bearcatbaseball10
Member
4-11-11 (opening morning)
Set out that morning with a specific plan on my mind to hunt a bird that I had seen strutting on our farm several times with 7+ hens a day. As I pulled in, I realized quickly that plan was going to change. Our part owner in the farm with us had beat me there (not knowing that he was hunting, he didn't know I was hunting). Knowing that he usually likes to stay on the north end of our farm, I sent him a text saying that I was going south. 7 am rolls around with gobbles errupting all over with birds on the ground already. I heard Steve shoot. From that point on it was ON. Immediately I realized that I needed to move. Switched set ups, and headed north. 830 a solo bird became very active, so I made a move on him. 50 minutes later...and 2 hens cutting me off, and blowing 2 deer out of there when setting up...he popped over the hill and put on a show. Gobblin' and spittin' the whole way in. At 10 yards I let the hammer head/beman combo eat some turkey....he went about 5 yards. 9:30 exactly.
2 year old. 22.8 lbs, Just a shade over a 10" beard and 3/4" spurs.
4-26-11
Started off the morning bad, kicked a bird off the roost, had 2 different birds hang up at 70 and 85 yards...and just wouldn't break! Had a bird answer me at 9:30 and continue to gobble until 10:30 when I realized he was over on the neighbors place. I decided to give it up and head home.
On my way back to the house I called the neighbor to the house, and he owns a farm that I use to hunt as a kid. Told me to head over there and check it out...that it was a virgin farm this year, no one had touched it, and the neighbors to them said they were hearing several gobblers in there. I walked down and into a spot I killed a bird out of when I was 12, got set up at 11 am. Started into a series of loud yelps and cuts. Immediately I had a response. This went on for awhile. He was up in the top field with hens (could hear them yelping). Finally sounded like he was a lot closer, went to the slate for some extra coaxing to sound like multiple hens.
I got about 3 clucks and purrs off before looking right and seeing a bird sneaking into my decoys from the old corn field. My strutter was facing away, he started to puff up. The wind kicked up, and spun the strutter towards him, and he immediately let down. Again the wind spun the decoy away and he approached it and started to puff again. As he went to hit it, it spun around and gave him a smack. Already at full draw, he went to start walking away. At 26 yards I anchored him through the spine...35 minutes into a mid day sit! As I ran to him, the original bird let loose again. I got out of there as quick as I could to save him for my girlfriend to kill on Thursday hopefully for her 2nd bird of the year! I figured the way he acted he was a 2 year old that got his butt kicked a few times...but looking at the spurs...hes definitely older....
Heres some pictures...1 1/8" spurs, 10" beard, 23 lbs.
Here are both my birds from Iowa this year...left is my latest bird, right is my opening morning bird.
Set out that morning with a specific plan on my mind to hunt a bird that I had seen strutting on our farm several times with 7+ hens a day. As I pulled in, I realized quickly that plan was going to change. Our part owner in the farm with us had beat me there (not knowing that he was hunting, he didn't know I was hunting). Knowing that he usually likes to stay on the north end of our farm, I sent him a text saying that I was going south. 7 am rolls around with gobbles errupting all over with birds on the ground already. I heard Steve shoot. From that point on it was ON. Immediately I realized that I needed to move. Switched set ups, and headed north. 830 a solo bird became very active, so I made a move on him. 50 minutes later...and 2 hens cutting me off, and blowing 2 deer out of there when setting up...he popped over the hill and put on a show. Gobblin' and spittin' the whole way in. At 10 yards I let the hammer head/beman combo eat some turkey....he went about 5 yards. 9:30 exactly.
2 year old. 22.8 lbs, Just a shade over a 10" beard and 3/4" spurs.
4-26-11
Started off the morning bad, kicked a bird off the roost, had 2 different birds hang up at 70 and 85 yards...and just wouldn't break! Had a bird answer me at 9:30 and continue to gobble until 10:30 when I realized he was over on the neighbors place. I decided to give it up and head home.
On my way back to the house I called the neighbor to the house, and he owns a farm that I use to hunt as a kid. Told me to head over there and check it out...that it was a virgin farm this year, no one had touched it, and the neighbors to them said they were hearing several gobblers in there. I walked down and into a spot I killed a bird out of when I was 12, got set up at 11 am. Started into a series of loud yelps and cuts. Immediately I had a response. This went on for awhile. He was up in the top field with hens (could hear them yelping). Finally sounded like he was a lot closer, went to the slate for some extra coaxing to sound like multiple hens.
I got about 3 clucks and purrs off before looking right and seeing a bird sneaking into my decoys from the old corn field. My strutter was facing away, he started to puff up. The wind kicked up, and spun the strutter towards him, and he immediately let down. Again the wind spun the decoy away and he approached it and started to puff again. As he went to hit it, it spun around and gave him a smack. Already at full draw, he went to start walking away. At 26 yards I anchored him through the spine...35 minutes into a mid day sit! As I ran to him, the original bird let loose again. I got out of there as quick as I could to save him for my girlfriend to kill on Thursday hopefully for her 2nd bird of the year! I figured the way he acted he was a 2 year old that got his butt kicked a few times...but looking at the spurs...hes definitely older....
Heres some pictures...1 1/8" spurs, 10" beard, 23 lbs.
Here are both my birds from Iowa this year...left is my latest bird, right is my opening morning bird.
