Tagged out (Long story and pics)

eorlando · April 09, 2020, 01:33:05 PM

Tagged out for 2020. It was a slow start to the season but managed another 2 year old with my good buddy Erik. Thankful for friends that offered up invites this year. It definitely made my season!!!!
This morning started off a little different than other hunts. Erik showed up 30 minutes late for our hunt which put us behind schedule a little bit. Not a huge problem as we had planned a little padding in the time just in case. We would be cutting it a little close though. We arrived to the spot and gathered our gear and prepped for the 1.25 mile walk in to the spot we would be hunting. We arrived with 15 minutes until legal shooting time without busting any birds off the roost on the way in. As we were getting settled in the woods were beginning to wake up. Birds chirping, crows calling, whooperwhills playing their tune, and owls hooting.
Not long after the owls began we heard the first gobble of the morning. Straight in front of us 300 yards or so. Then another one behind us. Then 3 more birds to our right. We must have had 12 different birds gobbling 360 around us in every direction. It was the beginning of one of those days I would never forget. The anticipation grew as fly down neared. Birds still gobbling in every direction.
The birds are now on the ground and we have 2 birds responding to the Billy Buice trumpet call directly behind us a couple hundred yards, another single bird in front of us, and then the group of 3 off to our right. All the birds seemed to be about the same distance away. Which one was going to be the first to come into range? 10 minutes go by and the 2 birds from behind us are getting closer. I tell Erik to get ready as I have a feeling they will be in range soon. A minute or so later I hear the unmistakable sound of drumming pfvvvvvvv pftvvvvvv. They are in range but we can't see them because of bushes in the way. Then they both gobble at 20 yards and shake the ground. My heart races as I know at any moment they are going to step out into range. I look out of the corner of my eye and see them pass one opening then another. Seconds later there they are coming around the bushes. They both start to strut. Then they break strut and walk into the field. They start to go into strut again and then they catch some slight movement. They stand alert, heads stretched high staring right at us almost as if they are staring into my soul. They are lined up behind each other and there is no way to shoot without killing both with one shot. Erik and I had decided if 2 birds came in we would count it out 1,2,3 on 3 BOOM. This wasn't going to work if they were too close. They knew something wasn't right and they put their heads down and turned to walk away. I told Erik to shoot but they were still too close together. Finally they separated a little and I told him to shoot. Nothing..... I put the red dot on the back bird and squeezed the trigger and he dropped. The other bird started to run off and Erik shoots, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM and the bird keeps on going. He runs 50 yards or so and takes flight out of sight. I look at Erik and can see the disappointment in his face.
I tell him we should just sit still and wait. There were so many birds close this morning that we still have a good chance. Not 30 minutes later I strike up the 3 birds from earlier in the morning. Just like the 2 from earlier these 3 are going to come in the exact same way, from behind us. They gobble 80 yards behind us and I know it is about to go down again.
A few minutes go by and pftvvvvvvv pftvvvvvvv the sounds of drumming again. We still can't see them but then they gobble at 20 yards and shake the ground. One of those gobbles you can feel in your bones and makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. I peek out of the corner of my eye and see him strut through one opening and then the next. He is getting close to being in the field but I still can't see him. CLICK I hear Erik take the safety off but it isn't a normal safety click. It's loud AF. The gobbler freezes and looks right at Erik. It's too late though, BOOM!!!!! This time the pattern from his shotgun finds its mark and the gobbler hits the dirt. We jump up and run over to his bird. I look to the right and the other 2 longbeards that were with him take off running away. I look down at his hooks and he has big razor sharp spurs. Bigger than anything I have ever killed. 1.5" on one side and 1.25" on the other. High fives and we are off to look at my bird. A full fanned 2 year old. I am a sucker for big spurs so I was a little envious of the big hooks my buddies bird sported.
This will definitely go down as one of the most epic hunts I have ever had.

DSC_8875 by Eric Orlando, on Flickr

DSC_8882 by Eric Orlando, on Flickr

DSC_8914 by Eric Orlando, on Flickr

DSC_8918 by Eric Orlando, on Flickr

DSC_8920 by Eric Orlando, on Flickr

DSC_8904 by Eric Orlando, on Flickr

DSC_8901 by Eric Orlando, on Flickr

DSC_8894 by Eric Orlando, on Flickr

20200404_074740 by Eric Orlando, on Flickr

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