It's not often that my brother or I post on here, even though we each spend time each day reading and catching up on others from OG. When you share a passion with others as we do, it's the next best thing to being out on the road or in the woods...
The spring of 2015 was a personal best for my brother and I, so I felt it should be shared! Between the two of us, we visited and were successful in 5 states this spring with 3 of those being new territories! Let's face it, we would like to hunt every day that there's a season open, but juggling our obsession alongside work, our families, and other responsibilities, we are only afforded a certain amount of time to do the thing we love so dearly...
With that said, our spring started in late March in south Florida, where we were both able to take nice Osceolas! This was a first for me, while my brother already had one under his belt.
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/B4D5032F-4031-4518-9C53-865F4F788555_zpscxlfh5jr.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/B4D5032F-4031-4518-9C53-865F4F788555_zpscxlfh5jr.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/C84D4EF2-EA25-4A6A-99D4-8C1095D0171A_zpswxw7ekw9.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/C84D4EF2-EA25-4A6A-99D4-8C1095D0171A_zpswxw7ekw9.jpg.html)
Then, in early April my brother and another good friend visited a new tract of public ground in TN! While they were only there for a long weekend, there was no shortage of success! My brother was able to take two nice TN gobblers, while his buddy took one himself...
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/0FC42A3F-86D2-4AE8-8B25-8F02524E9371_zps1yqkgxof.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/0FC42A3F-86D2-4AE8-8B25-8F02524E9371_zps1yqkgxof.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/D5357C44-E083-4DF6-8156-017E763841DE_zpsrx4ppkuk.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/D5357C44-E083-4DF6-8156-017E763841DE_zpsrx4ppkuk.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/0AD1E252-8A03-4A9E-A1DF-CC72BD391192_zpsrepwdazh.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/0AD1E252-8A03-4A9E-A1DF-CC72BD391192_zpsrepwdazh.jpg.html)
Next up was our home season here in NC! We spent the month of April hunting with friends and family on our home turf and were blessed again here. Both of us were able to tag out in the first couple of weeks, so we spent the remainder of the season hunting with friends & family...and gearing up for Kansas and Nebraska!
Oh...and my second bird in NC turned out to be very memorable! I was able to take a gobbler that I had seen off and on now for two springs. I watched him as a poult, growing into a jake, and now this year as a mature gobbler. I only got to lay eyes on him twice this spring, and I was able to capitalize on the second sighting!
Both of my brother's birds from NC were public land...and the second bird was a really nice one!
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/F3852907-1533-41B3-809E-464B6395409E_zpsr51pbjf3.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/F3852907-1533-41B3-809E-464B6395409E_zpsr51pbjf3.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/12A1168D-9009-4A94-B13C-B566B3C5DC95_zps49ztqo5m.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/12A1168D-9009-4A94-B13C-B566B3C5DC95_zps49ztqo5m.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/FE9E2A00-E2F6-44D8-9E1B-D704CE34C600_zpsh1tdss90.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/FE9E2A00-E2F6-44D8-9E1B-D704CE34C600_zpsh1tdss90.jpg.html)
Here's mine:
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/B8893001-4652-4388-80B3-6C07C0173150_zpsxlyufppp.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/B8893001-4652-4388-80B3-6C07C0173150_zpsxlyufppp.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/4CF9DC28-A0DA-45E5-94E1-FD4524D39A72_zpsukmcxqga.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/4CF9DC28-A0DA-45E5-94E1-FD4524D39A72_zpsukmcxqga.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/0FA4FC9A-DB70-40BA-8C24-594AC81BC737_zpsbzvhtthg.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/0FA4FC9A-DB70-40BA-8C24-594AC81BC737_zpsbzvhtthg.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/AB547C1C-0B16-4EA7-861D-E753824DCFE6_zpsltx2tjii.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/AB547C1C-0B16-4EA7-861D-E753824DCFE6_zpsltx2tjii.jpg.html)
Next up was Kansas! We left NC Friday May 8 at lunchtime. Drove the remainder of the day and all night, headed for the WIHA properties that my brother had located in the Atlas. With little to no sleep, we arrived at daybreak to the first walk-in hunting area. Our plan for Saturday was to scout and hopefully locate birds to hunt on Sunday. However, we ran into a group of 4 strutters with a dozen or so hens and several jakes at 9:00 am. Shortly thereafter, the group of 4 was now a duo! Both of the gobblers we killed were around 1-3/8" limbhangers.
