I lucked onto a nice one here at home. I went to a place where I’d gotten within range of a tom opening week, but didn’t get a shot due to brush. I tried him a couple more mornings, but he didn’t talk. Friday morn I decided to give him a shot again and luckily that rascal was fired up at daylight as I walked in. I eased twds him and sat on the edge of a gas line as close as I dared, but as many old toms love to do, he flew out and went straight away dang near out of hearing. I decided to make a huge loop around as I figured he was probably traveling with hens and luckily got ahead of them on a hardwood ridge. I could hear his hens talking a bit, so knew the challenge would be tough. I finally ticked off a sassy ole girl in the bunch, she left the ole boy headed straight to me with an earful, and it wasn’t long when I heard that much welcomed spifft vroom. I caught movement about 50yds out and the nerves set in, it was about to happen, but that rascal hung up at that point. I’d get an occasional glimpse of his fan, but he needed to come just a bit further to be in the open. That rascal must have strutted for 45min in the same spot. I tried leave scratching, sassy talk, silent treatment etc, but just couldn’t get him to close. He finally lost interest and headed away giving me an occasional courtesy gobble as the day went on. After a while he went silent, so I chose just to hang with it as I haven’t been hearing much elsewhere anyway. While the ole boy was gone, I struck an odd sounding jakeish gobble down the ridge and shortly after a hen came in raising sand. That old girl put on a show blowing into full strut at a mere 10yds and she strutted for probably 15min. I shot some video on my phone as well. That’s only the 4th time I’ve seen a hen strut and the first time I’ve heard one try to gobble in all the years I’ve turkey hunted. After the cool encounter with the hen, I stayed put hoping the ole boy I’d gotten on early would come back at some point. I sat there dozing off a bit and I’d call a bit once in a while. I’d decided I’d call it good at 2pm, but I got a little sleepy and decided to stay a little longer. At about 2:45 I heard a hen and shortly after he shook the woods about 200yds out! Game on baby! I gave him a little sweet talk to let him know I was there and it wasn’t long when I saw that bright red head slipping through the trees. He strutted a bit and gobbled a couple more times and as soon as that rascal got in range I let him have it. Turned out to be a pretty dang good bird for that high pressure area sporting an 11-3/4” beard, 20lbs, a broken spur, and a nice 1-1/4” spur. He flopped around in some mud near the creek, so not much for photos.
Hen strutting:
Memorable hunt...
Re: Memorable hunt...
Nice!!!
Re: Memorable hunt...
Congrats on the gobbler. Cool picture of the jenny strutting, too. She is obviously one of those youngsters that has not quite figured out what she wants to be yet....
Re: Memorable hunt...
Patience is what kills these turkeys and you did good grasshopper.
I was not his father but he was my son,,MAK IV, 10-15-1993 - 4-22-2007
"Rest in Peace my Little Buddy"
"Rest in Peace my Little Buddy"
- poorcountrypreacher
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Re: Memorable hunt...
Great story! Congrats on a nice bird
- Spuriosity
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Re: Memorable hunt...
WTG Ronnie. Great pix, great story. Way to hang in.
- Waddle Whacker
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Re: Memorable hunt...
Congrats! Patience pays off once again.
Feel, don't think. Trust your instincts.
- Hoobilly
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Re: Memorable hunt...
Very cool hunt! I hope to see and hear a gobbling hen some day.
Awesome gobbler!
Awesome gobbler!
Re: Memorable hunt...
Thanks guys!