My buddy and I returned to yesterday's setup this morning. In case you missed that story, here's the link.
http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,33877.0.html (http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,33877.0.html)
We got to our spot an hour and fifteen minutes before dawn, and set up in the darkness. Time creeped until dawn broke. I kept waiting, and listening, and finally, a gobble!! :icon_thumright: But, it was over in the next field. :-\ Then more gobbles, but all from the next field over. :( The same field I started out in the previous two days. ;D
When I realized Mr. Big and his ladies didn't roost here last night, I called my friend. He said he was content to stay put for a while and see who shows up. I told him I was going to slip over to the other field and check out where I heard the gobbles from.
I slipped down the treeline on the edge of the field, until I reached the cut through to the next field. I peeked around a tree and spotted a turkey halfway across the field. I brought up my binocs and glassed him. It was a gobbler. And he was all by himself!! :icon_thumright:
I sat down behind a cabbage palm where I could cover the cut through, and watch the gobbler. I let out a series of yelps while glassing the tom. He picked his head up, looked my way, and started walking to me! :icon_thumright: As soon as he passed a point that stuck out into the field, a second, smaller gobbler ran up and joined him. I knew instantly that it was the same two gobblers I'd heard gobbling the last two mornings on the other side of that field. I gave them another series of yelps. They quickened their pace, and the big tom blew up into strut.
As they approached the cut through, they spied my set up in the middle of the field I started out in. It was Bmobile, with a real fan, mounting a hen, with another hen off to the side. This stopped the two gobblers in their tracks. If you clicked on the link, you'd have read that the gobbler that normally is in this field is HUGE!! They had to stop and mull over their next move. The bigger gobbler stayed in strut, and started drumming. Man, I love when they do that!! :you_rock:
DOOOOOOOOM-PHITT!!!!
Finally, the big tom decided he wasn't going to back down. Besides, he had his little buddy as back up!! ;D So he dropped out of strut, turned in to the cut through, and started marching towards Bmobile, ready to kick some butt!! He never got there though, because when he cleared the trees at 10 yards, I gave him a facefull of #4's!! :fud:
His partner flew up in the air and over about 20 feet. He came back to stomp his buddy, but chickened out and walked off putting. Once he was gone, I checked out my bird. He was beautiful!! Tall, dark, iridescent, long beard, red-white & blue head, just a gorgeous bird!! :icon_thumright:
He was a stud, but he didn't compare to yesterday's gobbler. And that's saying a lot, because my gobbler weighed 19 lb's-13 oz's, had an 11-1/2" beard, and sported twin, sharp, curved 1-3/8" spurs!! I watched both birds, and yesterday's bird was dramatically larger. What a stud he must be!!
Anyway, I am thrilled with my bird!! :icon_thumright:
I hope I get drawn for that same WMA for next season!!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Resampled_2013-03-24_07-51-01_430_zpsfdf41480.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Resampled_2013-03-24_07-51-35_849_zpsfbc6a1cc.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Resampled_2013-03-24_08-08-34_27_zps2eb1a455.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Resampled_2013-03-24_09-00-39_728_zps27d6a11f.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Resampled_2013-03-24_09-02-07_5_zps0c2ce669.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Resampled_2013-03-24_08-50-10_701_zpscbefca28.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/IMG_0612_zpsc0bb629d.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Resampled_2013-03-24_08-32-19_968_zps7451e697.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/IMG_0614_zps7c68428e.jpg)
And last but not least, me, my turkey and my STAV. Stealth Turkey Attack Vehicle!! ;D I've killed a lot of turks over the years stealthily cruising WMA's and large tracts of private land on my STAV. :icon_thumright:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/RutnNStrutn/Resampled_2013-03-24_08-48-21_360_zps166baf68.jpg)
What a set of hooks!!!
Great read and pics.
Congrats!
How did your friend do?
Greg
Cool story and a great bird. Congratulations.
Awesome read and congrats on a Stud turkey!
Great bird, congrats!
Heck yeah!
Greg, Florida has a "buddy system" for quota hunts. You can bring a friend, but you must share daily and season bag limits between the two hunters. So since Florida has a one bird per day limit, once one guy shoots a bird, the other guy is also done. And today was the last day of a 3 day quota hunt. He isn't disappointed though. He didn't get drawn for anything, so he was thrilled just to be out in the woods. We heard birds gobbling, and saw birds all 3 days. If you clicked on the link, you'd see that he had an awesome hunt yesterday, and had a good chance, but it didn't work out. He's happy and has no regrets.
What wma did you draw? Btw like the bike not a bad idea
Congrats on a great bird...... :you_rock:
Good read, congrats on a great bird.
THAT'S A GOOD JOB THERE HOME BOY
:funnyturkey:
Great read and photos...thanks for sharing. I'm sitting here looking at 4 inches of fresh snow from yesterday...our spring is messed up.
Great job and Great story! Congrats on the bird with the giant hooks!
Cool lookin bike too!
