James Vincent
Senior Member
Been seeing this bird for 2 weeks and thought he was killed opening day. And have only heard him gobble twice in 2 weeks time and we have had some pretty warm days. But at about 9 a.m. saw him strutting with some hens in the field. Went around to the back side and got set up on the field and could not do anything with him. So with all of the other hunters that can hunt this property I made the decision to put the stalk on him and belly crawled for about a hundred yards to with in about 45 yards of him and popped him. This may seem unethical to some but after 2 weeks of scouting this turkey at all hours of the day and putting the time in and never seeing another person out there, only to have 7 or 8 others show up and call there heads off all morning. I am leaving to guide in kansas and nebraska next week and did not want my efforts to go to waste and someone else that put no effort in kill him. Any way here he is at 24 lbs, 10 inch beard, and 1 1/8 spurs, killed in bartow county. And by the way i know this is an old bird, but while he was flopping around his beard fell off and and the base was still attached, but was hard as a rock and looked like calcium deposits down inside it. I was told Mal-Nutrition but i think its just age. Has anyone ever heard of this?
