Tagged out in NY with my #1 hitlist bird!!!

[WNY Bowhunter]

Going in to the season there was one specific gobbler that I had my sights set on killing. It appeared from trail cam pics that he had multiple beards...





On the evening prior to the season opener I spotted him with his partner in crime out in a cornfield with several hens shortly before flyup time. It was game on in the morning...my wife and I were hoping to pull off an opening morning double...though she got the first shot and she wanted the bigger bearded bird of course. I managed to call the hens out in to the field the next morning with the two longbeards in toe but I couldn't get them any closer thatn 80 yds...



I continued to chase these two for the next several morning until I learned from a friend of mine that someone hunting on the neighboring property had shot one of them on the third morning of season.  After he shot...the other one jumped on the flopping bird and proceeded to whoop up on him.  At this point I didn't know which one of the two had been killed but there was only one bird gobbling in the mornings now. 

Fast forward to monday...

I managed to get in between the gobbler and his hens on the roost and ended up taking a very marginal shot and missed him. Although I felt that I had blown my opportunity, I decided to go back after this bird yesterday morning to see if he was still around. He had been roosted in the same exact spot on a gully bank for the past several times that I've been there and he's had hens roosted around him and they all pitch down in to the open hardwood flat below.  At 5:20 he gobbled right where he was supposed to be about 50 yds away and I felt better about the miss since I knew now that he wasn't laying dead in the woods some where. He gobbled two more times on the roost...a hen flew down behind me...I got ready...a couple of minutes later he glides down and lands 25 yds away right in front of the gun barrel...BOOM...game over at 5:45!!!

As luck would have it it was my target bird and he has 5 beards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!











Stats: 22.5" beard, 21 lbs, 1" spurs

[kyturkeyhunter4]

Nice bird, I would mount that one.

[BowBendr]

Thats a dang nice one, Congrats !


Sent by this stupid phone

[turkaholic]

Nice bird, that's the way to get them this year! I have attempted that same game plan but with no success as the hens have beat the gobblers to me.

[55dougie]

Very cool bird and a great photo essay of your hunts.... enjoyed it. 

[Boonelli14]

That's awesome man.....way to stay after him

[zelmo1]

Way to go, congrats


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mikejd]

Awesome job. Congrats.

[Gooserbat]

Congrats

[Dr Juice]

Excellent bird - Congrats.

[tomstopper]

Awesome bird. Congrats.....

[BABS9]

Awesome bird man!! Congrats!!

[Phire Phite]

Wowzers

[catclr]

Great story & bird   

[cramerhunts]

Congratulations on a really cool bird! All the better that you have the TC pictures to go with it. Awesome.