Strut10 Posted May 19, 2018 Report Share Posted May 19, 2018 Got a little damp this morning. But I had an idea that a date with an old friend (this bird has given me FITS for two years !!) might be in order today. I got set up within about 100 yards of this dude. He started gobbling and I fed him a few tree calls which got him fired up pretty good. I laid off for about 10 minutes and left him just gobble. Then I tossed him a few more tree calls and got a little excited at the end. He was ALL sorts of wound up. I shut up. Couple minutes later, his hens started falling out of the trees between me and him................ 4 or 5 of them.............then he hit the ground. About two minutes later, he came pushing his hens past me, a bit up slope. Wasn't sure he was going to stop and just before I was going to stop him he did it on his own.................. Flattened him out right there. He makes the 9th longbeard to get a ride in my pickup this spring between me, my daughter and my brother. 1 3/8"+ spurs if you measure the curve. 11" whisker He's my 3rd 20 gauge bird this spring. Not sure my 3 1/2" 12 gauges are ever going to see much turkey action any more............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 You sure are a Turkey thumper this year!! not sure Rhino shot that many! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 Congratulations Don!!! Bagged an old devil bird! You've had an outstanding spring this year. Nope Martin...5 was my limit between the 2 states I hunted this spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted May 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 Thanks fellers !!! To be clear...... I only shot 5 myself. The other four were my brother and my daughter's kills. Of the 9, I got to witness 8 of them. Devil bird is right, too !!! This bird has jerked me around for two or three years. He roosts in a place where he can go in any one 3 different directions after fly down. No matter WHICH place I'd set up.......he'd gobble like a nut but go another way. Last year on opening morning, I had the dot on his neck and my finger on the trigger at 20 yards. But he needed to take one more step up the hill for me to be SURE he was a bearded bird.........even though I knew. That's when a hen went right and he followed. When he came back into sight, he was outta range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 Yep...over the years I've had my share of devil birds too Don. Some I finally killed...others died of old age. I have one in a strutting on the limb mount that drove me nuts too about 20 years ago. If I tried to work him coming off the roost I was wasting my time. Killed him late in the season during a late morning hunt that year. He was one of he loudest drumming gobblers I've ever encountered. Another, that I assume died of old age comes to mind too. Drove me crazy trying to out wit him...I'd get sooooo frustrated trying to kill him. He would always go the other way if I called to him. I'd leave him alone to go hunt another easier bird and end of killing it. Before the season was over, I'd limited out with my 3 birds here but the devil bird wasn't one of them. The next spring he wasn't around anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted May 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 Just nice when a game plan comes together on a hard-fought bird. Yep. I hadn't listened for this bird all the past week. All I knew is that he was there LAST Saturday. But, as many times as me and him have gone round and round, I pretty much knew where I'd find him roosted. It was on and off rainy yesterday. I had a feeling that he'd want to maybe head for the fields after flydown. So, since it's easier to call a bird to where he wants to go in the first place.................... And I had it in my mind I was NOT going to call to this bird once he hit the ground. I planned to let him know exactly where I was while he was still on the limb and put a real vivid picture in his fat head then just shut up. Which is what I did. What I hadn't counted on was him having 4 or 5 hens. Around here, hens will most usually take their boy straight away form another hen (my calling).....................especially if she (me) gets aggressive. So I guess it was fortunate that I went the semi-conservative route on him. His hens lead him straight to his demise. Thanks, girls !!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted May 26, 2018 Report Share Posted May 26, 2018 Nicely done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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