rutnstrut
PMA Member
Well I started this season off kind of like the last few... very unprepared. I use to have several birds figured out and ready to hunt long before the season opener but for numerous reasons Ive been kind of slacking off the last couple years. Thank god Ive got a few good ol faithful spots that always hold birds. Thats where I started off on the opening morning of 2nd season. I checked the forcast and it looked like it was suppose to be a little on the windy side so I decided to drag the double bull in so I could make sure I would be comfortable enough to stick it out if it didnt work out first thing. I was going to set up on a ridge really close to where they normally roost so I made sure to get in LONG before they normally wake up and start sounding off. I started to get worried when the sun started rising and I hadnt even seen a tweety bird let alone hear a gobble. I started calling softly anyways hoping they were just keeping quiet... but still nothing. I kept calling off and on all morning. Finally a little after 8 I heard my first gobble, I was half asleep and he was CLOSE, probably within range but just over the crest of the ridge where we couldnt see each other. So I called a few more times trying to coax him over the hill but nothing. It was almost an hour later before I heard him sound off again, but this time he sounded like he had moved behind me probably 3-400yds. Since it was kind of windy I grabbed an alluminum slate thats really high pitched and loud and started calling pretty aggressive. The next time he gobbled he had cut the distance in half, and now he was fired up and double and tripple gobbling. After about a half hour of him gobbling his butt off I realized he was just strutting back and forth in the same strech of the ridge and never really coming any closer. I decided the timber was pretty open between us so instead of climbing out of the blind and trying a stalk Id just grab my box call and start hammering on it. He loved it I was cutting super aggressive and he was gobbling till it sounded like he was about to pass out but still not really making up any ground... until I heard a single gobble a few hundred yards on the other side of me. Another gobbler was starting to slowly work his way in and the one I was working all morning just couldnt take it. Next thing I know I see him in full strut running in and stopping every 20yds or so to gobble himself horse then puff up and run in some more. He put on quite a show, but when he was about 35yds out he was working his way somewhat to a thicker area where I wouldnt be able to get a shot so I let the heavi shot roll and between him running in and the shot pounding his face it looked like someone punted him... that hevi shot magnum blend absolutely put a stompin on him folded him up like an old lawn chair 
25lbs
11 1/2" beard
1 3/8" spurs
Heres a pic from the timber
another back home
a few pics of his goodies
He did have a half dozen strands that were probably pushing the 12 1/2" + mark, I thought maybe they were loose and gave them a pretty good tug but unfortunately they didnt make the trip back so well just have to call it 11 1/2"
Just another one for fun... Owens bird was standing almost exactly where I had my blind set for this bird
recognize the leaning tree, seems to work pretty nice for pics
Fast forward to last weekend, I went out with a few buddies trying to help them fill there tags and didnt get a chance to try and fill mine again till the last few days. I started off hunting another familiar place and got myself set up in what i thought was a good spot and I was feeling pretty confident thinking there are almost always a good number of birds in this place and I didnt think it had been hunted yet. the morning starts to lighten up just a bit and once again im starting to get worried thinking I should have heard something by now. I slowly reached for my slate and as soon as I got a hold of it I heard a bird gobble behind me, across the valley on the next ridge. I figured with all the nasty timber between us I might as well try and get closer and make it a little easier for both me and the turkey. I made it half way down the hillside when a 2nd bird gobbled almost eye level straight out in front of me roosted over the creek bottom only 50yds or so out so I just parked my butt next to the closest tree and settled in. I could hear a few hens calling from the roost so I decided to just keep quiet till the gobblers where on the ground... seems most times I call to toms that are roosted with hens the hens pitch down early and the oposite direction with the toms not far behind them... Well it didnt matter this time everything pitched down to the opposite side of the creek and on the next hillside over anyways. Instead of risking busting them I decided to just hold tight and see what would happen. I called off and on for a little while then out of nowhere a gobbler lights up about 75yds out 90degrees to my right, he started moving in pretty close but before he could slip into range a doe popped out of the creek bottom and winded me and made all kinds of a racket, the gobbler slowly moved away the same way he had come in. I was pretty comfortable so I just kept calling and over the next few hours had birds come from almost every direction... some came close enough to sneak a peek but once again I was covered up with stubborns does that just wouldnt leave the area and kept busting up my hunts. Finally around 10 am the deer had finished moving through and I just happened to catch a little movement out in front of me in the creek bottom. I saw three red heads come bobbling up out of the bottom but with all the tall weeds could only see there heads. I started calling again with no response. Next thing I know I had two jakes cresting the small point I was on and only about 10yds out. I never did see the third bird so I wasnt sure if it was another jake or a gobbler.
