Done in the Buckeye State

[870FaceLift]

Well, another Ohio season has come and gone for me.  I was blessed to be able to chase birds in three states this year, but nothing tops harvesting turkeys on your own family farm.  I apologize in advance for the novel to follow:

This year started off magically.  I had promised my four year old that he could accompany me this year on a hunt.  He has lived and breathed Primos DVD's for over a year now, so I figured he should finally hear his first gobble in person.  Well, the little guy stirred all night – just couldn't get to sleep in anticipation of the morning to come (we all know the feeling).  Finally, 4:45 rolled around and we ate and geared up.  We then started the long walk back to where we would settle ourselves against an old oak.  I honestly figured that he wouldn't last very long, but to my surprise he took it all in and moved very little.  It didn't take long for the gobbles to start echoing.  Soon enough, we had two toms streaming through the woods at about 100 yards.  Well, they skirted us (we didn't have out decoys) and followed two hens that had flown down within 50 yards of us.  My son was obviously disappointed, but it was a lesson that we have all learned about dealing with those dirty lil hens!  About the time they disappeared, a jake in the distance started doing his best impersonation of a big boy.  I called him in to about 10 yards from us and, after a brief half-strut show, put him down – per my son's whispered request.  I tend to give most jakes a pass on our farm because the turkey population isn't booming.  However, this one went to the house with us.  He could've had ten beards and it wouldn't have meant any more to me.  We have memorialized his fan and little pencil beard on the wall – and I will never forget this hunt.



I spent the next few weeks chasing the same two longbeards that skirted me every way imaginable.  I always seemed to be a few minutes too late or setup in the wrong spot.  I came close several times – most notably this past Saturday.  The strutter of the group probably gobbled around 100 times that morning.  Aside from that day, I never heard him gobble all year.  Anyhow, I watched him flydown with hens in the opposite direction.  After a short while, I changed setups to hunt different birds and wait until he peeled away from the hens he flew down with.  Sure enough, he starts hammering at about 9:30AM.  I setup where I thought he would be coming, but nothing.  He would gobble but not budge.  I had to call it quits at noon, so I quit calling at about 11:30.  I no sooner get 250 yards from my last setup and he is right on top of where I was sitting – with his longbeard brother in tow.  I shook my head because this was the fourth time they had done this.
I gave it a break on Mother's day.  Sunday evening brought in a wicked storm that lasted all through the night.  I brewed up a cup of coffee at 4:30 and looked out at a sky filled with lightning.  The rain slowed from an absolute downpour to a light shower and the lightning subsided around 5:30.  I headed on out – my wife said I was crazy – but I couldn't get that stubborn strutter off my mind.  I set up in a risky spot that was within 50 yards of a line of pines that they had been roosted in.  The sky got brighter and brighter, but nothing.  They weren't there.  I called to no avail and finally decided to move after an hour and a half.  I got about 400 yards away when I heard a gobble come from where I had just been.  Sure enough, I peek out and there he is.  Both toms are right where I just was (I could see them across the field). The layout of the land is hard to describe, but at this point, these toms would have to cross a small creek, a fence line, and about cover about 360 yards to get to me for a shot.  I was already a wet, disgusting mess, so I belly crawled out in the muddy ag field and threw up a lone hen decoy.  Of all the fancy calls I have bought over the years, I just can't match the success I've had with a Knight and Hale Silver Hammer.  I paired it this year with one of WestAugusta's strikers and the boys up here love it!  Anyhow, they slowly migrated my way, but not before three hens met them down in the creek.  I thought it was game over.... Again...

It took every bit of 2.5 hours of strut...walk five yards...strut...walk five yards...peck the ground, strut... repeat.  Eventually, two of the hens peeled off and the one that the toms were following sloooowwwlllly came in to my decoy.  She blew up into a strut (I've personally never seen this before) and proceeded to destroy my hen decoy.  Finally, ol' boy came to 20 yards and I put a hurtin' on him.  I most definitely would have mounted him if it weren't for the death flop he did in the mud.  The rain had created an absolute sloppy mess and he caked himself in it.  I thanked the Lord and reflected on how much I had worked for this bird this year.   He had several strands of beard over 13" and his spurs were hooked at 1.25" -- my best bird to date and an absolute granddaddy on our farm.  The battle with this animal is why I love turkey hunting.  The ones that run right in gobbling their heads-off are fun, but nothing tests your wits like one of these weary old soldiers of the hardwoods.  God bless!

Pics aren't great because I because I was a mess and everything was sloppy - only had a camera phone to boot.

[WiLL B]

Congrats on a fine one!! And both of them are special!! You'll remember them both forever!

[hookedspur]

Yahoo   Great season

[tomstopper]

Awesome. Love that little guys smile. Congrats on both birds but more importantly, the memories made between you and your son.....

[DirtNap647]

Congrats

[WillH]

Congrats!!!

[West Augusta]

Congrats on two trophys and passing on the tradition.  Glad the striker helped and played a part in it all.

[El Pavo Grande]

 Congrats on a great season!!!

[beagler]

Nice!

[Bigspurs68]

I hope that happy boy and you enjoy many many more turkeys together. Good job

[TxLongspur]

Congrats !! I love to read a good turkey story .

[captin_hook]

Good stuff right there! Way to go.

[RAY]

Well done! Congrats to a fellow Buckeye!

[trackerbucky]

Nice!  Congrats.