I have had the worse luck this year. I have had so many birds in shooting range, but the shot just hasn't presented itself and therefore no trigger pull. That is until today...
I have hunted this property for 4 years and have never killed a turkey on it. There are always birds, but they never would cooperate. This morning they did the exact same thing they always do, but after 4 years of watching them, I somewhat knew their habits. 3 longbeards and 4 jakes fly off the roost with hens into the middle of a big field then work towards the highway away from me. They have done that for the past 4 years. You can't get between them and the highway due to a house. However, they usually come back through around 9 if you can be patient. Today that's what I chose to do. I put the decoys in the field and set back and relaxed after they left. A few jakes came to the dekes, but as they were leaving the big boys sounded off to my left in the field towards the road. Here they come. I could not see them due to a rise in the field. The went silent for a while so I hit my copper pot call real soft. GOBBLE!!!!! Right behind me in a field that i don't have permission to hunt on. They were about 20 yards away. They strutted back and forth and finally moved into the field to my right, but the shot was blocked my some thick bushes. They were NOT going to cross the creek and come to my decoys. I figured I was going to have to make some wrap around the tree move and quick draw them. So, I picked out a spot I thought they may cross if they got scared and made my move. Putts started ringing out and when I slid around the tree, there one stood right in my opening about 20 yards away. BOOMMMM!!! Turkey dropped like a sack of potatoes to TSS #9's. Not even a wiggle. I was also using a new "under development" mouth call from Mother Lode calls along with my LightsOut copper pot call.
Weight: 18 lbs 2 oz
Beard: 10 3/8"
Spurs: both 1"
(http://i1031.photobucket.com/albums/y372/Gophert/April%2023%202013%20Turkey/DSC_0361_zps9ea670f6.jpg) (http://s1031.photobucket.com/user/Gophert/media/April%2023%202013%20Turkey/DSC_0361_zps9ea670f6.jpg.html)
Very nice.
Congrats
Congrats Tim, I've had the same problem this year, 11 longbeards in range and 1 dead. There is always a problem.
awesome man, congrats!
WTG, Tim!
Great job, and a fantastic bird!
Great job ... :icon_thumright:
Well done. I will be shooting the TSS 9s or maybe 8s next year. I'm almost out of the Nitros 7s.
Quote from: redarrow on April 25, 2013, 08:57:18 AM
Well done. I will be shooting the TSS 9s or maybe 8s next year. I'm almost out of the Nitros 7s.
Red, I can tell you that this TSS stuff is nasty. Ever since I started shooting it, I have yet to see a bird flop after they are hit. Now, keep in mind that I have yet to kill one with TSS over 25 yards.
Redarrow, go with 9s rather than 8s. There's no reason to go to 8's as 9's are more than you need.
I'm sitting on 4 lbs. of 8s, but use 9s in both .410 and 20 for the past 3 seasons. Gil