Last day bird/ smallest ever/ 17 years in a row

**pointing_dogs_rule** · 05-20-2007, 03:27 PM

Hi Guys:

Today was the last day to hunt turkeys in Iowa. I have tagged at least one bird in the spring for the past 16 years. I was thinking that this would be the end of the success string. I tried with the bow for the first 4 weeks and passed on a jake and a bearded hen. I have never shot a jake and hoped to keep the streak going. The last 2 weeks I went to the gun. They seemed to always get around me or something stupid would happen.

I set up my double bull last night and snuck in to the blind at 3:55 this morning, knowing that the birds usually roost 120 yards away and sometimes right where my blind was set up. I was hoping that they would calm down if I was still for the hour before it became light. I just waited until the first gooble at 5:10 (20 yards away). I was worried that coming in that close he would fly far away from the roost. 5 minutes later he goobled once more as did another bird DIRECTLY OVER ME!! I was sure these birds would fly off. No sooner did I hear the wings flap and he landed 17 yards away. A mature tom. It did not take more then a second for me to grab the gun and take the shot. The only bad part was that I really enjoy the show that they put on when they come into to you.

He only weighed 18 pounds (probably due to all of his breeding), the smallest bird I have ever taken by 3.5 lbs. Beard was 10.5 inches long and spurs were 1 1/4 and 1 1/8.

Good luck to all
the dog