The Zone

jake tamer · Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 11:41 pm Post subject: Got Him!!

I finally got this bird, on the last day, with about an hour left before they flew up. This is the 2nd bird I killed this year in the afternoon, prior to this season I have not killed one in the afternoon in about 10 years. Usually dont have time to hunt in the evening. Let me give you a brief history. When I killed quint(ole5beards) there were 2 birds that had him acting scared and beat down. I watched 2 birds just days before I killed quint run him off this pasture. The morning I killed quint those 2 were heading towards him across the pasture, they were on the edge of the field when I shot him. I figured one of those 2 was the boss. Hard to believe a 23lb bird with almost 1 1/4 spurs is not the boss. About a week after I killed quint one afternoon I took off early, called my 88 year old grandad and we went after those 2. Well we found them easily, they never leave this field. Its about 40 acres and they stay somewhere in this field all day. Usually right in the middle. Well that afternoon we called them over to a shaded spot and we tried to double, remember I killed my bird and my grandad missed. After that miss I made it my goal to kill this bird. I decided to dedicate the rest of the season to him. Well last thursday morning I couldnt go at first light. My wife was going out of town and I had to help her pack and get the kids ready. So about 6:45 we got done and her and the kids left. I decided to head to this pasture and give that single bird(the "boss") a try. I am figuring him for the boss as he was the only one of the 2 that would strut. Although they would both gobble he did majority of the gobbling and the 2nd bird(the one I killed earlier) never strutted. He usually gobbles all day but he does so in the comfort of the middle of this pasture where he can see you coming from a long way off. Anyhow I caught him in the field that thursday morning with 3 hens. I bobcatted for close to 3 hours calling very little and finally got within range......or so I thought. I let my bad judgement talk me into taking a longer shot than I should have. We got to a point where the hens were leaving and so was he, I guessed him for about 53-55 and he was about 60-63. I was sick!! I wanted to see this bird on his back bad! Anyhow a clean miss. I watched him fly the entire length of that field to the swamp. So now he has watched 2 buddies die and has been missed twice!! I just knew he had 9 lives!! I figured he was still killable even after all of that this was his backyard and he wasnt leaving alive. I planned on leaving him for the last day, you know give him a few days rest. Today was the last day. I hunted another bad turkey with a buddy of mine this morning(thats another story), but the whole time I couldnt help but think about this one bird. We didnt do much this morning. So I went to work and finished up early so I could get after this bird. I called my grandad to go with me but it was hot and hes 88 and he just didnt wanna go, he was done for the season. I got to the field at 4:30 and sure enough he was out there blowed up!! He was gobbling and strutting and putting on a show. I tried to get as close to him as I could but I could only get about 150 yards without being seen. I got situated and just watched. He had 1 hen that was feeding away from me but he wasnt moving. After she eased off I yelped softly(figuring he already knew this game) and he broke strut and walked away gobbling. Just what I knew he would do. So I knew right then calling wasnt an option, but if you cant call em up then crawl em up. He headed to the back corner of the pasture in the area of where I killed quint so I knew how to get to him. After he got far enough away I eased out of the field and hit the swamp. It was about a 20 minute walk to the other side where he was so I trucked it on back. By the time I got there he was gobbling again. So I went to sneaking. I eased up to the fence line and sat down. I couldnt see him or his hen anywhere. I just heard him gobble moments ago so I figured I didnt spook him. Seconds later I see the hen pop her head up and she was 30 yards away in the tall grass feeding. Right then he pops his head up and hes about 35. I never had a clean shot because of some brush and palmettos along the fence. I knew I was too close to call, all I could do was wait. They have been roosting in the swamp behind me so I figured I would wait them out. It didnt take long. The hen headed right to me and he was right behind her. After 2 misses and several close calls I wasnt taking any chances especially on the last day!! I let him get about 20 yards, he never knew what hit him!! As he layed there flopping I took a minute to take it all in!! This old bird had been putting me through the ringer and he was only hours away from winning the game! I wasted alot of time on him and it all paid off on the last hour of the last day!! Thank you lord for allowing me to be a part of spring turkey season!!

I left my tripod so I had to use an old limb to rest the camera on

Me and my kids

my kids!

Future killa!!

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pass the biscuits

Coalman · Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 6:30 am Post subject:

Congrats. Great story for a lifetime. You will be retelling it as your children grow up and you reflect back on the pictures.
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RutnNStrutn · Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 7:37 am Post subject:

Heck of a story, and heck of a bird. Nice beard!! Congrats Lee!!
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All we need to do is call those hens across this field.

Fyrestorm · Jake Joined: 27 Jan 2007 Posts: 136

Awesome hunt!

Turkey Beard · Two Year Old Joined: 08 Mar 2012 Posts: 277

Quite a story AND bird! Congrats!
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Gino · Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 8:43 pm Post subject:

congrats

Sam Crow · Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 9:15 am Post subject:

Nice - congrats

Cute kids

olesixbeards · Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 11:30 am Post subject:

Nice.

You could have used your mono pod to help take the picture instead of a tree limb.
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If I'm not back in five minutes....wait longer!

jake tamer · Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 11:57 pm Post subject:

I would have used it but I remembered letting you borrow it!
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pass the biscuits

olesixbeards · Posted: Sat May 05, 2012 7:03 am Post subject:

12 hours to think about it and that's the best you come up with.
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If I'm not back in five minutes....wait longer!

jake tamer · Posted: Sat May 05, 2012 10:58 am Post subject:

Yep that's the best I could do in 12 hours, remember you had all day to think up the monopod response Laughing

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pass the biscuits

olesixbeards · Posted: Sat May 05, 2012 11:12 am Post subject:

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If I'm not back in five minutes....wait longer!