Tomorrow nite's supper (pics)....

[Strut10]

Just a great morning to be in the woods today.

Started out a tad slow. I got up late. The birds around my house were gobbling as I sat on the porch tying my boots to leave.

I was going to go to the side of a ridge by my dad's place. But when I got there & parked a bird on the other side of the hollow was just gittin' it from the limb. So I hoofed down then back up and got in a great setup to kill him from. Only problem was........he didn't see it that way. First tree call I made was the last I heard from him.

So about 8:00 I got up and started a cutt & run deal..............except when it's me it's more like "cutt & walk". I walked up on our resident albino doe and watched her for a while. I found a nice little 3-point shed. Saw some other deer. Found a sharp-shinned hawk's nest.

Around 9:00 I was strolling across a big foodplot of ours when I heard a gobble out front. Couldn't tell where, though. I made another 500 yards or so and got up on the hill more and started calling here and there. Finally I got a comeback gobble. Then another. There were at least two.......maybe more birds. I set up a good long way across a valley from them and called hard. They were doubling and tripling, but not budging. So a big half circle around and I got to a spot where I figured I could make them come to. I sat down amongst the Five Brothers (a semi-circle of cherry trees where I've killed from before) and clucked on a mouth call. Nothing. Again........and nothing. About the 4th or 5th series of clucks and cutts I got a distant comeback. I fired right back with some hard cutts and got an immediate response from two birds. I cut them off with more hard, excited cutts and they went ballistic. I went silent and reached up to turn the red-dot on to #11 brightness. I waited a looooong couple minutes before purring. Nothing. I started popping off some clucks and was immediately answered from just over the rise about 45 yards out. I started looking for heads.......trying to predict where to put the dot. First head came over the rise slightly to the right from straight out. I moved the gun slightly and had the dot sitting on his wattles. Then I could see a full fan coming behind him........not yet in the open for a shot. I kept the dot on the lead, killable bird but made up my mind I would go to the strutter as soon as he offered a shot. The dot rode lead bird's neck for about a minute as he worked from left to right in front of me at about 30-32 yards. Meanwhile the strutter was taking his good old time behind a clump of big maples. Then the critical point came where the lead bird stopped slightly to my left......still with the dot on his neck.........but as far left as I could follow him. But the strutter was still obscured , though only a step or two from being in the open. The lead bird gave me last chance to tighten the trigger finger, but I passed. I wanted the strutter. Seconds after the lead bird stepped out of the danger zone the strutter cleared the maple clump. I slid the dot on to his wattles and sized it all up. He broke from strut and walked a little circle and when he stopped........the SX2 (which I have aptly named "No Doubt") sent a load of Wichester Supreme 6's 38 yards and across his noggin ending a VERY exciting hunt.

he was a nice 3 year bird at 20 lbs. with a 10" rope and 1" spurs. In retrospect.......the lead bird who walked away had a much nicer, thicker beard. No matter. I'm happy.

Here's a couple pics:

The first is of my future turkey huntin' gal. She's saying "Ten inches!!"

[bowhunter56]

Very nice turkey...well done.. if she says 10 then it's 10..

[snapper]

Nice bird Don...didn't know you took time off from work. If your still off and want to hunt (call), I'll be home at 7:30am tom. morning to go out...lol Guess if your not here...I'll go at it alone!

I didn't make it out today (had to take dog to the vet) but had a few close encounters with a couple of jakes on Mon. (wet) morning. Give it a shot tom.

Great pictures btw.

[ekudeerhunter]

nice bird

[WHISKEYSWAMP]

nice bird... congrats!

[beagleboy]

Congrats on a nice bird. Awesome pics

[WaCoyote]

You didn't use the 375 H&H? Great job.

[ccwhitey]

Great story and pics, congrats

[hangunnr]

Good going Don!! Nice bird and good pix...

hangunnr

[3seasons]

Congrats on the bird.

[USAFbowhunter]

Congrats!!!!!!

[wtnhunt]

Nice bird. Congratulations Don.

[Tominator]

Great story, great bird, congratulations Don.

[earnhardts12000]

nice bird

[Rem308]

Great story, thanks for sharing that. Reading that really gets me geared up to go Friday & Saturday.

Congrats on the gobbler, sounds like it was exciting.
Good looking turkey gun you've got there.