Originally Posted by kellyguinn

Alright! I have good news and bad news from my trip to Western Oklahoma this past weekend. As mentioned before I went and picked up the Turkey Fan decoy and a box of Winchester Longbeard in #5 as I was running low on my last box.

Got out there and gobbles were everywhere on the roost but pretty much quit on fly down. All the roosts are on private property across a blacktop road. I could hear hens probably for the next hour or so.

Side note: Across a fence I could see a cow and the dang thing wasn't moving much just standing in some tall grass. After about 4 hours I seen why.... She was giving birth to a little bull!! It was pretty cute watching it learn to walk and then trying to play with momma.

Anyway at about 11 I decided to pack up and go look for some lonely toms out walking. I got about 100 yrds back toward the truck and I'll be danged if they weren't on top of the hill 300 yrds from me fixing to head into the draw I was originally positioned on but they spotted me the same time I seen them. UGH!!

Only seen a jake that evening. Then the next morning I headed to a high spot to see if I could catch them coming over off the roost and maybe drop down the other side and get in there path. No luck. Had the dang jake and 7 hens sneak up from behind me and walk on by but the big bow wasn't there.

Decided to check a farmer friends field and there were 4 loan Toms walking the tree line at about 10am. I scrambled back to another public unit across the road from his place and gave a soft yelp and here they came. They had to cross a cattle feed pen to get there and decided food was more important than finding love!!!. I sat and watched them for 3 hours feeding in that pen when a hen came in and started yelling at them lol I started up a conversation with her and she started my way with the toms in tow. As soon as she made it to the road edge a car came by and she ran with them back into the field.. 2nd UGH!!

I went up to my friends house to try and see if I could get permission to hunt a field that they use in the evening before making the trip 1/2 mile across the road to roost. He was recently diagnosed with pancreas cancer and was 6 hrs away getting chemo but I was eventually able to get a hold of his son and got the go ahead. I got set up and almost immediately had a few hens out about 70 yrds. I was sitting in a huge tree and brush pile. The feed pen was behind me about 200 yrds and there was a road thru a group of trees leading from the feed pen right by the brush pile and into the field. I couldn't see the road cause the pile was too high.

Right about 7:30pm I knew I made a good choice as right behind me all 4 of the toms lets out gobbles!! About 5 minutes later I could hear the spitting and drumming and the excitement starts to set in. Its finally going to happen after busting my rear since the 13th. Here comes 1 hen 2 hens then about 15 hens and there's the Toms all 4, 20 yrds away and in full strut!!! I settle the ole mossberg ghost ring right on the head and as luck would have it one sticks hid head and neck up just perfect. I click the safety off and pull the trigger. BOOOM! Wait I said BOOOOM! Where the heck is the boom!!!!!. Tried to re-rack a shell but they were spooked just enough to walk out to about 100 yrds and stay there. Eventually they crossed back but were at 65 yrds and I figured it was their lucky day.

Did I mention I bought a new box of shells???? After inspection the dang primer is seated too deep into the shell and the firing pin barely made contact. Dang Winchester cost me a bird!! I'll be contacting them today to let them know how happy I am..

Good news I had an awesome time. Seen tons of deer, birth of a cow, covey of quail that we thought had all been wiped out and had a great chance at a really good longbeard and got it on video.

What do yall think should be done about the shell though?