I wanted to share one story with you about our Texas trip. My friend has been wanting to try and film a hunt for a year or so with his digital camera. So the first morning the 2 of us set out with this in mind.
We had some interesting things happen, but eventually we found ourselves only a hundred yards away from a gobbling turkey. He would hammer at my box call in the tree for the next 25 minutes as hens called all around us. Finally he flew down into a beautiful oak creek bottom that was clean and open. He would proceed to strut and gobble for the next hour. There was a small rise between him and us and we could only see him when he would strut to the top of this rise. He would display proudly for the fake hens we had set for him, but he wasn't budging and inch.
We were collecting some good footage and I was throwing everything I could at him. Some hens down the creek from us got in a fight and he gobbled so I mocked a fight and he fired back several gobbles but didn't budge. I tried soft talking him with contented clucks and purrs but this just seemed to intensify his strutting and drumming.
After about an 1 1/2 hours I decided to throw a Kee Kee Run at him. This was immediately met by a triple gobble and he marched up on the small rise about 80 yards in front of us. I continued to Kee Kee at him which made him even madder as he came trotting in gobbling every few steps. My friend and I were sitting about 5 yards apart but I just assumed he was getting the bird the whole time. When he finally stopped coming and let out a putt at 25 yards I killed him. I would then find out that just before I shot when he passed behind a tree Spur57 lost him and we missed the kill shot on the video.
That sucked, but it was a great hunt. Hopefully we will do better next time.
Here are the pics of my birds the first one is the bird we almosted filmed.
16.7 lbs, 8 1/2 inch beard and 7/8 inch spurs
17.8 lbs, 8 1/4 inch beard and 3/4 inch spurs
19.5 lbs, 10 1/2 inch beard and 1 inch spurs
Texas Hunt Pics and Story
