muddy
Well-Known Member
Season ended for me about 3 weeks ago when I jacked up my back during the first week of season. We had good weather so I opted to get all yard work done, and I did. Then it rained amd got 40° for 5 days, then I hurt my back doing deadlifts at the gym. Apparently you don't warm up at 275#.
Anyway, I got some sweet vikes and muscle relaxers for my trouble, along with a 10# weight resteiction. Fast forward to this week, the middle of our last season here in Iowa. I can't carry a blind so for the first time ever I had 2 gun tags in my pocket.
Disclaimer, you can shoot as many bearded turkeys in Iowa in one day as you have valid tags. End of disclaimer.
A friend dropped some wings off yesterday and in the small talk he said head up to his place and try, I think he felt sorry for my hobbled up self. Today I dropped the kids at school and made my way north. As I drove down his drive I could see strutters behind his house in the freshly burnt (now green) CRP field. I formed a plan and went to execute it. After a long circle, a thigh deep creek crossing, and a 200 yard crawl I was within 100 yards of 5 strutters. 2 twos and a single. I got ready and popped the fan up. The result was nothing less than spectacularly perfect. Fans dropped, heads came up, and turkeys got mad. Immediately the single bird and the 2 closer birds began that "mean walk with authority" right at me, it was awesome. As they went thru a dip I got the barrel between the fan V and clicked the safety off, it was ON! Seconds later the 2 popped up at 30 and I let em keep coming. At 10 yards they went to full strut, white heads, full length snoods, and made the air buzz with angry drumming. I smiled, lined up the bead, and dropped em. I didn't really plan to kill them both but when I stood up 2 birds lay flopping while 3 other gobblers stood there at 20 yards away. Sure cant beat that with a stick! 45 minutes of driving for a 10 minute walk and a 30 second hunt. After the excitement wore off my back started to spasam a bit, I think it was worried about humping 50# of gobblers out!
Anyway, here are some quick pics.
Where they dropped on relation to my fan. The further one flopped back a ways, they were touching when they fell
The Lucky Shell
Anyway, I got some sweet vikes and muscle relaxers for my trouble, along with a 10# weight resteiction. Fast forward to this week, the middle of our last season here in Iowa. I can't carry a blind so for the first time ever I had 2 gun tags in my pocket.
Disclaimer, you can shoot as many bearded turkeys in Iowa in one day as you have valid tags. End of disclaimer.
A friend dropped some wings off yesterday and in the small talk he said head up to his place and try, I think he felt sorry for my hobbled up self. Today I dropped the kids at school and made my way north. As I drove down his drive I could see strutters behind his house in the freshly burnt (now green) CRP field. I formed a plan and went to execute it. After a long circle, a thigh deep creek crossing, and a 200 yard crawl I was within 100 yards of 5 strutters. 2 twos and a single. I got ready and popped the fan up. The result was nothing less than spectacularly perfect. Fans dropped, heads came up, and turkeys got mad. Immediately the single bird and the 2 closer birds began that "mean walk with authority" right at me, it was awesome. As they went thru a dip I got the barrel between the fan V and clicked the safety off, it was ON! Seconds later the 2 popped up at 30 and I let em keep coming. At 10 yards they went to full strut, white heads, full length snoods, and made the air buzz with angry drumming. I smiled, lined up the bead, and dropped em. I didn't really plan to kill them both but when I stood up 2 birds lay flopping while 3 other gobblers stood there at 20 yards away. Sure cant beat that with a stick! 45 minutes of driving for a 10 minute walk and a 30 second hunt. After the excitement wore off my back started to spasam a bit, I think it was worried about humping 50# of gobblers out!
Anyway, here are some quick pics.
Where they dropped on relation to my fan. The further one flopped back a ways, they were touching when they fell
The Lucky Shell
