Took 3 years to get the timing right.

[reeltime]

After getting thoroughly soaked on the early morning hunt and passing on a 2 year old during a frog strangling rain I headed back to camp to put things in the dryer.

Along the way I darn near hit a newborn fawn as the mother tried taking her up a steep bank. The fawn couldn't make it so I stopped while the doe stood at the top of the bank I picked up the fawn and crawled up the bank with her as the doe stood watch.

I set the baby down on the other side of a large fallen cherry tree while the doe stood about 5 yards from me. I turned around and jumped down to the road as the doe gave a snort as to say thanks.

Got back to camp as it stopped raining, got all the gear out of the vest and threw all the wet gear in the dryer.......note to self do NOT dry turkey gear when better half is present....do you know how much brush and leaves can accumulate in turkey gear in 2 months?? A lot!!

It was at the time I thought it would be safer to go hunting than stay at camp. Lol.

Off to target bird number 1 area, had been a while since I tried him late morning. The farm this bird resided on is under a hunter access program which is baically private land but open to public hunting and it gets POUNDED by hunters daily. This is the same farm I killed the silage thief last year.

I parked the truck and started the hike back towards the large hidden field. With all the rain the woods were deathly quiet.

I eased within 80 yards of the field and sent out a series of clucks and Yelps on the bomber and he cut me off with a thundering gobble.

I took advantage of the heavy foliage and wet forest floor and eased ahead 40 yards and set up against a maple tree.

In a few minutes I sent out another series of clucks and once again he hammered it but had closed the distance considerably.

The next sound he was going to hear from me was the gunblast.

Finally I see his snowball head through the deep green leaves as he is working the field edge and has a hen in tow.

Slowly the hen works towards me as he stands like a statue at the field edge 40 yrds away. The hen is purring and clucking and closing the distance, he can't stand it anymore and steps into the woods. There is no way I can verify it's the right bird so I let him close the distance on the deer trail he is on.

Finally at 25 yards he turns a bit and I can see the ivory spurs in the scope. Easing the safety off and settled the cross hair on his head and squeezed the trigger.

At the shot he rocked backwards and went down hard and never moved.

A never before feeling washed over me as this bird and I had numerous encounters over 3 years including a morning 2 years ago during a vicious thunder and lightening storm that when a lightning bolt lit up a tree less than 100 feet from us sent us both running for safety.

I at the moment was somewhat disappointed in myself for killing such a knoble oponant. I guess it was all the hours I watched him, laid out hunt strategies, tried being one step ahead of him to only be beat at my own game and now it finally all came together and I was going to put my tag on him, all the while knowing I will never hear his thundering gobble again.

Ended up both spurs were broke off and pretty rounded tips.

20 lbs.

1 1/4" ivory spurs

9 7/8" beard.

I get back to camp and this little gal was born just off the front yard in the horse pasture.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[WNY Bowhunter]

It seems redundant to say...but, congrats on another great gobbler! You and the bomber make it look so easy (I know it's the result of a lot of time in the field / scouting).

[grampy]

Congratulations! A true monarch of the turkey woods. If that ol' boss was going to bow down to a hunter, It's fitting that the hunter was you. Great pictures and story! The respect given to your quarry and the hunting woods, is very refreshing sir. 

[growalot]

Congrats great read too

[stubborn1VT]

Nice write up, and thanks for sharing the fawn pics.  Posts like this make me glad I spend time on a hunting forum.

[Pygmy]

Fine bird and another great story...Congrats, Lee....