Flintlock1776 Posted May 1, 2010 Report Share Posted May 1, 2010 Today was pretty awesome but it really started yesterday. Friday April 30. I have a permit for the Monday-Friday Turkey hunt. The season opened Monday. It was raining havey, cold windy but it was the first day. What was I to do? Work was tough and I sure needed a break. I even posted for suggestions from the forum members on what to do. In spite of all the encouragement to get out opening day, I passed! I never passed on a deer opener but now I'm older and I just did not believe the Turkeys would be out. So, I did not go. I did not go Tuesday as storms persisted. Wednesday was clearing but heavy, heavy winds. It was killing me not to go out. Thursday was milder but I figured I would give the birds and the woods another day to dry out. With temps predicted in the low to mid 70's I prepared to go out. Friday I head out and set up in my spot deep in the woods. I out out the B-Mobile and 3 hen decoys. At 6:30am I hear a gobble off to my left! Here is comes! A nice Tom. I was in my Primos Gun Hunters Blind. This Tom cam up and went from my left to right and is was just enough to be out of range but close enough to enjoy the show he out on fanning his tail and gobbling to my calls. Off to the right he goes but not after over 30 minutes of gobbling to my calls and doing a little back and forth trying to find the source of those call. Off he goes. Rats! I get up, drag the blind about 20 yards further out and reset up. he gobbles again comming back right to left! He struts looking for my call. I call again and he gets up on a log and is peering out trying to find the hen calling. Still, on his return trip he is further out still again. After 40 minutes off he goes right to left and out of sight. Rats! Again, I get up, move the blind further out and wait & hope. About 20 minutes later he is back! Heading left to right as I look out my blind. Still too far away although he is gobbling like heck. Finally, off he goes staying out of range. Rats! We havr to be out of the woods here by noon so I pack up, happy with so many encounters although no bird! That night I go all over the details. I remember last year's Tom I got using Hunter's Specialty back pack blind. The Tom kept looking at the decoys but would not close in. I figured it may have been the B-Mobile. Although it brought a Tom in last year; this time I think he just was not going to mess with another Tom and that is why he resolved not to close the gap. I resolved tomorrow to use different tactics. Back Pack blind; hens only and get into the woods a bit earlier even more than Friday. I finally got to sleep and the alarm went off at 3AM found Round #2 Turkey Season 2010! Saturday May 1 2010 The alarm goes off , I hit the 10 minute snooze button as I am beat. Just before it goes off again I look at my watch; 7minutes later, what are you doing! Don't keep sleeping dozing off you will miss getting out in time! Get up and get hunting I told myself! As I walked into the woods I said to myself : "You are going to have a good day". I never said something like that before and just too it as a good omen. I set up my back packer blind, 3 hens decoys and wait. I'm facing a bit to the left as I hope the Tom from yesterday will hit the same patter. I figure out yesterday this must be their strutting zone! There I am, waiting. Suddenly, a gobble ahead but to my hard right! There, a Tom and a good looking one! He gobbles and struts and holds tight! he keeps looking over to the decoys I sent out. I gave a call as he walked behind a tree. He was holding back. I gave another call as he went behind another tree and I gave one more call and said to myself, no more calls. He gets a little closer, and slowly closer. At 40 yards it seemed he was going to come in no further. Could this be the Tom from yesterday? At 40 yards I set the Bushnell Holo Sight on him; pull the trigger on my Mossberg Ultimag 835 with the Primos Jelley head. One load of Hevi Shot 3 1/2" # 6 and he was down for the count!! Nice bird! I pack him and my stuff and head to the check station. 19 pounds 10" beard!! On the way home I stopped at Lowes and picked up some stuff but got out quick as the temps were rising and the bird was in the truck. Breasting out a bird can be a chore so I decided to do that out behind my shed in the shade. It is about 10:30 and away I am working when after a few moments I look up and see a black bear! I get up, at a slow pace back up leaving the bird on the ground but I come back with my new DSLR to get pictures of this. By the time I get back the bear is heading back over the ridge about 20 yards away from my deer feeder. I stopped feeding the deer last fall but kept the feeder out there empty but as it is big and I used duct tapes to hold it from toppling over I just left it there. My Trail cam I discovered later got a picture of this bear and HER 4 CUBS!! The trail cam photo has all 4 cubs, one partially hiddend by the log it was going over. My DSL pics I took and you can tell as they don't have my nickname on the bottom as the trail camera does. I tried to snek up on the bears and when I saw momma bear ushering her cubs up the tree at my approach, I figured I was close enough! I got some quick pictures and then backed away. What a day!!!!!!!!!!!! One Tom and 5 Bears on my land!!! I never knew a black bear could have so many cubs! I am old enough to remember this was May Day for the communist in Russia that once was the enemy but this May Day will be special to me! 10 years ago I got published for my best Turkey ever in Buckmasters ("Cinco de Mayo Tom"). Wow, I am still pumped. Sorry for the long report but this has to top my experience of 10 years ago in Missouri! Here is a slide show of today's events! Click on photo :tt1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccwhitey Posted May 1, 2010 Report Share Posted May 1, 2010 Great story and Congrats on the bird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamond Archer 01 Posted May 1, 2010 Report Share Posted May 1, 2010 Congrats on the bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flintlock1776 Posted May 2, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2010 Great story and Congrats on the bird Thanks. I am still pumped hours later! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flintlock1776 Posted May 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 Great story and Congrats on the bird Thanks. There are more permits but tomorrow's weather is supposed to be horrible rain/ very high winds. I marinated the breasts and stuck them in the freezer for Memorial Day BBQ:1eye: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairiepredator Posted May 7, 2010 Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 Great story and cool pic! Congrats on the gobbler too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted May 8, 2010 Report Share Posted May 8, 2010 Way to go, Flintlock! There are some bruiser bears running around for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pointing_dogs_rule Posted May 8, 2010 Report Share Posted May 8, 2010 congrats and nice story good luck to all the dog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted May 9, 2010 Report Share Posted May 9, 2010 Congrats on your May Day gobbler. Enjoy the BBQ!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbeard Posted May 10, 2010 Report Share Posted May 10, 2010 Congrats bud! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wobbly_Alaska Posted May 10, 2010 Report Share Posted May 10, 2010 WAY COOL! i have seen them with 3 cubs but never 4 what a treat you have there! nice bird too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHISKEYSWAMP Posted May 11, 2010 Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 awesome bud! great hunt and bird! :gunsmilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flintlock1776 Posted May 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 WAY COOL! i have seen them with 3 cubs but never 4 what a treat you have there! nice bird too I am still amazed at that as well. Some said there could be two sows and they take shifts caring for the others cubs. I am not sure if that is a fact or not but regardless there you can see the four with one sow, wow! :yes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
String Music Posted May 18, 2010 Report Share Posted May 18, 2010 Awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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