Another one in heaven - PICTURES UP!
04-18-2008, 05:25 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Where the ducks don't come no more
Posts: 4,420
Another one in heaven - PICTURES UP!
After the season Rebecca and I had last year, (hunting 9 times without even seeing a bird, but hearing plenty of gobbling), then to have her go on a hunt with one of our pro-staffers and smoke one in 30 minutes, and I stick one with a bow the next day (our first hunts apart that year)... I just think it wasn't in the cards for us last year..... but I was ready to collect some of the good Karma I had accruing interest and so was she.
We walked across "the field" because we only have one (or should I say had.... just got another 1300 acres that I hunted years ago... loaded up) and heard the first gobble at 6:03am. Set up not where we'd heard that bird gobble, but in the only spot I think a bird would come into that field. As I set the decoy bag down.. about 100 yards behind me right on the duck swamp..... one lit off. I actually pumped my fist.... he was right where I was hoping he would be and damnit today is the day we are gonna get the skunk off our backs.
I repainted the head on my B-Mobile decoy, and this was his maiden voyage. Coupled him with the hardcore-hen and it was a fine looking set. I let the bird gobble and set Reb up just so... 6:15, I called very softly on the Woodhaven Glass and he cut me off. I gave him 5 more minutes and he gobbled at everything, as did 7 other turkeys all around the field, then I clucked softly, yelped and raked the leaves hard and I heard him leave the tree. I told Rebeca to get her gun up and she did. The bird lit in the field about 100 yards from us and turned and looked at Puff Daddy (my name for my newly pimped out B-Mobile). I could tell he was thinking about it. He turned away, then back, then away again, then came on our way. At 60 yards, he stopped, went into full strutt and drummed a few times, trying to lure the hen away from him, but I think he knew it was no good and he came in ready to rumble. Half strutting he flanked along side Puff Daddy and at that point I lost my nerve... I wanted that bird dead right now. I whispered shoot him a couple of times and at 19 yards the unlucky streak stopped at 9 and Rebecca and I had our first "team bird" together, and she her second longbeard, ever. Hugs and kisses and high fives and pictures commenced. The bird first gobbled at 6:09 and when I thought to check my watch as we stood their smiling, it was 6:27. I don't mean to seem ungrateful, but it all happened way too fast. Rebecca noted that she'd cut a few tail feathers off, which as my angle was different than her's I found out she was waiting for him to stick his head up full. She was bummed, but I told her, and I mean it still, that I'd trade every turkey I've ever shot and ever will shoot for that one right there under her foot. Hell I damn near shed a tear thinking about it.
Bird was a cookie cutter 2 year old, only BIG for our part of the world. 20# 4oz with a 9" beard and perfect 2 year old 7/8" spurs on both sides. Only found four pellets in the breast, and to be shot with THAT gun at 19 yards, it means she either dang near missed him or just flat out smoked his head. A later autopsy (although it wouldn't take a medical examiner) would determine that she made an textbook perfect shot and I lost count fast of how many pellet strikes were in his head and what little bit of a beak he had left.
Reb has the camera with her at work to take by the photo lab and get some big prints made. I'll post them up when she gets back and puts them on the computer here at the house, we got some pretty good shots, and would of had more even better ones if the retarded camera man wasn't breathing so heavy and the flash whiting out the picture from his hot breath.....
We walked across "the field" because we only have one (or should I say had.... just got another 1300 acres that I hunted years ago... loaded up) and heard the first gobble at 6:03am. Set up not where we'd heard that bird gobble, but in the only spot I think a bird would come into that field. As I set the decoy bag down.. about 100 yards behind me right on the duck swamp..... one lit off. I actually pumped my fist.... he was right where I was hoping he would be and damnit today is the day we are gonna get the skunk off our backs.
I repainted the head on my B-Mobile decoy, and this was his maiden voyage. Coupled him with the hardcore-hen and it was a fine looking set. I let the bird gobble and set Reb up just so... 6:15, I called very softly on the Woodhaven Glass and he cut me off. I gave him 5 more minutes and he gobbled at everything, as did 7 other turkeys all around the field, then I clucked softly, yelped and raked the leaves hard and I heard him leave the tree. I told Rebeca to get her gun up and she did. The bird lit in the field about 100 yards from us and turned and looked at Puff Daddy (my name for my newly pimped out B-Mobile). I could tell he was thinking about it. He turned away, then back, then away again, then came on our way. At 60 yards, he stopped, went into full strutt and drummed a few times, trying to lure the hen away from him, but I think he knew it was no good and he came in ready to rumble. Half strutting he flanked along side Puff Daddy and at that point I lost my nerve... I wanted that bird dead right now. I whispered shoot him a couple of times and at 19 yards the unlucky streak stopped at 9 and Rebecca and I had our first "team bird" together, and she her second longbeard, ever. Hugs and kisses and high fives and pictures commenced. The bird first gobbled at 6:09 and when I thought to check my watch as we stood their smiling, it was 6:27. I don't mean to seem ungrateful, but it all happened way too fast. Rebecca noted that she'd cut a few tail feathers off, which as my angle was different than her's I found out she was waiting for him to stick his head up full. She was bummed, but I told her, and I mean it still, that I'd trade every turkey I've ever shot and ever will shoot for that one right there under her foot. Hell I damn near shed a tear thinking about it.
Bird was a cookie cutter 2 year old, only BIG for our part of the world. 20# 4oz with a 9" beard and perfect 2 year old 7/8" spurs on both sides. Only found four pellets in the breast, and to be shot with THAT gun at 19 yards, it means she either dang near missed him or just flat out smoked his head. A later autopsy (although it wouldn't take a medical examiner) would determine that she made an textbook perfect shot and I lost count fast of how many pellet strikes were in his head and what little bit of a beak he had left.
Reb has the camera with her at work to take by the photo lab and get some big prints made. I'll post them up when she gets back and puts them on the computer here at the house, we got some pretty good shots, and would of had more even better ones if the retarded camera man wasn't breathing so heavy and the flash whiting out the picture from his hot breath.....
04-22-2008, 02:19 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Where the ducks don't come no more
Posts: 4,420
RE: Another one in heaven
This shows a decent picture of my newly repainted B-Mobile as well.... put some extra red where red should be, and it accented the white nicely... also gave him ear feathers and retinas and the like.....