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/B5C8FFB5-DDA9-4B54-A311-E15C3AB0E390_zpsnlbqwrfq.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/B5C8FFB5-DDA9-4B54-A311-E15C3AB0E390_zpsnlbqwrfq.jpg.html)
Day 2 in KS we learned about what rain does to the "black" roads! The morning hunt was postponed due to inaccessible roads pretty much everywhere. We spent the remainder of that day scouting for more birds, which we were able to locate that afternoon.
Day 3 my brother tagged out early that morning, and I got my second bird at 10:30 on another WIHA. Unfortunately, with 40 mph winds, picture taking can be a challenge. Especially when you are using cell phones with no tripod or photographer!
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/38861F04-F3E7-409B-BF99-E1D7C4B4A464_zpsqwblin35.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/38861F04-F3E7-409B-BF99-E1D7C4B4A464_zpsqwblin35.jpg.html)
By lunchtime on Monday we were headed to Nebraska! We had planned to go up to Pine Ridge, but a phone call to the folks at the station up there informed us that they had 18" of snow and the roads were all but impassable. Given that, we decided to stay out of the snow, so we hit a public land atlas online and came up with a new plan. It ended up being a great plan, as we found the public land and got into birds immediately!
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/FA5ED608-9000-4476-A3C0-21C56715B9FA_zpsrhfwxlj2.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/FA5ED608-9000-4476-A3C0-21C56715B9FA_zpsrhfwxlj2.jpg.html)
We spent the next several days around that area and were able to punch a few more tags before another buddy joined us for the weekend!
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/2328109A-31D1-4DC9-B1AD-1F7B857FB7B7_zpsarcy6yn2.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/2328109A-31D1-4DC9-B1AD-1F7B857FB7B7_zpsarcy6yn2.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/05314CD7-EF9B-4C3D-8993-43D2991D488E_zpsucdiemcm.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/05314CD7-EF9B-4C3D-8993-43D2991D488E_zpsucdiemcm.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/E49D6DF6-FB06-4F10-837A-439E61654C35_zpsn2blhtfe.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/E49D6DF6-FB06-4F10-837A-439E61654C35_zpsn2blhtfe.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/FC7757B9-12C7-44DE-B3E1-9A613CC4B63D_zpspluactxa.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/FC7757B9-12C7-44DE-B3E1-9A613CC4B63D_zpspluactxa.jpg.html)
After Lance arrived, he wasted no time joining in on the fun!
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/E8ECDCD8-55B6-404B-8E94-0A32A9DA6B28_zpsqys6qs2i.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/E8ECDCD8-55B6-404B-8E94-0A32A9DA6B28_zpsqys6qs2i.jpg.html)
And with that, our spring was over. As others have said on here many times...there's no way to give each hunt justice. It would take far too long to share all of the details on the forum, and even then I don't think you can tell the stories the way they need to be told.
Like I said in the beginning, I just wanted to share a recap of our spring 2015. It was memorable to say the least! Great hunting, safe travels, good friends, and blessings to be able to do what we love! Hopefully 2016 will constitute another post like this...
My wife's birds from NC:
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/404C582A-7286-47E7-883C-95E0EB42EDC9_zpsarmeucr6.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/404C582A-7286-47E7-883C-95E0EB42EDC9_zpsarmeucr6.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/2B37176A-080A-47B1-9690-A85DD409E18D_zpskdrry7ln.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/2B37176A-080A-47B1-9690-A85DD409E18D_zpskdrry7ln.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/AC35F15F-928C-4DE6-BE18-14C2E8D44FAD_zpsfizmmx2s.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/AC35F15F-928C-4DE6-BE18-14C2E8D44FAD_zpsfizmmx2s.jpg.html)
A few more pics from along the way...
