Team ThunderStrut is on the board!!!!!

[Rhino]

Needless to say, I’m having one heck of a beginning to this spring turkey season. First two times out to do battle and 2 mature gobblers get hammered. I had to work at this one though but I was rewarded with a great hunt. Here’s how the 2 hour and 10 minute hunt unfolded.

After trying to get on gobbling birds that shut up quick in 2 other locations I moved to where I heard a bird gobble on the roost a few times in the distance. I didn't get close to the area where I heard him until around 7:00. When I arrived a bird gobbled about 300 yards away. As I moved in closer to set up another bird gobbled just below the ridge I was on so I had to hit the deck and set up. Within a minute or so a hen walked up on the ridge followed by a jake. He sure had a stong gobble though. They crossed the ridge heading west while the other bird gobbled down the ridge. When the coast was clear, I moved in closer to set up where the ridge bent to the northwest leaving myself from 35 to 40 yards to the far side of the bend and hidden from view if the bird was around the bend down the ridge. I began calling with the Redbeard slate call and a Pittman Black Diamond diaphram. I started with clucks and purrs along with a cut and the gobbler hammered right back about 100 yards away. He gobbled again on his own a lot closer with one of those gobbles that ehcos across the ground and within a minute or so I could hear him drumming right around the bend but still out of sight. Needless to say, the hair is standing up on the back of my neck right now. I see movement. A hen steps out around the 35 yard line followed by 5 more hens. They all stop right where I can just see them in the bend of the ridge. Last bird to show up is the mature gobbler but that sucker walked right into the middle of the hens that were now scratchin around in the leaves. A no shot situation with him right in amongst the hens. I impatiently wait for a clear shot that’s never offered for several minutes that seemed like hours. 2 of the hens and the gobbler slowly move back in the direction they came from out of sight again. The other hens eventually head back too. Dang it but at least I can breath again. I add another slate call to the show and get an answer from the gobbler as he’s moving away. He gobbled a couple of times again off in the distance in a small food plot down the ridge as I found out later. As I sit trying to coax the gobbler back, I hear more hens to my left getting close. Something good may be fixin to happen. They all move through scratching and feeding inside the 25 yard line, with me at the ready and not a single gobbler on their tail. Double dang it. After they cleared outa there, I crawled up another 40 yards past the bend to set up a little closer. In the distance I catch a glimpse through the timber of the gobbler strutting in a small part of that food plot with the hens. They slowly move to the west side of the field out of sight. After some 30 minutes of getting no response from any of 3 slate calls and the Pittman diaphragm I’ve gone through now, I hear him gobble on his own to the northwest in a wooded bottom. Time to relocate to try to out flank and get out in front.

I hightailed it to the south to stay out of sight and then move west on a ridge to out flank them before they reach the next ridge. As I come around to that next ridge west of where I last heard him gobble, I hear hens calling just below the top of the ridge. I pick the closest big tree, quickly set up, get my gun up and ready on my knee pad, but before I can pull a call out I see movement. Gotta freeze now. A hen walks up on the ridge, scratches around for a minute or so and then walks southeast across in front of me inside the 25 yard line. She disappears just below the crest of the ridge so I give her about 30 seconds to continue to move off before I pulled out one of my Woodhaven diaphragm calls and deliver an aggressive, loud cut. Within 30 seconds I see more movement where I first saw the hen. WOW here comes 4 bright crimson red heads in a line, one right behind the other walking toward me. Now we’re talking. The lead bird is in a half strut and obviously a mature gobbler. They 2nd one is too. As they move in I’m trying to pick out the big bird (yep getting greedy ), which turns out to be the lead gobbler. The 2 trailing birds were jakes. Flanking them to the right and slightly behind them are 4 hens. The hens move up and to the right of the 2 mature gobbler and they stop to scratch and feed about 30 yards away. The 2 mature gobblers go into the ol’ stut and drum routine about 35 yards away mixed in with a line of tree trunks with a couple of saplings to the right them in an opening. The jakes move off to the right closer to the hens and go into a strut too. To say the least, there's a great show going on. The big bird clears the tree trunks broadside, in full strut but when he stops his head was behind a small sapling. I’m thinking, one more step and I’ll give him a cluck to make him stretch his head out. He takes the step, immediately turns and leaves me looking at the back side of his fan. He slowly struts back in a circle behind the tree trunks again. The other gobbler is standing just to the left of the tree trunks, neck stretched out just asking for it but I wait for another chance at the bigger one. He circles back through stopping behind the same dad gum sapling still in a strut. Again, one more step please. He does it and pulls they same dad gum move leaving me with another rear end view. You #@%$#*%$!!! He circles around again still in full strut where I can see his wing and part of his fan behind the line of tree trunks. A hen breaks out of the group to the right and eases toward the 2 gobblers. Uh oh, the 3 of them start to slowly moving off with both birds in full strut. I gotta do something quick. I give them another aggressive cut and they turn and start strutting back. No more fooling around now though. First mature gobbler to show his head is gonna get hammered. The one with the thinner beard steps out with this neck stretched out but right behind that same dad gun sapling. What is it with that spot! Here we go again, one more step please. He accommodates me with one step and stops with his head raised and I lowered it with a thundering boom from my 1187. Wouldn’t ya know it, the bigger bearded bird steps out in the alert position in the wide open now to check out his buddy flopping around on the ground. Figures. I stand up to go retrieve my gobbler and the birds bust into the air like a busted covey of quail. Don't ask me why they didn't run after the shot, thems turkeys, not deer. I was surprised to walk up and see the set of hooks this bird was wearing. Even though his beard was a bit short for a mature bird (9 1/2” out of what was left from part of my shot pattern busting some of it up at 38 yards) both spurs make the 1 1/4” mark. One down and 2 to go, in Mississippi that is.

[need2hunt]

Way to go Rhino!!!

[iabow]

Nice bird, congrats.

[Gus]

Nice bird, congrats Rhino

[Covehnter]

Nice bird, way to go!

[hobie]

Congrats on anice bird

[NiteRunner]

Congrats! Nice story, very exciting!

[VermontHunter]

That's it Im packing up and heading South...

CONGRATS, my friend what a hunt... I bet you were down right drained after that one.... I told ya #2 was going to be a doozie.....

[Ohiobucks]

Way to go Alan! Congrats on a fine bird, awesome story!

[bonehuntr]

Great adventure way to go!

[hoyt_hunter]

congrats on the great bird, sounds like an awesome hunt

[JimT]

Good job Rhino!!!

[Bruce Schmeck]

[ QUOTE ]
#@%$#*%$!!!

[/ QUOTE ]


See that! I knew my quote would come in handy!

Congrats on a successful hunt. Great play by play account.

[huntn4bucks]

Very nice Rhino! Congrats on a fine bird!

[Bow Hunter Derek]

Congrats Rhino!