Congrats on a awesome bird! :icon_thumright:
Wow. Nice bird & read. Congrats......
Nice bird!! Congrats!! :icon_thumright:
CONGRATS!!! :turkey2: thats a nice one !!!!
Thanks you guys!! I'm pretty pumped!! :you_rock:
IrishFF, sorry bro, but I'd prefer to keep the location to myself. Its hard enough as is to get drawn for a hunt down here in FLA. I'd rather not advertise which WMA I got drawn for. Hope you understand.
Congrats!!
Great looking bird, congrats.
wow very nice :icon_thumright:
Nice Hooks! Congrats on a great Tom :icon_thumright:
Wow, that is one fantastic bird, with a great set of hooks. Great pics. Thanks for sharing.
Great looking bird, nice hooks. Congrats on a fine hunt....good read.
Congrats!!
Quote from: RutnNStrutn on March 24, 2013, 08:09:02 PM
Thanks you guys!! I'm pretty pumped!! :you_rock:
IrishFF, sorry bro, but I'd prefer to keep the location to myself. Its hard enough as is to get drawn for a hunt down here in FLA. I'd rather not advertise which WMA I got drawn for. Hope you understand.
We don't kiss and tell here in FL lol not enough public land without pressure :-*
Quote from: Saylfish on March 24, 2013, 09:12:59 PM
Quote from: RutnNStrutn on March 24, 2013, 08:09:02 PM
Thanks you guys!! I'm pretty pumped!! :you_rock:
IrishFF, sorry bro, but I'd prefer to keep the location to myself. Its hard enough as is to get drawn for a hunt down here in FLA. I'd rather not advertise which WMA I got drawn for. Hope you understand.
We don't kiss and tell here in FL lol not enough public land without pressure :-*
Exactly brother, you know it!!! :icon_thumright: Its the good and the bad of being the only place in the world with Osceolas. :-\
Congrats on an awesome bird! :you_rock:
Dang fine bird. Congrats !! :you_rock:
Awesome story and bird! Man I love that mtn bike... I have ridden mine in to deer hunt (killed a doe that was looking at my bike below the treestand) but have never biked in to turkey hunt mainly because I don't have a strap on my shotgun. But I like the camo job, that's a sharp looking bike.
Quote from: RutnNStrutn on March 24, 2013, 08:09:02 PM
Thanks you guys!! I'm pretty pumped!! :you_rock:
IrishFF, sorry bro, but I'd prefer to keep the location to myself. Its hard enough as is to get drawn for a hunt down here in FLA. I'd rather not advertise which WMA I got drawn for. Hope you understand.
Totally understandable I was only asking cause I have a buddy who lives up there and also drew and quota and nailed both his birds on the first two days of season.
Nice Bird Congrats!
:z-guntootsmiley:
Very nice going,congrats!
Is it just me or do his wings look more eastern than Osceola? It appears the white bars are more dominant than the black . Are you close to the regional overlap with some eastern hybrids? Anyhow congrats on an awesome bird and great spurs on that boy!
That's a great bird. Awesome hooks! That's a nice ride as well!
Great bird! Good job!
Great pics and a very good bird!
Quote from: catman529 on March 25, 2013, 01:12:44 AMMan I love that mtn bike... I have ridden mine in to deer hunt (killed a doe that was looking at my bike below the treestand) but have never biked in to turkey hunt mainly because I don't have a strap on my shotgun.
I bought the gun racks for an ATV and mounted them on my bike's handlebars instead. Works great!!
Quote from: jakebird on March 25, 2013, 01:59:54 PM
Is it just me or do his wings look more eastern than Osceola? It appears the white bars are more dominant than the black . Are you close to the regional overlap with some eastern hybrids?
Jakebird, I noticed that as well. I was hunting in east central Florida, well south of the regional overlap. I've been watching the differences in wing barring in birds I've taken in this region. Some are very Osceola in their wing bars, others are more like Easterns. I've even killed birds off of the same WMA that varied like that. Beats me.
I love it ! Long HOOKEDSPURS Great pictures AND on a Bike ,,,,Congrats
Great read and WOW! Love the hooks!
Thanks for sharing, enjoyed the story and the pics
Quote from: irishff727 on March 25, 2013, 05:16:36 AM
Quote from: RutnNStrutn on March 24, 2013, 08:09:02 PM
Thanks you guys!! I'm pretty pumped!! :you_rock:
IrishFF, sorry bro, but I'd prefer to keep the location to myself. Its hard enough as is to get drawn for a hunt down here in FLA. I'd rather not advertise which WMA I got drawn for. Hope you understand.
Totally understandable I was only asking cause I have a buddy who lives up there and also drew and quota and nailed both his birds on the first two days of season.
Irishff, that's pretty darned good on any WMA!! Tell your buddy congrats on his accomplishment!!
How did the last day of your hunt go?
And thanks for the compliments guys, he was a nice bird!!
Congratulations on a nice bird and a great story.
Thanks MNT!!
:you_rock:
Very nice Tom,congrats!!