Congrats nice bird

Congrats

Season is off to a great start! But I temper that by remembering that on 2 different occasions I've killed turkeys the first 2 days of the season and then was shut out the rest of the year. Ya never know in turkey hunting.

I went out without a gun yesterday and looked for sign and didn't even see a track. All those pretty burned woods and there wasn't a turkey anywhere. So I got up this morning and went to a different area; hadn't scouted it at all. Heard this one gobble early a long way off; moved toward him and stopped about 30 yds from a small green field and he gobbled while I was standing there. He was only about 100 yds away and roosted in a pine right beside the field.

I figured I would get busted, but I risked moving to a tree off to the side and set up. I could see only one little spot in the field, and I felt sure he'd pitch down into it. He gobbled again and I yelped at him, then a bunch of hens started yelping and cutting. How a hen didn't bust me, I'll never know. He pitched down first and then the hens started joining him. I had gotten the attention of one old hen, and she came to the edge of the patch to look for me. Soon all of them did, and the gobbler moved into range too, but there was no way I could shoot him without killing a hen. They finally got far enough from him that I could shoot; wound up taking a 45 yd shot and the tss plastered him.

That was turkey number 140 for me and the first I've ever killed with a double beard. The main part is 9.5", and the smaller one is 8. He weighed just under 18, and had only 3/4" spurs. He seems like a classic 2 yr old for sure, but there is not even a hint of amber in the end of his beard. I guess he is 3. Gobbler, you reading this?

Good hunting to all.

congrats.......again!!!!!!!!!

nice one...thumbup

Congrats

Dang what a beard !! Cool story too... I always like reading what other people do in situations that I have found myself in and was unsure of what to do...

Congrats on #2 nice bird.

congrats

Good story PCP - Congrats on #2

we are going to have to start an over and under on you and Deadeye I see... Good job!!

Congrats!

Dadgumit!
I need to get me one of them preach'n gigs, so I can hunt more.

Thanks guys. Upon further review, I just needed to wash the beards of the 2nd turkey and get it into bright sunlight to see the amber. He is a 2 yr old after all. Headed out to look for one of his buddies.

>>>I need to get me one of them preach'n gigs, so I can hunt more<<<

Even a preacher gets a vacation; you shoulda taken yours the first week of turkey season like I did. Guess you had to save yours to go somewhere your wife picked out.

I had to go out a kill another one this morning.
Can't let you get too far ahead of me.

You might be one down, Outback.

I've walked for miles the last 2 days and hadn't even come close to killing another gobbler. Heard a couple yesterday far away on another club, and heard one this morning on the roost, but he quit gobbling by the time I got to him and I never heard him again.

Slipped thru a 10-yr-old pine plantation this afternoon and eased up to a small deer patch, intending to set up and call for a while. As I got to the patch, I saw 2 gobblers already in it, about 90 yds away. One of them caught my movement and started putting; not a loud alarm putt, but a "what the heck is that" putt. I already had a Hatchet Creek Mean Green in my mouth, so after a while I gave him 3 soft yelps to try to convince him it was a turkey and not the bogeyman. That settled him down, and at 36 yds he found out he should have gone with his first impression. He weighed 19-14, but was just a 2 yr old.

Good hunting to all.

Preacher, you better go fishing if you wanna be able to hunt past this week. Congrats on the trifecta!

I "almost" tied you again, Preacher.
Had 'em within reach this morning, on the roost, but the hens started tree calling and there wasn't 100 yards between them.
I knew there was no way to scatter them before they hooked up with the toms.
I sweet talked them, for about an hour, and I thought one of them had taken the bait, but the girlfriends convinced him to stay.

I'm taking my 12 year old nephew in the morning.
If we can get his first ever bird, my season will be complete.