The Zone

[jake tamer]

About 2 weeks ago I got permission to hunt 500 acres. This property is less than 15 minutes from my house and it is loaded with birds. I deer hunt this place with a buddy of mine who is the lease holder. Well I am doing a european mount for his nephew who killed a nice buck there this year and he said instead of paying me I could just turkey hunt from April 1st through the end of the seaon (30th). His son turkey hunts some but hasnt been all year and said he didnt have time to go so I eagerly agreed to the trade. Anyhow this place is about 300 acres of palmetto swamp and 200 acres of pasture land. Its right off a main hwy so it gets pretty noisy especially during turkey season. But there is a big pasture in the back of the property that is surrounded on 3 sides by the swamp. I know birds hang out in this field. They usually roost over the swamp and fly down in this field. Well last tuesday morning was my first chance to go out there. I got there early to listen but the traffic made it damnnear impossible to hear a bird, he would of had to been about 100 yds. So I waited until about 6:30 well after fly down time to move towards the big pasture. I didnt wanna risk spooking a bird out of the tree. It was a lil cool that morning, and as I got to the pasture I could see a lil bit of low lying fog in the field. This field usually stays pretty wet so that moisture added to the fog. So I knew if there were a bird out there I could move without being spotted. There is cattle in this field as well so the field is fenced off from the swamp. I eased up to the fence and sat down against a tree. I pulled out my binos to look in the field through the fog, as I picked them up I heard a bird gobble. I spotted him through the fog. He was about 175 yards out in front of me half strutting all by himself. So I just sat there and watched him. He gobbled probably 25 times over the next 15-20 minutes. As the sun came up and started burning off the fog I noticed this bird was standing straight up looking alert, my first thought was a yote as they are everywhere in this area. The fog was starting to get patchy as it dispursed. I heard another gobble, however this time I was watching this single bird through the binos and I could see he wasnt the one that gobbled. I looked across the field about 200 yards to the east of this single bird and through the fog I saw 2 strutters coming towards the single. By this time they were gobbling pretty good. I look back at the single bird and I see him squat down in the tall grass hiding!! He hid like a weak 2 year old that was tired of getting beat down.I watch as the 2 head towards squatter. Every now and then he would raise his head up and then duck it back down. The 2 havent laid eyes on him yet but knew he was there as they had heard him gobbling earlier. So as they are still strutting about 150 yards away from the squatter they are slowly easing towards him. So there are 3 longbeards in this field with no hens. I continued watching this show. I see the 2 break strut and walk towards squatter, they spotted him now. I look towrds squatter and see him hauling arse towards the swamp!! The 2 continue on a slow strut walk towards the back end of this field. At this point they are probably 250 yards from me. The fence makes a 90 degree corner and these birds were right there on this point strutting and gobbling. I decided to get up and ease through the swamp and try and get to that point where the fence makes a 90(i call this spot the point). I crawl up to the point and get settled. By this time the 2 have gone to the far back corner and eventually head towrds the swamp. It was about 10 oclock. I sat there listening another 30 minutes and never heard another peep. Keep in mind i never called the whole time. So I knew I had to be somewhere by 11:30 so I snuck out to the truck and headed home. I had to guide the next 2 mornings and I knew I wouldnt be able to come back for a few days. Well friday morning rolls around and I decided to go back to this property. I was a lil late getting in there. I was hoping to get to the "point" and set up. However as I was easing that way he gobbled right on the point. I was about 150 yards shy of my destination, and it was still pretty dark. So I lstened for a few minutes and he gobbled again, this time I can tell he already on the ground!! So I ease down the road and I get about 60 yards from the point and I see him in the field again he's half strut. hes about 80 yards out in the field right off the point. So he's in the pasture by himself, its still pretty dark and im in the swamp where it its darker. There was alot of cover in between he and I so I decided to crawl. it took me about 15 minutes to crawl that 60 yards to get where I needed to be. Every time he gobbled I would crawl a lil closer. I finally reached my tree and I eased into position. I couldnt get my back against the tree so I had to sit on my knees. I got my gun propped on the barb wire fence poitning right at him. He hasnt budged the whole time I was crawling. He's still about 80 yards away. I was finally in position!! In the meantime his gobbling started tappering off, it wasnt long before I learned why. On the othe side of him about 200 yards away I could hear the 2 from tuesday gobbling like fools. They were gobbling like it was opening morning. At one point the bird 80 yards away kinda squats down in the grass as they gobble, so now I realize this bird is the squatter from tuesday. I was figuring he was just a beat down rogue 2 year old. So here I was with a longbeard 80 yards away in a field with 2 more birds gobbling behind him, I was sitting pretty. After about 10 minutes the 2 were still cutting up and squatter hadnt said a word and or moved, he was very alert. I eased my glass call out of my vest. I should of sanded it prior to getting this close but it was too late now. I was able to find a decent roughed spot on the call. I knew not to call much at all but just give him enough to know I was there. So I purred,purred,cluck,yelp,yelp,yelp,yelp...........and GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE!! squatter heard me. As he gobbled the 2 answered him back with a multitude of gobbles. At this time he half struts and starts drumming. He walked forward about 7-8 yards putting him around 70-72 yards. He stands there in half strut and gobbles about 4-5 times. But never moves. I let a few minutes go by and I hit him again this time I did it just a lil softerpurr,purr,cluck,yelp,yelp,yelp,yelp........GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE!! Again he half struts walks about 7-8 yards now he' s right around 65 yards away. I put the call down and concentrated on my gun. He gobbles a few more times, the whole time the 2 are steadily hammering it back at him. So I just decided to wait out that remaining 7-8 yards before he's in killable range. Well after a few minutes he stands straight up long necks and starts putting. WTH?!! There is no way he saw me?! So I just hung tight, he putts a few more times and then gobbles and goes back to half strut? At that exact moment I thought this wasnt a dumb 2 year old. My mind was spinning and I could easily see this as an older bird who had been dethroned by the 2 gobbling fools 200 yards behind him. His strange behavior was not your classic 2 year old behavior. I continued to sit there watching him stand there in half strut. Then he long necks again and putts a few more times, and does his half strut one more time but he doesnt gobble this time. This time he comes stands up walks about 10 yards closer to me, now he's in range of my nitros!! I figured he was between 50-55 yards. He continues walking closer so I decided to let him come on. Well he gets to right about 47 yards and then turns and angles off to the left walking away. There was one limb in my way had he of gone right he's dead. I remianed calm and didnt rush a stupid shot. After a few steps he clears the limb, I guessed him to be right at 55-57, this is not a normal shot and to most it would be an iffy shot, however I know my gun and how my pattern looks at 40,50,and 60 and I felt confident. I put the crosshair on his old redhead and squeezed the trigger!! He went down!! I sat there shaking like a leaf for about 3 minutes just taking it all in!! What a great hunt!! I thanked the good lord over and over again for a beautiful morning!! I gathered my things and headed towards my bird. As I get to him the first thing I saw was a sloppy wet/muddy turkey(remember this field is on the edge of a swamp which is normally under water). I noticed one of his spurs and knew right then he wasnt a 2 year old. I rolled him over and thats when I saw the mass of beards!!!! Man I went crazy!!! I hollered so loud every turkey in the county had to of heard me!! I went to pick him up to move him to drier ground and thats when I knew he was a beast, it had been a long time since I grabbed an Alabama bird that was this heavy!! I immediatley called my friend who let me hunt to tell him thank you!! Ronnie was the 2nd phone call!! After geting him to the truck and letting him dry in the sun I checked him out good. He had 5 beards!! The main beard was impressive enough!! He was heavy and had good spurs!! I then took pictures and headed home. I had just killed a monster bird that I just knew was a scared 2 year old, boy was I wrong!! It was an awesome bird and an awesome hunt!!!
Quint:
Beard 1: 12 3/8
Beard 2: 9 1/2
Beard 3: 8 7/16
Beard 4: 7 1/4
Beard 5: 7 3/8
23 lbs 3oz
1 1/16 spur
1 3/16 spur!!

