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My First Turkey

CurtisWalker

Well-Known Member
I'm finally able to sit down and type this as it was a busy day yesterday and this morning. I want to start of by thanking the friend who let me hunt his farm last year and this year in attempt to get my first bird.

This year started on a low note but a sign that I learned a lot last year. Opening day I went out and got into a new clear cut on public land where I had seen a tom a few days prior. I ended up getting a chance at the bird at 11 o'clock. Unfortunately I missed the bird. After a few more tries on public ground and coming up empty handed I got the chance to hunt my buddies farm again.

Saturday morning I sat up between two draws of timber on the north side. Right away I began to hear gobbling. At 5:30 things started to break loose birds everywhere I had 4 toms within 150 yards. I could hear over 15 different birds on roost from where I was sitting so I thought I was in for a great hunt. Things kept on going through the morning and I could hear two fly down and gobbling just over the ridge from me but I could also hear the hens everywhere. I continued hunting the morning until they moved on and I decided I would come back and sit on the other side of the draw in the morning. Walking out I picked up my first shed of the year.

Yesterday morning I once again walked out with the blind, camera equipment, bow, and decoys. I set up on a plot that comes to a point down in the timber so I sat down up before getting to close as I knew birds were roosted in the area the day before. I got the blind up and decoys set and was setting up the camera equipment when I heard hens start cutting in the trees met by two gobbles. I could tell they were within 100 yards. Things began a little later around 5:30. As things began getting light out I used the binos and was met by one of the best sights a turkey Hunter could ask for 10 birds in two trees right next to each other 80-100 yards away. I followed the hens in calling just to make sure I kept the attention of the toms with them. I tried to get photos but I didn't have enough zoom on the lens I had on. I continued to watch to see 5 of the birds full strut in the trees. Around 6:20 the first birds made their descent. The rest followed straight to me into the field 50 yards away. I could here a few of the toms beating each other up and two broke off to me. By this time I had 5 birds within 40 yards. 3 full strut and two walking to my decoys. I turned the camera to video and put it on to the decoy hoping they'd come beat up the jake.




I knew the front bird had a little longer beard so I drew back once they were about to get in to the shooting window. They didn't like the decoy and continued to walk at 20 yards broadside. The first bird made it out of my shooting window and the second bird stopped so I let the arrow fly. The arrow hit its mark and the other tom went after my bird and began beating him up.
Unfortunately I only bought one bow tag at the beginning of the season as last year was rough and the turkey had just left the view of the camera when I shot. The bird weighed 28lbs and had a triple beard (10.5", 7", 6") with 1 1/8" spurs. I couldn't be happier with this bird as my first,. T
 
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Got everything measured today again by two guys who knew what they were doing and my measurements were off a tad. The beards are 10.5",7"'and 6" and the spurs are 1 1/8". Also started the process for a plaque mount own to let it dry.

Hunt video:
http://youtu.be/YLKj3muBv04
 
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