2020 Strut Stopper Story Thread

[turkey harvester]

This is where we want to hear your story. Tell us the details too

[dzsmith]

Opening day. Public land, had to get to the gate real early to beat the crowd. Didn't stop them because 2 guys pulled in and literally followed me anyway. They drove by several times while i was sitting at my vehicle, and it became apparent that they weren't going to acutally pull in until they knew I was gone. so I began my walk and didn't make it 100 yards and they looped right back in. "cowards" Very little gobbling, struck this bird up about 830. The 2 guys which couldn't have been more than 100-150 yards from me, started calling to the bird....and he went silent. Then one of them decided to make a move while calling and I heard putting in the distance....I figured it was game over, so I threw another call out there, nothing to lose at this point if hes busted hes busted. I don't know what bird was putting...but after I made that call the bird drumming was within shotgun range I just couldn't see him because I was literally on a flat hilltop. the two guys continued to call, it was obvious at this point wherever they were they could see the bird because they were giving it all they had. The bird finally gobbled at them, and when he did, I couldn't let that happen so I hammered down on the box as hard as could with a series of cuts to drown them out. The bird gobbled and as soon as I saw his head come over the hilltop I let him have it.I yelled to the other hunters in the woods hoping they would make that 100 yard walk to see the bird they tried to sweep from me....but as most of the cowards im accustomed to being around  in the Mississippi hunting community ...they simply walked off. A glorious victory in my book. Decent 2 year old bird. 1" spurs, 18.5lbs 8.5" beard. I usually kill a relatively early season bird, but I haven't killed a technical opening day bird in 6 years, grant it I haven't been able to get off work always either. I had a goal to just be able to get a bird this year while working a shutdown "6 days a week" and that goal is now complete. So with a little luck I should have the time to get another one on my day off here and there.

[bornagain64]

Congrats. Unfortunately I deal with some of those same guys here on Fl public land.

[dzsmith]

Congrats. Unfortunately I deal with some of those same guys here on Fl public land.

you know, I put boots on the ground and scout/ roost multiple birds in multiple places so when I pull up to a gate and somebody else is there I can simply .....go somewhere else. Ive never understood why people do what they do....But I know this, they got to watch him die.....

[Turkeyman]

Great job and good story. Unfortunately most of us have run into public land situations as you did. Usually the outcome is that nobody gets the bird...I'm glad you came through!

[aclawrence]

Glad you got him. Some people are jerks!  I had a couple guys come in on me and ruin a hunt last year. Let's solve a quick word problem. My truck is parked there, there's a gobbling turkey, where do you think I'm going to be? 


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[dzsmith]

#2 public land. 7.25" beard. 1" spurs. 19.5lbs. Not too bad for my schedule. I can relax ...and slow down if I wish. Or try to get number 3 as quick as possible before I get quarantined at my job due to the corona virus.

[bornagain64]

Nice job again.

[birdman67]

Awesome dzsmith! Way to get us going! Congrats

[Jroddc]

Congrats!

[turkey harvester]

Heck Ya!!! way to go. Dang son your already stacking them up. Congrats

[turkey harvester]

Great story.

[dzsmith]

Tagged out in home state. Like ive mentioned multiple times this year, im working a shutdown so time is few and far between to hunt. Well....I was off work last night so I got to go this morning. The reports from my fellow lease members is that birds are not gobbling much and pretty much only on the limb. Well the last 2 times ive been I have found this to be true....but with the threat of the virus heating up, I knew my time to get a third bird was becoming limited so I decided to go hard this morning. Got to the woods to my listening spot before daylight. Didn't hear my first gobble until 650. I only heard 2 birds they both gobbled twice on the limb and they were about as far as you could physically hear one. They were actually not even on the lease property I believe. I made my way their direction being a bird was not roosted where I had hoped. I decided id have to just cover ground this am and try to strike one up. Well 9 oclock rolls around , ive probably covered 2 miles at least stopping to locate every few hundred yards and I make it to a spot that's been good to me over the years. Its just simply a road between a cutover and private land. I hit my box call and I realized I had actually passed up a spot I had killed a bird at a couple years ago, so I walk about 100 yards back to that spot and hit the call again and I hear a very distant and faint gobble. It sounded like one of the birds I had heard on the limb that morning. and he was all the way on the far end of the private block. Well....being im literally on the boundary, I tell myself ...its 9 oclock hes more than likely alone for the morning, and ive killed a bird at this exact tree not once but twice in the past I might as well, see if I can drag him up here. So I hit the call again with some aggressive cutting and he gobbles again. With no where to really sit being its like woods, a road , and 5 year old cutover I walk to a different tree where I can see a little better and sit down. I hit my call again and hes a little closer and he has squared up with my location. Well at least hes making a move reguardless if he comes or not. I sit there in silence and the next gobble hes probably 150 yards or so.....At this point im like well...its gonna happen, but I don't know if ill be able to see him , no real setup options....again its the property line. So I hear him start to drum and finally I see him. I have a row of bushes at my 2 oclock position. I was hoping hed strut back and forth until I got a shot but no he only strutted behind the bushes...the bushes were in front of me just a few yards....he was actually in the open so it was me not him. He strutted for 15 minutes at 30 yards. I did give a few soft yelps the opposite direction to try and move him around but he just kept strutting and at the end of every strut he would erect his head and then keep strutting. This bird actually did picture perfect you couldn't ask for better. At some point I realized hes going to stop strutting and walk off, I can only hope he walks off where I can see him for a shot because its a shame I have a bird strutting at 30 and I cant even shoot him....he quits strutting and I cannot find him....I didn't know what to do , so I started some aggressive cutting on my mouth call figuring id either spook him or he would start drumming again where I could at least hear him. Through a series of vines at my 1 oclock position I see him dancing back and forth trying his hardest to see through the same bushes I cant see him through and im like well hes at 40 yards about to leave his head is up lets see if I can get my bead on him. It was a small shot window like shooting though a hole the size of a coke can but only a maybe a yard in front of my barrel, im either gonna hit it or make it. I typically probably would not do that , but today I did, I pulled the trigger and he began to flop. I did not hit the vine in front of me lol. Long long walk out but well worth it to know my next day off I can sleep in .

[birdman67]

What a morning guys. I started out in a different spot. Heard one gobbling and quickly went to setup on him. He flew down and didn't seem real interested. I kept whispering in his ear off and on for about 30 minutes. He gobbled and was around 200 yds away. About 30 seconds later, I purred on a slate and he gobbled in my face about 25 yds away. I dropped my slate it shocked me so bad. Haha. He must've ran to me. He began to strut and all I could see was the top of his fan. He was over a rise. He went behind a big cedar and I heard that terrible putt. I knew it was game over. He walked off and that was it. I was intending to reset on him when I heard another bird gobble a couple hundred yards away, I decided to try him. I went down and setup in a little green field. I hit a call and he fired back. Then it got crazy. I heard a bird in the distance across a creek gobbling. The next time I called, the bird that I setup on was silent but this other bird was coming. I turned and repositioned just in time to see him fly the creek. He landed right in front of me and strutted around and put on a show for I would say 10 minutes. I let him have it at 25 yds. Bird number 2 is down.

9 1/2 inch beard, 7/8 and 13/16 spurs, 18 lb 8 oz

[aclawrence]

Wow y'all are having some good hunts. I went out for the first time this morning with my shotgun. Honestly I'm a little discouraged with my current situation. I love public land but man it's going to be tough with everyone off work.  It was a circus out there today.


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