Now what?

I'm done!

I had a 3 day hunt in a small very popular WMA. I hunted it Friday morning, and Didn't hear anything. My 2 first choice locals had hunters in there already. Here I am in 1 of the most coveted hunts in the state with really no idea where else to go. I think to myself why am I even over here when I know where gobblers are in 4, or 5 different locals in the local "Romp, N Stomp".

Saturday My uncle, and I head over to the "Romp, N Stomp" to a new spot to start the morning, and hear a gobbler just after flydown light. He was a long way off, and decide to close the distance. We moved about 400yds. ,and set up. I make a yelp, and hear a gobble, but not where we thought he was it is the other direction. So we close the distance set up , make a call, and hear a gobble. Problem is it is another direction. I am no expert at turkey hunting, but realize we have 3 gobblers in our block of woods surrounding us in different locals. I am trying to get my uncle a turkey. We head back towards the most current gobbling bird, and I make a call. Now it is confirmed we hear gobbles in 2 directions. After a little discussion we head off after 1 bird. I am hot footing it across the burn, and look back at some point to discover my uncle has plans of his own. He went after the other bird only to discover later that I was the only 1 who brought a turkey call with them. So I make it to a main road, and make a call, and the gobbler rings out with in 350yds, and I close the distance by a 100yds. I am on the edge of a burn just inside a nice open oak, and cypress bottom, and the only unburned palmetto patch. I let out a call, and he is much closer. I quickly set down against an oak tree in the middle of the palmetto patch. No time to deploy the dekes. I make a soft call , and the bird gobbles so loud it is like your buddy has you check something under the hood of his car, and hits the horn. This is where I made a turkey hunting mistake. I knew he was coming in, and that last call just let him pin point me percisely. I am sitting there with the gun up where he should pop out, and just happen to notice something a little darker in the burn peeking through my palmettos head bobbing back, and forth. Busted !I put the bead on him, but there was to much brush. The bird let out thse famous gobbler" your *** is busted putt" , and turned to run. I with my Micheal Jordan like instincts spring to my feet, and swing my 870 3in. mag all in 1 motion toward the bird, and fire. To my amazement the bird piles up flops a few times, and is done. This is the 1st time I have ever been busted, shot at a running bird, and sealed the deal. I can remember at least 5 times trying to shoot 1 that busted me, and ran with no success I usually do not fire after being busted. So I can come back to hunt him another day. I guess it was my lucky day. Here's the pics.

spurs

Me uncle posing the beard after his error.

17lbs 1 oz spurs: 1 1/4, and 1 5/16 9 1/2in. beard.