BBD

I had the second week of turkey hunting in Goethe WMA and with the entire week off on vacation I had lots of turkey hunting in my plans. Last Saturday morning I was in the woods early and knew where I could go for a good chance of hearing a gobbler. I parked my truck and walked almost a half of a mile to get to the area that I wanted to listen. As I eased along all of a sudden I hear a gobble about 300 yards from me, I slip up a couple hundred more yards and start to find a place to set up and start calling. As I reach for my call, a shot rings out in a chop that adjoined this cypress head. No big deal, first day and I would soon find another. The next day I went to another area that I’ve heard birds in the past. I heard a gobbler right where I expected to hear one. I grab all of my gear and head in to try and work him; I got to within 75 yards of him and set up quickly. I gave a light tree yelp and he fired right back at me, I'm thinking oh yeah it is time to rock. Then I hear a hen in the trees to my right, as she gives a light tree yelp several other join in with her. They fly down and start moving in the other direction and take the gobbler with them. I went back at around 11:00 to see if maybe he had bread the hens and come back to look for more that he had left. With no avail I retreat, until the next morning when I brought my 79 year old father to try and put him on another one. I took him to an area that I had set up the day before with shooting lanes and a blind. At 8:30 I went back to see what had happens and he tells me that he heard 3 gobblers but had not luck. I didn't hear anything that morning and went the next 3 days not hearing one gobbling. Thursday afternoon I went to another piece of property that I’m allowed to turkey hunt. I haven’t seen any big birds there this year just a bunch of jakes. I was there for a couple of hours yelping and listening for some birds. With no luck I went home planning to return in the morning to see if I could hear one gobble and have a little better luck. I got there at 6:30 Friday morning and started to just wait at the truck and listen to see if I could hear anything. I finally decided to grab my bag and walk in and right as I got within 100 yards of where I had planned to listen, one gobbles. I wanted to get up to this huge live oak tree and get set up at the base of it. I got the tree in between us and moved in and got set up. Now there is about 50 yards between us, I pulled my slate call out and put my head net and gloves on. I give a tree call and he fires back at me with three gobbles in a row. I give it about 1 minute and yelp again, and then hens all around me start yelping. All of the hens start cackling and flying down, one hen lands only 5 yards from me. He has now on the ground and was about 75 yards from me. He’s gobbling like crazy and the hens start to form up and start working their way towards him. I’m thinking great here we go again, the hens are going to take him away from me. Then I see him strutting at 50 yards away with the hens moving his way. He was on my off side so I had to swap sides with my gun. I eased my gun over hoping that none would see me. I then give it a load cut followed by a yelp and he fired back and started my way. I will say this much, when he committed he was on me in no time. He came the entire way in full strut and I couldn’t shoot him like that because I would’ve shot his beard off. I clucked real loud and he gobbled, Bang! I jumped up and ran over there to him so I could hold him down so he wouldn’t mess himself up. He broke a wing flopping around but he was dead.

Weight 19 ¾ Lbs.
Beard 9 ½”
Spurs 1 ¼”

:saluting