Persistence Pays Off!
 

Went turkey hunting for the second time in my life yesterday. Got busted in the morning and then didn't see any toms for the rest of the day. Went out this AM and got settled in 40 minutes before first light. Little did we know, but we were sitting 20 yards from a tree where two toms roosted last night. My hunting mentor started calling at first light and we had those toms drop down in front of him where I didn't have a shot. He dropped one that weighed 28 1/2 lbs. The wind picked up right after sunrise and it was time to get to the lowlands. We moved on to another area that was in the bottoms along a creek and at 9:30 AM he yelped a few times. We had 5 toms respond! After 15 minutes 3 out of the 5 were making a beeline to us. At 9:45, those 3 toms were 20 feet from me. I picked the lead turkey and dropped him. When I went to get him, much to my suprise, this tom had 3 beards. One 10 1/2", one 8", and one 5 1/4 inches. The only down side to the experience was the bird was taken 200 yards down a steep hillside and 3/4 mile from the ATV. By the time we got to the ATV, this broken old body was exhausted! I'll add a photo when I download it from the camera.

WOW! What a hunt!

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

Here we are with our toms...I'm the one on the left.

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

Very nice...congrats!

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

Great job!!!!!

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

28 lbs?!? thats a BIG one

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

TWO. MORE. DAYS.Nice birds. Looks like your in southern Iowa? I used to hunt right next to the Missouri border. Monsterous turkeys there and in good numbers.

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

Congrats on a fine fine hunt. Where abouts in Iowa are you located. I'm in Northeast Iowa. Congrats again.

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

Located 15 miles south of Knoxville, IA. With my own 7 acre stocked pond, plenty of deer and turkey, all I have to know now is whether or not there areany morels.

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

Great hunt! Nice birds!

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

Congrats on your fist bird AF....

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

That is a great bird for only hunting for such a short time! Congrats.

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

Nice bird. Congrats on your first.

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

nice birds

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

Man way to go. with those beards lengths you sould have broke 90 on that bird. way to go. gotta love the midwest.

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

Fantastic birds! Congrats!

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

Nice birds! I got busted Mon morning, JoDaviess county Il. Had to quit on Tue due to high winds. My spot is all ridgetop fields with no access to the valleys/ravines and boy when that wind kicked up I had to hold on to my blind. Decided to quit an hour early. Two more days for me next week!

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

Congratulations on such anice bird! Sounds like you had an exciting hunt as well. I'm sure you'd do that walk all over again!

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

Great job!

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

Congrats. Those are some nice birds. Nice work.

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

I have a couple more friends that want to hunt 4th season here and twisted my arm to get another tag. Foggy this morning and the Toms were very vocal at what should have been sunrise. It is so fun to go out just before first light and hoot and then listen to all the turkeys respond. Sounded like I was surrounded in the front yard. Life in the country has moments like this that nullify the 93" of snow this winter and the 8 days without power after last December's ice storm.

Throwing the harvested bird which dressed out at 18 lbs in the smoker at 6PM today so it'll be done at noon tomorrow. Slow smoking is the way to go!

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

Congrats on the birds. A triple bearder and a 28 1/2 pounder, Wow!

Those are two impressive turkeys right there.

RE: Persistence Pays Off!
 

Congrast! Great bird!