teeroy
Life Member
got him tuesday, figured i'd better get the story on.
i was going to scout a new piece of land that i had gotten permission to hunt. it was a scouting mission/mushroom hunt, but i took all my turkey gear, just in case. i started to make a loop around the property, and as i crossed over a ridge, i heard something running out of the ditch below. i sat down and made some calls. i used a diaphram call, a slate over glass kaiser kall, a box call and a push button yelper. i heard a few gobbles a few hundred yards over, so i finally decided to continue on. i made a slight loop, trying to come in on them from a diffrent angle from where i was calling. as i neared the top of the hill they were behind, i decided to set up and call again. i got a few gobbles and they seemed to be just over the peak of the hill. i couldn't get them to come any closer, so i decided that i would have to move again. i crept over the hill and found myself out in the open, in the middle of some atv trail crossings. i froze, less than a hundred yards away, were 2 gobblers, and 2 hens. i think one of the gobblers, and the hens spotted me, as they just dissappeared. the other gobbler never broke strut, and evidently never saw me, and didn't realize his buddys left. i frantically scanned for something to hide behind. there was a huge oak, but i could never get there without being seen. there was a MONSTEROUS brushpile, i could have stood behind it and probably got him. instead i found a half way decent sized tree and sat down and tried to get the gun lined up. i hit a few calls on the diaphram. he turned and started my way. if he continued on this path, he would cross to my left, making a difficult shot(i'm right handed). i tried to adjust my body, to have more room to swing left. i spit out a few more soft yelps, and he turned and angled towards my right. he was giving me a crossing to the right shot, and was C L O S E!!! as he went behing a huge oak, i got situated, and swung the gun to cover him as he cleared the tree. as he came out from behind the tree, i kept the gun on his head. he got into a clearing, and i let out another soft yelp. as his head came up, and out....the gun went off. he went down like a ton of lead. i never took my eyes off him as a sat there and jacked in a fresh shell. he flopped and flopped, but his head remaind limp as a noodle...i knew he was going nowhere. i got up and went to claim the first bird i have called and shot, counting the yards as i went. at 20 yards i was standing over my bird. i stood there, waiting for the flopping to stop, so i could claim my trophy. i gathered him up, and went back to where i shot, to find the empty shell. i had not even made it half way around the property, i walked a srtaight line to my truck, less than 200 yards away. i made some calls, and went to my uncle's hatchery/bird seed shop to get him weighed, then to my cousin's for some pics.
22.5 pounds
11 1/2 inch beard
1 1/4 and 1 1/8 inch spurs
i was going to scout a new piece of land that i had gotten permission to hunt. it was a scouting mission/mushroom hunt, but i took all my turkey gear, just in case. i started to make a loop around the property, and as i crossed over a ridge, i heard something running out of the ditch below. i sat down and made some calls. i used a diaphram call, a slate over glass kaiser kall, a box call and a push button yelper. i heard a few gobbles a few hundred yards over, so i finally decided to continue on. i made a slight loop, trying to come in on them from a diffrent angle from where i was calling. as i neared the top of the hill they were behind, i decided to set up and call again. i got a few gobbles and they seemed to be just over the peak of the hill. i couldn't get them to come any closer, so i decided that i would have to move again. i crept over the hill and found myself out in the open, in the middle of some atv trail crossings. i froze, less than a hundred yards away, were 2 gobblers, and 2 hens. i think one of the gobblers, and the hens spotted me, as they just dissappeared. the other gobbler never broke strut, and evidently never saw me, and didn't realize his buddys left. i frantically scanned for something to hide behind. there was a huge oak, but i could never get there without being seen. there was a MONSTEROUS brushpile, i could have stood behind it and probably got him. instead i found a half way decent sized tree and sat down and tried to get the gun lined up. i hit a few calls on the diaphram. he turned and started my way. if he continued on this path, he would cross to my left, making a difficult shot(i'm right handed). i tried to adjust my body, to have more room to swing left. i spit out a few more soft yelps, and he turned and angled towards my right. he was giving me a crossing to the right shot, and was C L O S E!!! as he went behing a huge oak, i got situated, and swung the gun to cover him as he cleared the tree. as he came out from behind the tree, i kept the gun on his head. he got into a clearing, and i let out another soft yelp. as his head came up, and out....the gun went off. he went down like a ton of lead. i never took my eyes off him as a sat there and jacked in a fresh shell. he flopped and flopped, but his head remaind limp as a noodle...i knew he was going nowhere. i got up and went to claim the first bird i have called and shot, counting the yards as i went. at 20 yards i was standing over my bird. i stood there, waiting for the flopping to stop, so i could claim my trophy. i gathered him up, and went back to where i shot, to find the empty shell. i had not even made it half way around the property, i walked a srtaight line to my truck, less than 200 yards away. i made some calls, and went to my uncle's hatchery/bird seed shop to get him weighed, then to my cousin's for some pics.
22.5 pounds
11 1/2 inch beard
1 1/4 and 1 1/8 inch spurs
