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Hunting by Game/Technique => Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: hesseltine32 on May 27, 2014, 09:16:00 PM
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Well it came down to the wire I shot this Bird on May 25. After having several frustrating hunts were I just couldn't seal the deal and had to pass up birds to get a kill on camera. I decided forget the camera and just try to kill a bird when I went home to visit family for memorial day on some of my old stomping grounds. I go out blind the first morning and hang out on the other end of the field where the birds normally roost. About 4:35 they start gobbling 5 different toms sounding off roosting on the edge of the 3/4 mile long field but its to light to try to sneak across and set up on any. So I hang out there and glass the closes bird he flies of the roost then struts to the upper section of the field where some hens walked out into the field. Then they start to make there way down toward me so I crawl out and set up a hen and jake decoy. I let out a few calls so they will see the decoys and get one of the hens all fired up and we start calling back and forth with each other. This get the gobbler all fired up where he just gobbles none stop to the point that the hen our I couldn't even make the first call in a sequence and he would let a gobble out. This went on for 30 minutes or so but the birds never get any closer then 100 yards and work there way past me. So i pick my decoys up and cut into the woods to try to get ahead of the birds and see if I can call them in. I set up on them twice with no luck and the tom pretty much goes silent. Now its 730 and I see the hens start walking back up the field to there nest but I cant see the tom.
I sit there a few minutes thinking what to do next when I hear him sound off he's up where I first set up that morning, so I pack up and start heading up that way. As I'm sneaking back up to the edge of the field I see him and I'm within 80 yards. He feeding right a long the edge toward me. I'm thinking perfect Ill just sit here and wait him out. After 5 minutes or so he stops feeding and just starts gobbling not stop looking for a hen and start to walk the other way so I let out a few soft yelps and that gets his attentions and he puffs right out and starts strutting back and forth but never comes any closer and just keeps on gobbling. So I decide to get aggressive with him cutting and letting out some fighting purrs. As soon as I did that he dropped strut and came running in. Shot him at 15 Yards still running straight toward me and pilled him up with the Nova.
This was such a great way to end the season and get a confident booster, as I was so pumped and relieved to have a bird down before this I was getting very nervous that this was going to be the first season in my 13 years of turkey hunting that I was going to end the season with a goose egg.
He weighted 23 lbs one spur was broke off at 3/4 the other was 1 1/4" and he had a beard just shy of 10" inches.
(http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq34/hesseltine32/DSC00352_zps1eb529de.jpg) (http://s431.photobucket.com/user/hesseltine32/media/DSC00352_zps1eb529de.jpg.html)
(http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq34/hesseltine32/DSC00351_zps01ba7c61.jpg) (http://s431.photobucket.com/user/hesseltine32/media/DSC00351_zps01ba7c61.jpg.html)
(http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq34/hesseltine32/DSC00350_zpsf9d5f6c3.jpg) (http://s431.photobucket.com/user/hesseltine32/media/DSC00350_zpsf9d5f6c3.jpg.html)
(http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq34/hesseltine32/DSC00349_zps29259955.jpg) (http://s431.photobucket.com/user/hesseltine32/media/DSC00349_zps29259955.jpg.html)
Few pictures I had on my little camera from the season
(http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq34/hesseltine32/DSC00337_zps29de08a1.jpg) (http://s431.photobucket.com/user/hesseltine32/media/DSC00337_zps29de08a1.jpg.html) >:(
(http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq34/hesseltine32/DSC00335_zps8d10f5ff.jpg) (http://s431.photobucket.com/user/hesseltine32/media/DSC00335_zps8d10f5ff.jpg.html)
(http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq34/hesseltine32/82037A15-825C-48CB-89C8-A7B260609A83_zpsvzykgkqo.jpg) (http://s431.photobucket.com/user/hesseltine32/media/82037A15-825C-48CB-89C8-A7B260609A83_zpsvzykgkqo.jpg.html)
(http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq34/hesseltine32/DSC00331_zps4b995f5d.jpg) (http://s431.photobucket.com/user/hesseltine32/media/DSC00331_zps4b995f5d.jpg.html)
(http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq34/hesseltine32/DSC00329_zpsaf2c34c3.jpg) (http://s431.photobucket.com/user/hesseltine32/media/DSC00329_zpsaf2c34c3.jpg.html)
(http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq34/hesseltine32/DSC00327_zps3d471c79.jpg) (http://s431.photobucket.com/user/hesseltine32/media/DSC00327_zps3d471c79.jpg.html)
(http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq34/hesseltine32/DSC00325_zps678b0e0d.jpg) (http://s431.photobucket.com/user/hesseltine32/media/DSC00325_zps678b0e0d.jpg.html)
He's a bird my buddy shot opening weekend in SE NY. Should have the video here shortly, crazy hunt with how fast these birds come into the little runt.
(http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq34/hesseltine32/10157388_721873524530588_2390264746905351744_n_zps48622bcf.jpg) (http://s431.photobucket.com/user/hesseltine32/media/10157388_721873524530588_2390264746905351744_n_zps48622bcf.jpg.html)
(http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq34/hesseltine32/10308162_10152026910206338_5272092542999547353_n_zps58eb1204.jpg) (http://s431.photobucket.com/user/hesseltine32/media/10308162_10152026910206338_5272092542999547353_n_zps58eb1204.jpg.html)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=antEXo4NWUs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=antEXo4NWUs)
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nice story and pics, congrats, those are some serious hooks, doesnt look good for me here this season
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Congratulations and nice pictures Cody...
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Congrats on the great looking bird 8)
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Nice looking bird and story. Thanks for sharing.
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Good going Cody, those are some dandy birds you and your buddy got. ;D
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Nice birds. Congrats.
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Nice Cody. My buddy got one the first week with a broken spur like that.
I'm about to leave for the Catskills tor try for another late bird like last year.
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Nice bird! :)
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Nice Cody. My buddy got one the first week with a broken spur like that.
I'm about to leave for the Catskills tor try for another late bird like last year.
Good luck I hunted up there for 4 days around the second weekend. Should be better they were grouped up pretty good still then hunting flocks of 20-30 birds and tight lipped off the roost. They took a toll this winter numbers were down.
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Thanks everybody. Time to start getting ready for deer season and get some more 3D shoots in.
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congrats on the birds and great story to boot
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Awesome job you guy's done there Cody ; Congrads to all of you :D :D
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Added the video link hope ya enjoy
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Great video. very well put together. 8)
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Cool video.
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Very Very nice video :) Great job Cody ;D ;D
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Nice job. 8) Congrats to you both.