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/261414A7-C08E-439E-8747-3D35809D1BDB_zpsxqwcdcfm.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/261414A7-C08E-439E-8747-3D35809D1BDB_zpsxqwcdcfm.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/09A26574-0898-4466-A5ED-348A09C9257B_zpshjcs93wa.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/09A26574-0898-4466-A5ED-348A09C9257B_zpshjcs93wa.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/89DE9900-999E-4F75-BA93-83F2CAF39DB8_zps9xsrhsj1.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/89DE9900-999E-4F75-BA93-83F2CAF39DB8_zps9xsrhsj1.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/E9817C63-41EF-44CF-B5C0-09A09013E7C1_zps7kbc4moy.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/E9817C63-41EF-44CF-B5C0-09A09013E7C1_zps7kbc4moy.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/A90B4747-96DA-45FF-B739-DB9CA76EC31F_zps0pm17qbx.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/A90B4747-96DA-45FF-B739-DB9CA76EC31F_zps0pm17qbx.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/D382A9E9-DE2E-489A-B72B-FE2A6C0F3BD6_zpsc0rki1ul.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/D382A9E9-DE2E-489A-B72B-FE2A6C0F3BD6_zpsc0rki1ul.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/72F6EB2E-E853-407C-B56E-886F62EC10F7_zps6wuyam2o.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/72F6EB2E-E853-407C-B56E-886F62EC10F7_zps6wuyam2o.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/8A2DE400-81C8-4D0C-8309-422C81CA39A6_zpsqolo0blo.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/8A2DE400-81C8-4D0C-8309-422C81CA39A6_zpsqolo0blo.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/62B48CB9-569A-4773-9145-1CDCC4A6D660_zps4rth5lpy.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/62B48CB9-569A-4773-9145-1CDCC4A6D660_zps4rth5lpy.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/6C6D9F44-A2D9-424F-86E9-8825B2F85BA6_zps1w8znr4c.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/6C6D9F44-A2D9-424F-86E9-8825B2F85BA6_zps1w8znr4c.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/63EE0A1B-4041-4E52-B6B8-4587A45E9D3C_zps4xthnru1.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/63EE0A1B-4041-4E52-B6B8-4587A45E9D3C_zps4xthnru1.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/114E3097-95B7-4700-B7ED-88B410826301_zps4xavjg7c.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/114E3097-95B7-4700-B7ED-88B410826301_zps4xavjg7c.jpg.html)
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/CCCFC174-991E-44BB-BCA3-8F195130899E_zpsup15ysu1.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/CCCFC174-991E-44BB-BCA3-8F195130899E_zpsup15ysu1.jpg.html)
A good sign from my trail cam here in NC!
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/hermiehunter/276F7DEB-5D8B-42A1-A5C7-DC89B6799EF3_zpsenznp8v7.jpg) (http://s302.photobucket.com/user/hermiehunter/media/276F7DEB-5D8B-42A1-A5C7-DC89B6799EF3_zpsenznp8v7.jpg.html)
good job on a full spring season, nice pics
Looks good to me. Congrats!
Congratulations to you all on some fantastic birds and incredible spring! I can definitely see why you say the one bird was memorable for you, that is very cool and unique. Great pictures and recap to your great season. Way to go!
Great season! Congrats on the many successful hunts. Pics are awesome!
:icon_thumright: Great season!
Very Nice, congratulations to everyone as that is a memorable season indeed!
Congratulations! Awesome season!
Very nice season. Enjoyed all the photos.
Congrats on an incredible season. I love the white bird! I want one!
