Test of wills hunt

[reeltime]

I have been after this bird 2 years now, he has been very visible and has been hunted relentlessly by the locals.

I had him going the first day after 11 and knew it wouldn't come together as he is extremely call shy, pitches into the field and does everything possible to not go back into the woods till roost time.

Yesterday morning I parked the truck at 3am and hiked back to where he has been hanging lately. There were 2 large square bales stacked Double and the top one was over hanging the bottom one on the woods side where I needed to set.

I knew it was going to be uncomfortable but thought the kill would happen shortly after flydown. Through scouting I knew a hen would come from the west through the hayfield daily and meet up with the rest of the birds.

Shortly after setting down it started to drizzle, that lasted what seemed to be an hour or more.....then the skies opened up and in a matter of a few minutes I was soaked to rhe skin.

I still thought no problem this should end quickly..... it slowly started breaking daylight with a chilly east wind and steady down pouring rain.

The gobbler never made a peep but did hear 2 far off gobblers and finally it was light enough for birds to pitch down. When one of his roost mate hens lit up the woods with yelps I responded in kind with the bomber and she really opened up and flee down as I was giving some sweet talk rigjt back to her knowing he would hear it also and knowing the lonesome he'd would come in from.behind me and should reassure him it wasn't a hunter talking turkey to him.

When they flew out there were 3 hens and 2 gobblers, they landed 100 yards from me and it was clear who was the boss.

Shortly after the hen from the west walked by me so close I could of touched her, a little while later a jake. Came from the west and joined the group.

Over the next hour 2 more hens came from the west and joined the group, still raining and temps were still in the low 60's to say I was getting cold would be an understatement.

I was pinned down with all those birds in plain sight and one of them was always looking around, it was obvious they knew danger came from the woods and the field.

Ever so slowly the group moved closer but the boss and the subordinate gobbler were side by side. As the hens moved north the gobblers hung back and seemed content to just stand in one area and strut.

The boss gobbler kept looking my way and seemed to be slowly drifting towards where he heard a hen earlier. The hens and jake were now 70 yards apart but the boss was still working away from the group coming towards me.

By this time I lost count of how many muscles hurt from setting motionless and with the gun up on my knee since daylight. While it had stopped raining I was still soaked and extremely cold.

Finally he had worked into range but both gobblers were still way to close together without killing both.

As I sat there trying to control the shivering I kept thinking after all this time I am not going to get a shot because they are so close together.

Within a few minutes the subordinate gobbler started feeding and the boss moved more northwest and opened a good gap between them.

I eased the safety off, settled the crosshair on his head and squeezed the trigger and he went down in a heap and never moved.

I was finally able to get to my knees and try to loosen up some. But holy cow I was freezing, filled out my tag, walked over picked him up and walked to the woods.

Got some pics, packed him in the vest and started hiking back to the truck, that's when I realized I had been setting there for 5 hours.

21 lbs

1 5/16" spurs

9 3/4" beard.

Now to go after bird #2

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[turkeyfeathers]

Great read , great bird , well planned and well deserved.


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[Cabin Fever]

Great story! Sounds like you had a good plan and he cooperated.

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[doebuck1234]

Great story and nice bird!

[mowin]

Great hunt.  Those old birds are tuff to outsmart. Congrats on putting it all together. 

[nybuckboy]

Really good story and incredible perseverance.

[F-150]

Congrats on a great bird and thanks for sharing the story!

[grampy]

Congratulations! What a great bird and story! You absolutely earned this one using all your skills. An epic hunt to remember!

[Meat First]

Nice bird, way to man up! Kudos

[dbHunterNY]

i had a bird like that.  problem was the roost and field were the neighbors.  he'd never leave and showed up like clock work.  had to have been an old bird.  i watched him for 4 years.  can't believe nobody on the neighbors got him too i told them where he was.  he just disappeared.

awesome bird!  that's one large box call you sweet talked him with.

[fasteddie]

Enjoyed the story . Hope you are dried out . Congrats on the bird !

 

[maytom]

Awesome hunt and bird Lee.....congrats!!

[stubborn1VT]

I love it when a plan come together!