I had to get the monkey off my back and end this dry spell.
Got to my public land spot this morning and it was raining (again), 43 degrees and the wind was blowing about 20 mph, just a lovely day to be afield.....
The gobbler I saw fly up last night flew down into a big fresh pine burn behind us instead of hitting the road bed like yesterday. The hen flew down at 6:50 to the same spot she flew up from last night and just fed in the long grassy road and milling around the dekes for a looong time, I just knew 'ol big boy would come along at any minute. Nope.
I had listened to the weatherman that said there would be no rain for days, so I didn't have on any rain gear or a blind. By 8 I was soaked and bad cold. I kept sitting like a rock because where the tom would walk out from was right in my lap and I didn't wan't to get busted. By 9 I was shivering uncontrollably and frozen, I was about to break........
At 9:30 I caught movement to my left and this big jake walked out about 5 yds from me and went to the dekes. He started half strutting and when a crow sounded off over-head, he gobbled. That was enough for me and he went down at 30 yds. Not my best bird but I was tired of seeing turkeys walk off. I've had 3 gobbling mature toms within 60 yds of me this week and hadn't fired a shot. I should have been tagged out Tuesday morning and I was frustrated.
I also wanted to eat some turkey, try out my new 20 gauge, and get warm, so I chootered him.
Over 16 lbs and a 5" beard and he goin on the grill tomorrow night wrapped in bacon with onion and green pepper slices on kebob skewers...that's enough for me. Got 4 more weeks to up-grade and have a few gobblers doing well on private land that I should kill this week.
I also shot this bird because if we'd had him last year, we would have won the contest. We were short 1 bird, but still only lost by a few points. Same thing in 2011, short 1 bird and lost by only a few points. I wanted this bird in the bank, so to speak.
He's a legal NC bird and I took pics to score him up cause it's the right thing to do. Thanks guys !
No glory shots cause we were both drowned when I got back to the truck..........