Me and Quint


Quints swamp


Black and white



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pass the biscuits

[Oromë]

Wow! That's an awesome bird!
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BRING ME MY HASENPHEFFER!

[neckringer]

very nice!!! congrats on a goodun
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Everglades Hunting photo album I am building
http://community.webshots.com/user/gladesdeer?vhost=community

[ohioturkeyhunter]

Good job Lee and loved the story!!
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"Shootemindaguts"

[RutnNStrutn]

Good job Lee, or should I now call you "Ole5beards"?
That was a great story. You stuck with it and earned a nice bird!! Hope you are getting him mounted!! Congrats!!
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All we need to do is call those hens across this field.

[Sam Crow]

Amazing bird and a great story

Very impressive

[Smokey Pokey]

... uhh Lee, ya' forgot to get his picture with the travel call.

I woulda used it as a screen saver.

... once again, what a bird

[flhuntress]

congrats on a great bird!!

[Turkey Beard]

That is one AWESOME story/pics, and BIRD! WOW!!
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1Up Game Calls: "The calls that put 'em on the wall."

[RutnNStrutn]

[jake tamer]

It'll cost ya!! I'm gonna have to go with the genetic explanation. The alabama state record was killed a few miles from where I killed mine.
And he had 8 beards. Also last year a boy across the hwy from where I was hunting killed one with six beards literally across the street. My buddys son killed a nice double beard a few years back in the same pasture quint came from.This place has a few bearded hens walking around as well. This property is right on the city limits line, surrounded by a big cattle farm. So I'm also curious if maybe some of the cattle feed has a hand in it. Probably not but just a thought. I have killed a few birds in and around the city limits mostly surrounded by cattle farms and all those birds have been heavier, so im sure the feed(not corn) has something to do with the weight. I wonder, these figures aren't accurate just figures for my guess, if quints mother had 10 poults that survived 5 males 5 females would the other 4 males be multis? Or is it just a one bird deal? When I was 17 I called up a friends first bird, it was a Jake. However when we went to clean him he had 5 beards. Only the main one(about 4 inches) was thick but he had 5 different beards. Now he was a 1st year bird but he already had 5 beards. So im guessing that once the beards start then if he is a multi then they would all start growing. Come to think of it that 5 bearded Jake was killed on a pasture where the farmer had cows, and it was just outside the city limits. Weird! Probably no significance but just a coincidence. Dk, six what are your thoughts?
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pass the biscuits

[Doc]

JT, Congratulations and fantastic bird! That is just phenomenal! So happy for you to be able to kill a hoss like that!
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Go Dawgs!
Beware the Yelp Marks.
"Assume there is common sense, but plan for stupidity."

[Southern Sportsman]

I've always believed that the same genetics behind bearded hens contributes to multi-bearded gobblers. I've killed 2 double bearded turkeys in TN, both from the same farm, and I've seen several bearded hens there. I also killed a double beard in MO with DiamondK, and he confirmed that there were several bearded hens around. Of course Mark killed a 9 bearded bird (the picture in his avatar) once so maybe it's just overall good genetics in that area. Who knows. I think I'm going to start "culling" the single bearded turkeys out of the flock. Of course if I see a multi I'll have to kill it -- Strictly for scientific examination of course.
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A man who carries a cat by the tail, learns something he can learn in no other way. ~Mark Twain

[mudmasher]

Great bird, congratulations!

[olesixbeards]