We got the "Green Stand Gobbler!"

SpringHillFarms · 05-13-2004, 09:56 AM

For 3 years I have seen a gobbler near a green tower stand on my farm. We see him during deer season as well as during turkey season, but when hunting for him, he has always eluded us. Even during the fall, when most of the gobblers are running together, the Green Stand Gobbler is a loner.
Well, my son, who is graduating from high school this coming Sunday, has never gotten a trophy gobbler. He shot a jake a couple of years ago and has had several near misses when something unusual prevented him from getting a nice one. For some reason, whenever he has been with me to hunt, we have had lousy luck. The last two birds that I shot this year were on mornings when he couldn't go. His girlfriend and all of his senior parties and such have kept him out of the woods much this spring (Can you imagine that he would rather spend time with a beautiful 17 year-old blonde than me???). Like most dads, I would much rather he get a gobbler than me.
We decided to hunt this morning. We went to a spot that I thought would be hot, but almost nothing was going on. We finally decided to move to another area a mile or so away, but again it was dead quiet. Having to head back to town for his graduation practice, we started walking back to my truck. About 50 yards from it, I decided to call one more time. We were right down the power line from The Green Stand. Less than 100 yards away a roaring gobbler answered. It was 9:05AM. We quickly sat in the brush on the edge of the power line hoping the tom would step into the opening from the other side. After calling to him for a few minutes, and each call getting an immediate and intense response, the old strutting gobbler stepped out in the corn growing in the power line. Wham! My son shot him and followed the shot with a second blast as the gobbler flopped 40 yards away from us. We ran up to him just bursting with excitement as we saw he was indeed the old bird that I had glassed carefully from the green stand during deer season. His sharp spurs were 1 1/4" and he had a 10 1/2" beard. He'll look good on my son's apartment wall at college in the fall!

Turk_man · 05-13-2004, 10:12 AM

Congrats on a great hunt, only made better by being with your son!

Doemasters · 05-13-2004, 11:17 AM

nice 'un... I believe your were more excited than your son, & that's how it should be! Congrats!!!

jepcho · 05-13-2004, 02:55 PM

That is awesome. Congrats to both of you. I'm a senior as well and I shot my first 2 this year. I'm probably a little different than your son though. I even skipped my senior prom to go hunting!! Thankfully I got one that weekend and I dont regret it at all.