Come this weekend, on Saturday I made a bee line to where I wanted to go last weekend. I sat in a blind I put up back in January. I called in 2 lone hens about 30 min after daylight. They passed right thru and never paid my calling any mind. I sat till 11, then 2:30 till almost dark with nothing going on. It was a turkey ghost town
I get up this morning and decided to go to where my son and I hunted last weekend. I knew there was birds in there, and between he and I we have killed like 8-9 out of there in 4 seasons. Plus I had left our makeshift blind intact so I could go sit in it.
Walking in the pitch black this morning, I spooked what I believe to be a bobcat. I can't say for sure, but it sounded like a cat scream. When it did a turkey gobbled from the roost. I didn't get a good pinpoint on him, but figured he was close enough to the tram to not try and go any closer and bump him out. SO I got my dekes up and got in my little blind. When it got gray light he started gobbling at owls only. He would not gobble at crows or woodpeckers or hawks, just owls. I tree yelped one time and he did not answer. Judging by his sound he sounded about 60-70 yards away. I heard him fly out at 7:3 and when he did I started cutting. He answered, but was leaving the premises. He gobbled a few times till he was out of hearing. I sat there second guessing myself for not trying to get closer.
At 8:00 I looked up and there were 2 hens standing in the middle of my 2 decoys. I watched them a couple minutes and figured this is how my weekend will end...4 hens and an old gobbler that took me to school.. I caught movement out of my right side and saw a snow white head coming thru the bushes. I eased the gun barrel up on a stick and got ready. When they cleared the bushes it was 2 mature toms in full strut, walking side by side. For a brief second I had both heads lined up for a 2 for 1...the lead tom obviously couldn't stand the jake decoy, so he came out of strut and went and kicked the crap out of it. When he did the second tom had his neck stretched out, so I let the 870 speak..
The beard was just shy of 11". Not thick paint brush,but long. It had 1 spur that was right at 1 1/2" and the other had been broken off at some point in life. Some people that have seen the pic say it is a real old bird. Definitely one of my more memorable birds and finally killed one that can hang on a limb
! Good job fellers.
