats Awesome Stephan! Congrats on a nice AK gobbla!

[HARDCORE]

Bout time you shoot a decent bird. 

Congrats Stephan.....AWESOME!

HC

[ccleroy]

Woohoo!

[LX_Trkyhntr]

Bout time you shoot a decent bird.  


HC

[handcannon]

If you were barefoot with boney legs, would you want to live in those mountains? I'd probably find another place to roost too.

Just kidding. Congratulations on a good bird. Better invite your informant over to feast on the beast.