FlGirl Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 This is going to be long…..Mine and hubby’s quest for our grand slam has been off to a whirlwind of a start. I’ll try to just hit the highlights. I wasn’t able to go opening morning (3/15) here in central FL. Hubby went with his dad and they both got good birds. Hubby’s had 10 ¼” beard, 1 1/8” & 1 ¼” spurs, estimated 19 lbs. Pa-in-law’s had 9 ¾” beard, 1 1/8” spurs, estimated 17 lbs. HUBBY’S OSCEOLA DOWN ! ! ! Hubby and I were there dark and early Sunday morning. I passed on a couple of 7-8” bearded birds waiting for a big boy we had seen in the area. Never saw him. I went back Monday and Tuesday by myself. Heard lots of gobbling on Monday but nothing came in but hens. Setup Tuesday where I heard all the gobbling Monday but nothing came in but a jake. Decided to move to a clearing about 9:30 and setup B-mobile and She-mobile. Been there about 45 mins when I saw not 1 but 4 redheads coming. They all ran up to B and all gobbled at the same time. Just about enough to unnerve me. Never could get a shot at the bigger/strutting bird but I got a nice one. 10” beard, 1” spurs, estimated 17 lbs. MY OSCEOLA DOWN ! ! ! We loaded up Wednesday and headed up close to the FL/GA line. Hunting was tough on Thursday due to the wind but did manage to see a couple jakes and some hens. Friday morning was perfect weather. Cold, dead calm and birds gobbling everywhere. Hubby did the calling and had a bird come in from 400+ yards gobbling all the way. Finally got where we could see him and it was a jake. He left. Hubby started calling again and had another bird coming when here comes 6 hens. They intercepted him and that was done. We setup separate Friday afternoon. Been there couple of hours when nature called. Stood up and “PUTT”. Busted. He had snuck in behind me. We setup Saturday morning where we had heard most of the gobbling on Friday. Put out B-mobile and 2 hens. They started gobbling…way off. I was starting to get frustrated cause we only had a couple of hours to hunt before we had to head home for Easter on Sunday when he sounded off about 75 yards down the food plot. Hubby soft clucked and tree yelped and he gobbled several times. Waited a little while, hubby ground yelped, no gobble but flop, flop, flop he hit the ground out in the food plot. He gobbled twice and here he come. Strutted all the way in. Hubby putted, head run up, BOOM. 9 1/8” beard, 1” spurs, estimated 19 lbs. MY EASTERN DOWN ! ! ! (not a very good pic, I didnt get his fan opened all the way)[/font] Rested and mentally recouped for a couple of days and then took my nephew out to our lease here in central FL on Tuesday. Had a close encounter with two coyotes. Nephew took care of one of them. Needless to say no turkeys with all that going on. Moved our setup and saw some hens but that was all.[/font] Hubby and I loaded up again on Wednesday and headed for central GA after his Eastern. Friend that we were going with spotted a strutting bird on a field before we got there so we setup for him that afternoon. Nothing but did hear some fly up. We scattered out around that area Thursday morning with hubby being in best spot. He had several birds gobbling when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. One was sneaking in. BOOM. 10 ¾” beard, 1” spurs, estimated 18 lbs. HUBBY’S EASTERN DOWN ! ! ! [/font] Notice his wings. He didn’t have any barring. I’m going to post some more pictures in a separate post (Unique Wings). Now we’re hunting for fun. Hubby called me and the other birds were still there and gobbling. I took off to him and we fooled with them for a couple of hours. Finally got one to about 60 yards and here come a (bleep) hen. He followed her off into a pine block but they were headed towards the field where our friend had seen the strutting bird the day before. We decided to give them some time so we went and cleaned hubby’s bird and got some lunch. Went back, eased up over a hill out in the field and there he was strutting his stuff. Eased back down and took off to where we had seen his drag marks. We knew that was where he was headed. Hubby was walking in front peeking up over the hill when all of a sudden he hit his knees and said “get in the bushes”. I dove for cover, got setup looked up and thought “this is not going to be good”. There was “B” about 12 feet from me. I couldn’t see to my left which was the way he was coming from because of a bush. All of a sudden there he was nose to nose with “B”. I was drawing down on him when he walked around the other side of “B” and bumped him causing him to turn. Now “B’s” fan is between me and him. I’m about to loose it about now. Finally he steps out, I draw an extra tight bead on him, BOOM. 2nd EASTERN DOWN ! ! ! Way too up close and personal. 9 ½” beard, only 1 spur 1”, estimated 19 lbs[/font] Stayed at this place until Saturday morning and messed with several different birds but couldn’t do anything with them. Packed up and went to another friend’s place about 30 miles away. Did some scouting that afternoon and decided on our setup for Sunday morning. Got up to 50 degrees, misting rain and wind. Hubby took friend’s son with him. They had a bird working when Boom, Boom from where it shouldn’t have come from. Poacher. They either killed the bird he was working or shut him down. Now for the best part of the whole 2 weeks.... I had not heard anything until about 7:45 then had a bird fire up way off on the other side of a beaver pond. I started hard yelping to him and he gobbled several times and then nothing. Decided to move about 8:15, was gathering my stuff when he gobbled and I could tell he was closer and to the side of the pond. I gathered my stuff and took off to setup closer to him. There was a little hill that had been plowed and had just some scattered grass on it. Set my hen decoy on the top of the hill, sat down, caught my breath and yelped a few times on my slate. Nothing. Got my box call out and hit it pretty hard a couple of yelps. Gobble, straight to my left about 200 yards. Went back to my slate did some light yelps, clucks, purrs, etc. Nothing for about 5 mins then he