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Stressless #2 Longbeard 2020

Stressless

Active Member
2,127
85
Keene, OH
Great hunt today after getting my ass beat by the birds yesterday. I have some Link Micros out on the three plots that they've used the most over the years. Yesterday after I only sa one hen, I moved my decoys and chair to a blind (set up a blind on each of the three plots Sat afternoon) where the cams showed some good mature Tom movement. Only three photos Mon / Tues but single Tom's mid-AM stolling thru the plot.

Got out before first light and set the decoy's and I fired-up a couple hand warmers! Just as soon as I got settled gobbles off the ridge to the North and a short while 10-15mins gobbles off to the ridge to the South.


I good friend and excellent hunter, told me one of his tricks if blind hunting with a bow is to only call every half hour, I'm no champ with the Turkey calls so I did my first at around 0630. Now I've been hearing tunder chickns gobble within 100 yards on two ridges, so I call at 0630 and gobbles, 0700 more gobbles, 0730 again gobbles, 0800 didn't gobble as I had a confidence decoy (Jake beating the heck out of my DSD Jake - he worked that thing like a bag for 25-30 mins... I mean he gave him the bum rush, MMA take downs. Funny birds...


0830 Call again - gobbles, 0900 yepper gobbles... Now the itch to get out and try and see them, stalk is overwhelming - but you have to give them a chance. So this old guy comes down from the North Ridge, I could see he didn't have a huge beard but had a mature tail fan, with a Bow - that's a shooter!! Had just enough time to get the phone out, take this and grab the bow before he got into range...


SO he rolls up to the Jake which is all jacked up and leaning/facing the wrong way,
spypoint.jpg.jpg


It apparently didn't square right with him, as he came to give him 'what for' but before that, THWACK!

Somebody on here mentioned "Beard Rot" - not sure if that's a Real thing of whether the ol'fella just wore it off... Ideas?
20200422_124338.jpg


Last the spurs one good one and one nub/broken? Maybe they go together like a deer's antler but that's a silly comparison, mamal to bird. Don't really know, but asking if anyone knows.

20200422_124947.jpg


It was a great season, two buddies coming in tomorrow night for good food and drinks - one has decades of laying toms on the dirt with 10ga nad bow, one has never turkey hunted. It'll be fun. Be Well, be sure of your target out in the turkey woods, catch you next year!

20200422_131849.jpg
 
Last edited:

Big H

Senior Member
4,105
151
Medina
Definitely beard rot, look at the blonde/rust colored end. It is caused by a lack of melanin. IDK how to supplement that deficiency, but I am going to see what I can find out. Looks to me like he broke that spur off probably fighting I would guess.
 
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Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Freaking awesome man! That smile says it all. Thanks for sharing that with us! 👍