OLd Guy Stuff( warning to all snowflake, this may shock you)

[zelmo1]

Had a little time to hunt for myself this afternoon and have one tag left for Maine so I checked all my fields and presto, there is one of the 3 birds that I am after. I get around him and 45 mins later I cut and I hear a gobble. Then he hammers again and he is coming fast. I see him at about 60 yards coming right down the tote road. No decoy so he slows down at around 30ish yards ands starts hunting me. He steps into the opening at 22 yards and gobbles. My heart is pumping and my safe is off, dot from my FF2 is on his wattles. He turns and struts. I put my safe on and relax. Different bird. He did all h3 was required to do, but he was another 19 pound 2 year old and not one of the " Dinosaur Club" that I am after. I hiked my fat butt back to my truck, smiling and whistling all the way. Great day, perfect hun5band the bird " acted right" as my Buddy Del Crow says. Chalking it up as a win, not a kill. There is the difference boys. Not pulling the trigger was better for me right then. I hope you yungins understand.

[Clydetaylor1]

When I got a bead on him in the kill zone and don't shot, I call it game over. Just watch the show and I enjoy it.

[Yoder409]

Catch & release turkey hunting !!!

I do quite the same in the fall when I call gobblers in.  Get 'em in slam dunk range........red dot glowing at the base of his neck..........finger on the gas pedal..........and I pull my mask down and say "Hi fella(s) !!  See ya in the spring !! "

A successful hunt does not always end in a filled tag.

[Gobbler428]

Sweet!! When you can do that, it doesn't get any better! Congratulations on a great hunt!

[guesswho]

I fully understand. And a tip of the hat to you.   I've been doing this a day or two myself, but it's really rare that I call one inside forty that gets to fly-up that afternoon.   The more encounters I have with a bird that I think is the same bird, the better his chances of me not punching his head full of holes.  You beat me 5 or 6 times, I sometimes feel I should at least beat you twice. 

Now I refuse to shoot a gift turkey no matter how big he looks. 

[Ozarks Hillbilly]

Native Americans call it counting coup

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[Happy]

Have let a few go but not many. I tend to just go call for others and not carry a gun. Then when I get the itch I get back at it. I have saved a tag for certain birds but when the end of season approaches sometimes another bird pays the price.

[Yoteduster]

Good choice and a good hunt the thrill was there without the kill

[Greg Massey]

Beating him at his on game is a win win ...  those hunts are memorable.... not bragging just fact .... best part is, you will hopefully get to hunt him again .... and make more memories......

[zelmo1]

All Ireally want is a Tom for my wife. She passed up a good opportunity so my daughter could shoot her first Tom. I give her a lot of credit, she has never shot atom either. I let her call it and she waited. My daughter did get him, then we doubles together again. Two years in a row. The family triple is my best day in the woods ever.

[bowpro]

Nice!

[Sir-diealot]

I hope I do not sound like I am bragging, because I am not trying to in any way. I really tried to make an effort to make my first turkey a mature tom, when I was unable to hunt all those years it was not a jake that filled my thoughts and dreams, it was a tom and if the two that came in would have shown signs of being jakes then I would not have shot. So I kinda think I know what you are saying.

[Plush]

Success and fun should not be defined by getting a bird all the time. If it was hunting would be one sad sad activity.

This year was my first true year of hunting. I had done so only once before and I shot a bird thanks to the help of a mentor in 30 minutes. This year I went to roost birds the night before and in the most perfect of worlds I had one pinpointed for the next morning where I could get within 75 yards or so. Set up ridiculously early, he gobbles before flydown, and comes trotting my direction to 25 yards. Except...I was positioned wrong. I don't know why I was positioned the way I did and I could have adjusted when he was strutting, but I didn't want to risk it. Instead he backed away onto a ridge, I took an aggressive move to get closer, and opted not to take a 50 yard shot or so...he left...never to be seen again.

Sure, I guess I royally screwed up and should have been done 10 minutes into shooting light...but I can definitely say I won't screw up that situation in the future. I also was somewhat glad I didn't shoot it because it probably would have killed a lot of motivation the other 2-3 weeks I had to hunt and I likely wouldn't have learned what I have this year by continuously going out in search of that first bird of the year. At this stage finding birds and getting on them is success to me, let alone actually shooting one. I may goose egg on the year now, but I want to learn how to turkey hunt and not just get gifted perfect scenarios all the time...and sadly, that takes failure.

[Dtrkyman]

How do you know it was just a two year old?  See his spurs?

My only criteria is they are not a Jake!


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[GobbleNut]

Passing on shots is quite often based on one's hunting time/opportunity and the quality of the place you are hunting.  Personally, if I am hunting a place where I believe opportunities will be abundant,...and I have lots of time,...I will pass on birds so I can continue hunting.  Put me in a place with limited opportunities and little time, however, and the first mature gobbler that shows up in range is in big trouble!

This year, for instance, my first hunt was in a place where I was pretty confident I would have lots of opportunities to kill a gobbler.  I passed on shooting the first dozen or so that came in,...looking for an exceptional gobbler,...and then shot one a bit later.  On the other hand, hunting on public land not far from that first hunt, the first mature gobbler that showed up got his snood slammed in the dirt without hesitation. 

All in all, it's all about the circumstances....