2009 TURKEY CONTEST OFFICIAL PICTURE AND STORY LOG

[BigRedDodge1500]

The score for the bird on teh NWTF sight calculator is 100.5.  I will post a pic of the other spur when i get the bird back for the taxidermist which should be by the final end date.  It was exactly 3/4" just liek the other one.  The bird was taken w/ shotgun but due to the fact that i live in MD by myself and i live in an urban apt i couldn't take a pic with my shotgun and the mexicans that were doing the siding on my apartment had to take the pics.  Another whole story in itself.

[WhiteTail Madness]

not to be a Pain in the @$$ but i've scored lots of nice turkeys on NWTF, and you final score sounded REALLY hi for a turkey.  I entered the specs in the calculator myself and came up with a final score of 55.0625. 


Turkey's weight:  20lbs.  1/8oz.

Spur length Right: .7500 in.     Left:  .7500 in.

Beard length 10 in.




Your score is 20.0625 + 7.5 + 7.5 + 20 = 55.0625

[BigRedDodge1500]

Work's for me i could have entered it in wrong somehow. NO PROBLEM...Sounds good. I just redid the scoring and what i did was enter 3/4 in the spur box rather then .75 thats what messed it up.

[WhiteTail Madness]

I figured that is what you did... THe first time i scored a turkey on there i entered 3/4 instead of .75 also, and ended up with a high score. 

[Adam Bomb]

Well, i got a nice bird, but botched things up for the contest when i forgot to take my scale to turkey camp. Came home for a funeral and took it outta the truck for some reason. If i was coming home right away i woulda waited to weight it, but not coming home for a couple days i had to butcher it and put it in the fridge.

Oh well, no big deal. I had a blast and thats what matters most. Heres the story, pics and measurements i do have.
Well, after the first two days of flooded woods, henned up gobblers and a funeral i was able to get back after them on Thursday morning in one of my other spots. I had a blind set in a corn stubble with an adjacent wheat fieild then the woods. The birds were coming outta the woods and working their way acrossed the wheat to the corn. Theyd either return to the woods they came from, or cross on over to the next woodlot. Great transition/strutting/feeding area.

So, Thursday morning i get out there plenty early and set up my two decoys within 10 yds of my blind. As soon as it started to break day the woods erupted with gobbling toms and yelping hens. I could distinguish several different birds in there. There was quite a bunch in one roost and then a single gobbler to the east. Not being close to the woods, i didnt make any calls right away. I just sat back and listened until the birds were on the ground. Once they were i gave a series of yelps, which was returned by several gobbles. I waited patiently and the lone gobbler gobbled again on his own, only this time he was 100 yds or so from where he gobbled originally. So, i did another series, which he also answered. Within 5 minutes i spotted him at the field edge. After glassing him i could tell he was a nice bird and one id try to call in. So, i hit the slate call again, he gobbled, stood up really strait looking my way. As soon as he spotted my decoys he took off on a dead run. Now, im positioned several hundred yards out into this field. He ran full bore about half the distance, stopped, gobbled and began to display. I gave a few clucks and softer yelps, he gobbled again in full strut and continued my way. As long as he was coming i never said a word. Whenever he'd stop id hit him with some soft clucks and yelps, he'd answer and keep coming. Finally, he was within effective shotgun range. He strutted back and forth, so i gave him a few clucks and purrs and he responded with yet another thunderous gobble. Afterwhich, he proceeded well within my effective range. Finally at about 20 yds he stopped and strutted back and forth spitting and drumming. I watched him for what seemed like forever waiting for him to maybe inch a bit closer yet. After several minutes of watching him i decided i would take him. While displaying he would periodically lift his head up away from his body a bit and tilt it back and forth. I had my mind made up i would wait for him to lift his head, then take him. So, I eased the Benelli out the window of my tent half suspecting to get caught in the act, which to my suprise, i didnt. So, with a good bead on him I patiently waited for him to raise his head once again. He finally did and i folded him.

It was a great hunt, with an outstandind show. Another great season in the books. Now i can look forward to calling for my buddy Matt this coming week and for my Mother when its her turn on May 4th.

Beard: 10 3/4"
Spurs: 1"
Weight: 400# by the time i walked the half mile back to the farm! He probably went around 21-23# if i had to guess.



Dad killed a really nice mature gobbler on opening day. Way to go Dad!

Beard: 11 1/2"
Spurs: 1 1/4"

[buckblaster]

Congrats to you and your dad great birds

[Issiah]

Couldn't get out for the Opener this year because I had to work.  Did make it out this morning for day two, and because of not getting out yesterday, was "rip-roarin-ready-to-go" at 4am...  Hadn't done much scouting other than driving by the area I intended to hunt, and seeing birds out doing their thing this time of year. Figured I'd start out by setting up on the edge of a hayfield below where I had seen the turkeys roosting night after night during deer season.  Sure enough when the sun started coming up, I had a couple gobblers in the trees above me maybe 100 yards away. I waited for the sun to creep up a little more then dragged my striker slowly across the slate, making a couple purrs...  Instant reply!  I could hear three different gobblers sounding off, over, and over, again.  When the sun finally got to where I thought they might start coming down off their roost, I made a couple "ovels" on my slate and out came some decent Yelps.  Gobblers went wild; then a hen started sounding off.  I was bummed to hear that; competition can get frustrating...  She became very vocal. I just let things unfold without calling for awhile. Suddenly, I could faintly see/hear birds coming down off the roost through the trees. They went the opposite direction of where I was set-up, and it didn't take long before I could here the gobbles a little further away... The hen stayed though, and continued to be vocal up on her roost! They got riled up every time she sounded off.  I finally made another series of yelps and within a few minutes I see a bird come off the roost in my direction! Soon after it hit the ground, it sounded off; It was the hen.  She came right at me...  She got to within 40yards when I saw movement behind her, then came a thunderous roar!!!  It was the gobblers! They sounded off at the same time and it was so loud I could feel it in my spine!  She got to within 30 yards and was eyeing me up real good; I was tryin not to flinch. She paced back and forth slowly, and was eyeing me up the whole time.  I saw behind her that the Toms were getting closer and closer!  They were puffin' up and gobblin!  There wasn't three; there were six!!!  They came within range, but I was worried about trying to lift the gun up, with the hen watching. I waited till one got within 30yards then I quick pulled up, (they all raised there heads) and made a good shot!  Down went the bird!  The others just stood there!!!  They walked around in circles clucking, then started chasing each other and Gobbling!  When I stood up they ran off maybe 50 yards and started gobbling!!!!  They gobbled from 100yards away, while I went out in the field and cleaned the bird ect...  They were still gobbling when I left? They are lucky it's only a 1 bird a day limit!  Measurements ended up being 8.5" Beard, .75" Spurs and 14lbs (Field Dressed Weight). On to Bird number 2; Here are the pics...




Your score is 14 + 7.5 + 7.5 + 17 = 46

[drobertsinMaryland]

Great story and congrats on a fine bird.

[buckblaster]

Congrats issiah you get em out behind the farm

[Issiah]

Yup,  Right here on farm...   Thanks guys!   Hope to upgrade with a bigger bird...

[Issiah]

Just realized that the contest uses live weight of birds for calculating score???  Thought my bird seemed a little lite compared to some of the others on here...LOL...  Oh well...

[upstatehunter]

Good job Issiah. You too Adam. Thought there would be allot more entries by now.

[WhiteTail Madness]

I thought that too upstate... Im surprised.  I've been having some good luck over here, but i've been huntin every morning and night since season opened.......  My season starts in the mornin..... Put the birds to sleep tonight, they better watch their step in the mornin, cuz i'll be wating for them to screw up! Even if they dont screw up i'll follow em around till they do screw up!

[Adam Bomb]

Good luck WTM!..Stick em!

[upstatehunter]

Issiah, if you field dressed it I would add at least 2-3 lbs for the live weight. JMO
Looks like a healthy 2 year old, should be 16-18lbs.