nginth
Member
Second season started out well, I heard alot of birds and enjoyed the fine Iowa weather brought on by mother nature. I spent the Friday and Saturday of Second Season hunting my turkey spot in southern Iowa with minimal success. Most of the gobblers were henned up off the roost, they usually shut up by 8 in the morning.
Tuesday the last day of season, I decided to give Public ground a try on the way home from a frustrating henned up morning. After surveying the area I found a lone gobbler about 150 yards off the road cruising for hens. My buddy and I quickly parked and moved in to try our luck. As we walked to the field we used the treeline and terrain to our advantage, the sun was at our back which worked to our advantage. As I came around the corner of the treeline I saw the gobbler about 90 yards away quartering away. I signaled to Brian to stop we slowly layed on our bellies and hunkered down. A few yelps later this eighteen pound gobbler showed up at about twenty yards. I could see his fan over the burm in fornt of me but had to get him closer. A few purrs and clucks brought him the short distance closer and my number fives connected dropping him on the spot.
This bird was fairly light, but he had an 10.5 inch beard. I'm still guessing what his age would have been, he had absolutely no spurs period. If you look at the attached pic you can see that even nubs are absent, its as if the bird just has a genetic flaw.
Oh well,he will taste just as good, this experience has just gone to show me that sometimes you gotta make things happen. Go out on a limb, stock a bird try a non-traditional method, it might just work.
Tuesday the last day of season, I decided to give Public ground a try on the way home from a frustrating henned up morning. After surveying the area I found a lone gobbler about 150 yards off the road cruising for hens. My buddy and I quickly parked and moved in to try our luck. As we walked to the field we used the treeline and terrain to our advantage, the sun was at our back which worked to our advantage. As I came around the corner of the treeline I saw the gobbler about 90 yards away quartering away. I signaled to Brian to stop we slowly layed on our bellies and hunkered down. A few yelps later this eighteen pound gobbler showed up at about twenty yards. I could see his fan over the burm in fornt of me but had to get him closer. A few purrs and clucks brought him the short distance closer and my number fives connected dropping him on the spot.
This bird was fairly light, but he had an 10.5 inch beard. I'm still guessing what his age would have been, he had absolutely no spurs period. If you look at the attached pic you can see that even nubs are absent, its as if the bird just has a genetic flaw.
Oh well,he will taste just as good, this experience has just gone to show me that sometimes you gotta make things happen. Go out on a limb, stock a bird try a non-traditional method, it might just work.
