Best bird you never killed

[renegade19]

The Lone Ranger.  Went to scout him one day after legal hours (1pm in Illinois) and bumped him out of his roost tree at about 3 O'clock.  Kind of stuff he pulled!  Watched him tree hop one morning to get close enough to really look at my setup, he flew down the other way.  Had him coming hot one time during youth season, boss hen called him away.  Closest I ever came to killing him.  Hunted him off and on for 3 years.  Have killed some of his relatives though!

[tha bugman]

I spat on the ground shook the dirt off my sandles and cast him to the wind....I have supressed his said memory and moved on with my life....

[Dr Juice]

Great stories, tanks!

[OldSchool]

I've known some and I'm grateful to them for the encounters we had. I've learned more from the bad birds that I didn't kill than I have from all the birds that have come right in and got shot put together. Let me decide on one and I'll get back to you.

Bob

[Marc]

32 lb bird with 2.5" spurs, and a 17" beard...  I have a friend who knows someone who's cousin's aunt got a picture of it...

Actually mine was from last season...  Nice bird, nothing special though...  Except for the fact that he out-witted me every trip...  Either hens stole him, coyotes chased him off, or he just plain hung up on me...

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

Problem Child, Houdini and the Power Line Turkey.....
Never killed any of them; one died in a harsh winter, one lost his home to subdivisions and the other probably died of old age.  All were hunted many times over the course of 2-3 years.

Of all the birds I've hunted and killed, those three are legendary to my brother and I for their resilience, luck, and the uncanny ability to keep their heads in tact.

[Cut N Run]

There used to be a great big gobbler (I named him Gobzilla) at my old lease that we all saw, but he managed to keep distance and had enough luck to save his life.  Each of us had a close encounter with him where things just didn't work out in our favor. My best friend, E.P. was holding his gun on a 2 year old gobbler to his left, debating whether or not to shoot and Gobzilla crept in behind his right side and saw something he didn't like.  A few PUTTs and both birds scrambled, no shots fired.  The land owner had fallen asleep and woke up with Gobzilla at 35 yards in front of him just coming out of strut.  The land owner tried to move his gun too fast and it was game over even faster, turkey wins again.  I was sitting just off a newly disced fire break in some pines and saw a hen easing along from left to right, about to pass in front of me.  I knew she couldn't see me, but she started acting real nervous and looking my way.  She threw her head up, did a 180, and went back to the left, the way she came in a hurry.??  I hadn't moved anything but my eyeballs.  I was looking left as hard as I could without moving my head, when I caught movement slightly to the right in front of me @ 7 yards.  You guessed it, Gobzilla was double-timing it after that hen.  Since the soil was freshly turned over I couldn't hear him walking.  I shot once and missed because he caught me moving and kicked it into high gear, plus my pattern was about the size of a tennis ball that close.  I know nobody ever killed him, because you'd hear about it in that part of the country.  Gobzilla was still the biggest gobbler I've ever seen.  We have killed 3 birds over 24 pounds on that property and many in the 22-23 pound range. He'd top 'em all easy.

Jim

[Tail Feathers]

I called him Bigfoot.  He had the biggest track I've ever seen.  Everyone knew where he hung out but no one could get him.  I caught him alone one morning and had him in my sights at 15 yards just one minute into the season.  I didn't pull the trigger.
I just didn't want to fill my one bird limit that early into a season. 
I've regretted that decision ever since.  He died of old age as far as I know.

[Cottonmouth]

My best MS bird was 11 3/4"  1 1/4" about 8 yrs ago. Best Nebraska bird last year 11 1/2"  1 3/8" . He was in a group of about 6 hens and jakes. Every time the jakes let out a squawk yelp, he would jump on them so I started mocking them and he headed my way. Shot him at 20 steps.

[ilbucksndux]

I first found this bird 2-3 weeks before season came in. He looked like he was heavy and had a beard that dragged the ground. I called him a lot of things......none of them can be typed here.I had a good idea where he was living so I scouted other areas because I dont like to put all my eggs in one basket,and my permit for this county was not good for a few weeks.

The first time I hunted him was with my youngest son he was 5 or 6 at the time He was off school the first day of this season and if I was gonna be able to hunt he would have to tag along. We got to the Forrest Service road around 8 ,after a big breakfast thinking that the little guy would be able to stay in the woods longer. We were 200 feet from the truck when he gobbled on his own. I called back he cut me off and we scrambled to hide cause he was coming. After what seemed like forever I saw him at 60 yards he just strutted back and forth and after not seeing the hen he heard he was gone.

The next morning I was heading up the road with a good idea he was roosted on a high ridge. He gobbled just about where i expected him to be and I was off. I couldnt tell if he was on top of the ridge or just off to the side and not wanting to get to close and him see me I sat at the bottom of the adjacent ridge. He flew down and strutted around and I let him have it.At this point I didnt have anything to loose. To my surprise he headed right to me. I watched him all the way down the ridge and into the holller . At 60 yards I almost shot but if he stayed on this path he will be closer. He went behind some brush,I moved to get a better shot then some hens fired off down the ridge and 5 minutes later I heard him gobble 100 yards farther away. I tried the rest of the morning to get in front of him but I just couldnt. Later in the morning I struck him but he just stayed in one spot and gobbled his head off.

The next three days went just about the same. I roosted him and no matter where I sat he flew the opposite direction. The last day of the season I was determined to get him. I knew what tree he was in and I was gonna get as close as I could. I got there 2 hours before sun up and slipped down a path that deer hunter had made. I even wore mu Crocs so I wouldnt make a sound . I got within 30 yards of the tree I saw him fly up in and sat and waited. The hens started clucking but he had not made a peep yet. Right about time to fly down I heard him start gobbling his head off on a little finger off the main ridge 400+ yards away ! Hoping that this was just a different bird I sat tight till all the hens flew down and were gone. Latter in the morning after going back to where he had roosted the night before I struck him and he was heading my way. He was no more than a 100 yards and the alarm on my phone went off.......1:00. I said out loud "You got me this time buddy." and walked to the truck with him gobbling.

It was like he knew my plan ever single day !