pa bird 1

[reeltime]

had a blast Wednesday after I got to camp, went and checked a local public hunting property and saw a strutter with a couple hens.  ended up working on him for 5 hours moving set ups 7 different times to finally break down the hen and got him into 20 yards only to let him walk since it was only a 2 year old. 

 

after letting him walk off and clear the area I eased out and headed to a different farm, watched 1 good bird and a satellite gobbler work their way into the woods an hour before dark.  I was parked and walking in by 3 am.  heard one gobble off in the distance while it was still dark i figured it to be around 4:45 am.   the moon finally sank behind the ridge as daylight arrived and not a peep out of either gobbler.

 

the crows had been calling for a while and it was now really light and still not a peep, I had to get up and make something happen. I eased up on top and down a mowed path towards a meadow but just had that feeling that I needed to back off and back up around the bend and get across the path into the woods. I have learned to trust my instincts.

 

I am now in the woods but its really noisy dry, I scratch along about 40 yards and stop right next to a large oak tree, turkey sign is clearly evident as well as the remnants of a bumper mast crop last fall.  I ease the burville bomber out and give a few clucks and soft yelps,,,,GGGOOOOOOOOOOBBBBBBLLLE that about blew my hat off.  they were close 80 yards or less.

 

I hit the base of the tree and made a scratching sequence as I cleared a spot at my feet and they hammered that.  I give them a few soft clucks, purrs and yelps and it sounds like they are in the meadow, why they would want to walk through soaking wet grass and not through the woods is beyond me. 

 

guns up eyes searching as I see a head pop up over the little rise from the meadow, a hen, she walks right to me and starts feeding, clucking and purring, even though I have watched turkeys feeding for hundreds of hours I am still amazed that they can swallow acorns whole, the hen is 5 yards from me and now the gobblers are hammering and definitely in the woods. the hen walks out behind me clucking and purring now I can make final adjustments on gun location.

 

just in time as they have not gobbled in a few minutes and they step out from behind a huge oak tree at 15 yards.  the problem was I was on the satellite gobbler not the shooter and being that close there was no way to get on him and have the time to make a precise shot since the pattern is really small at that range. 

 

I had to let them stand there for probably close to 3 minutes until they started clucking, then they started getting nervous since they couldn't see the hen that had been talking, they turned and started walking away as the shooter walked behind a tree I moved the gun to the right about 4 inches but they were still side by side and I didn't want to kill them both. finally the satellite walked behind a tree and now at 25 yards I eased the safety off and as he stretched up as if taking one last look for the hen I took the shot.  Tag 1 filled shortly after 6 am.   

10 1/4" paintbrush beard

both spurs broken  1 1/8" and 1"

a whopping 15 lbs. 

[kpkot]

Congrats. Nice read

[outdoorstom]

Congrats! Great story

[turkeyfeathers]

Great read !! Great hunt !Great bird !

[maytom]

Your the man!! Still waiting to actually see yet hear one come in!!

[adkhunter71]

Great read...nice beard!

[Pygmy]

Good story as always, Lee, and  a HELLUVA beard !!   Congrats...