I finally got my first bird yesterday. 22lbs 13" beard and 1" spurs. We have a powerline that runs through the middle of our property and on through the next properties also. A guy in the club said that they had been watching 3 gobblers a few weeks ago on the neighboring hillside. So, I decided to see if B-mobile could do some magic. I was setup about 6:15, and started hearing one gobble on the hill on the other property. Almost every time I would call he would gobble. Where I set up, I couldnt tell if he was on the powerline or in the woods. Finally I snaked my way out on the powerline far enough to see him strutting about 300 yards up the hill. About 8:00, he moved off the powerline into the woods, but would still answer me when I called. Somehow he moved across the powerline to the other side. About 9:00 I started hearing some hens, so I snuck back out of the woods enough to see them working their way down the powerline towards the swamp (the property line). Out of nowhere, big boy came strutting out of the woods, and I could tell from there he was BIG. The hens got to the swamp and he couldnt keep the 3 of them together. One flew into the swamp, and he was standing on the edge when he looked up and saw Bmobile. He jumped up and flew over the swamp and the hens followed. Started strutting almost immediately and never let out of it. He had landed about 70 yards from me, and I was on my belly, halfway in the woods and halfway out. They started making their way up the hill and I got busted when one of the hens finally saw me (about 3-4 steps). I had been clucking trying to get him to stop strutting, but he wouldnt. I saw her head shoot up, and never gave him the chance. I hit him a bit low (in the breast) but he went straight down. I have only been turkey hunting once with an experianced hunter and this is the 2nd year that I have been hard at it, so you can imagine how proud I am. I took him to the taxidermist (going to get a mount like Rob's) and my wife never said a thing about how much it was gonna cost, but its gonna be a year before I get him back. Decided to take today off and get back after them later this week.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c382/smokems/BriansPictures038.jpg

If somebody can get the pic to post, I would greatly apprechiate it. Thanks

congrats!
the first ones always the hardest
what state were you hunting?

I am hunting in Ga, Columbia County to be exact, right within sight of Strom Thurmond Dam on the Savannah River. We have a lot of turkeys on our property, but for some reason, since deer season went out, they have moved around a bit to the neighboring properties.

id like to hunt the far south someday, seems like good turkey hunting.

There you go bud! Awesome bird for a first, heck for any! GA seems like a great place to hunt, and I know from experience the south is anything but easy to hunt in alot of cases. Congrats again.

Dont sweat it about them moving to neighboring farms. The same happens here. Turkey often spend the fall and winter in different general areas. Seems like you had no problem bringin em back over.

Nice bird and that beard is a rope.

Good job, chalk another one up for theGeorgia Boys !!!

Thanks T for posting it for me. I couldnt get it to work. Our birds have a fair amount of pressure. We have about 6 people in our club that hunt them on a regular basis, and there is no telling how many people hunt them on the next club. I talked to this guy for 3 1/2 hours before he came "lookin for love in all the wrong places". From what I hear and have seen, turkeys dont fly too much, usually from the roost, and back to it. I was really suprised that he flew over the swamp. DTC, the pic doesnt do his beard justice. Half of it is riding in my truck cause of hitting him in the chest (reminder to self to give that to the taxidermist). I think it was draggin when he was struttin. I had a hard time seeing him because there wasa little ridge between me and him, and he didnt top it until a split second before the hen saw me. I dont even remember feeling the gun go off and its a 3 1/2 mag. But anyways, thanks fellas.

Congrats nice bird...