we got down to the campground we was staying at 2:30 friday got the camper set up and ready to stay the week. we got changed and headed to the place we where going to hunt. got there about 4:30 and i went one way dad to the back field. i had set down for about 30 minutes doing some soft calling when he calls me to say there where birds in the field, and to hurry there. i waited about 5 minutes before leaving, well when i get about 50 yards behind him he shoots. i wait a few minutes call him he says he is down, another gobbler is running around him gobbling, i dont hear him . he says they are headed away from him and for me to try to get around him. there is a road that runs thru the woods and comes out about 200 yrds south from where dad was, i head that way and get about 75 yards from where the roads hits the field and set up. i get him to gobble at me and he wont move. i ease into the woods towards him and he sees me but dosent run off not sure what i am. i slipped behind a tree and kneel down and see him about 45 yards but could not get a good shot at him, too much junk between us. he eventually moves into the firld away from us and stays out there with the hens going away from me. so when he leaves and goes onto land next to us another field... i head down to dad and see his bird. he is using my browning bps 3.5. shooting hevi shot mag blends and killed him at 50 yards, i know t least i didnt try it...... but i digress. you have to remember he is a coon hunter not a turkey hunter. he is wearing some low top shoes but has white socks on, he had to cut some palmetto limbs to hide his socks....
20 lbs, 9 inch beard and 1 1/4 inch spurs.
cooking dads bird sunday and the finished product
ok one to Saturday morning.
we set up about 30 yards from where he killed his and i set out a strutting deke and two hens. i fixed a dried fan to fit on the strutter. we set up about 45 minutes before first light and are ready. he gobbles the first time around 0700 and 5 minutes later sounds off again. i start with some low calls with travel call. he answers me back a couple i shut up for a bit. after 5 minutes i yeelp with a mouth call he answers closer and then i see him across the field about 300 yards away. he starts towards us. coming in at a fast walk then stops and does this all the way across the field. i am thinking he is going to come right on in. and he does until he get at 65 to 70 yards and he stops and looks if he comes in about 15 more yard i am shooting. he stays right there for 20 minutes or so just looking. he then starts easing away he goes out to 103 yards(ranged him) and stays there for a hour. while he is out there i see 2 birds coming his way, they feed out there for the hour he is just out there gobbling wanting for the dekes to come on. finally the 2 other bird come in to 35 yards away and it turns out to be 2 jakes. they walk off too. and all 3 birds go back across the field to another piece of land, where we cant hunt.
That afternoon we set up where the road runs in to the field and are going to just set there and do a little calling not much. well a little after 1715 or so they show up in the other field just like the way they did fri afternoon. they didnt want to come our way. the gobbler just stood out there walking with the hens with his head sticking about 5 foot in the air.
Sunday morning he gobbled a couple of time but didnt even come close to us or the field we was in. however there was at least 2 mature bird with them strutting for over 3 hours.
Monday we went to richloam wma to give him a rest. it was raining a little but didnt hear nothing and drove around to look at a few places we hunted last year. after that we went down to upper hillsbourgh wma to find where we were going to meet grover and big country and hunt wednesday morning. we didnt hunt monday morning to give that bird a rest.
tuesday morning we was back but at different location towards the other land to see what will happen. they are there again but wouldnt come close, sounds like a broken recor right? that evening i set up in a complete area about 60 yards from that morning about 48 yards from fence between the fields put out a hen decoy the feed all around the side of the fence we cant hunt. once the hens was 50 yards away but still the other side... gobbler staying 70 yards away. before leaving for the roost
Wednesday went to meet with the other guys. and it was almost like nebraska windy and cold. but here there wasnt nothing happening. we meet up with steve, will and justin and had lunch at cracker barrel. while talking about the dekes and what happened saturday, will said to use some fishing like to move the stutter, i told him i told dad that was what i needed to do but hadnt yet. i just so happen to have some in the truck that i use with my target stand for patterning. a home made one made out of 1 inch pvc pipe with the line tied to some small eye bolts to connect paper with gator clips. after eating we head back to camper for dad to change back into his hunting clothes. we get there and get set up. from where i am at i really cant see into "that" field. i am in the edge of the field sitting under some pines, 1 is 5 yards to my 1230 position and the other is at the 1100 to my left at 8 yards. past the tree to my left the fence is 40 yards away. i am pulling the string to move the strutter every now and then. dad calls me says turkey in the field about 180 yards from me.
i use a box call to yelp with and have a bird answer me behind and to the left. dad says the bird is looking my way i move the decoy. he starts my way stops stretches his 8 foot neck out to look. then he breaks into a flat out run (jesse lewis run). he gets to the fence, 6 strand barbed wire stretched tight. he dosent even stop at fence went straight thru it i dont know how. i expected him to stop when he comes thru fence but soes not by now he is at 40 yards and RUNNING to the deke. i had turned the decoy facing away from the fence so if he does see it he will just see the fan and back of it. i was planning on shooting him between the two pines in front of me but couldnt he was too fast. when he comes around the tree to my right i let MR. BROWNING loose at 18 yrds he didnt move. he was coming to the right of the decoy to face him and was pissed ready to fight him. i didnt give him a chance. he was 2 foot from the decoy.
20 lbs, 9 3/4 inch beard and 1 1/8 inch spurs.
this picture shows the trres i was sitting in on the left and the pind to right was 25 yards away and deke was in the middle of the trees
here is my bird.
