Turkey Down! (pics)


okiedog

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Well, I'am going to try and type this story again. Guess I'am taking too long to type.

I would also like to apologize to my team for not getting all the required photos to submit my bird for the contest. I'am sorry for letting my team down. I guess I was caught up in the moment and didn't think about all the photos I needed. I still wanted to post the story and pics for everyone though.

Went on a 3-day hunt a couple of weeks ago, with a friend of mine and his son. Arrived late the first evening, and we went out to listen and roost some birds. Birds were sounding off good, and I found a nice little field just below some. Showed up the next morning and got set up. Birds were gobbling above me on a ridge for an hour then slowly faded away. They just would not come off that ridge. Same thing that evening. Had a few hens and a jake come through, then right up the ridge. By now I'am thinking this ridge is the place to be. So right before dark, I made my way up there. When I got to the top, it was a rock ledge about 45 feet straight down. About that time there was a bird come flying up from the bottom and roosted right at eye level with me. Then in a few minutes one jump of the ledge about 3 feet and roosted in a tree by the other. Now that I know where the turkeys are, I got a decision to make. Sneak down that ledge early morning, or get right on the ridge and hope they run it. I talked it over with my hunting buddy that night around the camp fire. We decided for me to just easy back up that morning and sit on the ridge.

Next morning comes and I hear the turkeys already gobbling. I also hear one way down the ridge, hes hot! Decided to stay put, and the worst thing could have happened. They flew off the roost and went 3/4 ways down the hill when they landed. They didn't stop and mill around either, they were on a mission somewhere and it wasn't any where around me.

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There I stood, not beleiving what just happened. I thought and listened for a minute and decided to RUN n' GUN! I dumped all my gear on the top of the rocks (camera, video camera, vest, etc), put 2 calls in my pants pocket and off I went climbing down the rocks. The two birds in front of me sounded like they were in a dead run, but I still had the hot one behind me that was closing the distance.

Got to the bottom where there was a creek, and tried an ambush on the one coming from behind me. No go, he circled around me towards the other birds. The birds were going at a slight angle up the mountain and I knew the top of the next mountain was a clearing called the "Landing Strip" so I charged straight up. Got to the strip looked down but no bird. I could only see half way down because it makes a little crook half way.

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Got up to the crook and looked the rest of the way down, and there he was at full strut. Problem now is I'am still 250-300 yards away. I sneek through the tree line to close some distance. Sit down and do some soft calling. Bird folds up and walks off the clearing into the timber. I call for a few minutes,and nothing. So I make way down there to sit up where he was at last time I saw him. Guess I was pushing a little much, because he was still there in the timber. When I got close, to the air he went and I don't know how far he went that time. Kicking myself in the rear, I sat down to rest and see if something else might be in the area. About 3 minutes latter I hear something coming through the leaves towards the clearing form the direction I had just come from. Head pops out into the clearing 42 yards from me. He looks around for a bit then takes two more steps, and theres the beard. I had a half a second thought ( he might come closer? NAH!) BOOM! Rolled him back into the trees. I was tired and beat, but I had a bird.

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Pics are not the best. I was using the camera timer, so I never knew when it was going off.

10 1/2" beard

1 1/4" spurs

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