The next morningI figured it was the last day might as well go back to the same area atleast I knew there were plenty of birds in the area. I started off in the same place I had the morning before hoping that maybe one of the birds ended up there after I had left yesterday. Well I was in luck, I had 2jakes and 1 gobbler roosted 60yds or so straight out in front of me and 1 gobbler another 60-80yds behind me... I thought for sure it was gonna be a quick one. Well the three in front of me hit the dirt early, it was still so dark in the timber I had all three within 40yds but I couldnt for the life of me figure out which one was the gobbler. They all three quickly decided to go back across the valley where they had started the day before so I slid around to the back side of my tree expecting the one that was roosted behind me to come charging in to his death... I never heard him again after he flew down, but the gobbler and 2 jakes were just hammering non stop across the valley. I decided to sneak down to where I saw them cross the creek the day before. I got right to where I wanted to be and he lit up close, sounded like he was down on the creek bank only 40yds or so out so I planted my butt next to the 1st decent sized tree I could find and started calling softly one the box, he gobbled again but a little more to my right so I repositioned expecting him to pop up right in front of me. About 5min had passed and nothing, I looked down to find the box and call again and caught some movement off my left shoulder. There he was coming out of the creek bottom on a deer trail. The ground cover was so tall you couldnt see him when he walked only when he stopped and stood straight up. I yelped a few times on the mouth call trying to get his attention but he made his way to a cross trail and turned to walk away. I shoot a gun left handed so I was in no position to shoot off my left side, as soon as he went behind a tree I quickly switched the gun to my right shoulder. When he popped out from behind the tree I settled the dot of the trijicon sight on his head and sqeezed the shot off. I was a little twisted and off balance shooting wrong handed so when the gun went off I completely lost sight of him. I thought for sure I had missed him since there was no flopping and I couldnt see him. I jumped up and walked about 10yds towards where he was and then I saw him laying stone dead in the deer trail, not so much as a single flop. I looked at him then back at the tree I was set up against and thought to myself wow that was a poke... I stepped it off at 64 big steps, some of which were really big since I had to jump over some brush. That made me a believer once again in those hevi shot magnum blends. Im guess that was a 65-70yd wrong handed shot and it just stoned him, those shells are nothing short of amazing!!!
I didnt bother weighing him but he did have 3/4" spurs and an even 10" beard.
