#2 TN longbeard sneak attack

[catman529]

It's been a rough last week or so...I hunted hard last Wednesday running all over most of the day, only to call in a bunch of hens with a gobbler and miss him 3 times. I had some tough hunting Friday, Sunday and Monday as well. Sunday evening I almost killed a henned up strutter but he took a different route and didn't give me a shot.

Tuesday I finally hit some private land near home with a friend and we spent 3 hours stalking a known boss bird with his hens in a cow field. After all the effort, I had him at roughly 40 yards, and missed 3 times.....

Today, I went back to a nearby spot and first shot some paper. The gun wasn't off, the 20 yard was demolished. but the 40 yard shot was a tad high and a bit iffy, so I knew I wouldn't shoot one unless he was closer. All my bad shots were a mix of poor judgement and a rushed shot, as usual. Turkey fever can get me messed up more than I realize....

Anyway, we found another bird with a hen in a field, but after a while he eventually left his hen and went uphill between a cut in a tree line, to an upper portion of the field. Buddy saw him strut thru binoculars but mostly hidden behind tree line.

After his original hen went off a ways, we snuck uphill using the terrain, the tree line and a cedar tree to keep hidden.

Finally I snuck up the rise thru the hedge row and could hear him strutting...saw a tail fan... A couple more steps to rest my gun in a sapling, raised up and shot him dead at roughly 15 yards.  At least 3 hens scattered. He must have been a fighter, the longer spur was 1 1/8 inch and not very sharp. 10.5 beard and weighed 22-9.

I almost always carry a video camera on a tripod , but not today. I just needed to make sure I could make a good shot again. Going to smoke this bird whole in a few days.




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[Gooserbat]

 :z-twocents:well before you get flamed for not calling him, I'll say congrats on the kill, and hopefully your season gets better.

[RutnNStrutn]

Weird!! One spur is a jake like knub. The other is a nice spur. Turkey oddities!! Congrats on your gobbler!!

[taylorjones20]

Congrats on a fine bird!

[catman529]

:z-twocents:well before you get flamed for not calling him, I'll say congrats on the kill, and hopefully your season gets better.

I called to em a couple times, actually got the hens interest with one of your mouth calls but unfortunately that was after he had walked away from her.


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[catman529]

Weird!! One spur is a jake like knub. The other is a nice spur. Turkey oddities!! Congrats on your gobbler!!

i am guessing he got into a bad fight, the spur was rough from where it had been broken off


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[trkycaller]

congrats!

[zelmo1]

Congrats

[alloutdoors]

Congrats!

[jblackburn]

:z-twocents:well before you get flamed for not calling him, I'll say congrats on the kill, and hopefully your season gets better.

lol, that's what I was thinking. Been there, done that and Congrats on the bird and sticking with it!

[tomstopper]

Congrats......

[beagler]

 

[surehuntsalot]

congrats