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Pygmy

By Pygmy,
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Pygmy
Pygmy

After a couple of false starts, I am finally headed to Ontario Thursday morning, to hunt for 5 or 6 days...Weather looks pretty decent.... It may be one of my last hunts up there..My host is in p

Pygmy
Pygmy

Here is  a summary of my two Canadian gobblers... Day two....I had my blind set  in a  very open patch of mature hardwoods, which is fairly tough to find in the area that I hunt due to the predom

Pygmy
Pygmy

The truck is loaded.....I'm heading out in the morning....I'll be setting up my blind tomorrow afternoon and hunting Friday morning....Gotta make a few traditional stops on the way up...Picking up a b

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Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

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I made it up here in good time today and got my blind set up for tomorrow morning....It is raining now but the weather is supposed to be decent the next few days....

 

Having  a few  frosties and a couple of Crowns ( $21 bucks for 1.14 liters)….I'll be checking in tomorrow after hunting...

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Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

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Here is  a summary of my two Canadian gobblers...

Day two....I had my blind set  in a  very open patch of mature hardwoods, which is fairly tough to find in the area that I hunt due to the predominace of thick cedar and ash cover, interspersed with large pastures..I knew from previous experience that this woodlot was a favored roosting and strutting zone on this property...Due to the fact that birds might be roosting literally within gun range of the blind, is was necessary for me to approach the  blind as quietly as possible, in full darkness...I plan not to use a decoy...The woods were VERY open, but I have had limited success using decoys in the woods..

I was settled in the blind at 4:30 AM....At 4:45 AM, a gobbler sound off in front of the blind, no more than 75 yards away...Then another gobbled BEHIND the blind, at about the same distance..I was bracketed between two gobblers, a good position to be in...After those two birds had gobbled back and forth for a few minutes, a pack of coyotes lit up about 200 yards away, howling, barking and yipping...Suddenly the woods was FULL of gobbles, all around me...There were seven gobblers gobbling on all sides of me..I was effectively surrounded...Hehehe...

After a few minutes, the gobbling slacked off, with the bird directly in front of me and the one directly behind me doing most of the gobbling... When flydown came, the bird in front of me started moving away, toward some fields that were a couple hundred yards away..The one behind me flew down, and that bird started moving directly toward my blind...The bird appeared in sight, but he was just out of range and it appeared he was heading past  me toward the other turkeys..I did some soft clucking and purring, and he stopped strutted and gobbled for about ten minutes, but refused to come within range. He finally turned and walked toward the other turkeys ..

Things settled down and throughout the morning things settled ,down and I called on and off and received an occasional answer, but nothing seemed hot...Then about 11:00 AM, a bird out in front of the blind gobbled at about 100 yards away..

I called softly and we  he gobbled a few more times, but seemed to be moving off...Meanwhile I heard a few soft hen yelps behind me, but heard no gobbling from that direction...

At NOON, I heard a hen PUTT behind me, and I looked out the back of the blind to see a hen running away....

A full minute later,  crow cawed right overhead, and a gobbler gobbled  DIRECTLY behind my blind..I looked out the back to see a gobbler in half strut,  walking directly in the direction the hen had gone, at a pretty fair pace..  I got the gun out the window and shot him as he came out from behind a tree about 30 yards away..He dropped like a rock..

I approached the bird and he was sort of squatting, bleeding profusely from his mouth..I figured he was dying, and just watched for a couple of minutes expecting him to start flopping any minute..After a couple of minutes, he seemed to become more alert and started looking around...I decided I should wring his neck to finish him, and reached down and grabbed him by the neck.

ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE..!!>> The bird started flopping and pummeling me with his wings, knocking my half off and rotating me in a complete 360... He broke loose and started flopping down through the woods..I  At this point I knew it was no time for a finesse shot, or he might get away...AT about 25 yards I centered him in the scope and plastered his rear end...He rolled and stopped,  but his head popped up again, so I sent my last shot downrange...This time I walked over and stood on his neck until  he stopped flopping..I was shaking like a leaf by that time..I am getting too old for full contact turkey hunting....21 pounds, 9 1/2 inch beard and inch spurs..

 

Gobbler #2....The next morning I was back in the blind before daylight again and a gobbler started gobbling in front the blind...I could swear he was in the same tree where he had been the last 3 mornings...Another bird cut in on him now and then, so I knew there was more than one..

Flydown came and the birds did some gobbling and I did some calling, but they did not seem hot and gradually gobbled less and less..

About an hour later I got a response about 100 yards out, and eventually I could see a gobbler strutting through little gaps in the trees... Eventually, two gobblers and two hens worked into sight..One gobbler was glued to the hens, but the other one decided to come over strut for ME, and I wait until he stretched his neck and dropped him at about 40 yards..Good thing I had my shooting sticks, because I had my gun up a LONG time , and never could have made the shot without  the rest..

When I shot, one hen too off, but the other hen and the gobbler ran over to the one I had shot, checking out the action as he flopped..The second gobbler was HUGE...Easily a 23 or 24 pound bird...I had to get out of my blind and shoo him away, telling him to come back next year..

Despite being the subordinate gobbler, he was a true trophy..21 pounds  TWIN 9 1/2 beards and spurs of 1" and 1 1/8"...

I would like to know the weight and spur length of that BIGGER one...Perhaps next year....

 

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DanD Enthusiast

DanD

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The mental picture I have of the tussle with the first gobbler is great. Pygmy in an old school style wrestling mask in full camp going toe to spur with a gobbler. GIVE HIM THE CHAIR!

 

Congrats Dan!

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Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

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1 hour ago, DanD said:

The mental picture I have of the tussle with the first gobbler is great. Pygmy in an old school style wrestling mask in full camp going toe to spur with a gobbler. GIVE HIM THE CHAIR!

 

Congrats Dan!

I wish I had it on film...

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Marion Proficient

Marion

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Hahahaha I wish I could have been a fly on the blind watching a tiny little old man fighting hand to hand with a dying Turkey. Must have been hysterical! Dan you never cease to entertain and amaze with your stories. Hopefully you come to one of the 3s meetups I'd love to sit down an drink a beer with you and just listen

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

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grampy Veteran

grampy

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Congrats on two exciting and successful hunts Dan! AWESOME!!! That full contact fight with the first bird, would have been priceless to witness!!  Sorta like choking a super chicken!!!!  And you're experience paid off without a doubt!!

Here's to you my friend.................:drinks:

 

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Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

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2 hours ago, ODYSSEUS said:

I guess then, I look like a old backwoods redneck with Muscles-lol.

I wish I had you with me, Bill, to grab that bird by the neck...You probably could have held on to him..I have bruises on my left arm the size of baseballs...

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Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

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I have reviewed my struggle with the UNDEAD gobbler...Since I can't carry a handgun ( or pepper spray) to Canada, I think I will carry a blackjack and a set of brass knuckles in my turkey vest, just in case...

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philoshop Newbie

philoshop

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36 minutes ago, Pygmy said:

I have reviewed my struggle with the UNDEAD gobbler...Since I can't carry a handgun ( or pepper spray) to Canada, I think I will carry a blackjack and a set of brass knuckles in my turkey vest, just in case...

Take along a Mountie next time. "We're here to help, and we answer to no one".

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