jkratz5
Well-Known Member
I have had a great season here in Indiana and got to witness quite a few gobblers get whacked by my buddies. Thought I would post the story about my 2012 bird.
The day before this bird roosted about 800yds to the north of where we had setup, but we had turkey all around us, unfortunately just hens and jakes, no gobblers to be seen early on. We tried to make a move on this guy and got within 100yds and setup but after a couple of hours of playing the game he won as he walked off with some ladies.
The next morning we decided that we would try to move into the vicinity of where he had roosted the night before. This area is pretty easy to access and setup as the birds roost a few hundred yards off the field edge along a big creek. We decided that with the thick timber we woudl setup in the most secluded pocket of the field and see if we could pull the bird into our setup off the roost. As we got the Zink Avian X dekes into place we heard our first gobble, 200 yards dead east of us in the same area the bird was in the morning before. As daylight came the bird continued to sound off periodically, and when I didn't hear any hens I had a good feeling I was in the chips!!! Finally, at 6:15 I let out a few soft purrs and one series of yelp!!! He hammered immediately and I knew we were in business. I let out a few more purrs on the Ghost Maker and then laid her beside me. When the bird hit the ground he let out a thunderous gobble within 100yds. I hit a few more soft puuuurrrrrrrrsssss on the Ghost Maker and waited patients. About 10 minutes later I caught the bird moving in the field not 40yds. north of me doing the mean walk right at the dekes. He approached the feeder hen first and gave her a quick wing smack and then proceeded to mount her. I had the gun on his head at this time but rather then shooting I let him play a bit. Finally the stake on the hen gave out and he decided it was on with the Avian Jake Decoy. He strutted over to him, stuck his neck out and began to wrap it around the dekes neck. He then proceeded to hive him a couple of wing smacks and jump on his back. Once the jake fell over I decided the bird had enough fun and laid the smack down. Was a short morning, but a cool hunt. Below are some pics of the decoy carnage
and the bird.
24lbs., 11" beard, 1" spurs.
Bird as he laid dead in the dekes, with decoy carnage. Note the only bird remaining upright is the alert hen
More decoy carnage, what is left of the Jake stake and the "dead" jake
Jake reassembled and the bird
The spread
One las pic once it got a little lighter
Kratz
The day before this bird roosted about 800yds to the north of where we had setup, but we had turkey all around us, unfortunately just hens and jakes, no gobblers to be seen early on. We tried to make a move on this guy and got within 100yds and setup but after a couple of hours of playing the game he won as he walked off with some ladies.
The next morning we decided that we would try to move into the vicinity of where he had roosted the night before. This area is pretty easy to access and setup as the birds roost a few hundred yards off the field edge along a big creek. We decided that with the thick timber we woudl setup in the most secluded pocket of the field and see if we could pull the bird into our setup off the roost. As we got the Zink Avian X dekes into place we heard our first gobble, 200 yards dead east of us in the same area the bird was in the morning before. As daylight came the bird continued to sound off periodically, and when I didn't hear any hens I had a good feeling I was in the chips!!! Finally, at 6:15 I let out a few soft purrs and one series of yelp!!! He hammered immediately and I knew we were in business. I let out a few more purrs on the Ghost Maker and then laid her beside me. When the bird hit the ground he let out a thunderous gobble within 100yds. I hit a few more soft puuuurrrrrrrrsssss on the Ghost Maker and waited patients. About 10 minutes later I caught the bird moving in the field not 40yds. north of me doing the mean walk right at the dekes. He approached the feeder hen first and gave her a quick wing smack and then proceeded to mount her. I had the gun on his head at this time but rather then shooting I let him play a bit. Finally the stake on the hen gave out and he decided it was on with the Avian Jake Decoy. He strutted over to him, stuck his neck out and began to wrap it around the dekes neck. He then proceeded to hive him a couple of wing smacks and jump on his back. Once the jake fell over I decided the bird had enough fun and laid the smack down. Was a short morning, but a cool hunt. Below are some pics of the decoy carnage
and the bird. 24lbs., 11" beard, 1" spurs.
Bird as he laid dead in the dekes, with decoy carnage. Note the only bird remaining upright is the alert hen
More decoy carnage, what is left of the Jake stake and the "dead" jake
Jake reassembled and the bird
The spread
One las pic once it got a little lighter
Kratz
Last edited:
