Dad and I piled up a couple toms.....

[Reloader]

Pretty exciting opening morn for Dad and I.  

Dad had one of those rare 10 minute hunts.  He was running a bit late as it was barely breaking light when he arrived to his spot.  He wanted to get out in the center of a large cutover near a food plot and knew he had to hurry up and get there fast as light was coming on quickly.  Just as he got to his spot a tom hammered on the limb while he was standing in the broad open without any cover, so he hunched over and eased over to the edge of the plot.  Luckily he just made it in without being busted by the tom and before he even had his gear in order he'd already pitched out into the clearing about 100yds out.  He scrambled through his calls and pulled out an old Lynch scratch box and gave him a few sweet yelps.  That was all it took as that rascal came in on a string and Dad laid the hammer on him at 30yds.  One of those hunts where seconds made all the difference.  Had he been later, he'd of been busted.  Always nice to get lucky once in a while.

I had sort of a wild hunt myself the same morning.  It was action packed from first light until I squeezed the trigger one hour later. It seemed like mere minutes passed from the time I shut the truck door 'til the time the shot broke(my kind of hunt!).

At first light I decided to set up near a small creek where I spotted a tom the day before while out scouting/glassing.  Right at first light a tom hammered off a gobble about 3-400yds away, but I wasn't quite sure which direction.  I sat there for a moment waiting for him to sound off again and he ripped off another gobble a few minutes later.  I  knew I needed to make a move and get on the same side of the creek as him, so I grabbed my gear and made a quick move.  After settling in next to a pine, I hit him with some sweet talk on an aluminum pot and he immediately fired off some gobbles with enthusiasm.  He was fired up for sure when he pitched out and answering everything I threw out, but he just seemed to be getting a bit less volume with each gobble.  I figured he must have been on the trail of some hens, so I slacked off on the calling and waited a bit.  He finally fired off again and was far enough away that I felt safe making a move, so I jumped up and headed his direction with plenty of brush along the way for cover. I knew there was a dirt road leading to a gas well site in his direction and figured that's where he was headed.  I eased through the brush until I was about 150yds or so from the well site and threw out some cuts.  He hammered back once, but another tom cranked up about the same time.  The second tom was fired up to say the least, he hammered at everything I threw out, but he was still a good ways off.  The closer bird went silent on me for a while, but the second tom was steadily shaking the woods and seemed to be gradually closing ground, so I decided to make a quick move to that gas well site before he got any closer.  The fired up tom had me so excited that I'd pretty much ruled out tom #1.  I jumped up and headed towards the gas well site and you would know ole silent tom #1 decided that'd be a good place to strut about the time I busted out in the open.  I froze as I caught a glimpse of the strutting tom, but it was too late, I was busted.  Surprisingly that rascal didn't blow out, he just came out of strut, threw his head up, and cautiously walked back into the brush.  This whole time the second tom is still shaking the woods with gobbles, but he's still about 300yds out and closing.  I hit the deck after the 1st tom disappeared into the brush, but I wasn't liking my position at all.  I could only see about 20yds and really wanted to be on the edge of that well site for a good open shot before that fired up tom got any closer.  About that time my phone starts buzzing.  My wife was calling on her way to work(you know how women are, the fact that it's early on opening morning doesn't mean anything, lets just give him a call to shoot the breeze).  So I go to hit ignore and you would know I hit loud speaker instead!  I lay the phone down, then hear RONALD! RONALD! CAN YOU HEAR ME?  I couldn't get that rascal hung up any faster and rip off some cuts to cover it up.  He fires off again, but is still just creeping a bit closer all the time. I couldn't take only seeing 20yds any longer, that fired up tom was still a good ways out, but gaining ground so I had to make a move right now to get a better view.  It gets even better  I ease up to my feet and PUTT!!!! OMG! What now!  I turn to my right and 5 jakes have slipped in right behind me.  All heck breaks loose as they start putting and flying off, so I went crazy with cuts and yelping as loud as I could to cover up all the racket.  Well, it worked, ole tom #2 is eating it up and still slowly gaining ground.  I ease over to the edge of the clearing and settle in.  My nerves are on edge big time at this point, but at least I had managed not to scare one turkey in the woods and he's still shaking the leaves and gaining ground. Of course, it wasn't a done deal just yet, I mean with all the excitement and scaring off every bird in my area, the gas well man might as well have driven up at this point Finally I'm where I want to be on the edge of the well site.   I decided to throw out some more cutts and get this rascal even more fired up and BAM! A gobble erupts right on top of me!  I assume this was ole tom #1, heck, I don't know, I was in turkey paradise and dang sure wasn't complaining  Seconds after the gobble I see the red, white, and blue head bobbing thru the grass on the edge of the well site.  He hit the opening and immediately went into strut, so I patiently waited and watched the dance.  As soon as he hit about 25yds, I just couldn't take it any longer, so settled the FF dot and let 'er eat.   He piles up at the shot and tom #2 rips off a shock gobble.   I run out to my prize and immediately call up dad to tell him about all the excitement.  As I'm spilling the story ole tom #2 is still hammering off gobbles and gaining ground.  I hang up the phone, grab my bird, and ease off in the brush to avoid spooking any more turkeys for the morn