gobbled straight in front of me about 100 yards, I thought. Decided to get my mouth call and was easing my hand for it when a head popped up over the hill. I froze. Then there’s the fan. It’s him ! ! He was actually down in a deep ravine and it had made him sound like he was further. I eased my hand back to my slate ( I do like the wind sometimes) did a couple of soft clucks and purrs and here he comes. He would walk a couple of steps and strut, walk a couple of steps and strut. I knew my decoy was about 20 yards and when I estimated him at about 35 I couldn’t take anymore, BOOM. My 3rd EASTERN DOWN. At this time I didn’t know how big his beard was or anything. He flopped a couple of times and just laid there. I started to him and he started some major flopping. Thought I was going to have to shoot him again. He finally stopped and I decided to just let him lay for a few minutes. Went and gathered my stuff, went back to him, bumped him with my foot, he didn’t move. Rolled him over and OH MY GOSH ! ! ! Down I went trying to get my tape measure out of my pocket. I measured, measured again, a solid 12” with a couple of hairs touching 12 ¼’, 1 ¼” spurs. I just sat there. Took me several minutes to gather myself. We took him and had him weighed at the grocery store and he was 20.42 lbs. My best bird by FAR, probably my bird of a lifetime and I called him in by myself in miserable weather. :):) Needless to say he’s already at the taxidermist. Now it’s rest and recoup physically and mentally. We’ll probably hunt our lease this weekend and then we’re off to TX after our Rio on April 10th and then to NE on April 23rd for our Merriam. Hopefully those hunts will be as successful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beagleboy Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Looks like you are on your way to a grand slam. Good luck. Great pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maytom Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Awesome story and pic's to match!!! WTG!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bowhunter56 Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Well done, great pictures as well, thanks for sharing with us.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHISKEYSWAMP Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 great story and great job!!! good luck with the rest of your mission! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntn4bucks Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Congrats! You've taken the toughest 2 of the 4 in my opinion. Nice job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sportsman2500 Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 those are some awesome birds. congrats to you. you've already had quite a season. good luck to you on your slam!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccwhitey Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 great pics and story:D:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aksheephuntress Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 ....Congradulations!!!!-that's awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the one Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 nice birds congrates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 congrats!! Good luck on the slam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntinguide Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 slams are hard to come by good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomer Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Congrats on the birds!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Congrats...you're having a season of a lifetime so far. You're stackin them up like cord wood. Congrats on your 4 birds so far and that great 12"+ longbearded Eastern. Congrats to your hubby too on his birds. You've gotten the hard to kill birds out of the way toward you're 2 grand slams this year. I've never gone on a Rio or Merriam hunt without coming back with at least one bird. Good luck to both of you on your quest to pull off your grand slams this year. Keep us posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbeard Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Dang, some more fine huntin' there. I surely wouldn't want to be a RIO 'bout right now. Congrats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA_Spike_King Posted April 1, 2008 Report Share Posted April 1, 2008 Very well done, congrats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3seasons Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 WOW thats awesome Best of Luck on the other 2. Are yall hunting public land are private. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rem308 Posted April 2, 2008 Report Share Posted April 2, 2008 Great pictures and those are some HUGE birds...way to go. I hope you finish the slam. Again, very nice pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkeygirl Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Wow, wish hunting was like that around here! You are having an awesome season, congrats Flgirl!! That last bird you got....wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlGirl Posted April 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 We are very fortunate to have access to private land with our lease here in FL and thru friends with land in GA and TX. We are using an outfitter when we go to NE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turkeybuster Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Looks like you have been having a lot of fun=] Congrats to you and great pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardwood_HD Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 nice birds! keep it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuntnMa Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Thats so cool...congrats to you both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tecumseh Posted April 4, 2008 Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 Nice birds,Congrats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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