PICTURE - MY GOBBLER FROM 2004!!!
What were the stats on your first bird and story
03-26-2005, 10:41 AM
#3
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Southern Indiana
Posts: 950
RE: PICTURE - MY GOBBLER FROM 2004!!!
Longbeard, here is my story and stats from that memorable morning. I copied this over from my hunting journal.
10 ¾ inch beard, 21 millimeter spurs and 18 pounds.
Sunday April 25, 2004 Morning
Started off hunting the open field fenceline hoping to catch the tom that was
gobbling the evening before, about 10 minutes after first light, I
began hearing gobbles, every 2 or 3 minutes a tom would send out a
gobble. I tried using my power crow locater call to get one to
respond closer, but didn’t hear a thing. After hearing a few more
gobbles from the bottom hardwoods, I decided to move to the fence crossing or
head to the bottom field to set up. (The fence crossing is a place in the woods where an old farm fence runs through the timber, the fence is down in one section from a fallen tree, all the local game use this so they don't have to cross over the fence, it is an awesome spot to hunt)
While walking down the ridge, I
looked down into the freshly plowed bottom field and saw 2 toms in
full strut, they let out a couple gobbles and I decided to head back up
the ridge and set up hoping to get one to come calling to my clucking, I
carefully hunkered down and used the creek and the ridge to hide
my movement, I set up the jake and hen decoy in a visible area, as I
peeked over the ridge, I noticed a turkey head very close, I was worried I
would spook him so I slowly got down and backed away to find a
good place to sit, I found a good tree and
put my head net on and could feel the sweat from all the work of
getting set up and the moist conditions from the fog and heavy rain the night
before. I let out a few clucks and had a response gobble from the
toms below, they sounded further away so I called again, this time
multiple gobbles rang out as I got ready and hoped they would come
to investigate, some light purring produced more gobbles this time
very close. I could hear their light foot steps on the spring hardwoods
floor, I got ready for a shot after a quick call, I hoped they would
cross close to the decoys, but I caught movement as three toms
worked their way to the northeast of me along the game trail from the fence
crossing, I carefully moved my gun and saw a tom look my direction,
I stopped and allowed the tom to investigate, after a couple seconds
the toms began moving along looking for the hen they were hearing, I
steadied my 12 gauge on one of the toms, but passed on the shot
because of the thick cover between us and an unfavorable angle with
my gun, I began to focus on the lead bird and as he worked his way
into a slightly open hole for shooting, I held my gun close against my
shoulder, and tried to hold off the anxiety as the tom bobbed his head.
Finally a clear shot, steady gun, bead on neck, BAM!!!, I squeezed the
trigger, the ole’ tom fell down and began to flap, the other two toms
took off the way they came, I was full adrenaline as I saw the tom hit the
floor, he began to shake furiously, so I quickly jumped up and ran to
the bird, I then placed my boot on his head, as he flapped heavily for a few more
seconds before expiring. What a thrill, I was pumped up, I gathered
my gear, thanked god for an awesome morning, took a couple pictures
and began my journey back to the truck, on the drive back, I was
ecstatic with emotion, even got a little teary eyed on the drive down
the old rock road. All of this action before 7:30 am. The hunting conditions
that morning were, temp in the low 60’s, heavy rain the night
before, moderate to heavy northern winds, cloudy, Rising Moon
10 ¾ inch beard, 21 millimeter spurs and 18 pounds.
Sunday April 25, 2004 Morning
Started off hunting the open field fenceline hoping to catch the tom that was
gobbling the evening before, about 10 minutes after first light, I
began hearing gobbles, every 2 or 3 minutes a tom would send out a
gobble. I tried using my power crow locater call to get one to
respond closer, but didn’t hear a thing. After hearing a few more
gobbles from the bottom hardwoods, I decided to move to the fence crossing or
head to the bottom field to set up. (The fence crossing is a place in the woods where an old farm fence runs through the timber, the fence is down in one section from a fallen tree, all the local game use this so they don't have to cross over the fence, it is an awesome spot to hunt)
While walking down the ridge, I
looked down into the freshly plowed bottom field and saw 2 toms in
full strut, they let out a couple gobbles and I decided to head back up
the ridge and set up hoping to get one to come calling to my clucking, I
carefully hunkered down and used the creek and the ridge to hide
my movement, I set up the jake and hen decoy in a visible area, as I
peeked over the ridge, I noticed a turkey head very close, I was worried I
would spook him so I slowly got down and backed away to find a
good place to sit, I found a good tree and
put my head net on and could feel the sweat from all the work of
getting set up and the moist conditions from the fog and heavy rain the night
before. I let out a few clucks and had a response gobble from the
toms below, they sounded further away so I called again, this time
multiple gobbles rang out as I got ready and hoped they would come
to investigate, some light purring produced more gobbles this time
very close. I could hear their light foot steps on the spring hardwoods
floor, I got ready for a shot after a quick call, I hoped they would
cross close to the decoys, but I caught movement as three toms
worked their way to the northeast of me along the game trail from the fence
crossing, I carefully moved my gun and saw a tom look my direction,
I stopped and allowed the tom to investigate, after a couple seconds
the toms began moving along looking for the hen they were hearing, I
steadied my 12 gauge on one of the toms, but passed on the shot
because of the thick cover between us and an unfavorable angle with
my gun, I began to focus on the lead bird and as he worked his way
into a slightly open hole for shooting, I held my gun close against my
shoulder, and tried to hold off the anxiety as the tom bobbed his head.
Finally a clear shot, steady gun, bead on neck, BAM!!!, I squeezed the
trigger, the ole’ tom fell down and began to flap, the other two toms
took off the way they came, I was full adrenaline as I saw the tom hit the
floor, he began to shake furiously, so I quickly jumped up and ran to
the bird, I then placed my boot on his head, as he flapped heavily for a few more
seconds before expiring. What a thrill, I was pumped up, I gathered
my gear, thanked god for an awesome morning, took a couple pictures
and began my journey back to the truck, on the drive back, I was
ecstatic with emotion, even got a little teary eyed on the drive down
the old rock road. All of this action before 7:30 am. The hunting conditions
that morning were, temp in the low 60’s, heavy rain the night
before, moderate to heavy northern winds, cloudy, Rising Moon
03-28-2005, 08:20 AM
#9
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Southern Indiana
Posts: 950
RE: PICTURE - MY GOBBLER FROM 2004!!!
He wasn't cheap, the mount cost $510. The picture quality does not do it justice, there are some awesome looking morel mushrooms on the base with moss and leaves, the detail of the bird is really something. I can look at him for hours it seems like, plus it will last a lifetime, hopefully, I'll be looking at him when I'm 80 years old