Congrats on a super fine season....from the kills, the white gobbler, and earning a Single Season Slam. I came up an Osceola short. What part of NC are you in....I am in the NW....south of Boone?
Thanks for the kind comments everyone.
The south Florida hunt was a first for us. We went through Swamp Gobbler Outfitters! Ben and Charlie were great guys and we enjoyed the trip a lot. This was a first for us, doing a guided hunt, but I decided to go that route this year. I tried public walk-in quota a few years ago at Green Swamp East and wasn't able to make anything happen. Now that I have an Osceola under my belt, I have plans to get back down there somewhere for a public land FL gobbler.
We are in Rutherford county. Not too far from you datrip!
Real nice recap. Looks you all were blessed. Congrats
Can't have a season much better than that! Congratulations on the birds and also the quality pictures. Taking very good pictures requires some thought.
Great season, I see more in your future. Congrats.
Quote from: hermiehunter on June 10, 2015, 09:08:14 PM
We are in Rutherford county. Not too far from you datrip!
Great man.....I am in Caldwell County. Congrats again!
Strong season. Good to see some fellow Carolina boys getting after em!
Congrats and thanks for sharing.
I'd be interested in hearing the story behind the white bird if you feel inclined.
Congrats to you fellas! And I tried to tell y'all about those "black" roads after a rain!! But like me, I see you had to find out first hand. :TooFunny:
Your brother showed me that awesome gobbler you killed before the deed was done. What a magnificent bird! Congrats again on him! You gentlemen are tough one them!
Congrats on a great season!
I ran across that truck in TN.
Congrats on a great season! Was that bird a true albino?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I don't know if the white gobbler was truly albino or not. His spurs and toenails were even white, however, he did have black eyes. Perhaps someone else can chime in about it, as I've been told there are no such things as true albino birds. In talking with the guys at Hazel Creek Taxidermy though, they told me they have seen and mounted them with both pink eyes and black eyes. I would have to assume an albino would have pink eyes, but idk...
As for the story behind him, it started in the summer of 2013 when my buddy and I first seen the hen with a white poult. They were raised around a field behind our office in Burke County, NC. Throughout the summer we seen the little fellow growing with the rest of his brood. The sighting carried into the fall and at that point we both chaulked it up to be a hen. Most color-phased turkeys that I see are not gobblers, and at such a young age we couldn't distinguish if this one would be any different. However, one day in the fall I got a close look at her and could see the beard starting to show! IT WAS A GOBBLER was my first reaction!
Fast forward to the spring of 2014, where the white jake was hanging with 6 others behind our office a lot in the pre-season. We watched several longbeards and the jakes as they began to establish dominance. We were able to capture several trail cam pics during this time, before he vanished just prior to the season opener. Not that it mattered, as we had both agreed to not hunt him until 2015 in hopes of him being mature. To kill him in 2014 just wouldn't have meant as much and even though we were taking a chance of someone else killing him or mother nature having other plans, that was our decision!
The last week of 2014 season he reappeared! With a longbeard and several hens. I was tagged out, but my buddy still had a tag so he made a setup and killed the longbeard. Ole whitey was side-by-side with the gobbler when he shot. Even at that point, with him in range, my buddy didn't have any desire to take him.
After the season he stayed nearby for several weeks, which gave us hopes for 2015! However, after ZERO sightings during the summer, fall, and winter of 2014, we wondered if something had happened to him....Until one day in late winter when a contractor that works for us told me a story of an all white turkey he had seen the day before about a mile from us! I knew right away it was him and figured he would return come spring.
Pre-season 2015, still ZERO sightings. Actually, zero gobblers in the field all of March! I don't know if the abundance of left-over acorns kept the turkeys from using this area or what but for whatever reason they just weren't visible...
