thanks Mottz could have been a bit more detailed but it would have been a bit longer read and most people do not read long stories. it was extremely rewarding. but hey it aint over yet. there are at least 2 birds left and I still got a tag!

jbsr good luck with the truck, I hope you get it fixed without costing you any more $.


Nice job snapper, congrats.

Phil you are getting closer. Keep at it man. I know you are trying and really determined to get one. Still plenty of time.

Mottz are you done are still hunting?

John

jbsr, I hope you can get your truck fixed at a more reasonable price. So was it your timing belt/chain that went on it? It has to be a real pain in the butt for you to have to let that sit there when you need to have it.

Congrats snapper, nice job at getting it done!

I have been trying real hard but those birds are playing hard to get! Monday I saw a nice tom as well as this morning. I darn near fell a sleep about 3 times this morning on the way home. I have not heard a gobble at all this week so far. I have seen a few toms though.
Now yesterday was a real bummer for me. I tried to call a tom in that was with some hens.. The tom had 10 hens with him and would not come in to my calls. He stayed with the hens so I tried to sneak in on him. After getting with in 40 yards or so he saw me and started a fast walk to the trees. It was a now or never type of thing all of a sudden. So I took a shot at around 40-45 yards. You could see the brush move right around the kill zone on that shot. But, he flew around 3 to 4 feet at about 2 feet off the ground. All the hens few right to him instantly and they vanished into thin air it would appear. I looked around for him in there for 2 to 2 1/2 hours thinking for sure he would be there.. No Luck with that one.

So I went back down to where my blind is set up and walked the line for a bit when I saw three birds way down from me. The place is like a roller coaster with those up and down hills. So I snuck up on them every time they went down into the small valleys. I could not tell if there was a tom or not from the distances. I hid behind rock piles and called a few times. They were coming my way and taking there time They crested a hill still quite a ways from me and went into the rocks. Then they turned and started back the other way. I could see one was a hen but the other 2 I could not tell as they stayed weaving in and out of the rocks. As they disappeared below the hill I made a run for that last hill while staying low. I snuck into the rocks they were in and snuck up over the hill. Wouldn't you know after all that they turned out being hens! Nothing but hens! But, then again that is why we call it hunting right..

I will be back at it again in the morning.. Good luck to everyone out there hunting..

Ok guys I blasted a cap on a bird this morning! Yes, it was a night cap and it went to sleep.. LOL It has an 11 inch beard and 3/4 inch spurs.. The pics and story to come later on as I have to get my camera and the wife to get a picture of the bird.. So now some of the pressure has come off me.. Just maybe I can get bird #2 before our season ends!

Way to go Phil!!! Nice work! Sounds like a good one, can't wait to hear the story and see some pics!
Snapper, again, awsome bird! I come up with 60.6875, Nice! I'll get him enetered.

Ok guys he is not as big as I hoped he would be as he only weighed in at 17lbs 9ozs. Also I would of liked to see his spurs go a little bigger as well. But, I am still very happy with this bird! I was thinking a season of nothing going by.. here is the pics,,
I had meant to say it is an Eastern..

On this beard there is around 4 strands that complete the 11 inches.. The longest beard on a bird I have ever shot...

the spurs..

Phil, awesome buddy and congrats! I knew you could do it (although was getting a little worried) lol

hey guys bird number 2 or 4 which ever way you count it is down. do not quote me on this yet as measurements were fast. but 11 1/4 beard and 1 1/16 and 1 3/16 spurs and bigger weight than my others but not weighed yet.

Here is the story to this one..

It had rained hard last night and some lite rain this morning as I headed out. So I figure my blind was the best place to be waiting for them. I tried calling but nothing responded to it. The sun started to shine threw the clouds so I waited a little longer. I have been sitting there from 4:30 to 8:30 when I decided it was time to move on. Just as I was getting ready to go I see 3 hens pop up from the edge of the hill my blind is on. I watched them and saw a head peak the crest. Then they all went back down to where they had came from. So I got out of my blind and snuck towards the top of the hill. I saw 6 birds there, 4 hens and 2 toms. The they were all moving in and out of the rocks making it hard to tell which tom was the biggest. So I tried to sneak some more but a tom spotted me. He stood almost straight up looking right at me. So I choose him to get the night cap put on him.

I went for a drive after that to where I had shot at that tom a couple of days before. I saw nothing but was talking with a couple of fishermen that told me they had saw a really big tom yesterday with 8 hens. That was great news to hear that I was worried about nothing as it was a complete miss I am assuming..

Good Luck everyone that is still out there hunting!

Congrats snapper it is great to hear that you have another one down! Good Luck with getting the others!

One thing I had forgotten again is with my shotgun I need to aim a little low with it. This bird this morning I put it down around mid neck and got the results I wanted..

Congrats on the birds guys.