Round 2 in MO

[Rhino]

We returned to MO the evening of 4/28 to go for our 2nd birds. My buddy and his guest had 1st dibs on spots to hunt. I decided to head to the spot near the SW corner of a 106 ac. cut cornfield where my buddy had killed a bird last spring.

It was still pretty wet the next morning from the rain they'd had there recently and windy to boot. I decided to give my DSD strutting decoy a try thinking I had a better chance for an older gobbler coming in. I set up on a big tree just off the edge of the field with the decoys ~12 steps away. As roost gobbling began I was amazed. There were close to 15 birds gobbling from the SE to SW. After flydown about 6 birds were still gobbling. First birds in sight...about 5 hens...no gobbler in tow. A few minutes later 2 more hens come in close...no gobbler in tow. I manage to get one of the gobblers working but he's intent on staying in the woods moving back and forth inside the S edge of the field. He finally gobbles his way to the SW. About 7:20 I get another bird to respond to a series of hen talk followed up with some gobbling of my own. He's coming! Now it gets entertaining.

2 gobblers appear coming in the SW corner of the field. They see the strutter decoy and come running in. I pick out the bird with the thickest beard and knock him over at 22 steps. His buddy keeps trotting in stopping behind the fan on my decoy. Yep my gobbler is dead but this bird is still intent on opening up a can of whip you know what on my strutter. He begins by pecking and spurring it...at 12 steps! Then adds the wing beating along with his spurring...very cool! When he decides to jump on top of it I had to do something or he's going to tear up the real turkey fan I have attached to it. I sit up...he's still going at it...I holler "hey" he trots off. My 2nd and last bird of the spring has a 10 1/2" thick beard & 7/8" spurs.

Wednesday morning I decide to go out with my Buddy Ernie to play double team with him to help him coax in his 2nd bird. We set up on the edge of another cut cornfield where he'd seen 3 gobblers late Tuesday afternoon. He sets up his Mojo jake decoy and a couple of hens. That Mojo decoy is cool! Come gobbling time we have ~8 birds gobbling on the roost...6 to the SE, 1 S & 1 W. Gobbling almost shuts down after flydown. The bird to the S is gobbling but moving further away. We throw out some gobbling of our own and my buddy dishes out some hen talk. About 30 minutes goes by with us calling sparingly when out of no where this gobbler comes running in from the E. We didn't even see him until he was inside 20 yards. My buddy is caught with his gun in his lap. As the gobbler moves behind his Mojo jake decoy he raises his gun. The gobbler raises his head and pauses. His mistake. A Nitro load slams him down at 15 steps. My buddy's bird has a 9 1/2" beard & 7/8" spurs.

We both limited out in MO. Unfortunately our guest ate tag soup. Another great spring for us in MO! Next trip, time to do chores on the farm and start getting ready for the MO fall bow season.

[whitetailfreak55]

Congrats on the bird!

[VermontHunter]

Congrats to both of you on a couple real nice gobblers ...

[dbHunterNY]

sounds like a good trip.

[colorado bob]

Nice-----Spring turkey hunting, is there anything better? Bob

[Ravin R10 man]

Good job guys!