After hunting two days with my mom, and her not filling her tag and not being able to hunt until next week, I decided to try my chance with a bow Friday and the closest birds were a good way's off and were going to have to be chased another day, SUNDAY morning..... Since it was Easter I knew I was only gonna get to hunt a few hours so I decided to take the gun, and hope to beat the rain that was supposed to start around 7:30.
I got to my property at 5:50 and by 6:00 he was gobbling his head off. I worked my way to with-in 75yrds of his roost tree which was right on the top of a ridge. He was gobbling at the distant sound of thunder and anything that would make a noise, this bird was ripping it, matter of fact the only thing he didn't gobble at was my calls. At 6:35 the rain began to come down and he was on the ground and only gobbling at sounds other then what I would occasionally throw at him, at one point I thought he was going away from me so I cut at him and he finally responded with a double gobble. I stayed quiet and just listened to him shock gobble at the geese and crows as he was headed my way. I knew he was close when he gobbled and I could hear the tucka tucka tucka from his chest....
I could see his red head at 40 yrds. and he had a bead on my deeks and when he hit the 30 yrd mark I squeezed the trigger and he just sorta wilted. Since it was raining fairly steady by now I hurried up and claimed (have you ever tried filling out a tag in pouring down rain with a pen?) what I thought to be a mouthy 2yr old and packed my stuff and headed for the truck.
I drove straight to the check station and went thru the process, which was an experience in itself. They never even looked at my bird, just gave me a tag # on a piece of paper. After I got home and watched my kids check out their Easter baskets it was time to clean him. I rolled him out of the truck and was going to have the wife take some pictures, I grabbed his beard to take a picture for the TOO contest and it wasn't until this point that I realized what I had brought home.
I knew he had some hooks on him from carrying him to the truck but I didn't have a clue he had multiple beards on him as well.
His 3 beards measured over 25" and his spurs was 1 1/2" and 1 3/8". I stepped on our bathroom scales and then held him while I was on the scales and he was 22lbs. Definitely an Easter morning turkey hunt that I will not soon forget...
Thanks Easter Bunny..
I got to my property at 5:50 and by 6:00 he was gobbling his head off. I worked my way to with-in 75yrds of his roost tree which was right on the top of a ridge. He was gobbling at the distant sound of thunder and anything that would make a noise, this bird was ripping it, matter of fact the only thing he didn't gobble at was my calls. At 6:35 the rain began to come down and he was on the ground and only gobbling at sounds other then what I would occasionally throw at him, at one point I thought he was going away from me so I cut at him and he finally responded with a double gobble. I stayed quiet and just listened to him shock gobble at the geese and crows as he was headed my way. I knew he was close when he gobbled and I could hear the tucka tucka tucka from his chest....
I could see his red head at 40 yrds. and he had a bead on my deeks and when he hit the 30 yrd mark I squeezed the trigger and he just sorta wilted. Since it was raining fairly steady by now I hurried up and claimed (have you ever tried filling out a tag in pouring down rain with a pen?) what I thought to be a mouthy 2yr old and packed my stuff and headed for the truck.
I drove straight to the check station and went thru the process, which was an experience in itself. They never even looked at my bird, just gave me a tag # on a piece of paper. After I got home and watched my kids check out their Easter baskets it was time to clean him. I rolled him out of the truck and was going to have the wife take some pictures, I grabbed his beard to take a picture for the TOO contest and it wasn't until this point that I realized what I had brought home.
I knew he had some hooks on him from carrying him to the truck but I didn't have a clue he had multiple beards on him as well.
Thanks Easter Bunny..
. Great story as well 
