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over to my Uncles last week. I finished out my season with my biggest bird of the season. 11 1/4" beard, 1 1/8" spurs and 23lbs.
Heard my first gobble at a little after 6. I started heading that direction but never heard that bird again but one was tearing the bone out in another direction. I made my way closer to him and tried a set up across a little draw but he flew down the other direction, towards a high line so I made my way that direction. I got to the highline and the bird sounded like he was over a small hill to my left so I thought I'd just hit the highline and close the distance but thought I'd peek up the hill first to make sure my ears weren't deceiving me. Good thing I did because he was at the top, looking my way. Somehow I managed to not get busted and I just watched him set up there and gobbled for 20 minutes or so. I tried to call and he wanted to come but he didnt see the hen and he wasn't coming without a visual. He finally turned and started heading away, down the high line. I decided my best bet was to swing wide and try to high tail it to get in front of him. I'm not too good to ambush one, especially on the last day. I was as quiet as I could be while still trying to cover some ground quickly. He would gobble pretty regularly and that helped gauge where I needed to be. I got to where I thought I could get to the high line and be in front of him and by the time I creeped up almost there, he had already went by me, heading on down. Dangit. He went down a little hill so I used that opportunity to crawl up and got close to where it crested. I came to a little woods road and crawled down it a bit to get into the woods and made a call. He didn't answer. I slipped through the thick woods a little closer towards him, trying to pinpoint him. I got close enough and knelt behind a cedar where i could kinda see down that hill a bit and called. I got no response and still hadn't seen the bird. I cut real hard and he cut me off at 70 yds and then I saw him go into strut and turn my way and start looking. He started heading my way, strutting and looking. About that time, some kind of critter come running up on me through the woods so now I've got a turkey looking hard at 60yds and something trying to eat me coming in hot behind me. Damn the dilema. I hated to look but couldn't stand the thought of getting jumped on by a bobcat so I slowly turned my head just trying to see whatever it was or hopefully scare it off. By this time, the bird is at 50 yds and coming quick. I turned back to the bird, scared to death that I'd blown it. Thankfully, it was dark in the woods where I was and he was in the open. He had seen something fishy however and had come out of strut and his head was raising in suspicion. He was at 40yds and I know my gun will do it but hate to shoot that far. His head was up and it was time. I let loose and he hit the ground hard. It was 7:45am. Thank you Lord! 20 minutes later, I was trying to text buddies and my hands were still shaking. I love this so much. Im gonna miss it but I slept till 7 this morning. The longest I've slept in a month. It felt pretty good but I'd trade it to have been up at 4am to get after them again. Thank God for my best season yet. Filled 3 tags in OK and 2 in AR.
Heard my first gobble at a little after 6. I started heading that direction but never heard that bird again but one was tearing the bone out in another direction. I made my way closer to him and tried a set up across a little draw but he flew down the other direction, towards a high line so I made my way that direction. I got to the highline and the bird sounded like he was over a small hill to my left so I thought I'd just hit the highline and close the distance but thought I'd peek up the hill first to make sure my ears weren't deceiving me. Good thing I did because he was at the top, looking my way. Somehow I managed to not get busted and I just watched him set up there and gobbled for 20 minutes or so. I tried to call and he wanted to come but he didnt see the hen and he wasn't coming without a visual. He finally turned and started heading away, down the high line. I decided my best bet was to swing wide and try to high tail it to get in front of him. I'm not too good to ambush one, especially on the last day. I was as quiet as I could be while still trying to cover some ground quickly. He would gobble pretty regularly and that helped gauge where I needed to be. I got to where I thought I could get to the high line and be in front of him and by the time I creeped up almost there, he had already went by me, heading on down. Dangit. He went down a little hill so I used that opportunity to crawl up and got close to where it crested. I came to a little woods road and crawled down it a bit to get into the woods and made a call. He didn't answer. I slipped through the thick woods a little closer towards him, trying to pinpoint him. I got close enough and knelt behind a cedar where i could kinda see down that hill a bit and called. I got no response and still hadn't seen the bird. I cut real hard and he cut me off at 70 yds and then I saw him go into strut and turn my way and start looking. He started heading my way, strutting and looking. About that time, some kind of critter come running up on me through the woods so now I've got a turkey looking hard at 60yds and something trying to eat me coming in hot behind me. Damn the dilema. I hated to look but couldn't stand the thought of getting jumped on by a bobcat so I slowly turned my head just trying to see whatever it was or hopefully scare it off. By this time, the bird is at 50 yds and coming quick. I turned back to the bird, scared to death that I'd blown it. Thankfully, it was dark in the woods where I was and he was in the open. He had seen something fishy however and had come out of strut and his head was raising in suspicion. He was at 40yds and I know my gun will do it but hate to shoot that far. His head was up and it was time. I let loose and he hit the ground hard. It was 7:45am. Thank you Lord! 20 minutes later, I was trying to text buddies and my hands were still shaking. I love this so much. Im gonna miss it but I slept till 7 this morning. The longest I've slept in a month. It felt pretty good but I'd trade it to have been up at 4am to get after them again. Thank God for my best season yet. Filled 3 tags in OK and 2 in AR.
