Western OK Trip Recap

[jblackburn]

 :bike2:I know Gooserbat was updating pictures as the week went on, but here are a few more details of the two Rios I was able to take.  We had a pretty good time in Western OK. Three of us killed 5 gobblers in four days.  We hunted private land in a one bird county and each killed a good tom in a day and a half.  Then we braved (more like shook in our boots) a tornado/severe storm that passed through our area.  We then headed to some public land about 30 miles away. Gooserbat killed one the first morning we were there and I took one that evening. Gooserbat's son missed a jake, then we got on another tom, but we set up in a bad spot and never could see him before a hen led him away.

First one:  21 lbs, 3 oz; double beard 7 5/8 and 5 7/8, 1 1/16 and 1 1/8 spurs.

This was a cool hunt.  We hunted early and only heard one gobble.  We headed back to camp and he was gobbling about 300 yards away!  We used the terrain to get closer and called.  This old bird acted more like an Eastern, lots of looking, barely strutted, and slowly came in.  But, like Rios will do, he gobbled a lot, which was fun.  Once he finally committed he came in on a string and I took him right at 40 yards before he got behind some brush.



second one: 20 lbs, 2 oz, 7 1/2 beard, 3/4 spurs

This is easily the coolest hunt I have had in a long time.  We had a pretty good idea of where they roosted, so I set up on a field between where I thought they would be and the roost site.  I set up around 3:00 pm and immediately had birds gobbling.  Soon the jakes came in and I let them walk, suddenly a super jake gobbled right beside me.  He nearly had a full fan and if I had not seen the short beard, I would have busted him, he was quite a bit bigger than the others and could gobble well.  I sat for several hours and ended up calling the jakes back when I switched calls.

As evening approached I pulled out my wingbone and gave a few yelps, I was immediately answered by a tom.  I yelped again and he gobbled again, not more than 150 yards, but on the other side of a hedge row.  Suddenly, I heard some beautiful clucking and purring to my left and there are two hens not more than 25 yards to the left.  One headed into the field, the other right at me.  How she did not bust me, I don't know. She was no more than 3 yards at one point before she headed to the other hen.  All of a sudden, all hell broke loose behind me as the two small jakes must have joined up with super jake.  They started gobbling, fighting purring, spurring each other and running through the brush no more than 15 yards behind me.  I guess I jumped or moved, because the hens both started staring at me and putting.

Then, the gobbler hammered at all the commotion.  I looked up and he is about 100 yards in front of me, full strut, headed to the hens.  The jakes gobbled back and they b-lined straight toward the gobbler.  I thought, crap, they're gonna run him off!  But, he had other ideas.  His head turned from red to ghost white, he dropped to half strut and ran right at the lead jake and like some sort of turkey ninja, jumped and spurred the crap out of super jake.  For about 30 seconds they ran in circles fighting and purring.  I excited yelped and one of the jakes broke and ran back toward me, the other jakes followed . .  . and so did the tom.  They got to about 30 yards and I clucked/putted loudly. I made sure I knew which one was the tom and rolled him stone dead with Hevi-6's.  I wish I would have taken my video camera!

[alloutdoors]

Congrats on a great trip!

[Gooserbat]

Did you forget who called in the double beard?

Seriously it was s great hunt, with great people, and that gumbo was soooooooo good.

[zelmo1]

Great hunt and nice birds, Congrats

[jblackburn]

Did you forget who called in the double beard?

Seriously it was s great hunt, with great people, and that gumbo was soooooooo good.

Ha Ha! No, I didn't, I still appreciate that! It was nice to have someone call for me for a change!

[beagler]

Nice!

[howl]

That's a pretty gobbler.

[Rio Fan]

Congrats.  That second bird is absolutely beautiful.

[mgm1955]

  . Congrats!!

[owlhoot]

nice birds

[Wrangler95]

Very nice gobbler,congrats!