Idaho Gobbler

[Doug]

Hello all, it's been a couple years since I posted here - and sadly, it's been a couple years since I got to turkey hunt.  This year, I got back to it.  Almost no scouting at all, I went back to a spot where I worked a big gobbler a few years ago - never did get him.  The next year, there was nothing in there at all.  This year, I took a chance and it turned out really well.  They started gobbling about 7:30am and at one point I had 2 strutting and gobbling 100 yards in front of me that I could see, one gobbling far off to my right, and another within 100 yards to my left that I never saw, but sure heard.  Believe it or not, all of that action dried up pretty fast when the two went back to their hens.

I wanted to be back there near lunch time figuring they might come back after the hens wandered off. About an hour later after poking around, I heard one gobble pretty far off.  I wasn't sure it was a gobble right away.  I closed the gap pretty quick and soon was within 100 yards of him.  He was answering my calls when I got myself into some thick brush.  He went up around me while I was in the brush and I had to get quietly out of the brush.  Meanwhile, he came back down and went up around me on the other side.  I heard him start heading up the ridge and I got myself against a tree and gave a couple frantic calls that were just about as awful as can be - I was using an old diaphragm call from several years ago.  Bad or not, it turned him right around and about a minute later, I saw his head behind a bush.  He stepped out and I popped him at about 30 yards at 11:30 am on the second day of season.  Used Federal #6, 3" Magnums out of my trusty ol' Mossberg 835 turkey gun that I've had for over 20 years now.

Turned out to be my nicest bird in Idaho, and I believe my second best of all time.  Really would have loved to have him mounted, but that's not in the budget at this time.  17+ pounds, 9-5/8" beard, and 1" spurs.  I'm still not sure if I'll have time to head out again, but I can still get one more tag to try to fill.

[zelmo1]

Welcome back, beautiful bird, congrats

[Yoteduster]

Can't beat that..congrats

[nebgoosehunter]

Fantastic!

[tomstopper]

Welcome back. Got a nice one. Congrats

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[Gooserbat]

Congrats

[POk3s]

Yea buddy that's a dandy merriam. Congrats Doug!

[PharmHunter]

Beautiful bird!

[boomer]

Congrats

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[idgobble]

Congratulations! I got one near Elk City last week. Heard lots of gobbling from at least 10 gobblers. What part of Idaho were you hunting in. Just general area or unit?

[Harty]

Gorgeous bird! Congrats.

[surehuntsalot]

beautiful bird......congrats