April 10, 2015...the last day of youth season and one day prior to the season opener...I pulled up at the office mid-morning and immediately noticed a large white spot back in the field! IT WAS HIM!!! FULL STRUT!!! That was the first sighting as a mature gobbler and the first time seeing him strut. I called my buddy and my boss and both arrived back at the office in short time. We watched for nearly an hour, as he courted 4 hens in the field. Only problem is...the field is on a pretty active highway, so every truck that came down the road stopped as well! He wouldn't last long standing around in the open, as I think someone would have poached him! Knowing he would be in the area tomorrow, I told my buddy he needed to be there to hunt him. I reference my buddy throughout this story...but he is also a partner in the business that I work for, so he is my boss as well! We grew up together and went to college together. He brought me to work for this company, so needless to say I wasn't even going to pursue the white turkey, as I felt like he had the right more than I did.
He had plans already for the opener, as did I. I talked to him throughout the afternoon, hoping he would go after him but he didn't intend to hunt there the next day. He takes his father hunting a lot, so he was going to stick to that plan. He did tell me to go after him countless times that day. But...in my mind, it wouldn't have been right. I went about my plans for opening day, all the time thinking about how someone was probably going to take the bird that day. I thought about it all weekend, and on Monday my thoughts were confirmed as he didn't gobble or show up at all. For the next two weeks we didn't see or hear anything from whitey! I just knew he was dead...
Week three of our season, I was hunting some public land near the office for a quick before work hunt. I didn't have any luck that morning, but I did get a call from my buddy who was at the office early. He said he had heard a gobble across the creek that morning and wondered if it could have been him. He didn't go after the bird though, as he had things going on that morning on the jobsites.
When I arrived back at the office to change clothes and go about my business, THERE HE WAS!!! All alone in the field feeding! Needless to say, I didn't waste any time making my way into position for the hunt. At that point, getting in the woods was all I could think about. I quickly made my way to the edge of the field, which put me 300 yards or so from him. As I got into position, I could still see that he was in the field feeding. I was in the game! Now...he's 300 yards away across an open field (on the other side of it mind you). I got myself into a good hiding spot and started to call. He looked up the first sequence, but that was all. I waited a minute or so and called more aggressively to see how he would respond to that. IT WORKED! He started strutting and working towards me! From 300 yards to 34 yards, I watched him strut, walk, strut, walk, and strut. I've never coached myself through something quite like that. The whole time I was thinking "don't mess this up" "take your time" "aim small", all while thinking something could happen at any time to alter his route... At 50 I almost couldn't hold back the temptation any longer, but I did, and I let him get inside of 40 yards...and at 34 yards, it was over!
The phone calls, pictures, texts, and celebration began! My wife, brother, dad, buddy, boss, etc. Quickly followed by a call to Cally Morris & Hazel Creek! I had told everyone if I was lucky enough to kill him, he would be mounted in a full strut, so that's where he is at currently! I figure it will be almost next spring before I get to see him again...
Sorry for the long-winded story, but I had to include the background in order to do the story justice! In the end, I guess it was meant for me to kill him for whatever reason. And yes...I still work for my buddy and there are no hard feelings...at least not on my end, lol!
Yeh you had a great spring! :icon_thumright:
Congrats on it. Sounds like y'all had a real blast and were very successful. :funnyturkey:
Congrats on a great spring! :icon_thumright:.And what an awesome story about the white gobbler.Great Job!
Congrats on a great season!!
That's a great story!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Fantastic Pictures!!!
That white gobbler is one of a kind!!!!
It's Unbelievable that guy was able to ever
Reach adulthood!!!! AMAZING!!!!
Congratulations!!!!!! :drool:
Nice...and congrats, on a bird of a lifetime.
Thanks for the full featured re cap, figured there was a pretty good story to this one. Glad it all worked out and he didn't get whacked from the road. There's portions around me that always seem to have some white/smoke phase hens, never seen a gobbler though. I can only imagine how pumped you were. Nice call on getting Cally to do your work. Again, thanks for sharing.
Great story of your white bird! Thanks for posting, very fun read. Congrats again!
Tarheel brother getting it done. Many congrats !!
2015 Old Gobbler contest champions