My "Calls are on the counter" Longbeard

[Exturkinator]

Filled my Michigan tag with this nice gobbler taken here in Washtenaw County, MI - he'll do nicely in the tally for Team 25 (Full Fan Addicts). I encountered this tom twice in preceding days. The first followed an unsuccessful early morning after traversing a swamp to hunt turkeys that weren’t there. I decided to check out a little 4-5 acre isolated triangular wooded area bounded by a lake, private farm land, and a dense thicket with access only via deer trails. I didn’t expect much, but after a soft yelp, he gobbled back at about 150 yards. He proceeded to circle around to my right on the run all the while gobbling but staying beyond 100 yards. He came all the way around to the lake (now about 270 degree arc to be behind me), gobbled a few times but just wouldn't come to me. I didn’t push him, and came back the next morning.

On my second encounter, he was roosted out in the middle of the wooded area and gobbled at daybreak, gobbled once to my soft tree yelp, flew down, and headed off in the opposite direction to eat corn or see the ladies or something that didn't involve me or my Winchester – leaving me lots of time to get to church! I took a good survey of the area – the area opposite where I was set up was bounded by a small creek and row of old hardwoods just beyond which was a corn field. I decided that the tom was roosting in the middle of the area and heading out (crossing a creek and row of hardwoods) to the private farm after fly down. In preparation for coming back in a few days, I found a great set up under a large oak just beside the creek. There was a fallen log just to my left and a nice flat area 25 yards ahead to put a decoy. There was also a huge nice, dead roosting tree about 60 yards directly to my left (although the gobbler had been roosting out in the middle of the wooded area). I found a new deer trail right along the creek to access my set up and made lots of mental notes on how to get there in the dark.

Two mornings later, I got to the area at 04:40 and parked well away. As I was putting my vest on, I got the sinking feeling in my gut as I realized that I left my diaphragm calls on the counter at the house (because I deviated from my normal turkey hunting AM routine…). No time to go back, I’d just have to go with what I had. It was pitch black dark as I ambled down the deer trail along the creek. I missed the landmark for my set up tree and ended up nearly 60 yards away underneath the old dead roosting tree (where I didn’t think the longbeard would be anyway but I didn’t want to make that much more noise etc…). I was able to get back to my set up tree OK, crawled out and placed the decoy at 25 yards, and got set up and waited for daybreak. My plan was this: the bird was roosted 100 – 150 yards in front of me, he would gobble at daybreak, he would fly down and head in my general direction as he made his way to the food and the ladies… I would make a few soft yelps, putts, and purrs only if necessary. As the light slowly came, two deer stood up about 50 yards in front of me (this gave me hope that I hadn’t scared everything out of the woods). At about full light I was getting worried that I hadn’t heard from the tom. All of a sudden, the ole boy belted out a gobble right behind me and just to my left – no more than 20 yards away from me! Scared the living daylights out of me – heart stopped then raced, shivers up the spine, the whole deal!!! He was less than half way between me and the old dead roosting tree – I had walked under him on the roost twice in the dark! He gobbled a few more times (right into my left ear), then he flew down – his big ole wings made such a roar that he scared the two deer that were still 50 yards in front of me. I couldn’t yet see him, but I could hear him stepping around back there. He finally came into my vision directly to my left in full strut about 15-20 yards out. He was eyeing my decoy and strutted away from me out to about 30 yards to get a better view. He was spitting (no drumming) and I think he wanted the hen to come to him. I made a really soft yelp to see if he would respond. I waited for him to put a tree between me and him and strut around away from me before I brought my Win up to my left. When he brought his head up to alert out of strut, I pounded his noggin with 3 ½ inches of #5 Winchester Extended. He fell dead on the spot. I took a few minutes to breath and take it all in – then I tagged him and took him home. He weighed 22.9 pounds, had a 11 ¼ inch beard, had 1 1/8 inch spurs, and had beautiful red and green chest and back cape feathers. One of his fan feathers appeared to be mangled and broken some time ago from a fight. I’m doing a full cape mount on him myself – I’ll post pictures when it is done.

[redbeard]

Congrats, that's a dandy for sure

[Ohiobucks]

Nice bird Exturk, great story, gotta love it when you don't know they are that close and they let out a big ol' gobble! Almost makes you jump out of your seat! Congrats!

[huntn4bucks]

Congratulations on an excellent Michigan Longbeard.

[Jeramie]

That is a GREAT bird! Congratulations!

[mo_hunter]

great job awesome bird

[borch]

Way to go!

Awsome bird and story!

[hookedonhunting]

Way to go! Dont you just love killing a trophy bird!?!?

[Gus]

Awesome bird, congrats

[CamoGuy]

Wow!! Nice hooks on that bird!!

[slaw]

Thats a great bird EX. Thanks for sharing the story...GO FULL-FAN-ADDICTS!!!!!

[maytom]

Congrats on taking one awesome gobbler!! The beard and spurs alone on that bad boy, spell trophy in my book!! WTG!!!!