25lbs
11 1/2" beard
1 3/8" spurs
Heres a pic from the timber
another back home
a few pics of his goodies
He did have a half dozen strands that were probably pushing the 12 1/2" + mark, I thought maybe they were loose and gave them a pretty good tug but unfortunately they didnt make the trip back so well just have to call it 11 1/2"
Just another one for fun... Owens bird was standing almost exactly where I had my blind set for this bird
recognize the leaning tree, seems to work pretty nice for pics
Fast forward to last weekend, I went out with a few buddies trying to help them fill there tags and didnt get a chance to try and fill mine again till the last few days. I started off hunting another familiar place and got myself set up in what i thought was a good spot and I was feeling pretty confident thinking there are almost always a good number of birds in this place and I didnt think it had been hunted yet. the morning starts to lighten up just a bit and once again im starting to get worried thinking I should have heard something by now. I slowly reached for my slate and as soon as I got a hold of it I heard a bird gobble behind me, across the valley on the next ridge. I figured with all the nasty timber between us I might as well try and get closer and make it a little easier for both me and the turkey. I made it half way down the hillside when a 2nd bird gobbled almost eye level straight out in front of me roosted over the creek bottom only 50yds or so out so I just parked my butt next to the closest tree and settled in. I could hear a few hens calling from the roost so I decided to just keep quiet till the gobblers where on the ground... seems most times I call to toms that are roosted with hens the hens pitch down early and the oposite direction with the toms not far behind them... Well it didnt matter this time everything pitched down to the opposite side of the creek and on the next hillside over anyways. Instead of risking busting them I decided to just hold tight and see what would happen. I called off and on for a little while then out of nowhere a gobbler lights up about 75yds out 90degrees to my right, he started moving in pretty close but before he could slip into range a doe popped out of the creek bottom and winded me and made all kinds of a racket, the gobbler slowly moved away the same way he had come in. I was pretty comfortable so I just kept calling and over the next few hours had birds come from almost every direction... some came close enough to sneak a peek but once again I was covered up with stubborns does that just wouldnt leave the area and kept busting up my hunts. Finally around 10 am the deer had finished moving through and I just happened to catch a little movement out in front of me in the creek bottom. I saw three red heads come bobbling up out of the bottom but with all the tall weeds could only see there heads. I started calling again with no response. Next thing I know I had two jakes cresting the small point I was on and only about 10yds out. I never did see the third bird so I wasnt sure if it was another jake or a gobbler.
The next morningI figured it was the last day might as well go back to the same area atleast I knew there were plenty of birds in the area. I started off in the same place I had the morning before hoping that maybe one of the birds ended up there after I had left yesterday. Well I was in luck, I had 2jakes and 1 gobbler roosted 60yds or so straight out in front of me and 1 gobbler another 60-80yds behind me... I thought for sure it was gonna be a quick one. Well the three in front of me hit the dirt early, it was still so dark in the timber I had all three within 40yds but I couldnt for the life of me figure out which one was the gobbler. They all three quickly decided to go back across the valley where they had started the day before so I slid around to the back side of my tree expecting the one that was roosted behind me to come charging in to his death... I never heard him again after he flew down, but the gobbler and 2 jakes were just hammering non stop across the valley. I decided to sneak down to where I saw them cross the creek the day before. I got right to where I wanted to be and he lit up close, sounded like he was down on the creek bank only 40yds or so out so I planted my butt next to the 1st decent sized tree I could find and started calling softly one the box, he gobbled again but a little more to my right so I repositioned expecting him to pop up right in front of me. About 5min had passed and nothing, I looked down to find the box and call again and caught some movement off my left shoulder. There he was coming out of the creek bottom on a deer trail. The ground cover was so tall you couldnt see him when he walked only when he stopped and stood straight up. I yelped a few times on the mouth call trying to get his attention but he made his way to a cross trail and turned to walk away. I shoot a gun left handed so I was in no position to shoot off my left side, as soon as he went behind a tree I quickly switched the gun to my right shoulder. When he popped out from behind the tree I settled the dot of the trijicon sight on his head and sqeezed the shot off. I was a little twisted and off balance shooting wrong handed so when the gun went off I completely lost sight of him. I thought for sure I had missed him since there was no flopping and I couldnt see him. I jumped up and walked about 10yds towards where he was and then I saw him laying stone dead in the deer trail, not so much as a single flop. I looked at him then back at the tree I was set up against and thought to myself wow that was a poke... I stepped it off at 64 big steps, some of which were really big since I had to jump over some brush. That made me a believer once again in those hevi shot magnum blends. Im guess that was a 65-70yd wrong handed shot and it just stoned him, those shells are nothing short of amazing!!!
I didnt bother weighing him but he did have 3/4" spurs and an even 10" beard.
