Opening day in Georgia was memorable for me this past Saturday. It was a beautiful morning about 53 degrees with several birds gobbling as the sun was rising. I set up between two gobbling birds and called twice being cut off both times by the bird on my right. I called one more time with no response so I hunkered down and set up my decoys. About 7:40 four hens came out of a pine stand and started feeding about 40 yards from where I was set up. Shortly after I saw the tail feathers of a strutting gobbler come behind the hens and I heard him spit and drum. He started out at 50 yards from me constantly strutting and moving back and forth to gain the attention of the female birds. I watched him strut for about 15 minutes and shortly after 8:00 p.m. I shot him at 38 steps and watched him drop in his tracks. The Franchi I-12 shooting Winchester 3" #6's dropped him cleanly. The bird weighed 24.5 lbs and had a 12 inch beard. His spurs were 1 3/16" and 1 1/4". Like my dad said a long time ago, it is better to be lucky than good - I was very lucky and also blessed to witness a true spectacle of beauty. There is nothing like the high and satisfaction of a successful hunt.
Good luck to everyone else and I hope each of you has a memorable experience from this year's hunt.
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Remember, life is simple. Love God, your family and your country.
Thats a pretty big bird indeed , 24 lbs. 8 oz. is a good size and I bet you could have hung that bird on a limb with hooks like that , not to mention a ground dragging beard. Now thats a real good start for our team , lets hope the others get one like yours.
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There's no better place to be than in GOD'S wood's.
God's natural medicine for cleansing the soul.
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Remington Model 11-87 Premier 12 Gauge
Remington Model 870 SPS-T Camo Thumbhole 12 Gauge
Ruger M77 Mark II .270 w/ Nikon 3-9x40 Buckmasters
I'm not on team 8, but I love hearing about other hunters scoring ona nice gobbler. Sounds like a nice heavy bird, with nice beard/spur length. Congrats.
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Kurt Rojemann
www.drop-tine-taxidermy.com
I will try and post some pictures tomorrow. I was hunting by myself and shot some pics of the bird on the back of my truck. The pics are on my cell phone so I will try and download them tomorrow. Thanks for the comments and congrats - THERE IS NOTHING LIKE HUNTING LONGBEARDS IN THE SPRING!!!! Can't wait to get out this weekend and try to get them birds to gobble again.
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Remember, life is simple. Love God, your family and your country.
I'm not on your team either but that's an impressive start for ya bud. I've got two under my belt so far but not quite that big. You've definitely put the pressure on us with that fat daddy! Congrats on a dang good bird!
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Go afield with a good attitude, with respect for the wildlife you hunt and for the forest and fields in which you walk. Immerse yourself in the outdoor experience. It will cleanse your soul and make you a better person. - Fred Bear
Score One for Team Eight
