Rhino Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 (edited) Opening day of the Mississippi spring turkey season was perfect, weather wise. Mid 40's clear and calm...only problem was gobblers didn't know it where I spent my time opening morning. I was in the woods before daylight and threw in the towel at 11:15....never heard a single bird gobble. Called in 2 hens with no gobbler in tow though. 2nd day close the the same conditions but the birds went nuts. I was in a totally different area though. Birds were gobbling on the roost like crazy. Only problem was the closest ones were on the wrong side of the property line. After messing up my chances to get on the 1st bird (my bad!) I heard a stong sounding old bird in an area I knew well. As I'm moving in I realize there's 2 birds gobbling here. One off the side of the ridge and the other near the top close to a 3/4 acre food plot. It's now about 20 minutes after the birds have cranked up on the roost and real close to flydown time. I slip in toward the plot through a thick area to try to figure out when and where to set up. At ~15 yards from the plot the bird hammers down in a tree just off the SE corner of the plot about 125 yards away. Almost messed up again. Can't risk moving now so I'm stuck standing behind a blown down 8" diameter tree with a quagmire of vines balled up in branches for cover. His move. A few minutes goes by with him gobbling ~10 times when I see his black body hit the plot. My 1st thought "this setup sucks!". I'm stuck in a standing position behind cover and can't move. The bird goes in and out of strut gobbling & drumming all worked up in full view. My only chance is to slip my gun through the vines in front of me when he's facing away in strut. The opportunity comes and now I'm ready to take my chances. With the bird 100 yards away on the opposite end of the plot I cut hard at him. He goes nuts double gobbling. It's a great show! He starts strutting my way and hit's his mark at somewhere around the 50 yard line. Now I'm like Strut10...I want them inside the 40 yard line (or what I think is 40) or they win. Also, I'm picking holes through sapplings cuz I'm 15 yards off the plot. The bird locks up there moving maybe a few yards side to side all puffed up...strutting, drumming & gobbling...GREAT SHOW!! Some 10 minutes or so goes by before he starts moving further to my right still around the 50 yard line or so. Time for me to do something. I dish out the softest 3 yelp sequence I can muster with my diaphram. He falls for the trap...here he comes in full strut! He locks up now at ~ the 30 yard line but I have no shot thanks to a group of sapplings in my way. Just a few steps to the left please...15 seconds or so passes and he moves that way hitting a 2' wide shooting hole. Hammer down...oops I was so caught up in the show I forgot to click the safety off. Quick move from trigger to safety and back. Either he saw that little bit of movement or heard the safety click off cuz he went to full alert. Too late for him to sense danger now though cuz I sent a 4x5x7 Nitro load that put him down flopping on the ground at 7:40 this morning. Awesome show put on but this bird that has an 11 1/8" beard and 1" spurs. One down 2 to go here in MS Edited March 14, 2011 by Rhino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VermontHunter Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 CONGRATS on an awsome bird Al .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted March 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Thanks Luke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kid Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 how does that gun pattern? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pointing_dogs_rule Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Great story as usual Rhino. Congrats on that nice bird. good luck to all the dog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 you're quite the turkey taker Al. awesome bird. still waitin' for my two here. in another week or so i'll start getting ready for the season here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SourthenILdeerhunter Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 congrats AL ive got 2 tags in hand and season open in 3 weeks tomorrow morning now my blood is pumping!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesse8953 Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 nice job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHISKEYSWAMP Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 nice bird and hunt... congrats! still a few weeks left until we open up here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 congrats Al...we dont start here til mid April Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted March 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 (edited) how does that gun pattern? My gun choke (Rhino 660) and load combo throws a very tight pattern. Tighest I've ever gotten out of my turkey guns. Would it kill at 50 yards...probably but there's a higher percentage of wounding a bird at that range with any gun/choke/load comb. I sight in my holosight at 35 yards for the center of my pattern. At 35 yards the pattern is in the 6" range. BTW the diaphram call I was using is a Woodhaven Red Wasp. Under the circumstances it was the only call I could use. Edited March 14, 2011 by Rhino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Very nice Al. Congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbeard Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Way too go Rhino, glad to see you were able to get out and hunt. No doubt there's two more in the woods with your name on 'em. Congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohiobucks Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Atta boy Al, congrats my friend!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Nice work Al. I bumped my first one too Sat morning trying to get set up and he saw me. Moved on to another that was still on the roost and used a head crusher to bring him right to me. He shut up for a while, but then heard the drumming and here he came. Flanked me hard left over the shoulder and at about 20 steps he started to make me out (I think), at any rate, I tried to come around with the gun, but he had other plans, and I just either missed or peppered the heck out of him, either way no bird for me Will try again Fri. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhine16 Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Congrats Al! Great story also! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need2hunt Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Nice job Rhino!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted March 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Nice work Al. I bumped my first one too Sat morning trying to get set up and he saw me. Moved on to another that was still on the roost and used a head crusher to bring him right to me. He shut up for a while, but then heard the drumming and here he came. Flanked me hard left over the shoulder and at about 20 steps he started to make me out (I think), at any rate, I tried to come around with the gun, but he had other plans, and I just either missed or peppered the heck out of him, either way no bird for me Will try again Fri. That's a bummer when they circle around to check you out. Been there before too. Never have been successful trying to out draw a gobbler. Good luck Friday and next weekend. I'm not sure when I'll get back in the woods again. I'm in LA checking on my dad and keeping my mother company till Wednesday. Heading to Nashville for a wedding this weekend. Next week is up in the air but have to be in Lafayette LA the weekend of the 26th for one of my best friend's 50th birthday bash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorden Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Beautiful bird, congrats!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsharp01 Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Great sucess with that bird. Glad to see the '11' season is off to a bang and has the birds floppin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Great bird, Al! Made me feel like I was sitting next to you reading the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiteRunner Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Congrads!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntn4bucks Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 I knew if I tiptoed in here quietly I'd see a good one on the ground. Congrats Al. Nice job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Congrats, Al! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted March 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Thanks everyone. A good friend of mine told me Saturday night I REALLY needed a hunt like that to unfold with all I've been through lately. Needless to say he was tickled to death when I sent him a text Sunday morning with the kill report. In addition to the health issues with my father since last November, I buried a good friend last week that lost a long battle with cancer. Looking forward to a long battle now going through all my calls on a wary old bird. Not sure if I'll have a chance to get back in the turkey woods before April though. Good luck to all when your season opens...ain't nothing like doing battle with mature gobblers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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