I have to do some honey-do's before I can get everything uploaded and the story may take a little bit to type out. I'm excited to tell you guys about it though!

Congrats Mottz. Looking forward to the story and pics.

Good to see more birds going down. We still need to make up some ground.

Tomorrow will be Phil's turn.

Great job team, keep after them.


John

20 1/2 pds
right spur 1"
left spur 1"
10" beard
20.375+10+10+20=60.375

Started off where I was last week. I was hearing only 1 gobble. But I could hear alot more South of me quite a ways away. Called for about an hour and with nothing I decided to move. Got to my truck and drove the roads quick to see if any were in the fields. Didn't see any. Figured a plan out and started walking in and seen a group crossing a low area heading towards the neighbors. Waited til they got behind some trees, dropped my vest,decoys, binocs and just kept my fan. This was a chance for me to try it. I paralleled them in a low draw and came out of it to see them on the neighbors. I kept the fan right in front of my face and slowly crouch walked to the property line. There is just a small burm where I laid down facing them. There were 5 hens and 4 strutters but I couldn't tell because I left the binocs. I held the fan in front of my head and moved it from side to side. I made a couple clucks with the mouth call and the hens started coming. 1 strutter was slowly following and the other 3 stayed well behind. The hens got real close and 1 hen came across the burm about 5 yards beside me. I rotated the fan towards her and she jumped back across. The the 1st strutter was a jake with a perfect fan came charging right at me. He got to about 10' straight in front of me and stood there. I took a little chance, because I seen there was 1 longbeard in the other 3, moved the fan to the side and said in a low voice "bang". He kinda jumped back and started doing some clucks. The other 3 heard that and came full throttle at me. I had just enough time to slouch back enough to shoulder my gun while laing down to get the shot off. Dropped him. And the jakes just stood there. I thought about taking one but there was another group up on the fenceline. I ended up spooking the jakes off when I went to get this bird. So I tried to circle around and see if I couldn't find the other group. But I lost them. Oh well I got 1!! And from here on out I may just take a fan to where I go and sit. If some enter the field, I'll just raise it and wave it around. It worked like a charm. Just make sure no one else tries to shoot ya!!

Good Turkey and a good story! I never really thought that fan idea would actually work though.. I guess it must.. I left my fan in my blind to set up my pretty boy with.. Perhaps if I decide to leave and try another place I could take it with me..

Trust me Phil, if you are in your blind and can't get them to come in, grab that tail and walk right towards them. As low to the ground as you can. Just hold the fan right in front of your face. If they stop and look at ya then stop and kind of pivot the fan around. Just have your gun where you can drop the fan and raise it in 1 swift motion. I just found out today that all you need is a fan and a weapon. I will be doing it this way alot more. Good luck Phil!!

I will surely give it a try if they end up holding up on me. I may even try it if I just see some traveling to and from provided it is safe to..

Mottz you dirty dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Awsome!!! Congrats!! Great bird and can't beleive that fan thing worked! Very cool, that must have been quite the thrill doin it like that. Another great score for the team.

Well now that thats out of the way, let me bring the mood down a bit! Can't beleive how crappy my luck is lately!!! Got set up befor light this morn, had the dekes out and lookin good. Started hearing gobblin on the roost, kinda far to the east and not far at all to the west. The close one was gobblin hard and i could also hear a hen but didn't sound like it was with the gobbler(that shoulda told me somethin right there). Could tell when he was on the ground and kept right on gobblin good. Sounded like he was no morre than 200yrds away, and i know the love to come in this feild so i'm sure its just a matter of time and i'm gonna get a chance. But just like that, it all ended. Right from where i was hearin him.....BOOM.........BOOM! My jaw dropped into the dirt! Last thing i woulda ever suspected was another hunter. If this guy wasn't on the prop i was, he had to have been right on the line! A couple more minutes went by, i was just about to get up and i hear the guy start callin again, then BOOM!!! again! Almost immediately after the third shot i see the bird goin like a streak a sh%t down the trail about 80 yrds in from of me. Come to find out the prop line is right there close but man! This bird almost had to have been on my side on that last shot. Wosre than this guy being there was the fact that he missed, so he's gonna keep bein there. Least for the rest of the day i figured.
So i got up and went to the house to talk to the land owner, he couldn't beleive someone else was out their either, but did say the line was right there close. Then goes on to tell me there were 10 birds out there yesterday afternoon, 5 strutters. After hearin that i did go back and sit for a few more hours, seen a couple loan hens pass thru but that was it. Didn't go back out the rest of the day and not sure how much more i'm gonna do. Not workin tomorrow but can't go first thing in the morn, or in the eve, but may try to go out around 8 and sit till noon or something. After that i may be done, not sure if i'll get another chance to go. All this playin aint bringin no money in so if i can work this week i gotta do it. May get a chance next weekend but its iffy. I'm startin to taste that bitter twinge of tag in the back of my throat!
Congrats again Mottz! Phil, tomorrow's the big day buddy! Go get a good one!

You are right and I am ready to roll out that freaking night cap on one tomorrow if all goes well. I prolly could of this morning when traveling up to my blind.. I saw 4 jakes and 4 long beards all the long beards were alone.. I will try to get their heart to throb some in the morning. I certainly hope one of the will come a running in to find a decoy lady waiting for him..

I feel sort of sorry for you j76 at not having much luck.. I thought for sure you would have one by now.. Hopefully if you get the chance to try it again your luck will change..

I just checked and I am thinking we have 7 birds on our team right now.. We are doing great and if I can get another 1 or 2 it will surely help us out.. We still have more out hunting as well. Good luck guys! I am also wondering how Wetley49 is doing. We have not heard much from him in a while..

Hell of a deal j. I've been there hearing shots a little to close. In fact, I checked cams today and have a couple guys in turkey apparel walking out. This is the time when everyone thinks they can go wherever they want. Be careful out there. But my advice to you is this. Around here, and guys have been tellin me this for years but I'd still just try waiting and calling, but you have to be aggressive. The birds are getting established by seniority. They want to breed and they will fight to win that right. So make yourself seen. And get them ticked off at ya. Whether you rig up a string to your decoy and make them have motion or if you try the route I went. If you're running out of time to hunt then you have nothing to lose trying a different approach. If you have an idea, then try it and see what the outcome is. Put it in the memory bank for next time. Maybe try dressing up in a cow outfit and just walk out there:happy0157: (another true story. Couple guys made a wooden cow cutout out of a 4x8 sheet of plywood. They did get one but said it was to heavy and the wind played hell with them) Dont give up yet captain j!!

Looked at my calendar and it says "Phil from Maine Monday" so make it happen bud!!

I still have another permit so I'm not done yet but I am relieved that I got 1. So I can take it a little easier and hope for another one. I checked cams and the spot I've been sitting, well I've been there at the wrong time. I'll post up a couple pics in a little bit.

Congrats Mottz, always like to read a story about another members hunt.

Good luck tomorrow Phil.