Luck or Skill... Either Way I'll Take It!! (Long)

Stories of your favorite gobbler hunts.
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Turkeywhisperer
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Joined: March 20th, 2013, 11:35 am
Location: Cocoa, Florida

Luck or Skill... Either Way I'll Take It!! (Long)

Post by Turkeywhisperer »

My real-life hunting buddy Gblack told me about this site so I figured I'd join and share my story from opening weekend on a Central Florida WMA.


Day 1:
Friday afternoon after work I headed out to the WMA on the way home in order to try and roost a bird. Roosting ended up being a flop after sitting till dark and not seeing or hearing anything in the area I was planning to hunt… on to plan B. Plan B was made at the check station at 5:00 am after my buddy showed up, we were the first ones there so we had our pick of where to venture to. I suggested we head out to a place where my dad and I got within 80yds of a bird last year before he locked up and headed off with some hens. Around 5:45 we get settled in next to a fence line in a u-shaped field with good roosting areas to the left and right. The sun’s starting to crack now, and there’s just a little bit of the fog on the field, and I’m starting to get nervous cause I’m still not sure if there are even any turkey in the area. Around 6:40 this bird starts going nuts on the roost, I’d called a couple of owls around and they’d been talking to each other for the last ten minutes, and I figure he was tryin to say, “Shut the heck up I sleepin over here!” At about the right time to start calling, turkey hunters know this time well for a bird on the roost, I let out a couple light clucks and a yelp to get his attention. He heard me, so now it’s a waiting game till he flies down. Around 7:00 I signaled my fly-down, he went nuts and I heard his wings flap, he’s on the ground. This started an hour long pillow-talk conversation that brought this strutting, gobbling, and sand kicking bad-boy 350yds across a field, through a group of cows, past a couple live hens, and under a fence line. A thousand things could have gone wrong in that crossing but I guess I was saying some pretty wild stuff with my slate. It’s the moment of truth now, I figure he’s at about 60yds so I told my buddy we’d both shoot so that we definitely get him after all that. I asked my buddy if he was ready, he said he was, 3…2…1… shoot!! Well my buddy hesistated at the last minute, but my 3.5” extra full turkey choked Baikal rang true and he flopped. I felt kinda bad cause I thought I’d stolen by buddy’s first spring gobbler, but I believe he was more pumped and stoked than I was so no matter cause we have two more days on the quota…. 9” beard, 21 lbs, 1.5” left, 1 3/8 right
Day2:
Now the pressure is on to get my buddy a bird after I scalped the first one. At this point I’m not real sure where to go since the only other birds we heard were most likely on private land and even a further hike from the truck than our current 2 miles. After supper on Saturday I check out the satellite photos and key in on some good swamp and marsh terrain that I know has to hold some birds, that’s where we’re gonna go, time to get some sleep. 5:00 rolls around, and I get called a call on my cell, my buddy says he’s about ten minutes out, how about me? Oh crap! I’ve over slept, I’m still in my dang boxers in bed dreamin about next bow season. I told him I was a little more than ten minutes out, and he could tell by my voice where I was… Well, between getting dressed real fast and some great nascar driving skills, I got to the gate around 5:45. On the way to the parking area I share my plan, and we head out to the marsh. Again, like on Saturday, I’m not sure if there are any birds in the area so I’m kind of apprehensive about that let alone the fact that I’ve never hunted in this particular area even in deer season. Light starts breaking and we reach a good location in order to listen for a bird and be able to move once he sounds. Well, time ticks on, and I’ve got all the owls talking and hollering, but still nothing and its getting pretty light. Finally, I think I hear one, and I call my buddy over and sure enough that tom hits for sure and we both heard him. It’s on now! I know about where he is judging by his sound and referencing the map on my phone, and with a quick little jog we duck into the swamp to gain some ground on him. I told my buddy that we need to find the creek bed so that we can move down it quickly and unseen. The bird was only hitting maybe once every fifteen minutes so I knew we had to be careful not to spook him, and not knowing the area any more than a satellite photo. Well we found that creek bed that I knew had to be in this swamp and we took it down into the heart of a big old cypress slough. I told my buddy that this is where that bird should be, so we hunkered down next to some big knees and a monster old cut cypress. I hit my call once and that tom heard me! I told my buddy, that this bird was super close, he sounded a bit muffled but that was only cause he’s on the ground now. I hit my call once more and shut up. About three minutes later I catch some movement and it’s a big old tom running straight at us. I told my buddy to get ready cause his shot is gonna come in about 15 seconds, and I took my safety off just in case lol. Sure enough that red white and blue head stuck out and boom!! My buddy got his first spring gobbler…. 8.75”beard, 19lbs, 1”left, 1”right

After these two hunts my buddy started calling me the Turkey whisperer lol
Ill put up some pictures later, it won't allow me to attach pdf files.
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Last edited by Turkeywhisperer on March 20th, 2013, 10:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Grizzly Johnson
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Re: Luck or Skill... Either Way I'll Take It!! (Long)

Post by Grizzly Johnson »

Great story, thanks for sharing...... Welcome to the site!!!
Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged.
pullit
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Re: Luck or Skill... Either Way I'll Take It!! (Long)

Post by pullit »

Sounds like a couple of great hunts, congrats to both of you
I may not be smart but I can lift heavy objects

I have no need for a 30-06, I have a shotgun
pullit
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Re: Luck or Skill... Either Way I'll Take It!! (Long)

Post by pullit »

Oh yeah welcome
I may not be smart but I can lift heavy objects

I have no need for a 30-06, I have a shotgun
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Turkey Talker
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Re: Luck or Skill... Either Way I'll Take It!! (Long)

Post by Turkey Talker »

Congrats man! I would have to say that without scouting a little luck is involved. But to coax em in is the skill part! Great job man!
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timbrhuntr
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Re: Luck or Skill... Either Way I'll Take It!! (Long)

Post by timbrhuntr »

Sounds like a lot of skill. Nice work and congrats on your bird and on getting your buddy his first well done!
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el diablo
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Re: Luck or Skill... Either Way I'll Take It!! (Long)

Post by el diablo »

Way to get it done..twice! Welcome to GN.
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Frankinthelaurels
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Re: Luck or Skill... Either Way I'll Take It!! (Long)

Post by Frankinthelaurels »

NICE story...makes me believe I was sitting next to you.. congrats and good job!
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GOLD HUNTER
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Re: Luck or Skill... Either Way I'll Take It!! (Long)

Post by GOLD HUNTER »

:thumbup:
LET'S GO TROUT FISHING
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Grover
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Re: Luck or Skill... Either Way I'll Take It!! (Long)

Post by Grover »

Congrats! :thumbup:
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