Not a perfect hunt by any means, but definitely one to get the adrenalin pumping for sure.one



Dad's bird had 15/16" & 3/4" spurs, 8-5/8" beard, and weighed 17.5lbs:


My bird had 1-1/16" and 1" spurs, 9-7/8" beard, and weighed 18.5lbs:


Two happy hunters:


Have a good one,

loder

[REBELYELL]

Congrats to you and your dad Ronny. Nice birds and cool story.

[Rio Fan]

Awesome story and cool pictures.  Congrats to you and your dad!  

[RutnNStrutn]

About that time my phone starts buzzing.  My wife was calling on her way to work(you know how women are, the fact that it's early on opening morning doesn't mean anything, lets just give him a call to shoot the breeze).  So I go to hit ignore and you would know I hit loud speaker instead!  I lay the phone down, then hear RONALD! RONALD! CAN YOU HEAR ME?  I couldn't get that rascal hung up any faster and rip off some cuts to cover it up.  He fires off again, but is still just creeping a bit closer all the time. I couldn't take only seeing 20yds any longer, that fired up tom was still a good ways out, but gaining ground so I had to make a move right now to get a better view.  It gets even better   I ease up to my feet and PUTT!!!! OMG! What now!  I turn to my right and 5 jakes have slipped in right behind me.  All heck breaks loose as they start putting and flying off, so I went crazy with cuts and yelping as loud as I could to cover up all the racket.  Well, it worked, ole tom #2 is eating it up and still slowly gaining ground.  I ease over to the edge of the clearing and settle in.  My nerves are on edge big time at this point, but at least I had managed not to scare one turkey in the woods and he's still shaking the leaves and gaining ground.

Great story!!! I was there with you the whole time!!!
Glad you were able to pull it together after all!!! Congrats to you and your Dad!!

[jakebird]

Great story! Congrats on an action packed hunt. Lol my wife does the same thing (calling me at the worst possible times while hunting.) I'm convinced somehow they KNOW, and do it for spite, but I can't prove it. 

[ctwny1]

Man oh man...what a story. Congrats to both you and your Dad. Did your wife hear you calling to that gobbler? Really good pictures too.

[chatterbox]

As always, I love reading your stories Ronny! You have such a way of putting us right there!
Congrats on a couple of great birds!

[rtsj]

Awesome Ronny! Congrats to you and your dad.

Roy

[JVA54]

Congrats!!

[Gold Spur]

Congrats to you and your dad Ronny on a great hunt...

[pullit]

Ronny, I have always said I would rather be lucky than good anytime, looks like you and your dad were both. COngrats to both of you.
You might want to set your wife's ring tone to be a hen yelp. That way when she calls again (and you know it is going to happen) when your hunting, just let it ring....

Sound like you were covered up in birds for sure. Got to love volunteers.....

[Hognutz]

Congrats to both of you guys..Well done..

[hookedspur]

Congrats on a pair of fine birds and on the GREAT memories you two built !!!

[pseshooter300]

Congrats

[Wrangler95]

 




Very nice going,congrats!